****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
"GOD, GUNS, GRITS, AND GRAVY" is a book that is both serious and lighthearted---it's as much about pop culture, country life, and food as it is about politics. Mike Huckabee has a very distinct writing style that is simplistic and full of humor, and that made this a very enjoyable book to read. Mr. Huckabee describes the real contrasts in values, behaviors, and political beliefs between the people of Bubble-ville (the "cultural centers" of America like NYC and LA) and the people of Bubba-ville (the rural heartland of America). For him, Bubba-ville is the land of God, guns, grits, and gravy. Many also call it "flyover country" because the ivory-tower elites of Bubble-ville simply fly over it on their planes; they wouldn't dare to actually drive through and make some stops along the way.Through discussions of Chick-fil-A and Duck Dynasty, Jay-Z and the Kardashians, Mr. Huckabee gives his takes on some of the cultural issues of today. Some of the Bubble-ville hotspots like LA have contributed to the collapse of our culture into an effective moral vacuum through music, television, and movies. In contrast, the people of Bubba-ville prefer music, movies, and television that promote traditional, faith-based moral values. Whereas the people of Bubble-ville place their faith in secular government, the people of Bubba-ville place their faith in family and community. The people of Bubba-ville are seen as uneducated, uncultured rednecks by the people of Bubble-ville, and part of the reason why Mr. Huckabee wrote this book was to set the record straight on what life is really like outside of the bubble.The serious portions of this book focus on politics and government policy, again drawing on Mr. Huckabee's life experience in Bubba-ville to make solid points. Our government could do with a bit more common sense, and we could sure help ourselves tremendously by getting back to the principles which our country was founded upon and which made it great. In order to do that, Mr. Huckabee proposes implementing term limits for both the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government, and he makes a passionate case for returning power to the states via the all-but-forgotten about 10th Amendment.I really enjoyed this book. It was a very fun and easy read, and having come from a rural part of New Jersey that could be described as Bubba-ville, I thought it was a great defense of our way of life. I encourage everyone to read this book, but especially people from Bubble-ville. But be careful, because quite a bit of it might go straight over your heads!
