Charles Krauthammer (1950–2018)

I just can't bring myself to give a compilation of columns, no matter how well chosen and organized, a five star rating, so we will have to settle for four stars, but that being said, the book is excellent.
Of course there are a few caveats:
- My review is totally biased because I love Krauthammer's writing and often agree with his views
- Although he is a former Democrat, he is now clearly conservative, and since I lean that way on almost every non social issue, well my views are especially simpatico.
That being said, I think it is hard to find a columnist who can write as succinctly as Krauthammer while bringing very strong intellectual arguments to bear. If you are not conservative and want to test your belief system against one of the best, read this book. He may not change your mind, but you may find yourself running to Google to bolster your arguments.
The book is divided into four sections: Personal, Political, Historical, and Global. He republishes "best of" columns from the eighties, nineties and recent past. The Political section is the most controversial. The Global section is the most dry, but also by far the most important. I think Krauthammer really has some important things to say about the role of the U.S. in today's world, and the various philosophies that impact our foreign policy. He is extremely thought provoking.
His personal background makes him more interesting. He is a former Democrat who went to Harvard Medical School to study psychiatry. There, he became paralyzed in a diving accident in his first year, but he persisted and became a doctor. He was a gifted writer and ultimately left medicine to write. The guy is an intellectual giant. Even when I don't agree with him, I find it hard to refute his case. Sometimes I change my mind.
I actually would love to read this book as a group read because there would be so much to discuss. All in all, I think this is very worthwhile reading no matter where you are on the political spectrum.… (más)

The late Charles Krauthammer had originally intended this collection of columns and articles to focus on the things that mattered most to him, things other than politics, things like baseball, chess, science, medicine and family. Then he realized that ultimately everything that mattered most to him depended on politics. Consider how the political change that created Nazi Germany affected every aspect of life in Germany, and the rest of Europe as well.

So Krauthammer did include political commentary in “Things That Matter,” although these essays now seem the most dated, at least those that relate specifically to issues that were hot topics during the Clinton years or either of the Bush administrations. Obama discussions seem a bit more topical. The book predates the Trump administration.

When writing about politics in general terms, however, it sounds like it could have first appeared in print yesterday. One example is when he writes, “Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Liberals think conservatives are evil.” Krauthammer wrote this in 2002, but today conservatives are ranting about the stupidity of the open borders and Medicare-for-all advocated by left-wing politicians, while liberals use any excuse to call conservatives Nazis or racists.

Still he is at his best when writing about subjects more dear to his heart — why religion should be taught in the schools (“A healthy country would teach its children evolution — and the Ten Commandments.”), why Winston Churchill was the most important figure in the 20th century, why turning the border collie into a show dog is likely to ruin its most important quality — its intelligence, and so on.

This is good stuff, stuff that will matter to most readers as it mattered to Charles Krauthammer.… (más)

I would never have read this book had it not been gifted to me by my mother. I knew who Charles Krauthammer was (primarily as a pundit on Fox News), and that he was conservative, but that's about it. Clearly the guy was an intellectual giant. While the content of some of the columns in this book didn't mean much to me (because they were written in the mid to late 80s when I was in my teens—I'm 49 now), most of the columns and speech excerpts were quite profound. Rather than spouting talking points, Krauthammer provided insight and deep understanding of issues and topics through his writings.

While a very minor criticism, I do wish the date of publication for each piece in the book was listed after the title rather than at the end of the piece. Most of the essays and columns are of course about "current events" and people. Knowing the context of the pieces up front (without having to flip a few pages to get this information) would have been helpful.… (más)

A handpicked compilation of Krauthammer's columns and essays on 'things that matter' whether baseball and what it means to be a fan, takes on various political administrations from Carter through Obama years, to perspectives on defense spending, foreign policy, current political climate and sociopolitical issues.

Krauthammer is an interesting, thoughtful, well-educated, well-read, and deeply intelligent man. Classically liberal in his younger years, he became more politically conservative as he aged (a perspective shift for which he explains his rationale). He's also got a wry sense of humor which is threaded through many of his essays.

He's not a fan of democratic socialism and sounds the alarm about how it will change the course and trajectory of America from the inside out if we continue in that direction.

Whether you agree with Krauthammer's perspectives on issues or not, it's well worth the read, will hone and sharpen your own perspective, and improve your ability to think critically and independently.

What's fascinating and gave me a sense of relief is how well his observances about politics and political issues in columns written decades prior still hold up well today. Nothing in the devolving sphere of political civility that we're seeing today is new per se...it's just magnified through social media. Several times I read a column or essay that could have been published yesterday, only to find it was published 10-20 years prior.

Reading this book is the closest I can come to knowing and learning from him and was time well spent.

Highly recommended to anyone and everyone who values a well-rounded and reasoned perspective and an ability to think independently.… (más)