Dreamers and Deceivers, by Glenn Beck

Glen Beck is well know for communicating conservative political ideas on his radio and television shows.  He's less well known as a story teller, yet he's written several novels and stories, as well as nonpolitical non-fiction.  One example is Dreamers and Deceivers: True Stories of the Heroes and Villains Who Made America. 

In Dreamers and Deceivers Beck tells the stories of ten Americans who have, in very different ways, influenced life, politics, and culture in the United States.  His selection of characters seems somewhat scattershot, but each of them is inarguably historically significant.  Beck writes that he chose people who are familiar but perhaps misunderstood, teach lessons with ongoing relevance, and who "represent both sides of our past--the selfless and the selfish; the dreamers and the deceivers."

Beck's subjects cover politics (Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Alger Hiss), technology (Howard Armstrong, Alan Turing), finance (Charles Ponzi), and entertainment and culture (Dezi Arnaz, Upton Sinclair, Walt Disney, and John Lasseter of Pixar).  Some readers may be surprised that Beck's choices of subject and his treatment is decidedly apolitical.  The fact that he may disagree with someone's politics doesn't preclude his admiring that person's accomplishments or acknowledging his or her importance.

That said, I would have appreciated a little more judgment and condemnation of some of these people!  President Cleveland's deceit about his health condition may have been defensible for national security, but it came at the cost of destroying the reputation of an esteemed journalist.  The corporate forces that destroyed the dreams of radio pioneer Howard Armstrong led him to suicide.  Ponzi destroyed the fortunes of most of his gullible investors.  Upton Sinclair's outright deception in his novel Boston perpetuated a false narrative and contributed to the acceptance of socialism in America.  The federal government's protection of Alger Hiss allowed him to remain a hero to many and, again, add to the allure and spread of socialism.  As Beck tells these stories, he remains non-judgmentally aloof at several points where he could have condemned.

On the other hand, while the lifestyle choices of Dezi Arnaz and Alan Turning and the political and social leanings of Walt Disney and Steve Jobs call for examination, Beck objectively tells their stories without moral or political correction.  On this he is consistent.  In the final assessment, I came to appreciate his approach, emphasizing the historical importance and contributions of each of these individuals without getting caught up in peripheral issues.

The stories Beck tells are informative, memorable, and, in some cases, downright inspiring.  I enjoyed reading them, and have already shared some of them with others.  That's the kind of stories Beck tells: they stick with you and inspire you to retell them.