"The Overton Window" by Glenn Beck – Illusions of Freedom in the Human Mind

Those of you who have at least one eye open know that the United States are undergoing a period of changes, many of which seem extreme to large chunks of the population (just look at the recent fiasco surrounding the NSA).

It seems only fitting that The Overton Window by Glenn Beck would be released during such a time, dealing with the topic of making radical ideas feel like common sense in order to bring change to a country.

To avoid dragging the mystery out any longer, The Overton Window tells the story of a young man named Noah who doesn’t have a worry in the world, until he meets a woman by the name of Molly Ross, who apparently knows all she needs to in order to believe that America will become unrecognizable in the near future.

This change comes in the form of a plan which gets set in motion following a devastating terrorist attack on U.S. soil, with the government working to repress those who speak out against it. The change is possible thanks to the "overton window" technique, which consists of turning radical ideas into common sense in the eyes of the masses.

First off, I have to say that from a storyline perspective, this book tends to under-deliver, but not because it’s bad, but because its author is Glenn Beck, and I kind of expected more in that department. Everything is crafted neatly with utmost care, but the originality just isn’t there.

Many turns of events are easily predictable and you can pretty much guess where the ride is going to take you many pages in advance. However, the book is more than redeemed by its more poignant and daring side: the criticism of the moderns state of affairs in America.

I won’t write an essay about it here, but just so you know, Beck doesn’t pull any punches when criticizing Americans, speaking out against everyone from the average Joe all the way to the president himself and anyone who may be pulling the strings behind him.

It looks into how, given enough time, euphemisms and repetition, the human mind can come to banalize radical and even disturbing actions, setting new standards in place. It explores our fear of change and our tendency to disregard obvious facts in favor of personal emotional satisfaction.

All in all, though it may not be an exact prediction of what awaits the U.S. in the future, the concerns raised within are far from being unfounded.

In the end, if you enjoy social criticism and political thrillers revolving around the government, The Overton Window will definitely be up your alley.

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Glenn Lee Beck Personal site Glenn Beck is known as a conservative (as in conservative political views) radio show host with his own program, and though he does express controversial opinions from time to time (it’s his job, after all), he can write some very interesting and eye-opening books, like Agenda 21 and Control for instance.