PrintDecember 19, 2009
Are We Doomed?
I have a fear about John Derbyshire's new book, We Are Doomed -- that the over-the-top cheekiness of its title and the wit and snap of its prose will distract from its deadly serious thesis. n short, it's so funny that I'm afraid some people may not take it seriously. And this is a book that needs to be taken seriously.I asked Derbyshire in a phone interview if he had similar worries. "Not really," he told me. His goal, he says, is partly a "subversive," one: to inject seemingly verboten ideas into the public argument. If those ideas need to be flavored with a little wit to help them go down easier, then so be it, he tells me.Derbyshire has succeeded, sometimes brilliantly. We Are Doomed is a hilarious and heartbreaking read. Derb is merciless: He piles facts upon facts, argument upon argument, and then practically dares you to hope for the best. This does not mean he is always right, but more on that later.First, let's be clear: We are...(Read Full Article)
