Pinheads and Patriots audiobook

This book is a #1 New York Times Best Seller for a reason. I've read several of the previous books by Bill O'Reilly including: The No Spin Zone, Who's Looking Out For You, The O'Reilly Factor For Kids (I'm still a kid at heart), Culture Warrior and A Bold Fresh Piece Of Humanity. I even read O'Reilly's only novel -- Those Who Trespass: A Novel of Television and Murder. And I watch the O'Reilly Factor almost every weekday night, either at 8pm, or the repeat showing at 11pm. So you could say I like the guy a little bit. O'Reilly is a lot like me; a right of middle person, not influenced by the pinheads who populate the far left, or the far right ends of the political spectrum. Certainly he's not as far right as the man whose show follows his, Sean Hannity, who never gives the Democrats, or liberals even one tiny accolade, no matter how exemplary their actions may be. In his No Spin Zone, O'Reilly tells it like it is, and woe to his guest who doesn't answer the question he asks and goes off on a tangent, or inane talking point. I had drill sergeants in boot camp less intimidating than O'Reilly when he's hot. Just ask Barney Frank, who O'Reilly filleted from throat to sternum, then down his flabby back. Every evening, O'Reilly ends his show with a segment called Pinheads and Patriots. Some nights a person who had been a Pinhead in the past, now does something that elevates them to Patriot status. And vice versa. O'Reilly begins “Pinheads and Patriots” with the definition of a pinhead by A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. “Pinhead – a simple fellow, a fool. So small a head contain but few brains.” Then he follows with the Urban Dictionary's version. “One who lacks the intelligence of the 'normal' sector of the human population; one who cannot handle the most mundane tasks due to lack of common sense and intelligence.” Then he names names. Patriot -- The late Tony Snow, who was a Fox News anchor, then later chief spokesman for the Bush White House. Snow died after a two-year battle with cancer. O'Reilly wrote, “Tony Snow is the bravest man I ever met.” He explains why. Pinhead -- Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, who O'Reilly lambastes under the heading “The Cowardly Lion.” Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services committee, more than anyone else was responsible for the present mortgage crisis. Frank oversaw the disaster of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and even said months before the collapse that things were fine and dandy with those two mortgage giants. Yet when he appeared on the O'Reilly Factor, Frank refused to accept even one iota of blame. He said he was a “victim of economic chaos.” Pinhead for sure. Since President Obama is on the cover facing O'Reilly, you'd think O'Reilly had him lined up for Pinhead-dom. Not true. O'Reilly points out several instances where Obama was a true Patriot. He cites the time at a Town Hall meeting on Father's Day, when Obama said to men who father children and leave them: “Just because your father wasn't there for you, that's not an excuse for you to be absent, also – it is all the more reason for you to be present. You have an obligation to break the cycle and learn from those mistakes, and to rise up where your own fathers fell short and to do better than they did with your own children.” Truly the words of a Patriot. Before the Presidential election, Obama shunned any interview with Fox News, except with one person --- Bill O'Reilly. In “Pinheads and Patriots,” O'Reilly gives us the complete transcript of his interview with Obama, which lasted about 30 minutes. Then at intervals, he explains how things Obama said in the interview either panned out, or didn't pan out for the President. He also takes Obama to task for not admitting he was wrong about the surge in Iraq. Obama admits in the interview that the surge worked, but stops short of giving then President Bush any credit at all. The back and forth went like this: Obama: What I have said is – I have already said it's (the surge) has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. O'Reilly: Right, so why can't you just say, “I was wrong about the surge?” Obama hems and haws, but never once did he say “I was wrong.” And as we have found out in the 21 months of his Presidency, he may be incapable of saying he was wrong about anything, except maybe about the White Sox winning the World Series. One of the best chapters in the book is entitled, “My All-Time Favorite P& Ps.” Without me giving away who's-who and what's-what, O'Reilly gives his opinion on, amongst others, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, U.S. Grant, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Robert Kennedy, both Bush's, Cesar Chavez. John Edwards, Madonna, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and George Soros. Some of his conclusions may surprise you. On O'Reilly's website, the book sells for $27.95, but he throws in a nifty “Pinheads and Patriots” tote bag. I got mine at Amazon.com for less than 16 bucks, and because I have Amazon Prime, I got free shipping (but no tote bag). “Pinheads and Patriots” is must reading for any O'Reilly fan. And even people who are not too crazy about O'Reilly, should enjoy reading this even-handed book too. Unless you're a Pinhead. Then there's nothing I can do for you anyway.

I "like" Bill O'Reilly, on the whole, but I don't always agree with him. Some of you who have read other reviews and comments by me will know that I am of a "somewhat" conservative mind set. :) If you are under the impression the O'Reilly is a (so called) "died in the wool" conservative, then you don't know him. He is abrasive, confrontational, very self assured and does his best to be fair. Personally I believe he's incorrect in some of his beliefs and assumptions, and correct in others. That's what this book and others like it are...opinion and defense of opinion. After all, if you don't believe you're right (correct)...why do you hold a given opinion?This is an interesting book dealing largely with President Obama but also discussing Mr. O'Reilly's "take" on other people both historical and contemporary. It's a fairly cogent take on things and even if I don't agree with the author I find his opinions somewhat... understandable.I have one "niggle"... I found a couple of (possibly minor) factual errors (for example he says Audie Murphy was drafted. Murphy tried repeatedly to enlist and finally with his sisters help managed to enlist at 17. He also stated that General Eisenhower didn't "sack" General Patton. Actually he did sack Patton but later gave him another command under his old second in command General Bradley...just a couple). These are not big and do not take away from his overall take on these people (or others) but I think fact checking would have increased the books credibility.But (to use the same word again) overall I like the book and can recommend it. Even if you think you will disagree, consider trying it. The transcript of the interview with the president and his actions since the interview alone make worth the time.Also if you haven't watched, listened to or read Mr. O'Reilly before, but think you know about him from third party sources... read it for yourself. He might surprise you. He's not my favorite commentator, but as I said I believe he does his best to be open minded and evenhanded. 4 stars.

Since this book came out almost elevan years ago, I'm behind the curve in reading it. However, I'd like to know O'Reilly's mindset now that we know Obama served two terms and went even further left once he got re-elected. Even though this is a dated book in regard to past events, I still enjoyed reading the subject matter. O'Reilly's list of Who's Who for either Pinhead or Patriot status was interesting. For the most part, I agreed with his rationale. As with all of O'Reilly's books, don't let this one pass you by. I liked it!

Given the release of a number of anti-Obama books at an unsurprising time in the election cycle, O'Reilly makes a marketing genius move and sells his book as more of an objective, almost magnanimous observation of Obama and his presidency so far.Of course there is no doubt where O’Reilly’s allegiance lies, despite his tactical attempts to appear moderate and motivated by nothing other than patriotism. The guts of this book is run-down of the latest presidential term, and essentially what O’Reilly thinks is wrong with it, and I will admit that O’Reilly’s self-descriptions of objectivity are not all smoke and mirrors. He does take the time to analyse Obama’s stance on various issues and provides a (somewhat) in depth discussion on many issues.Once O’Reilly finishes with Obama things get a little off track however and we are treated to a list of important Americans, ranging from past presidents to Tiger Woods, and whether Bill thinks they are pinheads or patriots. There is little of worth in this section (which is why Pinheads gets bumped down to four stars) each individual only getting a superficial and glib description, and the whole section seems a little like unworthy stuffing in a non-fiction book which claims to be so important.O’Reilly’s true strength of course is the ability to tap into the feelings of his audience and provide them with what they need, while O’Reilly’s work is far from being truly intelligent, he succeeds in making his prose seem well thought out where other polemic writers succeed only in making trite arguments to rationalize their point of view.With a front cover depicting himself confronting the American president, there is no doubt that O’Reilly’s prediction that some critics will hassle him on his ego will come true. Very few commentators have the audacity to market themselves as O’Reilly does, but there is also no doubt that it works for the Fox News Bloviator.

I listened to the audiobook version of Patriot or Pinhead, narrated by Bill O'Reilly. Because the author was narrating, it sounded much like his television show. I really enjoyed the concept of the novel, where he analyzed the first eighteen months of the Obama administration as well as looking at contemporary people as well as people throughout history to analyze whether they qualify into the category of patriot or pinhead. What I most enjoyed about the book is the level of research that O'Reilly put into his opinions. These weren't knee-jerk reactions. He put a good deal of analysis, and used a fair-handed approach. For the individuals and situations he commented on, he usually gave positive and negatives, with the exception of Jane Fonda, who made his pinhead hall of fame.I thoroughly enjoyed the way he broke down such people as Lassie, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Kennedy, and some of our past presidents. When he analyzed JFK, he gave some strong positives and some negatives, showing that there are generally two sides to a coin, and things aren't always black and white. The book was both entertaining and informative, and regardless of your political affiliation, worth reading.Carl Alves - author of Blood Street

Are you an extreme Lefty, extreme Righty, or perhaps a little on the Left, or a little on the Right.How about the middle of the road,or a moderate,maybe a Liberal? Or perhaps the standard run of the mill Democrat or Republican!(are there such a things) So many cliques, so many factions, one misspeak will change your affliliation.Have no fear Mr O'Reilly will help you determine who are currently camping out with.I enjoyed the book. I'm a neophyte when it comes to Politics, but this was easy to understand.If Political science was written like this in the tomes of Highschool I may have gotten hooked.Mr. O'Reilly doesn't pull punches, and tells it like it is, or was. By the third chapter I was thinking Mr O'Reilly is the most egotistical person I've read. He understands this will creep up in the readers mind and he actually comments on it. He then lets you decide if he's a Pinhead or Patriot. How can one not like him. He's honest,and Patriots are honest. So Mr. O'Reilly states. He does tell you he took a class on persuasion.His ratings of Pinhead or Patriot for several famous people is unique. Even Presidents long buried received Mr. O'Reilly's badge of good or bad. The book to me was insightful, thought provoking, and his rhetoric flows easily. I may not agee with him on many things, but he assures me I have that right many times throughout the book.The last few chapters really made me think. Mr O'Reilly digs into the present day political crises. He gives the different political views and how they may affect us in the future. A must read, if only to get an idea what's going on in politics during Obama's time.

Read in two days. P&Ps is very enlightening & amusing. O’Reilly describes the elementary difference between a “Pinhead” and a “Patriot” & he documents people throughout U.S. history that can be labeled pinheads and patriots. I found the section on the U.S. presidents to be fascinating and I’m thankful to O’Reilly for sharing his knowledge and insight. I appreciated his statement in the section “The Man In The Middle”, “The individual American appears to be rapidly losing power. Wages have been pretty much stagnant for more than a decade. Working people are getting by but not moving up. It is damned difficult to pay your bills and taxes and also save a few bucks, is it not?President Obama and his team want to pass laws that put even more power and money in the hands of the federal government; that, very simply, is my primary beef with them. The more shots are called from Washington, the few options we the people have in our own lives. Rugged individualism made this country great, not entitlement programs rigged to provide “income redistribution”.

I don't always agree with what Bill O'Reilly says, but I believe the man tries to be fair and reasonable. Love him or hate him, but he's highly intelligent. I enjoyed this book. He names off a list of people from both the past and present and concludes who he thinks are pinheads and patriots. O'Reilly has really mellowed out over the years and he comes across more moderate. He has a healthy respect for Barack Obama which I don't. That doesn't make me a Republican because I don't agree with either party. I'm a Libertarian who's a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. But I do agree with O'Reilly when he defends Obama from unfair criticism from the far right. O'Reilly keeps his views on Obama politically correct by calling the President both a pinhead and a patriot for different reasons. Like I said, he comes off way more fair vs. anything you'd read from Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, or Ann Coulter.A fun read and not the typical anti-Obama conservative smear book.

Bill O'Reilly gives political commentary on people and present day events that are shaping our lives either positively or negatively. He discusses these events and actions of individuals and explains why he gives them a classification of Pinhead or Patriot. He also discusses past events and personalities who have made an impact upon our lives. The last few pages contain an interview between O'Reilly and Senator Barack Obama. I think he shows a fairly good balance in his evaluations. A quote from his book, “...this book is about your life in American.” His definition of a Patriot is a person who is doing good things, and Pinhead is a person who is doing awful, dumb, or evil things. They are always about influencers, individuals whose actions, good or bad, affect us.

Pinheads and patriots was a very fast read only 10 chapters and Bill O'Reilly goes into great depths as to who he believes warrant the title of pinhead or patriot. I was surprised that he labeled President Obama as pinhead as well as patriot. Also, it was interesting to read the official transcripts of the interview he had with President Obama. If people are puzzled by our president this book can shed some light on why he takes the actions he does. There is a chapter in the book where all Reilly list many celebrities and why they are either a pinhead or a patriot. This is by no means a real serious book but it was a nice winter read and short.

In this election year, I am doing a LOT of 'catch-up' reading trying to become the best-informed voter I can be before November. This is my first O'Reilly book. I have been operating under the misconception that he was a Conservative Republican, but he self-identifies early-on as an Independent.I disagree with some of what he opines here, but I will say without question I think he is 200% more 'fair and balanced' with regard to his assessment of Barack Obama than the left-wing, liberal MSM is of ANY Republican/Conservative politician or candidate.Can't WAIT to get my hands on 'Killing Lincoln.'

This is my first O'Reilly book and I have to say I was a little Leary of reading it. I've never been big on politics or watching the news a lot. I've seen bits of his show here and there. Since I heard about the Iran deal that Obama made I decided I needed to know who the heck is running our country and who can fix the Obama mess. I realize this book is somewhat dated 2011, but I really enjoyed reading all the history facts. History was never my thing in school and O'Reilly does a great job explaining it all to me. This book was about pinheads and patriots. I learned a lot. I plan on watching his show and reading all his books.

Is the president a pinhead or is he a patriot? That is the question Bill O'Reilly asks in his book pinheads and patriots. He uses facts to give validity to the opinions he gives, such as the actions of the people he assessed in the book. He has a conflict with people who only care for themselves. In the book he describes the mastermind behind a large Ponzi scheme as the ultimate pinhead. He is very thematic in the fact the book keeps presenting the ideas of judging people fairly. This is a good book for readers who are looking for a different view point on events.

He's bloviating again. This time about the current (2010) goings on in Washington and the U.S. of A. Included is O'Reilly's interview with then Senator Obama. A great interview that they both seem to enjoy. Mr. O'Reilly tries his best to nail down the presidents stand on several issues including the war on terror and taxes. I believe Bill delivers with some solid evidence to support his theories about our president. A good, quick read. Recommend for fans of politics and of course the Factor. On to the next.

Not my favorite of Bill's but still excellent. About half of the book was a re-hash of the political events of the last two years and felt a bit like filler. I found the analysis of Obama fair and found several additional actions and points of view where I agree with the President that I hadn't thought through previously. Best part of the book was the judgment calls of pinhead/patriot status of historical figures. I also enjoyed the section on the "rise of the machines" and had my mind changed on the subject.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I appreciated how O'Reilly gave Obama a fair and balanced look as to how he has handled things thus far in his presidency. I also enjoyed the chapter pertaining to past figures in history and whether they are rated as "pinheads" or "patriots" in his opinion. I must say I think I enjoyed his memoir just a little better, but this book was entertaining to read and definitely worth the time to do so.

Warlord. Ted BellBook six of the Alex Hawke novels. A superb action thriller!!! Extremely well written, packed with suspense, intrigue and betrayal of the highest level. A assassin in the British clandestine service is set on destroying the Royals. He has committed the murder of two and he appears non unstoppable. An extraordinary novel!!! Alex Hawke is tasked with his elimination. A must read!!!!