The Tyranny of Clichés: How Liberals Cheat in the War of Ideas

Jonah Goldberg reads his own book that takes the reader on a masterfully reasoned deconstruction of common liberal ideas and arguments. Not only does the book present numerous well formed and presented arguments against liberal sentiments commonly (and incorrectly) held to be true, but he also provides tons of history and academic papers backing up his argument. Also, Goldberg weaves in quite a bit of humor and geeky movie references to keep things entertaining in the midst of all the serious arguments.

If you lean hard left, you will probably hate this book. Goldberg absolutely shreds some liberal positions, sometimes several times over. This will either frustrate you or you will totally disagree at such a fundamental level that the book will not be at all enjoyable.

I found the author's voice to work extremely well in reading his audiobook. (Unfortunately, there are a few authors that have given such poor readings that I couldn't help but wish a professional audio narrator read it instead.)

I enjoyed the fact that there were times Goldberg had natural laughter as he shared his opinion. Makes you feel like you're a part of the "conversation."

His warmth and excitement about this material - there were many times that it felt like I was in a classroom listening to this.

I absolutely hated his last book, "Liberal Fascism," but he has completely redeemed himself with this book. It helps not to count an author out - check out other audio productions of their books. You might wind up very surprised.

. Recommended this book to many friends, because it is informative and really funny

Reminds me of good college lectures.

References to Monty Python. (Yes, I know the words to “I’m a Lumberjack.”)

If you are a regular reader of Jonah Goldberg's work for National Review (as I am), there isn't a lot in here that you've never heard before. But it is all collected in one place and nicely bound up with a bow.

I wouldn't call it an anti-liberal screed, which some books by conservative authors have an unfortunate tendency to become, so I feel comfortable recommending it to non-conservatives as well as true believers. If you're a liberal and take this author's comments to heart, even if they don't convert you to The Right Side of History (TM) you'll at least be able to give a better argument than just spouting a cliche and thinking you've won the College Bowl of argumentation.

As a narrator, Jonah did a good job, with only one problem - when he's giving an aside, he drops his voice to a nearly inaudible murmur - so when driving, those parts get lost. Fix that and I'd give him 5 stars for narration.

This book is a good discussion on background clichés that form most of our life and culture. However I must warn you it is pretty politically conservative or American right. It tends to toward a preach to the choir style of book.
is a good, clean romp through what we take for granted. It discusses the background ideas that build everything that "we know" or talk about or all the small details that make up arguments that nobody actually makes.
The author is an excellent reader and makes the book a lot more interesting. It is however one of those books that you already know whether you like it or not. If you enjoy political conversations or talk radio or anything like that then you probably will like it. If you don't then you probably won't however it is good data that anybody can use. So I recommend it.

Yes! Jonah is a great reader of his own work.
The content is amazing, and I feel that everything I was ever taught was just wrong and biased.

The explanation of Social Justice is brilliant.

The cliche that "understanding breeds peace" is so wrong.
I notice in my life that the people I fight the most are the ones that I understand the best.

Goldberg's relentless search for truth

Although non-fiction, there are innumerable 'stories', all with great insight.

No, but I can't wait for his next book.

At the very end of the book, his personal account of the struggle to write the book after his brother died, is moving and inspiring.

The author displays a breadth of knowledge, combined with intense research, that makes his analyses quite convincing. Although I was familiar with nearly all his topics, I learned a lot I did not know and was reminded of a lot I had forgotten. Leftist ideologues will hate this book, though I doubt they will get through the first chapters. But this is not simply a book written by a conservative selling his viewpoint. Instead, Jonah Goldberg proceeds from one over-simplifying, or distorting, cliche to another, dissecting them with keen insight and wit. I was relieved that this was not another conservative gospel. I listened to this book at the height of the 2012 presidential elections, and I began to wince every time I heard the candidates refer to the "middle class." You will know what I mean if you listen to or read this bood. Of the 200 books I have listened to from Audible.com, this is unsurpassed.

Jonah hits it right on. I appreciate the way he narrates, easy to follow and listen.

I love Audible books because life is so buzy I seldom have time to sit and read. However, I can Listen and do other activities and still enjoy books. The Tyranny of Cliches provides the Historical content behind the slogans and their idealogically meaning. You need to know History in order to put the present in focus.

Jonah Goldberg's reading of the book provides his inflections of humor, confidence of the historical content, and exasperation of how these cliches are so often repeated as if they have weight .

I am going to also buy the paper copy of the book so I can phyically highlight the factual information. Confuse a Liberal with facts and information. Also, This is one book I want to keep in my library for when my sons go to college in the future I can combat the gobbly gook from their peers and teachers.

I have to hear this several more times to get all that is in this book. The massive references to other works indicate how well read this author is. I heard about Jonah on Crane Durham's "Nothing but Truth." I am impressed with how Jonah connects dots and how he rewinds history to give the original sense of cliches used (and abused). It is cause to slow the track down to catch all of the information.

Most of all, he does a great job in showing how such cliches bring useful discussions to a halt, if the listener is unprepared. Way to go Mr Goldberg!!

None, yet

Thanks for the respectful discussion of Christianity. Not something heard much these days.

I will need to look for more of this man's work.