Average Rating: 
Rating:  - BRAVO!
Ms. Huffington is a God-send to a stunned, manipulated and often apathetic nation. Like maverick Senator John McCain she is trying valiantly to warn us to come to our senses before it is too late. I've heard she plans a college tour: PLEASE GO! Perhaps this next generation will do what the latest has so badly failed to do: clean up the corruption in Washington and on Wall Street, so that the rest of us get a fair shake. This woman deserves admiration and support for sharing what she has seen first hand. I admire her.
Rating:  - A book about crime, not just about money
It is difficult to believe that some of the reviewers here have actually read "Pigs at the Trough." While they offer personal criticisms of the author herself, they say little about the book she's written."Pigs at the Trough" does, stylistically, contain some cliche phrases (the counting of cliches having been mentioned by another reviewer, who has obviously taken up the practice as presented by Martin Amis in his excellent book, "The War Against Cliche"). I attribute some of the cliches, however, to the fact that Ms. Huffington's writing is more like journalism than literature, much more about frank criticism that subtle, ironic remarks (of the sort found in papers like "The Guardian," for example). Ms. Huffington's aim in "Pigs at the Trough" is to present the facts (and they are facts) on corporate crimes, and to introduce the reader to those who commit them. "Pigs at the Trough" does not, in my opinion, come across as an attack on all businessmen or on wealthy people. This book is not focused on the fact that these businessmen are wealthy so much as the criminal ways in which they've managed to obtain that wealth. Americans need to be more aware the shamelessly illegal ways in which some businessmen, often CEOs, have obtained (I cannot say "earned") their fortunes. The businessmen mentioned in "Pigs at the Trough" did not accumulate wealth through an honest work ethic, but out of exploitation, fancy accounting, and the circumvention of laws. They go unpunished for it, and Americans let them. Yes, there are - obviously - business people in America who live very comfortably and have accumulated their wealth honestly and did not commit crimes in the name of money. These people are not the focus of "Pigs at the Trough", and rightly so. This is an excellent read, especially if - like me - you have not managed to keep a running tally (and it would be such a lengthy one) of all of the corporate crimes you've heard of, or if you've not memorized all of the names of CEOs who ought to be in prison. Even the daily newspapers that bring us Enron and WorldCome scandal coverage don't often delve deeply into what exactly a CEO going before Congree has done over the years. "Pigs at the Trough" is a blunt and effective debriefing on crime for which we are all long overdue.
Rating:  - A Huffy Rant...
This book addresses an important issue (corporate corruption), however the approach Arrianna Huffington takes is rife with over-statement. This may make for humorous writing, but it truly undermines her credibility. I had to discount many of her statements because they were often reactionary and exaggerated - additionally her writing is abrasive and rarely polite. She seems to be trying to achieve an emotional response from her readers rather than an intellectual one. As a result, I kept questioning the truthfulness of her complaints. Huffington's tactics remind me of the person who shouts, "All men are pigs!" However, in this book she shouts, "All corporate scum are money grubbing, greedy swine!". She writes in a tirade and that turns into a rant and that continues for page, after page. This makes for tedious reading. Yes, she did a boatload of research for this book, and I appreciate that, but it doesn't offset the acid-spitting outrage that she displays. She's angry. Ok, there's nothing wrong with being angry and I will admit that corporate scandal is something worthy of being angry over. However, at times I wanted to ask her to "...calm down...count to ten...take a deep breath.... Relax, OK, now tell me what's wrong and how we should fix it." Because Huffington huffs away and complains throughout the book, there is little room left for constructive suggestions. In fact, she offers virtually no solutions. The only thing she mentions which might be seen as a solution is that more people need to participate in democracy- that is, more people need to get out and vote. That's all she really offers in the book from a positive standpoint. It would have been very helpful if she spent a chapter explaining the positives and negatives of "free markets" and then went into specific policies/laws, which need to be changed in order to provide a balance, and thereby preserve capitalism. This would have provided some serious credibility and more of a scholarly approach. If she doesn't want to preserve capitalism then it would have been good if she just came out and explained why socialism is so much better. In short, if you can handle someone yelling at you as you read then perhaps you'll be able to stomach Huffington's book.
|
