The Assault on Reason

Our Information Ecosystem, from the Age of Print to the Age of Trump - 2017 Edition

By: Al Gore

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Now with a New Preface and Conclusion: "Post-Truth: On Donald Trump and the 2016 Election"

What has happened to our country and how can we fix it?

We are in the midst of a deepening crisis for our democracy. After the strangest election cycle in modern American history, it is important that we address the grave threats to our way of life that were glaringly revealed in this campaign. In The Assault on Reason, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Vice President Al Gore examines how faith in the power of reason - the idea that citizens can govern themselves through rational debate - is in peril. Our democracy depends on a well-informed citizenry and a two-way conversation about ideas, but our public sphere has been degraded by fake news and the politics of fear, partisanship, and blind faith. Now updated to investigate the rise of Trump and post-truth politics, The Assault on Reason is a call to rebuild the vitality of American democracy by restoring the nation's information ecosystem so that we can start making good decisions again.

Listen to more by Gore.

©2007 Al Gore (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

Critic reviews

"This book shows a fiery, throw-caution-to-the winds Al Gore, who...has decided to lay it all on the line with a blistering assessment of the Bush administration and the state of public discourse in America." (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

"Gore’s faith in human nature is braver and sharper than (the cynics).... This book isn’t about him; it’s about the republic whose freedoms depend on increasing reasoned debate and reducing intimidating noise." (The Boston Globe)

Required Reading

Although Gore sits on the opposite side of the political spectrum, he has approached this critique from an objective and academic perspective. Both conservative and liberal will gain from pondering the points made here. Excellent use of the written/spoken word to awaken the populace from its slumber.

Run Al Run

While he does toot his own horn Gore makes a case for electing an intellegent person to the White House. Bush and his people have has hurt this country in many ways. Government by fear, lies and fake religion is not Democracy. Gore seems to be the only candidate or potential candidate that can bring the US back to being the country it used to be.

Excellent!

Very good book, however Mr Gore forgets to include those elements which make good arguments great: the retort to potential attacks against his claims weren't addressed as much as one would expect. He also neglects to mention possible counter arguments toward the reliance on the internet for reliable information.

Amazing

This is an amazing book. Please read it.

Valued reading for all Americans

It’s been a long time since I listened to or read a book based on political thought. I felt I was taking a chance on this book. Well, I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the book and I would recommend the book as a valued reading for all Americans that are concerned with the current national atmosphere towards their elected government leaders. The Vice President did an excellent job in outlining his thoughts and reasons for writing the book. You may agree or disagree with him, but one thing will happen, he gets you thinking again about the American way of government; a government of laws and reasoned thought and not of men. I give this book 5 star rating.

intense

I love political books and this is right up there with any Michael Moore book. He's not super left wing or anything, but Al Gore is extremely accurate and intense with his information about the Bush administration. I recommend this to anyone who might be confused as to what this country was originally founded on and what it's turned into.

Not just for the Democrat faithful

I'm an avowed fan of Al Gore's but I was impressed on how apolitical this book was. I'd recommend everyone to read this one, from the political junkie to those who choose to avoid the subject of politics entirely.

I forget how great Gore is at making his point.

This is a great example of his skill at persuasive point-making. I wish these critical questions were regularly asked by many more Americans.

Divisively biased

I have great respect for VP Gore. His service in Vietnam while his peers used family connections for deferments and National Guard safety is admirable and his dedication to the environment is vital. But this was a political rants against Republicans- with no calling out of the other side (who got us into Vietnam, yet he railed on Iraq). He even quotes JFK as an authority on the evils of secrecy- the Pres that had numerous secret affairs. I’d love to hear what he has to say about his party today.

Partisan but Valuable

I mostly agree with Al Gore's criticism of the Bush administration (and I am not a registered Democrat). That said, the book is distinctly partisan. Never do the Democrats come in for any meaningful criticism in the book, notwithstanding that there is much to critisize. They were not the innocent, uninformed bystanders they claimed to be on the Iraq war. The voted for the war because they thought it was politically expedient to do so. At one point Gore criticizes a Republican Congress for holding up Clinton's judicial nominees, but neglected to mention that the Democrats did the same thing to Bush. So, if neutral analysis is what you want, this may not be your book. But if you want to read (or listen to) a book that raises a number of fair concerns about the Bush administration, then I think you will find it worthwhile.