Review of "Gumption : relighting the torch of freedom with America's gutsiest troublemakers" on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
I picked this up because I love American history and thought Nick Offerman might have a unique take. Unfortunately, the book spent more time expounding on Nick Offerman's opinions than it did on history or even the opinions of the people he was supposedly lauding.
My biggest problem is that he sees things in black and white. If people use modern technology more often than he chooses to, those people are wrong to be so dependent on gadgets. He doesn't seem willing to acknowledge that people can have different preferences and priorities without causing harm to society as we know it.
He also took a very one-sided view of his subjects. He completely ignored very serious flaws so he could present them as model Americans and that didn't sit well with me. It would have been more honest to acknowledge their faults but explain why he admired them anyway.
This …
I picked this up because I love American history and thought Nick Offerman might have a unique take. Unfortunately, the book spent more time expounding on Nick Offerman's opinions than it did on history or even the opinions of the people he was supposedly lauding.
My biggest problem is that he sees things in black and white. If people use modern technology more often than he chooses to, those people are wrong to be so dependent on gadgets. He doesn't seem willing to acknowledge that people can have different preferences and priorities without causing harm to society as we know it.
He also took a very one-sided view of his subjects. He completely ignored very serious flaws so he could present them as model Americans and that didn't sit well with me. It would have been more honest to acknowledge their faults but explain why he admired them anyway.
This wasn't the book for me and Nick Offerman isn't a writer I enjoy reading.
