Reviews for Don't Start the Revolution without Me!

The average rating for Don't Start the Revolution without Me! based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-09-10 00:00:00 virginia frazer A slightly embarrassing read, but my curiosity got the better of me after I saw this on a friend's shelf. Ventura won't be mistaken for a policy wonk anytime soon, but he does have a fierce independent streak that's somewhat refreshing. The book reads like flash paper, and seems to have been written in about as much time, mostly comprised of Ventura's tape-recorded reflections as he and his wife drive to Mexico . A few times Ventura tries to frame a larger issue -- namely, whether he'll run for president in 2008 -- but this feels tacked on. Ventura does have a pretty fascinating life, though, and rails passionately against our two-party system, providing some nice anecdotes along the way about his own come-from-behind candidacy in MN. I am tempted to classify him as a libertarian, except he doesn't seem like much of an ideologue, at various points touting his efforts to fund public transportation in MN and describing his openness to government involvement in the provision of health care. Mostly, Ventura wants small government to preserve civil liberties, and appears socially liberal precisely because he thinks government should be small. Ventura's background as a Navy SEAL allows him to make arguments that others simply could not get away with, too, such as abolishing the pledge of allegiance (which he says smacks of the kind of compulsory oath China might require of their schoolchildren). Ventura rarely seems restrained, talking openly about being questioned by the CIA after meeting with Castro in Cuba, as well as his official interactions with intelligence and security agencies in the aftermath of 9/11. There's bravery in his openness, which makes for an engaging read, if not always a thoughtful one. And that's Ventura's Achilles' heel: he never examines anything too carefully. Ventura often fails even to acknowledge the major counterarguments against his ideas, which makes him look paperweight and lacking the kind of careful consideration one would hope is a benchmark of a former governor and potential presidential candidate. Ventura has his oddities, as well (aside from the WWF), railing for a while on the JFK conspiracy and his own suspicions about 9/11. Again, his arguments suffer because he fails even to note other reasonable, clear-eyed explanations. This book is a curiosity, and not recommended much beyond that.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-10-01 00:00:00 Christine Stewart Jesse is a Maverick, he met with Castro and Loves him family and his Country. He's a Patriot who lives the American Dream. His wife's beautiful detail of the trip makes me want to go plan a trip. He's got one hell of a story and it is far from finished! Nuggets of Truth: Never read a script until the money is right