The Vision of the Anointed

Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy

By: Thomas Sowell

Narrated by: Jim Seybert

Thomas Sowell's provocative critique of liberalism's failures

The Vision of the Anointed is a devastating critique of the mindset behind the failed social policies of the past thirty years. Thomas Sowell sees what has happened not as a series of isolated mistakes, but as a logical consequence of a vision whose defects have led to disasters in education, crime, family disintegration, and other social pathology. In this book, "politically correct" theory is repeatedly confronted with facts-and sharp contradictions between the two are explained in terms of a whole set of self-congratulatory assumptions held by political and intellectual elites. These elites-the anointed-often consider themselves "thinking people," but much of what they call thinking turns out, on examination, to be rhetorical assertion, followed by evasions of mounting evidence against those assertions.

©1995 Thomas Sowell (P)2022 Tantor

Every paragraph hits a nail right on the head

Having been written in the late 20th century, this book shines a floodlight of insight into understanding contemporary America in 2023. Sowell is brilliant.

Great read.

This book was well written and delivered. I fully recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

as usual Sowell told us so..

book came out 1995. things are worse and even more so if the problems he listed out. the fact this man doesn't just say "toldjaso" in every interview shows his grace.
I recommend Sowell to everyone always. if they want more info, likely Sowell has write about it. read it.

Timeless Wisdom

A thoughtful and thorough explanation of the importance of reality versus perceived truths. This book is an utterly relevant read.

Eye-opening

I realize I was taught a variety of inaccurate “facts” in high school and college so TS’s research is appreciated. It leads the reader to reevaluate policy. Great read!

What would Thomas Sowell say today?

It is scary that this was written 27 years ago. Society has declined by an unimaginable scale. The anointed have become all powerful! They have us believe open drug use in what used to be some of the most beautiful cities is completely acceptable. Cashless bail has attempted murderers back on the streets in hours just to commit more crime hours or days later. Thousands crossing the boarder daily. Teachers teaching kids as early as kindergartner about sexuality, be it strait, gay or now even more commonly transsexual. This book should have acted as a warning to us all back in the late 90’s. Instead at times, it sounds like the Anointed have used it as a guide of how to corrupt the nation more. So sad!!
Amazing book!

Must read

Everyone should read this book, especially if you think the experts are correct. Thomas Sowell is one of the most important minds in the United States.

Must-read for inquisitive progressive people

I have noticed how I was betrayed by my own reason on a few occasions and how the "less thinking" people had a point, though perhaps not so perfectly articulated.

This book shows why that is so and why supposedly rational and probably well meant attempts to correct the world often go dangerously wrong. Think social programs, gender and racial issues etc.

Even if you instinctively disagree upfront, you should still read it and consider the arguments.

At times a bit too long, but otherwise well written.

Best as a sequel to A Conflict of Visions

If you finish the book by Thomas Sowell entitled ‘a conflict of visions’ wondering what the author himself thought (as he declined to tell you), this book captures it. If you’ve not read this former book, highly recommended that you start with it because it will give necessary background for really distinguishing the two visions Sowell is contrasting in this book. As always a tremendous service to the world in putting this book out.

The Most Excoriating Polemic of the Left Ever

I cannot recommend this book enough, as it totally dismantles leftist ideology. Sowell is brazen in his approach and totally unapologetic in his criticisms of the myopia of ideologues, and uses facts and statistics to devastate their position. If you are a "not left" of any ilk, this is the book for you. If you are a leftist, and want to read the best thing the opposition has to offer; this is also the book for you.

The narrator is solid. No complaints here.