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Bill Branyon has issued a call to liberals to become -free-thinkers- rather than doctrinaire politicos and to live with more joy in their lives. The spirit behind Branyon's book is enthusiastic and joyful. He is clearly a man who enjoys laughter, and his sense of humor carries onto the pages of Liberating Liberals. The book's chief asset is it exhortation to liberals embrace this sense of joy and spontaneity. Jeff Minick Smokey Mountain NewsIn Liberating Liberals, Branyon wants to turbocharge the liberal [freethinking] advantage by increasing the range of free thought. Liberals aware of their own stuck points can more easily walk a mile in the other gal's red, white and blue stiletto pumps. It's a timely reminder for a culture bogged down in political trench warfare. Dr. Mike Hopping, psychiatrist and author of McTiernan's Bottle, Meet Me in Paradise, and Ben and the Immaculate ConceptionThis is intriguing. Seems to me that most idealistic points-of-view are self-righteous, antagonistic, and myopic. With them, you're either right or you're wrong. It takes an open mind to see and hear the truths among the lies. And, since the most believable, and therefore dangerous, lies have at least a grain of truth in them, this is a very serious matter. So, it is heartening to hear of someone who is willing to attempt to synthesize a greater truth from opposing sides. James David RedstockBranyon's challenge to the basis and practice of ethics may prove revelatory. When the author exercises his acerbic wit, he's as funny as a army of meercats marauding in a staid coronation. Cecil Bothwell, Asheville City Councilor and author of Whale Falls: an explanation of beliefs and its consequences.The self-imposed task of Bill Branyon's Liberating Liberals is all but impossible.... Illuminate, from every angle, everything mentally achieved so far...... and the shadows that those achievements cast. The only negative for this slim volume is the insistent, ever present presentation of opposites and alternatives for our free-range! intellects. But yes, it is a worthy read, enjoyable and intellectually stimulating -- and -- honestly optimistic! Jane WhiteBill is a delightful speaker, well-read and erudite about history, philosophy, contemporary culture, and other topics - without ever being pompous. His humor leavens the seriousness of his subject matter and offers the audience a door into philosophical realms where deep thought doesn't demand a solemn spirit. A. D. Reed, actor, publisher (Pisgah Press), director, writer, editorPitting Nietzsche against Jesus in terms of meaninglessness and meaning, Branyon artfully clarifies religion/spirituality/philosophy for the liberal freethinker. Contrasting Kurt Vonnegut and Groucho Marx, he gives the reader comic distance on today's most painful problems. And juxtaposing the nonviolent morality of Gandhi with the violent, moral relativity of Machiavelli, he steers liberals towards the most effective political choices. And it's all done with often hilarious, often breathtaking, concrete examples that leave the reader feeling that their freethinking universe has suddenly grown exponentially larger and telescopically more clear. Dav Charlton

Bill Branyon has issued a call to liberals to become free-thinkers rather than doctrinaire politicos and to live with more joy in their lives. The spirit behind Branyon's book is enthusiastic and joyful. He is clearly a man who enjoys laughter, and his sense of humor carries onto the pages of Liberating Liberals. The book's chief asset is it exhortation to liberals embrace this sense of joy and spontaneity. Jeff Minick Smokey Mountain NewsIn Liberating Liberals, Branyon wants to turbocharge the liberal [freethinking] advantage by increasing the range of free thought. Liberals aware of their own stuck points can more easily walk a mile in the other gal's red, white and blue stiletto pumps. It's a timely reminder for a culture bogged down in political trench warfare. Dr. Mike Hopping, psychiatrist and author of McTiernan's Bottle, Meet Me in Paradise, and Ben and the Immaculate ConceptionThis is intriguing. Seems to me that most idealistic points-of-view are self-righteous, antagonistic, and myopic. With them, you're either right or you're wrong. It takes an open mind to see and hear the truths among the lies. And, since the most believable, and therefore dangerous, lies have at least a grain of truth in them, this is a very serious matter. So, it is heartening to hear of someone who is willing to attempt to synthesize a greater truth from opposing sides. James David RedstockBranyon's challenge to the basis and practice of ethics may prove revelatory. When the author exercises his acerbic wit, he's as funny as a army of meercats marauding in a staid coronation. Cecil Bothwell, Asheville City Councilor and author of Whale Falls: an explanation of beliefs and its consequences.The self-imposed task of Bill Branyon's Liberating Liberals is all but impossible.... Illuminate, from every angle, everything mentally achieved so far...... and the shadows that those achievements cast. The only negative for this slim volume is the insistent, ever present presentation of opposites and alternatives for our free-range! intellects. But yes, it is a worthy read, enjoyable and intellectually stimulating -- and -- honestly optimistic! Jane WhiteBill is a delightful speaker, well-read and erudite about history, philosophy, contemporary culture, and other topics - without ever being pompous. His humor leavens the seriousness of his subject matter and offers the audience a door into philosophical realms where deep thought doesn't demand a solemn spirit. A. D. Reed, actor, publisher (Pisgah Press), director, writer, editorPitting Nietzsche against Jesus in terms of meaninglessness and meaning, Branyon artfully clarifies religion/spirituality/philosophy for the liberal freethinker. Contrasting Kurt Vonnegut and Groucho Marx, he gives the reader comic distance on today's most painful problems. And juxtaposing the nonviolent morality of Gandhi with the violent, moral relativity of Machiavelli, he steers liberals towards the most effective political choices. And it's all done with often hilarious, often breathtaking, concrete examples that leave the reader feeling that their freethinking universe has suddenly grown exponentially larger and telescopically more clear. Dav Charlton

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