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If It Ain't Woke, Don't Fix It
We all know 2021 and 2022 have been hard on Americans, and the radical Left hasn’t missed a single opportunity to scold everyday Americans who don’t subscribe to an ideology that inaccurately brands itself as the vanguard of social justice. In this collection of syndicated columns, Ben Shapiro expertly refutes the fictions the Left depends on to survive. From demonizing dissent to outright lying, this collection compiles the greatest sins of the pious Left—and gives conservatives the tools to fight back.
- GenresPolitics
227 pages, Paperback
Published November 18, 2022
40 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Ben Shapiro
35 books2,505 followersBenjamin Shapiro was born in 1984 and entered UCLA at the age of 16, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in June 2004 with a BA in Political Science. He graduated Harvard Law School cum laude in June 2007. Shapiro was hired by Creators Syndicate at age 17 to become the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the U.S.
His columns are printed in major newspapers and websites including Townhall, ABCNews, WorldNet Daily, Human Events, FrontPage Mag, Family Security Matters, the Riverside Press-Enterprise and the Conservative Chronicle. His columns have also appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Sun-Times, Orlando Sentinel, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, RealClearPolitics.com, Arizona Republic, and Claremont Review of Books, among others. He has been the subject of articles in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Associated Press, and Christian Science Monitor; he has been quoted on "The Rush Limbaugh Show," "The Dr. Laura Show," at CBS News, in the New York Press, in the Washington Times, and in The American Conservative magazine, among many others.
The author of the national bestsellers, Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth (WND Books, May 2004), Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future (Regnery, June 2005), and Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House (Thomas Nelson, 2008), Shapiro has appeared on hundreds of radio and television shows around the nation, including "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "Fox and Friends" (Fox News), "In the Money" (CNN Financial), "DaySide with Linda Vester" (Fox News), "Scarborough Country" (MSNBC), "The Dennis Miller Show" (CNBC), "Fox News Live" (Fox News Channel), "Glenn Beck Show" (CNN), "Your World with Neil Cavuto" (Fox News) and "700 Club" (Christian Broadcasting Network), "The Laura Ingraham Show," "The Michael Medved Show," "The G. Gordon Liddy Show," "The Rusty Humphries Show," "The Lars Larson Show" (nationally syndicated), "The Larry Elder Show," The Hugh Hewitt Show," "The Dennis Prager Show," among others.
His columns are printed in major newspapers and websites including Townhall, ABCNews, WorldNet Daily, Human Events, FrontPage Mag, Family Security Matters, the Riverside Press-Enterprise and the Conservative Chronicle. His columns have also appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Sun-Times, Orlando Sentinel, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, RealClearPolitics.com, Arizona Republic, and Claremont Review of Books, among others. He has been the subject of articles in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Associated Press, and Christian Science Monitor; he has been quoted on "The Rush Limbaugh Show," "The Dr. Laura Show," at CBS News, in the New York Press, in the Washington Times, and in The American Conservative magazine, among many others.
The author of the national bestsellers, Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth (WND Books, May 2004), Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future (Regnery, June 2005), and Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House (Thomas Nelson, 2008), Shapiro has appeared on hundreds of radio and television shows around the nation, including "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "Fox and Friends" (Fox News), "In the Money" (CNN Financial), "DaySide with Linda Vester" (Fox News), "Scarborough Country" (MSNBC), "The Dennis Miller Show" (CNBC), "Fox News Live" (Fox News Channel), "Glenn Beck Show" (CNN), "Your World with Neil Cavuto" (Fox News) and "700 Club" (Christian Broadcasting Network), "The Laura Ingraham Show," "The Michael Medved Show," "The G. Gordon Liddy Show," "The Rusty Humphries Show," "The Lars Larson Show" (nationally syndicated), "The Larry Elder Show," The Hugh Hewitt Show," "The Dennis Prager Show," among others.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 14, 2024
A Cringeworthy Attempt at Satire That Misses the Mark
Wow where do I even start? I was hoping for a clever, satirical take on modern-day political discourse, but instead, I got a hot mess of poorly written characters, a confusing plot, and a narrative that seems to misunderstand (or worse, mock) the very issues it tries to address.
**Characters:**
Let’s talk about the characters first, because they’re a big part of why this book falls flat. The story centers around three main people: Emily, Tom, and Sarah. On the surface, it looks like the author was trying to create a diverse set of perspectives, but in reality, these characters are just walking stereotypes.
Emily is supposed to represent the "woke" generation, but instead of being a nuanced character with real motivations and depth, she comes off as a shrill, one-dimensional activist who’s more interested in being performative than actually caring about social justice. Every time she opens her mouth, it’s to spout some cliché catchphrase or lecture someone about how they’re wrong. She doesn’t grow or change throughout the book; she just gets more insufferable.
Tom, on the other hand, is written as the "reasonable" counterpoint to Emily, but he’s just as problematic. He’s basically a mouthpiece for the author’s views, always calmly “correcting” Emily with his supposedly superior logic. But instead of coming across as intelligent or insightful, Tom is condescending and smug. His character is so predictable that I found myself rolling my eyes every time he appeared.
Sarah, the professor, is the only one with any potential, but the author doesn’t seem to know what to do with her. She’s hinted to have a complex past and a deeper understanding of the issues at play, but instead of exploring that, the book reduces her to a plot device to bring the two younger characters together. It’s a wasted opportunity, and by the end of the book, I still didn’t care about her at all.
**Plot:**
Now, onto the plot—or should I say, the lack of one? The book starts off with a semi-interesting premise: two college roommates with opposing views trying to coexist. But that premise quickly falls apart as the story becomes a series of disjointed events and forced confrontations. There’s no real narrative thread holding the story together, and it feels like the author is just throwing random scenarios at the characters to see what sticks.
The problem is, nothing really does. Instead of a coherent story, we get a series of heavy-handed "debates" where Tom is always right, and Emily is always wrong. The book jumps from one social issue to the next—racism, sexism, climate change—but doesn’t take the time to engage with any of them in a meaningful way. Instead, it reduces these complex topics to simplistic, black-and-white arguments that are more about scoring points than fostering understanding.
**In-Depth Analysis:**
What really frustrates me about this book is how it completely misses the mark on what satire is supposed to do. Satire is meant to critique and expose the flaws in society, often by exaggerating those flaws to make a point. But If It Ain’t Woke, Don’t Fix It doesn’t do that. Instead of critiquing the excesses or blind spots of “woke” culture, it just ridicules the entire concept.
The book seems to equate caring about social justice with being naive or hypocritical, which is a gross oversimplification. Emily’s character is a perfect example of this—she’s portrayed as irrational and overly sensitive, but the author doesn’t bother to explore why she might hold the views she does or how those views could be valid in certain contexts.
Tom, meanwhile, is the epitome of the “rational” thinker who dismisses any concern that doesn’t align with his worldview. The author positions him as the voice of reason, but his arguments are often just as shallow and dismissive as Emily’s, if not more so. It’s a classic case of straw manning, where the author creates a weak version of the opposing viewpoint just to knock it down.
The result is a book that feels less like a satire and more like a rant. Instead of offering any real insight or provoking thoughtful discussion, it just reinforces the idea that one side of the political spectrum is inherently superior to the other. And that’s not just lazy writing—it’s dangerous.
The most ridiculous part?
- The book trivializes serious issues like racism and sexism, often presenting them as overblown or exaggerated.
- There’s a scene where Emily experiences sexual harassment, but instead of treating it with the gravity it deserves, the book plays it off as a misunderstanding, which is incredibly tone-deaf.
- Gaslighting is a recurring theme, especially in how Tom interacts with Emily, constantly belittling her feelings and experiences.
**Conclusion:**
If you’re looking for a book that offers a nuanced or thoughtful critique of modern-day political and social issues, this isn’t it. If It Ain’t Woke, Don’t Fix It is a shallow, condescending read that lacks both heart and insight. Save yourself the frustration and skip this one—I promise you’re not missing out on anything worthwhile.
Wow where do I even start? I was hoping for a clever, satirical take on modern-day political discourse, but instead, I got a hot mess of poorly written characters, a confusing plot, and a narrative that seems to misunderstand (or worse, mock) the very issues it tries to address.
**Characters:**
Let’s talk about the characters first, because they’re a big part of why this book falls flat. The story centers around three main people: Emily, Tom, and Sarah. On the surface, it looks like the author was trying to create a diverse set of perspectives, but in reality, these characters are just walking stereotypes.
Emily is supposed to represent the "woke" generation, but instead of being a nuanced character with real motivations and depth, she comes off as a shrill, one-dimensional activist who’s more interested in being performative than actually caring about social justice. Every time she opens her mouth, it’s to spout some cliché catchphrase or lecture someone about how they’re wrong. She doesn’t grow or change throughout the book; she just gets more insufferable.
Tom, on the other hand, is written as the "reasonable" counterpoint to Emily, but he’s just as problematic. He’s basically a mouthpiece for the author’s views, always calmly “correcting” Emily with his supposedly superior logic. But instead of coming across as intelligent or insightful, Tom is condescending and smug. His character is so predictable that I found myself rolling my eyes every time he appeared.
Sarah, the professor, is the only one with any potential, but the author doesn’t seem to know what to do with her. She’s hinted to have a complex past and a deeper understanding of the issues at play, but instead of exploring that, the book reduces her to a plot device to bring the two younger characters together. It’s a wasted opportunity, and by the end of the book, I still didn’t care about her at all.
**Plot:**
Now, onto the plot—or should I say, the lack of one? The book starts off with a semi-interesting premise: two college roommates with opposing views trying to coexist. But that premise quickly falls apart as the story becomes a series of disjointed events and forced confrontations. There’s no real narrative thread holding the story together, and it feels like the author is just throwing random scenarios at the characters to see what sticks.
The problem is, nothing really does. Instead of a coherent story, we get a series of heavy-handed "debates" where Tom is always right, and Emily is always wrong. The book jumps from one social issue to the next—racism, sexism, climate change—but doesn’t take the time to engage with any of them in a meaningful way. Instead, it reduces these complex topics to simplistic, black-and-white arguments that are more about scoring points than fostering understanding.
**In-Depth Analysis:**
What really frustrates me about this book is how it completely misses the mark on what satire is supposed to do. Satire is meant to critique and expose the flaws in society, often by exaggerating those flaws to make a point. But If It Ain’t Woke, Don’t Fix It doesn’t do that. Instead of critiquing the excesses or blind spots of “woke” culture, it just ridicules the entire concept.
The book seems to equate caring about social justice with being naive or hypocritical, which is a gross oversimplification. Emily’s character is a perfect example of this—she’s portrayed as irrational and overly sensitive, but the author doesn’t bother to explore why she might hold the views she does or how those views could be valid in certain contexts.
Tom, meanwhile, is the epitome of the “rational” thinker who dismisses any concern that doesn’t align with his worldview. The author positions him as the voice of reason, but his arguments are often just as shallow and dismissive as Emily’s, if not more so. It’s a classic case of straw manning, where the author creates a weak version of the opposing viewpoint just to knock it down.
The result is a book that feels less like a satire and more like a rant. Instead of offering any real insight or provoking thoughtful discussion, it just reinforces the idea that one side of the political spectrum is inherently superior to the other. And that’s not just lazy writing—it’s dangerous.
The most ridiculous part?
- The book trivializes serious issues like racism and sexism, often presenting them as overblown or exaggerated.
- There’s a scene where Emily experiences sexual harassment, but instead of treating it with the gravity it deserves, the book plays it off as a misunderstanding, which is incredibly tone-deaf.
- Gaslighting is a recurring theme, especially in how Tom interacts with Emily, constantly belittling her feelings and experiences.
**Conclusion:**
If you’re looking for a book that offers a nuanced or thoughtful critique of modern-day political and social issues, this isn’t it. If It Ain’t Woke, Don’t Fix It is a shallow, condescending read that lacks both heart and insight. Save yourself the frustration and skip this one—I promise you’re not missing out on anything worthwhile.
February 26, 2023
Ben Shapiro
If it ain’t woke, don’t fix it.
Ben Shapiro is an attorney, a businessman, a columnist, a commentator and a media personality. Throw into that mix, that he is editor emeritus for The Daily Wire, host of his own daily political podcast show and an author, and you find a talented human.
In 2022, he published the latest in a long line of works, “It it ain’t woke, don’t fix it.” It has been published by Creators Publishing who offer up an opening note for the reader. The note says, “Our goal is to make you think. We want you to react. We want you to respond. Since 1987, the writers we represent and publish start discussions, arguments and even controversies. Love them or hate them, you can’t ignore them.”
Whether you are part of the political left, or you are firmly ensconced on the right, this book has something for you. It encourages you to look at your views, whether they are left or right of the political aisle, and it asks you to rethink them.
Ben Shapiro has looked at what is happening in America, and through his collection of columns, he has himself expertly refuted the lefts politics. Ben has looked at how becoming ‘woke’ is worn like a medal by some of the virtue signallers around us. He has looked at how normalities of everyday life are changing due to the wokeness in the world.
What Ben Shapiro shows through his words and evidence, is that those who don’t agree with the woke ideology are treated as dissidents. These ‘dissidents’ would happily explain their views, but the woke left won’t allow that and with a tantrum or two and cancel culture creeping in, they try to shut them down.
This book, through the columns shared, is a clear expose of wokeness. Chapter headings can show that. Here are just a few.
- When lies matter more than facts.
- The fight over identity.
- The Lefts war with biological reality.
- Why Dr Seuss had to go.
Ben Shapiro is an excellent writer. He’s a superb thinker with a logic that surpasses others. He always has the facts to hand. These columns dissect wokeness, but not just pulling it apart and having a look. This is a precise dissection, analytical in nature. This is an extremely well written book. The length of the columns allows the facts to be given succinctly. While the woke amongst us that are left of the political aisle, concern their self more with not offending someone, right of the aisle, including Ben Shapiro live by a different analogy, that of “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”
If it ain’t woke, don’t fix it.
Ben Shapiro is an attorney, a businessman, a columnist, a commentator and a media personality. Throw into that mix, that he is editor emeritus for The Daily Wire, host of his own daily political podcast show and an author, and you find a talented human.
In 2022, he published the latest in a long line of works, “It it ain’t woke, don’t fix it.” It has been published by Creators Publishing who offer up an opening note for the reader. The note says, “Our goal is to make you think. We want you to react. We want you to respond. Since 1987, the writers we represent and publish start discussions, arguments and even controversies. Love them or hate them, you can’t ignore them.”
Whether you are part of the political left, or you are firmly ensconced on the right, this book has something for you. It encourages you to look at your views, whether they are left or right of the political aisle, and it asks you to rethink them.
Ben Shapiro has looked at what is happening in America, and through his collection of columns, he has himself expertly refuted the lefts politics. Ben has looked at how becoming ‘woke’ is worn like a medal by some of the virtue signallers around us. He has looked at how normalities of everyday life are changing due to the wokeness in the world.
What Ben Shapiro shows through his words and evidence, is that those who don’t agree with the woke ideology are treated as dissidents. These ‘dissidents’ would happily explain their views, but the woke left won’t allow that and with a tantrum or two and cancel culture creeping in, they try to shut them down.
This book, through the columns shared, is a clear expose of wokeness. Chapter headings can show that. Here are just a few.
- When lies matter more than facts.
- The fight over identity.
- The Lefts war with biological reality.
- Why Dr Seuss had to go.
Ben Shapiro is an excellent writer. He’s a superb thinker with a logic that surpasses others. He always has the facts to hand. These columns dissect wokeness, but not just pulling it apart and having a look. This is a precise dissection, analytical in nature. This is an extremely well written book. The length of the columns allows the facts to be given succinctly. While the woke amongst us that are left of the political aisle, concern their self more with not offending someone, right of the aisle, including Ben Shapiro live by a different analogy, that of “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”
April 29, 2024
Great wake up call.
People seem to forget days past so quickly. This is a great reminder of how days past has led us to today! Each topic is to the point, on point,easy for anybody to understand, well written facts. Every high school and college should use this as mandatory reading and discussions or essays! Share this book with others, it's amazing! Thank you Ben Shapiro for your dedication to America, your hours of research and time you spent bringing it all together in this book!
People seem to forget days past so quickly. This is a great reminder of how days past has led us to today! Each topic is to the point, on point,easy for anybody to understand, well written facts. Every high school and college should use this as mandatory reading and discussions or essays! Share this book with others, it's amazing! Thank you Ben Shapiro for your dedication to America, your hours of research and time you spent bringing it all together in this book!
January 23, 2023
This was a collection of articles published by Ben Shapiro as syndicated columns. As such, it is a timely read and won't likely be relevant in years to come although he does point out timeless truths that are worth noting. I love his style and his logical point by point arguments.
January 1, 2023
Meh. More of the same, except the print for this book was HUGE. Clearly, it was to fill 212 pages, when normal print would have done it in about 160. Not Ben Shapiro's best work.
March 12, 2023
Nothing original if you listen to his daily show
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews