CAUTION: You’re about to enter the world of Ann Coulter

How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must), the instant New York Times bestseller, shows why Ann Coulter has become the most recognized—and controversial—conservative intellectual in years. Coulter ranges far and wide in this powerful and entertaining book, which draws on her weekly columns. No subject is off-limits, no comment left unsaid. She even includes a special chapter featuring the pieces that squeamish editors refused to publish—“what you could have read if you lived in a free country.”

In How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)—which features a brand-new chapter special to the paperback edition—Coulter offers her unvarnished take on:

• The essence of being a liberal: “The absolute conviction that there is one set of rules for you, and another, completely different set of rules for everyone else.”

• Her 9/11 comments: “I am often asked if I still think we should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity. The answer is: Now more than ever!”

• The state of the Democratic Party: “Teddy Kennedy crawls out of Boston Harbor with a quart of Scotch in one pocket and a pair of pantyhose in the other, and Democrats hail him as their party’s spiritual leader.”

• The “Treason Lobby”: “Want to make liberals angry? Defend the United States.”

• How far the Left has sunk: “Liberals have been completely intellectually vanquished. Actually, they lost the war of ideas long ago. It’s just that now their defeat is so obvious, even they’ve noticed.”

• And much more

If you're a conservative looking for a book to reinforce your predefined views of liberalism, this book is for you. If you're looking for a little more substance, though, move along.

Laden with horrifically warped perceptions of the modern American politic, its a damn shame that any part of a living tree had to die so that this piece of rubbish could be printed. Beyond a nice set of legs, the author is lacking of any redeaming qualities so she must resort to shock statements which actually lack in shock because her political commentary and jabs at liberals are little more than recycled jokes and predictable cheap shots. Im convinced that if Ms Coulter had an original idea, it would die of lonliness. This was really a very lame read.

Ann Coulter is talented. In her essays, collected here and elsewhere, she demonstrates a true wit -- biting, harsh, and often on-point. I enjoy the experience of reading what she has to say.

That said, her motives are often questionable. I'm no liberal, but I have known one or two over the years... and I must report that I did not find them to be the soulless, blood-drinking, baby-eating caricatures that Coulter paints them to be. I'm sure Ms. Coulter has lead a full life, and I'm sure that she's known a liberal or two, as well. I believe that, somewhere, she must know that her invective is filled with hyperbole.

So, what do we make of that? Does Coulter purposely exaggerate to draw controversy/ratings/success? Does she view it as a necessary counter-balance to the extreme rhetoric that often comes from the "other side"? Is it a rhetorical choice, just meant to draw her lines more clearly and re-enforce her more central positions to her readers; "dramatic license"?

I don't know.

But, living in this country and loving it as I do, I am often saddened by how divisive, angry, and low political debate has become. I respect that there are true and important differences between conservatives and liberals, but I maintain a (perhaps naive) belief that we can handle those differences civilly, and with a mutual recognition of the other's intelligence, morality, and basic humanity.

In writing as she does, I believe Coulter does our nation a fundamental disservice in giving more power to our hostility, and our collective refusal to understand any position other than our own. In her writings, she often makes a valid point -- even insightful ones -- but anger is not conducive to rational discourse or debate, and she enjoys drawing out anger from both her opponents and her allies.

Perhaps Ann Coulter has no particular responsibility to "play nice." I get it that she believes she has the truth on certain matters, and that it is a point of courage to shout it out without reservation. I respect that. But I think that the good she could do, in pointing out certain things that need pointing out, is often drowned in the furor that she creates with her needless (and inaccurate) demonizations of those who disagree with her.

If there are liberals out there who can choke back their own understandable rage, and see what morsels of truth shine out in Coulter's writings, I recommend this book. I know that most liberals (at least as many as conservatives) are genuine people, who are committed to finding and implementing what is good and what is true. There is some good and some truth in Ann Coulter, and as a challenge I invite you to find it out.

Conservatives can also gain in Coulter, by trying to understand the mistakes she makes in her slander of people who are, for the most part, good at heart (and who also, it should be mentioned, have some good ideas of their own). Some liberals *are* Godless Crypto-Communists Who Hate America -- no lie -- but what Coulter does is just as accurate as painting all conservatives as Dumb KKK Rednecks, and just as helpful. Some conservatives are, in fact, like that, but not many and not most.

Coulter is a good and witty writer, and the articles collected here are entertaining, and sometimes demonstrate a welcome insight. They are unfortunately enveloped, however, in a hateful (and almost certainly exaggerated) anger, which serves to create more controversy than converts.

Three stars.

Ann Coulter is so hated by liberals that she must be correct! I've read and heard a lot of liberal biased reviews of her books and usually they include "intellectually based comments such as "facist" or she's a racist pig" or someother intelligent remark and it only proves her points..Her charge against liberals is that liberals have no basis in reality..and she is correct..ann coulter no matter how she presents her arguements will be despised because anyone that disagrees with liberals is considered to be inferior and or a facist... it's funny because america has rejected liberal ideals as a whole since the height of liberalism in the 1960s.. liberalism is a case of 15% of our populations with the help of a disgracefully biased liberal media forcing their irrational and dangerous views on the rest of us.. Ann coulters delivery method in this book may seem extreme, but her message is right on the money..liberals are irrational and dangerous to America and if not for the lies of the media, liberalism would not have any platform to exist from in this country, and without bashing george w bush would not have any purpose in this century.. Really an entertaining and insightfull book from a very bold and politically incorrect author

Finally, Anne letting people hear the truth on liberalism! The worst disease that is destroying our country! We need to find a cure for this terrible disease! But,the only cure is responsibilty!