I find myself a mere few chapters into this latest offering by Mr. O'Reilly of Fox News fame, and the one aspect of this book, thus far, to truly capture my attention - aside from its obvious compatibility to the 'The O'Reilly Factor' to which the man is known - is the odd feeling of greatness mixed with a plain commonness. What I mean by this odd juxtaposition of words is this book carries a wisdom to it, a true opportunity to actually learn something new - subtly akin to all those boring, dull, archaic books of antiquity one might be forced to read from 'higher education' days, i.e. books written centuries removed from our day, but retained for our culture due to the wisdom and knowledge a reader can cull from their pages - but learn it in the language of the day. There is nothing aloof, nothing out-of-touch, nothing sublime and unreachable for a reader of today's literature within "Pinheads & Patriots"; and yet, when paying attention to what is written there is this light touch of brilliance shining through O'Reilly's wise-guy approach.
Just a thought from my perspective.
I have read several of O'Reilly's previous books, and while all have presented worthwhile times spend, they were exercises in reading with content quickly forgotten. With this one, something inside me says it holds a little something extra, something people could actually draw from a generation or two down the road.
Now, the one trait here I vaguely dispute is the usage of the terms "Pinheads" and "Patriots". As one who remains a stickler for words actually meaning things - we shouldn't just blithely employ the flashy words of the day to engender meaning to whatever we write - I view his usage of these two terms as a bit incomplete and potentially shallow.
In my view, a 'pinhead' is one who is two-dimensional - possibly even one-dimensional in their perspective. They don't expand their consideration of things beyond their own sphere of influence, meaning its 'their way or the highway', giving them zero latitude in considering other opinions as valued. The entire potential of their brain, the extent of their thoughts, the usage of their talents is so minute it all can be fit on the head of a pin. My thoughts on the matter.
As to the term 'patriot', being one with an avid interest for the revolutionary period of this country - when 'patriot' meant one who fostered a love of country and could render one in prison as a traitor to the king, I balk at it being employed to identify a person who merely does good things. The Tories of the revolutionary era, I am certain many of them were good people who helped out widows and orphans, gave money to the local charities, and fought for justice in the courts; but they were not 'patriots'. Being a patriot actually meant something beyond mere charitable acts. I realize this might be viewed as parsing words, but I stand by my belief that words still mean things.
Now, as to the worthiness of the book itself - I enjoy reading what I have read. I watch "The O'Reilly Factor". It reads precisely as O'Reilly presents himself on TV. It comes across as very honest and fair, spelling out matters how Bill O'Reilly himself views them. It is not a challenging piece of writing - thus far - and I do not anticipate it morphing into something that will stir unknown thoughts of mine into being, but it is very enjoyable - and as I mentioned up at the top - potentially quite illuminating.
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