High points: O'Reilly paints a very accurate picture of the cut-throat network television world, and there's some black humor to be found (one of the corporate bosses is a female named Hillary, and the serial killer who murders her manages to sneak into her apartment building on Halloween night wearing a Richard Nixon mask). Moreover, the premise that a would-be star at the network level who was screwed over by the system might go on a killing spree to get even is not entirely out of the question.

However, O'Reilly's writing is surprisingly ordinary. He goes to great lengths to point out where each scene takes place, but there's precious little to make those places come alive--the sights, sounds and scents a reader can feel from good prose is missing here. The dialogue isn't bad--the rapport between Tommy O'Malley and Ashley Van Buren is believable, and the exchanges between the network news executives ring true.

The plot of this novel indeed holds your attention until the final page, although the killer's identity is made plain 60-70 pages before the end. The David Wayne character simply disappeared, which is a problem--since he's mentioned in the same breath as the eventual killer many times, he shouldn't simply dry up and blow away. What the heck happened to the guy?

All in all, O'Reilly could have done far worse, and he deserves lots of credit for giving this a shot. If you like his political commentary, you'll get a kick out of the story. And it goes without saying that you could do far worse than this if you're looking for something to read on a lengthy airplane flight.

The same holds true for his book. The book lacks substance, but it's an enjoyable read. Bill provides a brief, disjointed biography, which helps you see the man behind the television show. He also opines on a wide variety of topics from Jesse Jackson to proper parenting. Bill can rant with the best of them and he is in rare form here.

Don't pick up this book expecting a deep discussion of public policy. It's full of easy answers and quick fixes. Despite that, it's a fun summer read.

The O'Reilly critics love to describe him as an egomaniac who seeks to push his right-wing agenda on the American people. By perusing chapter one "The Class Factor," we see the author criticizing large corporations and deriding the boundaries that class has on Americans. These are two beliefs that are hardly right wing. For those wishing to read right wing opinions, I recommend Pat Buchanan, Sean Hannity, or Rush Limbaugh. For left wing opinions, Al Franken's book will suffice. On his show and in his book, he criticizes as many conservatives as liberals. Anybody who comes on his show earns my respect because he is the toughest interviewer on television and asks the questions that Connie Chung, Barbara Walters, and Larry King will not. He wants honest government and the powerful held accountable no matter what their ideology.

O'Reilly's tragic flaw is his arrogant, self-serving attitude. He titles his first book after his television show and names sections in the book after those in his show (i.e. Back of the Book.) At the end of every television broadcast, he hocks the "Factor Gear" and membership at his website which costs $50 per year. He will take up insignificant issues and discuss them for several shows if it supports his personal agenda. He constantly mentions the success of his television show, and his books on-air forgetting that most viewers tune in to watch his interviews not to be sold his products.

"The Factor" book contains useful advice on a variety of subjects for anybody open-minded enough to accept it. The best advice is to put your ideology and your opinions about O'Reilly aside, and just open the book and read. You will be glad you did.

In "The No Spin Zone" O'Reilly puts some of his most interesting debates into print, along with an introduction and a conclusion to put the piece into perspective.

Because of O'Reilly's direct style and no-nonsense approach, some controversial figures persistently avoid his invitations to debate issues. Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, and Jesse Jackson are among the no-shows, but it hasn't spared them their time on the O'Reilly Factor - they just weren't present, by their own choice, to defend themselves. Other courageous souls who did brave O'Reilly's potentially scathing scrutiny include Susan Sarandon, Al Sharpton, George W. Bush and Dan Rather. Rather's interview is particularly interesting in light of Bernard Goldberg's book, "Bias," in which Rather and CBS are criticized for slanting the news. Rather's interview happened before "Bias" was published, yet it is clear Rather was already feeling defensive about his perceived biases.

If you like hearty political debate and a full and often heated airing of the issues, this book's for you.

Questions that aren't answered can be as telling as those that are. "We'll let the audience decide" are Bill's frequent parting words to a guest. Some subjects haven't even appeared on the Factor, but they're still open to discussion. I've come to some conclusions about Jesse Jackson,(misguided), Hillary Clinton, (evasive), and the NAMBLA posse, (criminal), thanks to Bill.

Did you know Bill interviewed Dr. Laura Schlessinger, and DISAGREED with her? That takes guts. Half of America listens to her, to get a daily dose of guilt for our personal failings.

Bill dishes out plenty of guilt, and it all boils down to him taking on the bullies on the playground. The Media can be the biggest bully, but not with O'Reilly in charge. He gives everyone a fair shot.

Pick up the book, and see what you've missed in the last year!

This book is simply a transcript of interviews conducted by Mr. O'Reilly with some of the most prominent people in the country. O'Reilly also provides useful background information and commentary to every chapter, albeit the book is a few years old now.

This book is short, easy to understand, and chock full with O'Reilly's personality. I found the book beneficial and I know you can too, whether you agree with the man or not. My only question is this: When, Mr. O'Reilly, is your next book coming out dealing with the issues of the last few years with, as you put it yourself, "the powerful and famous in America"?

This is a TERRIBLE book. It's been a personal object lesson in why you shouldn't allow morbid curiosity to get you to fork out good money. The literary/political equivalent of slowing down on the road to stare at the results of a car crash. Mean spirited, partisan nonsense. And most (not all) of it IS nonsense. Since this book I've seen Ann Coulter on a political panel show (where she talked over and shouted down the host and all the other panelists, including the historian Niall Ferguson who was meant to be there to back up her side of the argument) and tracked down some of her articles and... oh dear.

Seriously folks, if you want to seem like a well-informed, non-clinically insane conservative, go and read Edmund Burke. Or Thomas Hobbes. Or even P. J. O'Rourke or Mark Steyn. Or anything but this. This is shockingly bad, mean spirited nonsense that preaches to the converted and tells a certain sort of person what they want to hear and not much else.

Before people start claiming I'm some sort of left wing plant (though I suppose given that I don't subscribe to the idea that there's some sort of [plan] sweeping the western world I will be considered inherently suspect) I should point out that this sort of thing is not a sin that is exclusive to the right. The left has more than it's share of cranks too. But don't be fooled into thinking that this book is anything other than a right wing version of the sort of [weak information] by the likes of Al Sharpton and Noam Chomsky because it isn't.

Also, for the record while we're on the subject, Bill Clinton - neither the [bad guy] nor the great white liberal hope. Just a profoundly forgettable, superficially attractive (to some - I never understood personally) mediocrity. There, I've said it. Startling revelation isn't it?

The basic premise of SLANDER: LIBERAL LIES ABOUT THE AMERICAN RIGHT is that all the problems the United States of America is experiencing are the fault of us liberals. Of course, I find that rather amusing considering that our economy is doing horribly and it is a conservative Republican who currently occupies the top spot in our government. I also find it amusing that Ms. Coulter accuses the liberals of this country of committing slander, and then turns around and refers to Katie Couric as the "Eva Braun of morning television." To my knowledge, Katie Couric has no verifiable ties to Nazism.

But there I go trying to review a book that really is review proof. SLANDER: LIBERAL LIES ABOUT THE AMERICAN RIGHT is not really a book in the conventional sense. It's a manifesto for the already initiated, unlikely to win many new converts. If you agree with Anne Coulter's premise then you are willing to overlook her poor writing skills. If you find her premise distasteful then you will find the poor writing - and many other things - very disconcerting. Coulter basically wants to draw a line in the sand that says, "All liberals on this side. All conservatives over here." Her argument is completely black-and-white, placing all the blame on the "others." Whether conservative or liberal, most people will agree that an awareness of gradation is often an indicator of objectivity. There is no gradation in Ms. Coulter's work.

By the way, I am not a fan of war. My Amazon username is a reference to my favorite artist.

Sean Hannity has lighted his candle with this book. Many of us have hungered for a book like this for a long time--a reasonable voice that explains our conservatism
in plain language that anyone can understand, and that exposes the fallacies inherent in the liberal political view.

Hannity points out that American liberals are not evil or anti-American, only misled and mistaken in their goals and policies.

His book is endorsed, on the back cover, by such conservative stalwarts as William J. Bennett, Rush Limbaugh, Dr.James C.Dobson and Newt Gingrich. The book
is also endorsed by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who says of it:

"LET FREEDOM RING is a cogent plea for the moral clarity and courage needed to defeat the militant terrorism that imperils our civilization. Hannity minces no
words, and is at once provocative and thought provoking. He should be read by supporters and opponents alike, and those interested in the debate over the future

direction of free societies."

Quite an endorsement, coming from a political head of another sovereign nation. Mr. Netanyahu understands both the common enemy and the stakes involved,
having spent his adult life fighting them.

A few short months ago, before the holocaust of last September, some of the harsh things about liberalism that Hannity says might have seemed like reckless
exaggeration; however, since that date Americans have awakened to the reality that the greatest threat against us, and our greatest enemy is not, as Albert Gore
stated in his book, Earth in the Balance, the "growing concentration of carbon dioxide now circling the earth." Nor is it American families and workers exercising
their freedom by driving their automobiles, trucks and SUVs. Rather, as September 11th, 2001, has shown us, there are more immediate concerns than the fate of
the Spotted Owl.

According to Hannity, protecting our air, land, and water from pollution is certainly important, but protecting our homeland from crazed, rabid, suicidal terrorists who
hate us not for anything we've done but simply for what we are, and who clap their hands and dance with joy at the news that they've killed 3,000 innocent men,
women and children simply because they are Americans, is of more immediate importance.

It is hard to argue with that sentiment.

In this book, Hannity goes to great length to explain the deficiencies and incongruities of the liberal philosophy, and looks at some of the great mistakes made by the
last liberal administration--such as refusing an offer by Sudan to turn over Osama bin Laden in 1996, not once but several
times.

This is a truly important book. For conservatives, it is "preaching to the choir" although it will be informative, and to those of the liberal persuasion it will be anathema,
and if they deign to give it any notice, it will likely be a vindictive rant. But, if there is anyone left with an open mind it should be of interest.

As for me, I am frankly part of the choir.

Joseph Pierre