Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: The Pendulum has Swung too far

Subtitle:

Author: Karl Wiggins

Genre: Social Sciences

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57890759-the-pendulum-has-swung-too-far

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

This type of book is not my usual read. Conspiration theories? Possibly. Opinionated? Certainly. But, if I extrapolate from this book, this means I’m also opinionated, and I probably am. Although I agreed on certain things the author mentioned, I’m afraid I didn’t on the majority.

What I liked about the book:

The author is a good and engaging writer. He is very outspoken.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I didn’t much care for what I considered conspiracy theories and unbalanced views. But, I guess, that also makes me opinionated.

My favourite bits in the book:

The book was engaging in places.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The repetition of, in my opinion, conspiracy theories and the author’s view on the world.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I understand he has written many more.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a social science study.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book to the following readers:

Children No

Young Adult Maybe

Adult Yes

If you like controversial statements, conspiracy theories, and outspokenness, this book may be the book for you.

Book Description by Author:

2020 was a nasty year, a muddy, polluted, oily, smoky and rank year. A ratbag of a year. A year of easy virtue, if ever there was such a thing. A number of people, mainly politicians, large pharmaceutical companies and the exceedingly wealthy have shown their true colours, leaving us with the inescapable conclusion that we’re being lied to all the time. Are we on the brink of a new kind of totalitarianism, as predicted by Aldous Huxley and George Orwell? Has the pendulum really swung too far?

We don’t live in a military state, disciplined by violence, so they have to deceive us and offer the misconception of independence, and they have to find other ways of controlling us. Masks, for instance …. although of course it was never about the masks.

The more they can strengthen the general public’s fear s, the easier it is to control us. In a dictatorship, you just take orders without bothering to vote, but in a democracy, you vote first and take orders second. And that’s the only difference. If they can control what we think then they can prevent us - the uneducated and illiterate masses - from meddling in their affairs. They see running the country as none of our business. They want us to be bystanders, and certainly not participants

We’re living in a totalitarian state, but don’t realise it. Boris Johnson tells us when we are allowed to be outside, where we are allowed to go, when we’re allowed to work, if we’re permitted to go on holiday or not, what parts of the country we can visit, and how many of us can sit in a pub.

I’ve always been ready to stand up and be counted because I know that if I allow my emotions to be stilled, then a kind of blue funk settles in, and I can’t allow that.

In this book, I’m sure to rattle a few cages. And in case the wrong person picks up this book I’ll even help you write the review, ‘Typical right-wing bull ….’ There you go, that’s all you need to write. Except, of course, I don’t think of myself as right-wing at all (well, I’m not), but I’ve been called a fascist by fascists, and a racist by racists, so I don’t mind you calling me right-wing, even though the right-wing are nearly always wrong. Hey, call me a Conspiracy Theorist, if you like, but first of all make sure you understand what exactly that means. Call me that, and I’ll be quite complimented.

Freethinkers, you see, are those who have evolved beyond other people’s comfort zones.

But my intention isn’t to be quarrelsome, it’s just to offer the reader enough moments to ponder over. I make every effort to stay away from Conspiracy Theories, not because I don’t believe in them, but more because I find it a rather dismissive term, allowing others to reject the freethinker’s point of view out of hand.

People are getting angry – about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, immigration, pensions, and most of all Lockdown - and in this book I analyse these views and justify them in the words of the bloke who goes to football on a Saturday afternoon, enjoys a few pints with his mates before the game and puts the world to right.

I’ve no doubt there will be people who disagree with my reflections, and that’s okay. We’re not all supposed to agree. But there are issues right now that need addressing. I haven’t watered down my writing at all, or bent over backwards to suit the do-gooders, I promise you that.

In the book I’ve made every effort to finish on a positive note, and that may surprise some, but although the pendulum has now swung too far, a pendulum will always return to its equilibrium. And I see big changes ahead for humanity as long as we don’t buy into the fear.

‘His style is very readable. He talks to you with all the confidence of a man in touch with his own reality, in a voice which is seasoned with the hint of a world weariness that is so telling of a writer who has written what he knows and written it with disarming fearlessness.’

About the Author:

Karl Wiggins – Author, humourist, raconteur and (unfortunately) master of dysphemism

I'm an author with seven books on Amazon Kindle, and I'll state right from the start that I have a particular aversion to fellow authors who befriend you and then immediately message you saying, "You might like my book ..... check it out."

I don't do that. If people wish to know more about my books the information is here to read, but I won't invade your personal space (not to mention precious time) with pleas to check out my own books

My goal, my life’s ambition if you like, is to give direction to comedy, purpose to satire. And this is probably why I write the way I do, in order to use self-deprecating, piss-taking humour to bring to the fore situations that just don’t stack up. To demonstrate that serious issues can be approached with humour.

Embarrassingly, a number of the reviews for my books seem to involve people losing control of their bladder; “Anyone who is a bit saucy, very fond of boobies and doesn't mind peeing slightly when they laugh too hard, this is the book for you!” “Best not to read this book on the train if you have a full bladder because by the end of your journey you will have a damp patch in an embarrassing place.” “I have to admit that I wet myself twice while reading it but this may in part have been due to my age and a couple of bottles of a fine St. Emilion,” “Due to the laughter you owe my secretary one clean pair of knickers.”

Two reviewers have even suggested I should tour as a stand-up comedian; “I found myself laughing out-loud and even sharing segments with my spouse ….. I think Karl could tour as a stand-up comedian,” “Mr Wiggins has views on life that are expressed in a manner worthy of any stand-up comedian.”

So my scribblings do seem to raise a smile and a chuckle, and either way you look at it, that has to be a good thing. Hardly any subject is taboo to the Englishman when he’s laughing, and this often seems insensitive to other cultures, but the bedrock of the British sense of humour is a strong sense of sarcasm and self-deprecation. The British can be very passionate – and if you doubt that try going to a football match - but that passion is hidden deep in our humour so that other nationals often fail to recognise the deadpan delivery and are never quite sure if they’ve been involved in a serious conversation or just a little bit of friendly banter.

Having said that my style of writing is now appealing more and more to the American market, and I write a regular column for a newsletter in Copiague, Long Island, New York. I’m really enjoying connecting with the people over there.

Interestingly enough, my writing style has been compared to two people, both now dead, Charles Bukowski and Socrates. Their names keep popping up in reviews; “Mr Bukowski, meet Socrates. This is an exceptionally amusing collection of observations of daily life,” “The prose style reminded me quite a lot of Charles Bukowski’s short essays and observations,” “It reminded me a lot of Bukowski’s novels, but particularly Factotum and Post Office,” “Had me laughing out loud several times, which doesn’t happen often to me. It reminded me a lot of Bukowski’s novels,” (I swear those are two completely separate reviewers), “Karl Wiggins is like a contemporary Socrates.”

I’m sure both Socrates and Charles Bukowski would turn in their graves. But then again, maybe not.

My books;

'You Really are full of Shit, Aren't You?' is my latest and possible my favourite. It's an agony uncle / advice columnist style book, but unlike most agony aunts I cut them no slack.

I'll be the first to admit that 'Dogshit Saved my Life' and 'Calico Jack in your Garden' are not to everyone's taste, but the reviews are good, so I seem to be hitting the right note.

'Shit my History Teacher DID NOT tell me' kind of speaks for itself I guess, as does 'Grit - The Banter & Brutality of the Late-Night Cab Driver.' I drove cab in b