The Lone Sailboat
Navigating in Political Waters
The political science tract The Lone Sailboat critiques contemporary America with vigor.
In his political science book The Lone Sailboat, Edward Korczynski explains his opinions on the issues affecting modern America.
As Korczynski sees it, America has weathered many changes in recent years, and not all of them for the better. The movement toward secularism and away from Christian religious values has, in his view, increased divisions and reduced the quality of life for everyone. He shares his thoughts on these changes, as well as on possible solutions that could move the country in a more traditional, prosperous direction. The book covers a wide range of topics, including religion, education, politics, and health care. Other segments are simple celebrations of the joys and benefits of art and science.
The book is straightforward about identifying America’s most pressing problems and the best solutions for each, as well as the nation’s greatest assets. Still, this is an opinion-based text that uses beliefs, religious doctrine, and personal experiences to make its arguments, leaving out citations for outside sources, empirical evidence, and specific examples. The accuracy and veracity of its claims may come into question as a result.
Further, some portions of the book rely on inaccurate and unsupported assumptions, oversimplifications, false dichotomies, and contradictions. Others make patronizing excuses for homophobic, transphobic, and xenophobic claims. Important terms, including “evil,” “functional families,” and “a just war,” are undefined, though they are crucial to the explication and justification of the book’s arguments.
Good advice and principles arise, as with an assertion that people in positions of power are not necessarily reliable or trustworthy, and that it is the duty of every citizen to be as educated as possible about issues that affect them and the country as a whole. Such wisdom does not always complement the book’s suggestions, though, as with its notion that America should intervene in Latin American countries run by corrupt governments to stem the flow of immigration—a proposal that ignores the previous roles of American intervention in putting such governments into power.
Still, the book is concise and generally clear. Though those who do not share Korczynski’s views will be put off by the lack of sources, those who agree will appreciate the reigning strength of conviction. Nonetheless, the book’s claims that it does not pass judgment on others are contradicted by harsh language against those who disagree, who are decried as “incompetent” or “arrested in adolescence.”
The political science tract The Lone Sailboat critiques contemporary America from a conservative Christian perspective.
Reviewed by
Eileen Gonzalez
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
