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jweeden08's review against another edition
4.0
I'm mainly captivated by Cunningham's ability to tell this story so succinctly. As a designer who often strives to distill down complex thoughts for pleseant consumption, I'm plagued by wanting to ask him where he started with this story. Was it with the crash and then expanded? Did he through some twist of fate become interested in Ayn Rand and followed the white rabbit down this whole? How incredibly long was the first draft? How painful (yet satisfying) was it to cut down pieces so the story shown in its purest form? How did you determine your tools/style for each section and frame of the book?
I always try to keep keep in mind the communication 101 principle when reading that if an idea is not getting across, it's the communicator's fault, not the person listening or receiving the communication. The comic/graphic novel medium of telling a story has always intrigued me in this way because it seems to take this to heart. Cunningham undertakes the incredibly difficult task of researching, parcing, pacing the information. And then adds a visual layer that further enhances and enriches the reader's understanding.
This book has been a particularly useful tool for me as this election year gets fully underway and in my effort to be a more informed citizen. Well worth the read.
I always try to keep keep in mind the communication 101 principle when reading that if an idea is not getting across, it's the communicator's fault, not the person listening or receiving the communication. The comic/graphic novel medium of telling a story has always intrigued me in this way because it seems to take this to heart. Cunningham undertakes the incredibly difficult task of researching, parcing, pacing the information. And then adds a visual layer that further enhances and enriches the reader's understanding.
This book has been a particularly useful tool for me as this election year gets fully underway and in my effort to be a more informed citizen. Well worth the read.
maylingkuo's review against another edition
5.0
this felt like a cautionary primer. it links together history with current financial practices and an overview of what happened in the 2008 crash. the graphic novel form really works well to convey this information in a sensible, straightforward manner. much like the book on tyranny, it spells out a background to equip you with understanding. I particularly appreciated the breakdown near the end about how liberals and conservatives vary in worldviews. it's a call to action and a warning all in one.
melanie_page's review against another edition
5.0
A well-researched graphic work that links Rand to the financial meltdown of '08. The back is full of citations, so you have a reasonable assumption that while Cunningham's opinions are present in the book (this is not a straight report), that they are well-researched. The drawing style is very simplistic, and I wondered about the benefit of that (aside from the usual "this book is long, so I made simple drawings so I could actually finish it" argument).
meepelous's review against another edition
4.0
Full disclosure, I requested this book from the library because it was love at first site! I have read Atlas Shrugged and a graphic adaption of Anthem at this point and my utter disgust with both Rand's writing style and her politics really knows no bounds. So I'm slightly biased, that said, I tried to come up with some objective observations which I will now share.
First off, while the art was fun I did feel like it could have provided more visual learning elements. Certainly not too much a detraction really, but rather a way to push it over into classic excellence.
Secondly, I also felt like the first section was by far the best and that each subsequent section wasn't quite as good. While I'm sure even the first section could rub a Rand fan the wrong way, the third section, in particular, seemed a little bit too personal and judgmental. On the one hand, I think it is likely a good idea to realise that people are likely drawn to different ideologies based not only on the way they were brought up but also by their own personality. That said, according to the study that Cunningham sites, both my partner and I's need to plan ahead mean we are more likely to be conservative. Obviously, this study is NOT meant to be a hard and fast rule, but as a huge fan fo the Myers-Briggs personality test it did feel like an oversimplification. There are a lot of other personality traits that more directly relate to one's political inclinations then judging vs. perceiving.
Thirdly, because I can hardly stop numbering stuff now, I would like to switch to something a bit more positive. The one really big takeaway from this book that I really appreciate is the ways in which Cunningham shows the effect Rand has already had on the economy. Even as someone who despises Randian economics, due to how young I am (plus not reading much about the economy) I had always thought of it as something that had not happened yet. But Cunningham does a really great job of explaining how in many ways Rand has already done irreparable harm to the American economy.
Overall, despite a few flaws that I felt held it back a bit, I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I learned a lot and it definitely broadened my perspective a bit.
First off, while the art was fun I did feel like it could have provided more visual learning elements. Certainly not too much a detraction really, but rather a way to push it over into classic excellence.
Secondly, I also felt like the first section was by far the best and that each subsequent section wasn't quite as good. While I'm sure even the first section could rub a Rand fan the wrong way, the third section, in particular, seemed a little bit too personal and judgmental. On the one hand, I think it is likely a good idea to realise that people are likely drawn to different ideologies based not only on the way they were brought up but also by their own personality. That said, according to the study that Cunningham sites, both my partner and I's need to plan ahead mean we are more likely to be conservative. Obviously, this study is NOT meant to be a hard and fast rule, but as a huge fan fo the Myers-Briggs personality test it did feel like an oversimplification. There are a lot of other personality traits that more directly relate to one's political inclinations then judging vs. perceiving.
Thirdly, because I can hardly stop numbering stuff now, I would like to switch to something a bit more positive. The one really big takeaway from this book that I really appreciate is the ways in which Cunningham shows the effect Rand has already had on the economy. Even as someone who despises Randian economics, due to how young I am (plus not reading much about the economy) I had always thought of it as something that had not happened yet. But Cunningham does a really great job of explaining how in many ways Rand has already done irreparable harm to the American economy.
Overall, despite a few flaws that I felt held it back a bit, I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I learned a lot and it definitely broadened my perspective a bit.
caecilianflesh's review
3.0
bad horseshoe theory towards the end, also just... laws are shown not to always be good so why use crimes as a measure anyways???? drug criminalization is a big thing the author rails against while only giving a nod to the targeting of black men for incarceration
hatingongodot's review
4.0
You know when you get older and your family starts letting you listen in on all the family drama and gossip and suddenly all the weird things in your childhood start to make perfect sense? Reading this book felt like that.
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