cover image Armey's Axioms: 40 Hard-Earned Truths from Politics, Faith and Life

Armey's Axioms: 40 Hard-Earned Truths from Politics, Faith and Life

Dick Armey. John Wiley & Sons, $22.95 (258pp) ISBN 978-0-471-46913-1

This collection of advice, criticism and opinion by the former majority leader of the House of Representatives sheds light on the various forces at play in the unsparing world of Washington politics. Offering personal anecdotes and theories sure to please conservatives of all ages, Armey entertains issues ranging from the meaning of freedom (""true freedom carries with it responsibility and accountability"") to the essential difference between liberals and conservatives:""Conservatives see an irrefutable connection between ends and means and have a keen understanding of costs and limits...It is far more important to a liberal to have your heart in the right place than to have your head on straight."" Throughout the brief essays that explicate each maxim, Armey draws upon his Christian faith for guidance, and does not shy away from controversial statements. His fellow right-wingers will appreciate such claims as""There Is Nothing so Arrogant as a Self-Righteous Income Redistributor"" (to wit, Congressman Charles Rangel) and""There Is Nothing to be Learned from the Second Kick of a Mule"" (where he interestingly states his aversion to conflict).