End of Discussion by Mary Katharine Ham and Guy Benson – A Challenging, Important and Informative Read

With my head still buzzing after reading End of Discussion, I wanted to jot down why this is an important book to read, for both conservatives and liberals.

If you are a conservative, you may find yourself appalled and disbelieving the outrageous lies and tactics you see used by the left leaning media on a daily basis.  If you are a liberal you may offended by conservatives and their lack of compassion and how they seemingly want to impose their standards on others.

No matter which side of the aisle you stand, it seems like all manner of reason and open honest discussion have gone out the window in favor of a never-ending verbal warfare.  Instead of a dialogue the goal is to shut the other person up. 

That’s where End of Discussion comes in.  Co-authors Mary Katharine Ham and Guy Benson have done a solid job in documenting the craziness that we are seeing in the media, politics, courts, boardrooms and universities.  These days, it seems like no one is immune from attack and everything is on the table. 

If you find yourself shaking your head and popping an aspirin after listening to the news or radio talk show, you should read End of Discussion.  Not only do they share numerous examples of the various outrage they bring some well-reasoned thought and perspective to the table.  They share ideas on how we can more effectively respond to the issues at hand. 

Both Mary Katharine Ham and Guy Benson are conservative, but they aren’t afraid to examine the conservative’s approach to issues, to see if it’s effective or if in fact we too are guilty of shutting down the discussion.

End of Discussion was challenging; it’s not a quick read.  Mary and Guy share a lot of examples and go into great detail of the outrage that seems to be increasing.  I appreciate their keen observations, wit and chill out perspective they bring to a very heated and hostile table.

If you think our society is less civil, really wimpy, and we act like children in need of a nanny to protect us, you aren’t far off in your assessment.  What’s sobering is that the government is more than happy to step in and play the nanny.  Perhaps it’s time we grow up and learn how to debate and have a dialogue with folks we disagree with.

One thing I wasn’t real keen on was the use of profanity.   Where actual events are shared, I can see why they allowed it.  But in their commentary and observation it wasn’t necessary.  It only adds to the crass and crude culture that is prevalent today. 

I would like to thank the people at Blogging for Books and Crown Forum Publishing for the opportunity to read End of Discussion in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.