Early galley copies of my book “Crunchy Cons” are trickling out, and I’m getting an interesting reaction from the few readers
who’ve seen it so far — a reaction that confirms my hunch that this book,
while not a religious book, primarily will appeal to readers who have a
religious sensibility. A widely syndicated columnist who is a religious
conservative told me it’s going to be an upset-the-applecart kind of book,
because it questions the fundamental basis on which both the GOP and the
Democrats make their separate appeals. Another religious conservative wrote
to say that she’s loving the book and the points it raises about the way we
live our lives, and how we might live differently to be more truthful to our
conservative ideals.
Here’s a fascinating twist: a journalist friend who is a well-known liberal
Catholic asked for a galley copy, which I had sent to him, and phoned me a
few days later to say, “I think you’re on to something very, very
important.” I asked him to explain, and he said he was reading the book, and
kept thinking how relevant a lot of the material and arguments were to his
own life, and the choices he’s made. I started to get nervous — if a
liberal Catholic relates to this, is that going to get me in trouble with my
own tribe? — but he explained that he’s often frustrated by the refusal of
his party, the Democrats, to understand and relate to certain moral truths.
Besides, the moral, spiritual and political challenges posed by the
consumerist ethic affect us all — and that’s what “Crunchy Cons” discusses.
That, I think, is why my liberal Catholic friend found this clearly
conservative book so oddly intriguing to him.
So I’m sitting here this morning helping my publisher compile a list of
media folks and opinion leaders to send galley copies of the book to, and
I’m wondering if we ought to expand the list of usual suspects. This is a
right-wing book that, if early reaction means anything, will not be bought
only by right-wingers — which makes trying to pre-position it difficult. If
readers have any ideas about who needs to see this book early, e-mail me.