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| '''''It Takes a Family''''' is a ] book by then ] ] ]. The title is a |
'''''It Takes a Family''''' is a ] book by then ] ] ]. The title is a rebuke to ] book '']'' by then-] ]. In the book, Santorum states that the family structure is necessary. He claims that ] ] have devastated the ] structure and that prevailing socially liberal attitudes have systematically devalued families across the board. He argues that government should take a proactive role in promoting strong families. | ||
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Revision as of 23:47, 17 August 2007
 The Hardcover Edition | |
| Author | Rick Santorum |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Family Political |
| Genre | Non-Fiction |
| Publisher | Intercollegiate Studies Institute |
| Publication date | July 4, 2005 |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 495 |
| ISBN | ] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
It Takes a Family is a 2005 book by then Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. The title is a rebuke to 1996 book It Takes a Village by then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. In the book, Santorum states that the family structure is necessary. He claims that liberal social policies have devastated the family structure and that prevailing socially liberal attitudes have systematically devalued families across the board. He argues that government should take a proactive role in promoting strong families.
Critical response and reviews
Many sympathetic reviews unsurprisingly came from politically and religiously conservative organizations and leaders, who welcomed the book as refreshing and bold. The book was praised by conservative Christian media leaders James Dobson and Pat Robertson and promoted through their organizations, as well as by the conservative magazine National Review, which printed a series of excerpts from the book. The magazine's book service called the book's ideas "innovative" and "based on sound values — including the centrality of the family to all social and political life." A review by Keith Fournier in Catholic Online likewise praises the book, saying, "The author’s discussion of how to create a family friendly public policy which promotes fidelity and encourages motherhood, fatherhood and intact families is well thought out and practical."
Substantial amounts of reviewers, however, were not as ready to lavish Santorum's new work with praise. Many saw it as disorganized and its ideas as derivative and sometimes contradictory. Claiming that Santorum's social vision was anything but innovative or refreshing, one reviewer for The Philadelphia Enquirer referred to Santorum as "one of the finest minds of the Thirteenth Century". Writing for American Prospect Online, reviewer Mark Schmitt argues that the book fails to present a unified case for how social conservatism is served by laissez-faire economic policies, yet urges readers to commit to both; he also asserts that the author offers several solutions already proposed by his opposition, while criticizing the opposition's failure to provide solutions.
Ruth Conniff, reviewing the book for The Progressive, comments that certain arguments and examples in the book are seemingly at odds. As an example, the reviewer points out that a success story cited by Santorum as an example of a single mother getting off of welfare actually showcases a number of strategies the senator opposes — leaving the children's father, use of public shelters, and use of welfare to support the family while getting an education, rather than leaving school to take a job.
Notes
- http://www.nrbookservice.com/products/bookpage.asp?prod_cd=c6692 National Review Book Service products page
- http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=2398 Review of It Takes a Family,Catholic Online, July 25, 2005
- http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=10054 "It Takes a Democrat" (review of It Takes a Family), American Prospect Online, July 29, 2005
- http://www.progressive.org/mag_conniff1005 "Rick Santorum’s America," The Progressive, October 2005