Who's Looking Out for You?

by Bill O'Reilly

From the mega-bestselling author of The O'Reilly Factor and The No Spin Zone , a no-holds-barred exposé of the people and institutions who are letting Americans down – and what we should do about it.

Bill O’Reilly is mad as hell – and he’s not going to let you take it anymore. In his most powerful and personal book yet, this media powerhouse and unstoppable truth-teller takes on those individuals and institutions in American life who are failing in their duties – big-time. In his inimitable style, mixing wit, pugnacity, and plain common sense, O’Reilly kicks butt and takes (and also names) names – from crooked corporate weasels to venal politicians to lazy and/or politically correct bureaucrats to sexually predatory priests and the Church hierarchy that protects them to a media establishment rife with political bias and economically hooked on violence and smut. At the same time that he calls the famous and powerful to account, he dares to get personal, questioning just how much our closest friends, families, and lovers do look out for us, and delivering a powerful message about personal responsibility and self-reliance in an uncertain world. He forces us to ask just how much genuine altruism is left in a society that thrives on self-indulgence and ruthless competition.

Who’s Looking Out for You? is a book that boldly confronts our worst fears and biggest problems in a post-9/11, post-corporate-meltdown world. Its sage, candid advice on regaining control and trust in these troubled times will resonate with the millions of readers and viewers who have come to believe in Bill O’Reilly as the man who speaks for them .

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Self Help, Social Commentary, Current Affairs, Political Science, Audiobook

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 23, 2003

About the author

Bill O'Reilly's success in broadcasting and publishing is unmatched. The iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor led the program to the status of the highest rated cable news broadcast in the nation for sixteen consecutive years. His website BillOReilly.com is followed by millions all over the world.

In addition, he has authored an astonishing 12 number one ranked non-fiction books including the historical "Killing" series. Mr. O'Reilly currently has 17 million books in print.

Bill O'Reilly has been a broadcaster for 42 years. He has been awarded three Emmys and a number of other journalism accolades. He was a national correspondent for CBS News and ABC News as well as a reporter-anchor for WCBS-TV in New York City, among other high-profile jobs.

Mr. O'Reilly received two other Emmy nominations for the movies "Killing Kennedy" and "Killing Jesus."

He holds a history degree from Marist College, a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University, and another master’s degree from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Bill O'Reilly lives on Long Island where he was raised. His philanthropic enterprises have raised tens of millions for people in need and wounded American veterans.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/billor...

Reviews

[Truthcansuck Goring · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jesus... let me synapse this book for you, shall I?

Bill looks out for the 'little guy.' How is not clear. He repeats it enough that you absorb it and accept it through osmosis if you are not paying attention, so pay attention.

Bill is nonpartisan. Bill thinks politicians are generally not honest. George Bush may (may) have fibbed on aspects of minutia dealing with inconsequential matters. Bill Clinton almost assuredly rapes puppies. Little, cute puppies. And then e-mails the photos to random nuns and children.

Whom he then rapes. Bill manages to be nonpartisan kinda like that.

Bill is a douchebag. That's not a quote from the book, just my opinion after reading it.

[Leslie D. Soule · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on the backburner of my "to-read" list for quite some time, but it should have been right up at the top. In this book, Bill O'Reilly asks the all-important question that we all must pose to groups and individuals alike - "Who's Looking Out For Me?" And the answer, at least in part, is Bill O'Reilly, since he wrote this very helpful book to assist you in finding the answers and knowing what to look for in toxic people who are best avoided. This was a quick read, but a great one, and although I don't agree 100% with some of O'Reilly's views, he has presented them respectably.

[Jay Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating - 8

In some cases comes across as a poor man's Michael Moore that is very right-wing and holier than thou; In other cases, uses interesting insight and does not pull any punches on anyone

Does an excellent job on the separation of church and state and the black abyss that we are heading to morally as a result - Need to have more vocalists like O'Reilly leading the way

Interesting Thoughts
70% of Black babies are born out of wedlock - 89% if the mother is between 15-24

Generous people do not associate with selfish jerks - the good people will gravitate away from the bad

The pursuit of happiness will not be aided by self-pity or fear - it will be aided by surrounding yourself w good people who care about you

Mariah Carey - no one was looking out for the human being that existed inside the machine that pays everybody”

People who give you intoxicants, an unnecessarily hard time, or dishonesty are to be rejected

Big Dig Scandal - construction project in Boston that has gone $10B over budget, is rift w the Mafioso, and will not be accounted for by any of the State Reps over the last ten years

Torricelli Principle - the CIA had to stop paying informers that were associated w any wrongdoing. Intelligence dried up, people moved on in frustration and terrorism was allowed to go unchecked. Add to the fact that the FBI had a hate on for Clinton and would not provide domestic info and the blueprint was set for a terrorist attack

Joseph Malvo - originally detained and to be deported by Border Patrol. Decision was overturned by the INS because of the expense caused to deport immigrants

Bush announced he wants all presidential pardons to be sealed for 75 years - example of how the powerful protect the powerful

Bill Clinton
Popularity was based on good times not his leadership
Very insecure - always concerned about his image
Global Crossing incident - owner cashed in $80MM worth of stock before it went bankrupt
Washington DC - more is spent on public kids than Catholic kids with no positive result or return

Hilary Clinton
Only concerned about 2008 election - raising money for key democrats so that she can cash in chits for support
Did not write her biography - three ghostwriters
Ran up enormous tabs as the First Lady - $2.3MM in airfare for a plane trip to North Africa
A 2008 election of Hilary versus Jeb Bush is scary

Supreme Court has held that websites are legally allowed to display sexually explicit images of virtual sex between adults and children

Print media is full of sexual imagery that will influence childrens behaviour

Public eats up the celebrity images of Lopez and Houston and all the drama and tragedy their life provides

Project a ‘what I need’ attitude that demonstrates and rewards selfishness and using people

Children get zero moral guidance in education (pressure groups), zero from home, and are left to fend for themselves morally - media is corrupting the youth

America is now an egocentric attitude, right from the top corporations to the ghettoes

The media is presenting flawed entertainers as cool property and is devaluing good behavior

News is about profits not journalism

School district refused to discipline two teenagers who were engaged in oral sex on a public school bus

Addresses the liberal bias that exists in the media (cross-reference with Goldberg book)

PBS allows contributors to retain selling rights of material - using public funds for private gains

911 Concert Incident
United Way was profiting off the concert by collecting interest on the proceeds of the concert
Did not advise grieving families of what was going on w the money
George Clooney comes down hard on O’Reilly
United Way eventually admitted that they screwed up

Music Behind Bars - VH1 program that allowed murderers to perform concerts that had a massive uprising from the public but show continued

Putting your faith in a higher power is therapeutic - especially when life is outside one’s control

Key is how do you incorporate religion into your day to day life

T Jefferson - ‘the constitution is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary which they may twist and shape into any form they please’

ACLU is too extreme - suing all over the place to take out the word Christmas from public domain

No government can police individual behavior on a massive scale - a moral code is required - society is heading towards the pits

Court is hostile to all things religious

Ethics of the youth have changed - reflects the selfishness of Corporate America

University of North Carolina put the Koran on the must read list

O Reilly was in favor of Bush and the War on Iraq because of the loss of American lives in 911 - all other media personalities were anti-war even though the American public was in favor

Reject political philosophy and discipline yourself to think logically

Danielle Van Dam
Abducted in San Diego where the prime suspect was neighbor who was caught w child pornography
Defense was willing to strike a plea and reveal where the body was buried - Crown rejected
Even though defense knew of guilt - proceeded to slander family and present them as a possible suspect

Most clever lawyers win - entire process is a sham to protect the rich

Lack of leadership in the minority community - do not want to see progress because it will diminish their importance - if there is no dragon then there is no knight

Gangster Disciples - Chicago drug cartel that bring in $1MM per week and allowed to roam free - not about race, but about class

Few in power want to confront the problem because there is no personal gain or benefit

Dumb people are dumb people - do not sweat the small stuff

Need a more controlled community policing where people take responsibility on what is happening in their community

Research indicates that people only need the first and last letter to decipher a word - in between does not matter

Do not talk about people in the workplace - absolutely no benefit

Bigfooting - allow a more notable reporter to steal your stuff

See people as they are, not who you want them to be

Whole Inside Edition firing controversy

The mind is not only a terrible thing to waste but it also your ticket to life - take your mind to the mental gym every day

[Arminius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill O’Reilly’s “Who’s Looking Out For You” is not a bad book. In the beginning of the book he lists what he calls “The Ten Commandants of Parenting.” They include the following recommendations: a parent should spend time with their child, provide discipline, educate them, screen their friends, and remove TV’s and computers from their child’s room et al.
He goes on to inform, or re informs in some cases, you that most institutions and the government does not look out for you. He analyzes America’s justice system. He said that it looks out for itself. If you enter the justice system as a defendant it is akin to paying dues to become part of a club. The system does not care about you, it cares about itself. He talks about lawyers who defend people when they know the person’s guilty.
One place that he believes is looking out for you is the church. The church teaches lessons and morality that protects us by helping us make good decisions. He uses the examples of how one of his best friends became a drug addict. He didn’t because his church taught him that drugs were wrong and bad.

He reveals his trials and tribulations at his various reporting jobs before he became a prime-time news magnate. Out of this he gives some good advice: be independent and tolerant, forgive yourself for mistakes, read and think over and over again, take care of your body, separate yourself from “toxic” people and cultivate friendships with good people.

[Kevin Kirkhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I've said before, I always enjoy reading O'Reilly's books. Some things he says I say, "Boy, you got that right". Other things I have to shake my head and say, "Bill, you really don't get it". Same with this book.

The purpose of this book is to determine who really has your best interests at heart. According to Bill, not too many people. Although I don't think he specifically says it, he gives me the impression that a lot of people have an entitlement attitude and truly feel that lots of people are out to take care of them. Among the people and entities that don't care one bit about you are: politicians, the court system, corporate America (specifically those that want to sell you stuff), celebrities, and the church.

I understand his arguments, but where he misses the boat is that he expects corporations, politicians, and celebrities to be moral, ethical, and social beacons from which we (and our children) learn. Not so, Bill. That should be taught at home and at school. I do expect it from the courts and churches. He's right about that.

In each chapter he gives examples of what's right and wrong about that particular topic. As I said, he does make you think. He made my case for why I disagree with him much stronger, but he gave me some good examples of things I agree with him on. Good book.

[Jim]

I really tried to keep an open mind while reading this and, truthfully, there are some points upon which I agree. But O'Reilly is such a narcissistic, sanctimonious jackass that it's hard for me to care.

[Sana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book feels like reading my math assignment for
school… not many evidence supported facts,
no passion, lots of strong opinions.
It was difficult to stay interested.
The only reason I finished reading it at all was because I borrowed it from a friend and could not tell him that it was boring.

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book for my husband who is a conservative republican and generally enjoys talk radio, etc. We tried to read this book and I thought it was terrible. We read 3 of the 10 chapters and couldn't bother to finish the rest. It was that bad. Maybe it just wasn't what I was expecting, but it was incredibly boring.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were admittedly some gems of truth sprinkled throughout this book, but its egotistical and overly flowery writing made it tough to get through. I'm glad I read it, it's always good to get a different point of view.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, I liked how it was upfront that it was opinionated, it allowed for me to read it and not question what was fact and what was opinion because they were clearly stated. It was also interesting to see the political views of Bill O'Reilly and the subjects that he was concerned about.

Something that I didn't like was how there wasn't a flow to the book because it wasn't a story. One chapter would be about one thing and the next a separate subject.

Summary:
Children that are not raised in the right conditions are more prone to be criminal, and think differently about themselves. There is a new "me" generation that isn't self-dependent than they should be, and want the government to provide for them. America is a lot different than it used to be. Parents need to be careful with what they expose their children to. Racism in the United States isn't nearly as common as the media portrays it to be and is used as nothing but a political tool, and is why nothing is done about it. The United States is a great place to live and not many other places can say the same.

[Adam Kovynia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came out in 2003 so it deals with a lot of topics from the past such as some political scandals around the time of the Clinton presidency and the Iraq war and 911. I think Bill has a lot of good advice for people in this book. I don't agree with all his views but some are difficult topics that the country is always split on like going to war.

There was one part where he talked about investigating money that was supposed to go to 911 victims families and a lot of celebrities and other news networks didn't take his side on this issue even though it seemed he was doing the right thing and looking out for people in need.

I like the chapter on religion and he makes an interesting observation for example "I could never figure this one out either. If a human being lives a good life, holds sincere beliefs, but just happens to be a hindu, an all-just and all-merciful God is going to set the guy on fire for eternity? I don't think so." from page 112.

[Marcus Goncalves · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is almost 20 years old by now, but the author’s opinions for the most part are timeless, except for the fact he, towards the end of his career, proved to be one of those he warns us about in this book. The major theme of this work is that you had better take responsibility for your own life, because no one other than your family and you will, unless you develop a few friends along the way who want to help you. Some good nuggets here, but I guess by now I’m a bit negatively biased. Reading this book was an attempt to change that, but it didn’t work well.

[Jan Sydnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and well written. For anyone that wonders "what's going on" in this country...this is a must read. O'Reilly is straight and to the point.

[Mark Savignano · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me wreck this book for you. Page 1 - title page, Page 2 - the white blank page, Page 3 - Chapter one "Who's looking out for you", First paragraph - "Nobody!"

Save yourself the money!

[Todd McQueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of O’Reilly’s opinions and ego, but many comments are thought-provoking. B

[Dylan Webster · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is no secret that Bill O'Reilly is a neocon, a globalist. Even as a conservative, I often disagree with neocons. His views on the Iraq war and some other things did not age well. The first two thirds of the book is okay. Some of the remaining third is alright. This book is good food for thought and does recount things happening in the late nineties and early 2000s in a way I do not remember as I was too young to care about politics. Many of the reviews for this book, however, are simply partisans crapping on it for the sake of it. Americans should read this book. You shouldn't expect a thriller or anything, but it is definitely chock full of events and ideas that you should care about and should think about.

[Scott Breslove · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated, but interesting nonetheless. Not taking into account if I agree or disagree with what he says, but everything is presented reasonably and reads well. He obviously makes himself look good, I mean, it’s his own book so it’d be pretty dumb if he didn’t, but he also shared mistakes he’s made. So the whole thing comes off honest and forthcoming even if that may not be entirely true throughout. And I’m not saying it is or it isn’t, I’m just generalizing. Also, strangely enough, even though I talked about it being a bit dated, even though a lot of the names would be different today, a lot of it still really applies.

[Motorcycle Tourist · Rating 3 out of 5]

To successfully navigate the obstacles of life, you will need some help. If you don’t have five people in your life who are willing to bleed for you, then you might be in trouble. In the words of G. Washington, “Associate yourself with men of quality if you esteem your own reputation, for it is better to be alone than in bad company.” Surprisingly, you don’t need to stay away from bad people because if you are a good person, then THEY will stay away from you. (If you walk into a bar and order a milk, then they will mock you.) corrupt people seek each other out, so if you’re hanging out with a gangster, then you already are a degenerate.

Pray not for lighter burdens, but stronger backs.

[Gatherum Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a classic Bill O’Reilly. Unfortunately, unless you already agree with his views you are unlikely to pick this book up. Regardless of political persuasion, I believe he makes some valid observations about self-discipline, self-awareness, personal responsibility, aspiration and looking out for yourself that are universal. I enjoyed the read and learning more about the life of everyone’s favorite humble corespondent. Give it a read, take away one or two points and you will be better for it.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bill O'Reilly is one of my favorite authors. In a short amount of time he presents the question, Who is really looking out for you? He makes strong suggestions and answers concerning what you should do to correct an issue. While I may not completely accept the total premise of the book, I am clearer on what I believe. Isn't that part of the making of a good book?

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know Bill O’Reilly, you know what to expect. He gives you his opinion in no uncertain terms. It was entertaining enough and made me think about where our society is now almost 20 years later.

[Tammie Fullington · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information was great, but the writing was not. Also, he is very narcissistic, which made it a struggle for me to read.

[Paul F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked reading the book, some interesting info on how people are thought about in different works of life.

[John Doe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very interesting book.

[Shane Woolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and clean. You don't even have to drink the special Kool-Aid to enjoy it or to gain some perspective. I recommend this book for anyone. Although, "Trust-fund babies and corporate weasels are not allowed to read this book."

O'Reilly's thoughts on parenthood and parental responsibility are refreshing. Unfortunately, most of the folks that need to hear what he says will never read this book. He also has great insight into how and why the government isn't looking out for us.

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage. — Attributed to Alexander Fraser Tytler"

Easy read. Not a major time suck.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My step-dad Art, loved Bill O'Reilly. I picked up this book at his house one day and boy did I learn alot! American politics at its worst. I was raised in a Republican household so I heard some stuff, not that I paid much attention. I was too busy with my social life to care about boring old politics. Well when I grew up and got my real first job and actually started paying attention, I did not like what I saw. How did we get to where we are today? Our founding fathers would be very upset to see the misconstrued way certain groups are f-ing up the Constitution. We are the greatest country on this planet. We value human-life like no other country. We are the most generous country on this planet and we fight for our freedoms and the freedoms of other countries. Unlike most on tv would like you believe we as a nation care about humanity, this planet, the future. I love Bill's honesty and he is not afraid to uncover the lies that are fed to us on a daily basis.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't know much about Bill O'Reilly having lived in Australia for most of his controversial career. I have to say that I liked a lot of what he said in the book. It was logical and I appreciate someone who gets outraged by people who do step on the common man. I don't find it cocky as some have put in their reviews. He jokes about his level of cockyness on his show but he also says "you don't have to believe me, you make your own judgment" which I appreciate because I don't know any other author of a non-fiction book that would say that. I would like to see his show though to see how the man comes across on the screen as he commented on how he is on his shows. But the book itself is not offensive and very informative. Would recommend it to anyone and everybody.

[Stephannie · Rating 2 out of 5]

In an effort to hear what "the other side" had to say, I took the book from the library shelf. O'Reilly has an interesting vantage point -- who really has your interests in mind -- in this one. I appreciated that it was not all political, and particularly enjoyed his perspective on one's parental roles & obligations in looking out for their children.

This book was not as abrasive as I had anticipated. It was fascinating to learn that he believes he's looking out for public interest in his work. Even as a left-wing liberal, I can acknowledge that O'Reilly has some good points to be made.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this 2003 book from a friend, after reading O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy books. This book was interesting, but dated. I am not super conservative, but still found myself agreeing with much of what O'Reilly said in this book, including why it was important for the U.S. to remove Sadam Hussein from power in Iraq. I've always rather liked O'Reilly's show on Fox News, although it is in the only show on that network I can watch for more than about five minutes. All in all, a fairly interesting book, and it helped me realize that I am more politically conservative than I thought I was.

[Andrea Fife · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to read something different from my usual fare, and different it was. Good it was not. I really liked the premise of the book... surround yourself with people who are truly looking out for you and ditch everyone else. What I didn't like was Bill's condescending style. I read chapters 1 & 2, skimmed 3, glossed over 4, and then gave up. Mr. O'Reilly feels the need to devote entire chapters to concepts I managed to clearly grasp with nothing more than a topic sentence. Thanks, Mr. O'Reilly for your advice, but I think I'll brave the world on my own.