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Makers and Takers
In Makers and Takers you will discover why:
* Seventy-one percent of conservatives say you have an obligation to care for a seriously injured spouse or parent versus less than half (46 percent) of liberals.
* Conservatives have a better work ethic and are much less likely to call in sick than their liberal counterparts.
* Liberals are 2½ times more likely to be resentful of others’ success and 50 percent more likely to be jealous of other people’s good luck.
* Liberals are 2 times more likely to say it is okay to cheat the government out of welfare money you don’t deserve.
* Conservatives are more likely than liberals to hug their children and “significantly more likely” to display positive nurturing emotions.
* Liberals are less trusting of family members and much less likely to stay in touch with their parents.
* Do you get satisfaction from putting someone else’s happiness ahead of your own? Fifty-five percent of conservatives said yes versus only 20 percent of liberals.
* Rush Limbaugh, Ronald Reagan, Bill O’Reilly and Dick Cheney have given large sums of money to people in need, while Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Michael Moore, and Al Gore have not.
* Those who are “very liberal” are 3 times more likely than conservatives to throw things when they get angry.
The American left prides itself on being superior to conservatives: more generous, less materialistic, more tolerant, more intellectual, and more selfless. For years scholars have constructed—and the media has pushed—elaborate theories designed to demonstrate that conservatives suffer from a host of personality defects and character flaws. According to these supposedly unbiased studies, conservatives are mean-spirited, greedy, selfish malcontents with authoritarian tendencies. Far from the belief of a few cranks, prominent liberals from John Kenneth Galbraith to Hillary Clinton have succumbed to these prejudices. But what do the facts show?
Peter Schweizer has dug deep—through tax documents, scholarly data, primary opinion research surveys, and private records—and has discovered that these claims are a myth. Indeed, he shows that many of these claims actually apply more to liberals than conservatives. Much as he did in his bestseller Do as I Say (Not as I Do), he brings to light never-before-revealed facts that will upset conventional wisdom.
Conservatives such as Ronald Reagan and Robert Bork have long argued that liberal policies promote social decay. Schweizer, using the latest data and research, exposes how, in general:
* Liberals are more self-centered than conservatives.
* Conservatives are more generous and charitable than liberals.
* Liberals are more envious and less hardworking than conservatives.
* Conservatives value truth more than liberals, and are less prone to cheating and lying.
* Liberals are more angry than conservatives.
* Conservatives are actually more knowledgeable than liberals.
* Liberals are more dissatisfied and unhappy than conservatives.
Schweizer argues that the failure lies in modern liberal ideas, which foster a self-centered, “if it feels good do it” attitude that leads liberals to outsource their responsibilities to the government and focus instead on themselves and their own desires.
* Seventy-one percent of conservatives say you have an obligation to care for a seriously injured spouse or parent versus less than half (46 percent) of liberals.
* Conservatives have a better work ethic and are much less likely to call in sick than their liberal counterparts.
* Liberals are 2½ times more likely to be resentful of others’ success and 50 percent more likely to be jealous of other people’s good luck.
* Liberals are 2 times more likely to say it is okay to cheat the government out of welfare money you don’t deserve.
* Conservatives are more likely than liberals to hug their children and “significantly more likely” to display positive nurturing emotions.
* Liberals are less trusting of family members and much less likely to stay in touch with their parents.
* Do you get satisfaction from putting someone else’s happiness ahead of your own? Fifty-five percent of conservatives said yes versus only 20 percent of liberals.
* Rush Limbaugh, Ronald Reagan, Bill O’Reilly and Dick Cheney have given large sums of money to people in need, while Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Michael Moore, and Al Gore have not.
* Those who are “very liberal” are 3 times more likely than conservatives to throw things when they get angry.
The American left prides itself on being superior to conservatives: more generous, less materialistic, more tolerant, more intellectual, and more selfless. For years scholars have constructed—and the media has pushed—elaborate theories designed to demonstrate that conservatives suffer from a host of personality defects and character flaws. According to these supposedly unbiased studies, conservatives are mean-spirited, greedy, selfish malcontents with authoritarian tendencies. Far from the belief of a few cranks, prominent liberals from John Kenneth Galbraith to Hillary Clinton have succumbed to these prejudices. But what do the facts show?
Peter Schweizer has dug deep—through tax documents, scholarly data, primary opinion research surveys, and private records—and has discovered that these claims are a myth. Indeed, he shows that many of these claims actually apply more to liberals than conservatives. Much as he did in his bestseller Do as I Say (Not as I Do), he brings to light never-before-revealed facts that will upset conventional wisdom.
Conservatives such as Ronald Reagan and Robert Bork have long argued that liberal policies promote social decay. Schweizer, using the latest data and research, exposes how, in general:
* Liberals are more self-centered than conservatives.
* Conservatives are more generous and charitable than liberals.
* Liberals are more envious and less hardworking than conservatives.
* Conservatives value truth more than liberals, and are less prone to cheating and lying.
* Liberals are more angry than conservatives.
* Conservatives are actually more knowledgeable than liberals.
* Liberals are more dissatisfied and unhappy than conservatives.
Schweizer argues that the failure lies in modern liberal ideas, which foster a self-centered, “if it feels good do it” attitude that leads liberals to outsource their responsibilities to the government and focus instead on themselves and their own desires.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
10 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Peter Schweizer
55 books397 followersPeter Schweizer is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. From 2008-'09 he served as a consultant to the White House Office of Presidential Speechwriting and he is a former consultant to NBC News. He has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, National Review, Foreign Affairs, and elsewhere. His books include The Bushes, Reagan's War, and Do as I Say, Not as I Do.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 3, 2010
I bought this book after I read a fantastic review of it. The review challenged my social-moderate-with-liberal-leanings views and made me think it would be good for me to read this book, even if it might not be enjoyable to have liberal views laid bare in the same way that conservative views often are. Well, I was right about not enjoying it, but it wasn't because the liberal views were taken to task...this book is full of anecdotes, which should be a good thing, but they're recounted in a vitriolic way by an author who is obviously not even a little bit sympathetic to social liberals. In the process, his points (which are actualy good ones) are often obscured and you end up just being annoyed with his method of communicating.
I ended up learning more from the chapter titles than from the chapters themselves, and I think the book would have been better if it had: (a) been shorter, perhaps even essay-length, going straight to the author's very valid points; and (b) included fewer stories and more solid, better organized research, statistical and otherwise. Unfortunately, the way it is written rather works against the author's points, making the right-wing social conservative author (and, by extension, his intellectual colleagues) look like unreasonable, mean-spirited complainers.
I ended up learning more from the chapter titles than from the chapters themselves, and I think the book would have been better if it had: (a) been shorter, perhaps even essay-length, going straight to the author's very valid points; and (b) included fewer stories and more solid, better organized research, statistical and otherwise. Unfortunately, the way it is written rather works against the author's points, making the right-wing social conservative author (and, by extension, his intellectual colleagues) look like unreasonable, mean-spirited complainers.
October 5, 2020
I read this for a Civics and Gov class and I knew it would challenge “my beliefs” but I at least thought there would be a few good arguments! But most of this read and a rambling mess. Schwizer does not stay on topic the entire way through each chapter, and what he brings up does not always support his claims like he believes they do.
While I could post my full report of the book here I don’t feel like it, so trust me when I say this book isn’t worth it
While I could post my full report of the book here I don’t feel like it, so trust me when I say this book isn’t worth it
April 18, 2017
One of the funniest books I've ever read.
March 20, 2019
In Makers and Takers: How Conservatives Do All the Work While Liberals Whine and Complain the author, Peter Schweizer, contrasts what the left spouts confidently as factual with more scientific survey-based truth and blasts what liberals hope what they want the general public to accept as true. This was the tactic used by Hitler and the National Socialists (Nazis) used, to paraphrase: Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it! This is so obvious when you take a skeptical look at what is being claimed as fact. The author points out that in many of these cases those putting out false accusation as facts are essentially doing what they claim the targets of their propaganda are doing. Their philosophy can be summed up as Do as I say, not as I do. Examples are plentiful and are presented by the author throughout the book. He draws on national polls and academic studies, along with actual testimony by liberals themselves. He also states that the emergence of this type of liberalism as a philosophy of selfishness is a direct result of big government.
August 10, 2022
This is an excellent book. It is so true that Liberal's morals are very low and they are accepting of lying and cheating in life. They try to justify it as perfectly normal. Statisically, liberal cheat on tests and lie on resumes because they believe everyone does. They see nothing wrong with it. I think it is interesting that liberals are the first to say that society needs take money from others to give to someone they deem worthy of it. Yet they don't take their own money to give to their worthy cause. They don't donate money as much as conservatives. Liberals think that having the notion of giving money to someone is simply enough and they don't actually have to give their own money.
April 8, 2012
This is an excellent book that destroys certain liberal myths about conservatives. The book cites studies that show conservatives to be more hard working, happier, more family oriented, less materialistic, more honest and more generous than liberals. This book is well worth a read.
January 12, 2009
The thesis of this book -- that conservatives are far more generous in their personal lives than liberals -- is in equal measure both surprising and predictable.
June 26, 2022
Read the dust jacket at my in-laws’. What a dogshit book.
October 25, 2025
To be fair as a liberal myself, I did think the author put up many good points: we can be whiny, pessimistic, have less self-esteem self-righteous, emotional, sensitive, less grateful, suffer from a victim mentality, more mentally ill and self-centered.
His central thesis is this is caused because liberals feel that every single problem is the government, society or some structural fault which causes them to absolve themselves of individual responsibility because they believe they can't change anything.
I will definitely consider this to improve myself and my interactions with other people.
His central thesis is this is caused because liberals feel that every single problem is the government, society or some structural fault which causes them to absolve themselves of individual responsibility because they believe they can't change anything.
I will definitely consider this to improve myself and my interactions with other people.
March 28, 2021
Something is deeply weird and wrong with the leftist perspective, and this book details it in an aggressively offended and repulsed way, while still being honestly befuddled by how little truth, facts, reality or common decency are so easily thrown under the bus by these troubled people.
January 22, 2025
This was obviously a smear job. That being said I had some good laughs while listening to this. It’s 3/5 for me
April 27, 2011
Schweizer thesis is pretty straight forward, Conservatives aren't what people think they are, and when I say people I mean gentlemen like George Lakoff who seem to think that if you don't believe in a broken welfare state or handouts for everyone then your a heartless moron who doesn't know how to think. Although I appreciate the view of Lakoff that I'm a moron and heartless, Schweizer gets it right through statistics and anecdotes on the realities of conservatives versus liberals. No surprises for me is that people who self-identify as conservative value honesty more then liberals, since liberalism puts a greater emphasis on the ends justify the means (insofar as liberals consider liberal policies good for everyone and one may argue regardless of outcome). Schweizer is probably preaching to the converted in his book, and for people like me who are tired of hearing how stupid they are (btw, I have multiple degrees), or how heartless they are (as a humble man I don't talk about my charitable giving), this book can be a breath of fresh air in an often contentious environment filled with the uninformed and self-righteous individuals who want to tell you how the world works.
August 5, 2022
Schweizer delivers what is expected from one of his books. There is a lot of statistics to show that liberals are the "takers" and the conservatives are the "makers" in the world. While I agree with many of the premises, he does tend to fall into the trap of "lies, damn lies, and statistics" by using cherry-picked statistics.
He could have made his point with many of the excellent studies he cited without stretching things to make for a bigger book. I get the feeling he was enjoying himself and the goal was to appease his target audience. It kind of goes against one of his largest points - that conservatives are not mindless, heartless, dupes. By adding in obviously angled stats, he is suggesting they are.
A good book for the useful information. Just be prepared to weed through some hyperbole.
He could have made his point with many of the excellent studies he cited without stretching things to make for a bigger book. I get the feeling he was enjoying himself and the goal was to appease his target audience. It kind of goes against one of his largest points - that conservatives are not mindless, heartless, dupes. By adding in obviously angled stats, he is suggesting they are.
A good book for the useful information. Just be prepared to weed through some hyperbole.
May 21, 2021
Peter Schweitzer's "Makers and Takers" pulled me in within the book's first paragraph. The book is excellently written and filled with references and sources for the authors facts, findings, contrasts, and conclusions of the differences between Conservatives and Liberals (read Leftists).
Written is a style almost reminiscent of P.J. O'Rourke, "Makers and Takers" is a riveting and page-turning read. Insightful, entertaining, and informative, including a few tongue-in-cheek comments and observations, Peter Schweitzer has written a home run with a no punches pulled, scathing summation of the fraudulent and hypocritical Leftist mentality. I enjoyed this book very much.
Written is a style almost reminiscent of P.J. O'Rourke, "Makers and Takers" is a riveting and page-turning read. Insightful, entertaining, and informative, including a few tongue-in-cheek comments and observations, Peter Schweitzer has written a home run with a no punches pulled, scathing summation of the fraudulent and hypocritical Leftist mentality. I enjoyed this book very much.
February 26, 2009
Author explains the differences between liberals and conservatives.
To quote the author in his conclusion:
"I began this book with two simple assumptions: first, that ideas influence our behavior; and second, that modern liberals and conservatives have distinctly different behavioral patterns reflecting their different philosophies.
To quote the author in his conclusion:
"I began this book with two simple assumptions: first, that ideas influence our behavior; and second, that modern liberals and conservatives have distinctly different behavioral patterns reflecting their different philosophies.
June 26, 2010
Stuff 99% of Conservatives already know, validated by endless statistics. Not an engaging read, but still worth it if you want to validate being Conservative and happy. (Don't feel guilty... you're not doing anything wrong.)
July 14, 2008
an interesting description of the differences between conservatives and liberals
January 13, 2010
Good data to back it up. Everyone should read it, but only conservative leaning folks are likely to do so, which is too bad.
March 11, 2010
Scientific proof that liberalism causes mental disorders.
October 13, 2015
I have no idea if what this author says is true or not. But the books explains why the author thinks this.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews