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Skipping towards Gomorrah : The seven deadly sins and the pursuit of happiness in America (2002)

by Dan Savage

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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7921327,648 (3.81)13
In Skipping Towards Gomorrah, Dan Savage eviscerates the right-wing conservatives as he commits each of the Seven Deadly Sins himself (or tries to) and finds those everyday Americans who take particular delight in their sinful pursuits.  Among them: Greed:  Gamblers reveal secrets behind outrageous fortune. Lust: "We're swingers!"-you won't believe who's  doing it. Anger: Texans shoot off some rounds and then listen to Dan fire off on his own about guns, gun  control, and the Second Amendment. Combine a unique history of the Seven Deadly Sins, a new interpretation of the biblical stories of Sodom and Gomorrah, and enough Bill Bennett, Robert Bork, Pat Buchanan, Dr. Laura, and Bill O'Reilly bashing to more than make up for their incessant carping, and you've got the most provocative book of the fall.… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 13 (next | show all)
Dan Savage indulges in each of the seven deadly sins as a celebration of America's love affair with personal liberty.

I was excited to read another book by Dan Savage after I came out of an initially-tentative read of The Kid with a rare five-star read, but Skipping Toward Gomorrah fell more like confirmation of my low expectations. It's more ribald, more dated, more political, while also being less human and less enlightening. That doesn't mean a total waste of time (I actually learned a bit about fat admirers, swingers, guns, and escorts, and I giggled a bunch of times). But on the whole, Skipping Toward Gomorrah was about as shallow as I was expecting, and the "we're America, f*** yeah, we're special because everyone believes Americans have a right to do whatever the f*** they want" politics don't quite sit right with me these days.

Recommended for Dan Savage completists only. ( )
  pammab | Nov 14, 2020 |
His sex expert columns are abrasive yet humorous so I was curious to see how a whole book of essays would be. Somewhat less abrasive and I did giggle many times. I was a little taken aback when he expressed his support for the war, but it was written in 2001 and at least he referred to W. as "Ol' Cokehead." Anyway, there's an essay for each of the 7 deadly sins and then some. (April 23, 2005) ( )
  cindywho | May 27, 2019 |
It seems a damning indictment on my psyche that my first recollection of "Skipping towards Gomorroh", some years after reading it, is not Savage's discussions about gun control or gay rights but rather his reference to his hiking stint that left him with such a groin rash he had to pull his meat and two veg out and cup them in his hand as he walked along.

That aside, I found Savage's main argument; that Americans should be all about the pursuit of happiness, so why are all these conservative writers opposed to so many avenues of happiness?, to be quite convincing, although I still have concerns about his support for gun ownership.

All in all, a valuable addition to the American debate over individual rights. ( )
1 vote MiaCulpa | Jun 5, 2014 |
Savage decides to explore the seven deadly sins and take stock of current American morality as being scolded by the right wing virtuecrats
  ritaer | Apr 20, 2014 |
Though I agree with Dan politically, I found myself skipping the political portions of the book. The parts that stood out for me were his conversations with the people and the amazingly "average" portrayal of the people he encountered.
( )
1 vote ErikaWasTaken | Sep 22, 2013 |
Showing 1-5 of 13 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Savage, DanAuthorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Kim, LuciaCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Van S., MarkPhotographersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
—The Declaration of Independence

The best lack all conviction, while the worst/
Are full of passionate intensity.

—W.B. Yeats

No virtuous man has ever painted a picture worth looking at, or written a symphony worth hearing, or a book worth reading.
—H.L. Mencken
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for my brother, Bill ...
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The truly revolutionary promise of our nation's founding document is the freedom to pursue happiness-with-a-capital-H.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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In Skipping Towards Gomorrah, Dan Savage eviscerates the right-wing conservatives as he commits each of the Seven Deadly Sins himself (or tries to) and finds those everyday Americans who take particular delight in their sinful pursuits.  Among them: Greed:  Gamblers reveal secrets behind outrageous fortune. Lust: "We're swingers!"-you won't believe who's  doing it. Anger: Texans shoot off some rounds and then listen to Dan fire off on his own about guns, gun  control, and the Second Amendment. Combine a unique history of the Seven Deadly Sins, a new interpretation of the biblical stories of Sodom and Gomorrah, and enough Bill Bennett, Robert Bork, Pat Buchanan, Dr. Laura, and Bill O'Reilly bashing to more than make up for their incessant carping, and you've got the most provocative book of the fall.

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