Beyond the Messy Truth

by Van Jones

[Heather]

I could identify with Van Jones.  He is a liberal who grew up in a conservative area.  He can understand where people on both sides of the political divide are coming from.  He tries to offer insights to both sides in this book.

He points out that many people in this situation end up moving away from rural conservative areas which makes the isolation from people with differing viewpoints get worse and worse.  He talks about the problems of trying to go home and convert your friends and relatives to your point of view.

He also gives real life examples of how he has worked with bipartisan groups on issues like green energy and prison reform.  He specifically talks about working with Newt Gingrich.  He was a fan of how he built a huge conservative movement (but not of his politics).  He had read all of his books when he found himself working with him on CNN.  They have some interesting joint projects. 

I thought that the chapter on Prince was amazing.  Prince attempted to donate to one of his projects anonymously.  He refused the money because he didn't take donations that he couldn't trace.  Eventually Prince introduced himself and they started working together.  He uses examples from Prince's philanthropy to show how people can be creative and make a difference in the world.  As he says, Prince's thinking wasn't "red or blue.  He was Purple." 

It is rare to have a book that discusses all these serious issues be ultimately hopeful but this one manages. This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story