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Title: I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations
Authors: Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers
Genre: Politics, Self-Help, Spirituality
Audience: Adult
My Review:
I’ve been a fairly loyal listener of the Pantsuit Politics podcast for a couple of years now. I like the perspectives Beth and Sarah bring to the conversations they have, whether they’re about current events or pop culture. After the most recent election, I felt that their first book would be a timely read.
First of all, it was more religious than I expected it to be. Both podcasters speak of their faith occasionally on their show but that in no way prepared me for the many, many scriptural references in the book. They’re applied appropriately in my opinion but the fact that they were included at all took me by surprise.
The parts that I enjoyed the most were their discussions of contentious issues, their research into those issues, and how they either changed or deepened their views. There are some exercises to help the reader along the journey to civil political conversations and they begin with self-examination. How much do you really know about an issue you feel passionate about and how much are you just parroting the talking heads and politicians? Can you put aside the “team jersey” of your chosen political party and critically evaluate the issue on your own? These kinds of tips seem helpful, even if they just improve our understanding of big issues.
But the next section was about politely engaging with and listening to others and that part lost me. I try to avoid discussing politics unless I know I’m with like-minded people. Sarah and Beth argue that my stance is part of the problem with politics today; so many of us refuse to discuss things at all that few of us know how to have a civil conversation about the issues anymore. That does feel like a valid point to me. Maybe I’m being a pessimist but it feels like that ship has sailed. We as a society seem to be mirroring our leaders who think that the best way to make a point is to the be loudest person in the room. I personally know people with political views that do not align with mine who take this approach. As a soft-spoken, conflict-avoiding introvert, that kind of situation is my worst nightmare. This could be a good primer for the right person but I am not that person and nothing in the book convinced me to be otherwise.
So there are parts that worked and parts that didn’t work for me. If you’re more outgoing than I am and willing to engage with others, it might be more useful for you.
Synopsis from GoodReads:
More than ever, politics seems driven by conflict and anger. People sitting together in pews every Sunday have started to feel like strangers, loved ones at the dinner table like enemies. Toxic political dialogue, hate-filled rants on social media, and agenda-driven news stories have become the new norm. It’s exhausting, and it’s too much.
In I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening), two working moms from opposite ends of the political spectrum contend that there is a better way. They believe that we can choose to respect the dignity of every person, choose to recognize that issues are nuanced and can’t be reduced to political talking points, choose to listen in order to understand, choose gentleness and patience.
Sarah from the left and Beth from the right invite those looking for something better than the status quo to pull up a chair and listen to the principles, insights, and practical tools they have learned hosting their fast-growing podcast Pantsuit Politics. As impossible as it might seem, people from opposing political perspectives truly can have calm, grace-filled conversations with one another—by putting relationship before policy and understanding before argument.
Similar Books:
If you liked I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations, you might also like my reviews of
- Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams
- Can We Talk About Israel?: A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted by Daniel Sokatch, illustrated by Christopher Noxon
- True or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News by Cindy L. Otis
Purchase:
Buy I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations from Malaprop’s Bookstore in beautiful Asheville, NC or
