Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government Review
Read the other reviews (both contributed and editorial) to see what the book is about. This review is here to tell you how well it stands up almost 20 years after it came out. VERY well.
When you read the section on the S&L bailout, you could apply it to the current financial debacle - just multiply the dollar amounts by 10 or 100. That rule holds through for much of the book. Just multiply by 10 or 100 and it's like reading current events. Solid work.
Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government Overview
P. J. O'Rourke's savagely funny and national best-seller Parliament of Whores has become a classic in understanding the workings of the American political system. Originally written at the end of the Reagan era, this new edition includes an extensive foreword by the renowned political writer Andrew Ferguson -- showing us that although the names and the players have changed, the game is still the same. Parliament of Whores is an exuberant, broken-field run through the ethical foibles, pork-barrel flimflam, and bureaucratic bullrorfle inside the Beltway that leaves no sacred cow unskewered and no politically correct sensitivities unscorched.
Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government Specifications
If satirists are at their best when tussling with something they hate, then this is P.J. O'Rourke's masterpiece. He clearly hates government--and has hated it since before it was cool to do so--and for all the right reasons, too: it's clumsy, inefficient, hypocritical, greedy, and arrogant. In other words, it magnifies the faults of the poor saps who staff it. Parliament of Whores is the humorist's howl of bitter laughter at the entire bloated, numskulled mess. As befits an ex-editor of National Lampoon, nothing is out of bounds for O'Rourke. Speaking of the fabled "football"--that satchel that follows the president around 24/7--the author doubts there are really launch codes in there at all--nothing but "a copy of Penthouse and a pint bottle of Hiram Walker--a Penthouse from back in the seventies, when Penthouse was really dirty, I'll bet."
Parliament of Whores is perfect for anyone who longs to cultivate an entertaining brand of cynicism, to be "a lone voice--not crying in the wilderness, thank you, but chortling in the rec room." O'Rourke is a master at making you laugh in spite of the better angels of your nature, and the only negative thing to be said about this tour de force is that his flamethrower brand of satire leaves nothing in its wake--certainly not the suggestion of an improvement. --Michael Gerber
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Customer Reviews
Parliament of Whores - Fussy Howard -
I enjoyed the book very much. I've read several of O'Rourke's books and I like his humor, wit and style. He has excellent insights to the world around us. It took a little longer to receive the shipment, but it was a reasonable time.
A parliament is more focused - J.L.W. - Michigan
Personally i thought that this was a funny book. But the major problem that I have with it is that it lacks any storyline and is consisted of political jokes and references, nothing more. If you are looking for a laugh,and were alive in the 80's, definately read this book. Because if you didnt grow up hearing about all the issues and politicians of that era, you will have a hard time understanding what the book is about. But, if you are looking for an engaging read that keeps your interest, I would not suggest this book.
Among the worst I ever read! - S. Reza -
This book has nothing to do with 'Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government'. It's all about a humbug journalist ranting and trying to prove that he's seen it all and knows it all while making very little sense.
While some small sections of the book does make sense, most of it's idiotic, misleading, and filled with conservative rant. PJ is either dumb or lunatic or both! Well, he's a conservative journalist trying to cover subjects much bigger than his background and intellect will ever allow him to understand. It's hard to figure how this guy is much different from Rush the redneck entertainer.
This book is among the worst I ever read. This could be a bit harse given that I read quite selectively. I could go on and on with examples of how bad this book is, but what's the point! Buy it if you're in for a ranting ride with this idiot humbug.
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