Outnumbered: Chronicles of a Manhattan Conservative

Trite--a poor representation of the conservative lament.

This is a poorly written book. It takes the form of numerous little stories, all of them told with a cool, sardonic self-assurance, but there is virtually no substance or depth to the conservatism Ms. Bila is supposed to represent, and she is an unremarkable story-teller. Neither style nor wit distinguish her, and one comes away with the realization that, like many other commentators, however charmingly she may be able to come across on television, that simply does not work for her on the written page.

One also wonders, where do folk such as this come from? Other than her self-written bio, which indicates some impressive education (a Master's in Spanish Literature) and a few years teaching and administrative credentials, what is there? Why is she a political commentator all over cable news and talk radio? She has no political credentials, and her insights into politics and the philosophy of conservatism are hollow. All we have is this piece of vanity work, and her endless self-promotion online, on radio, and on television, but there's no serious reason to pay attention to her.

Not that she is in this regard much different than most of the other young talking heads in politics. For the few dollars this costs, one need not feel too horribly ripped off for having bought it, and the time it takes to read the thin work is also no overwhelming loss. For anyone interested in the trials of conservatism, though, or even just a good yarn, this ain't the book.

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