FUNNY. FRIGHTENING. TRUE. It happens to all of us: You're minding your own business, when some idiot informs you that guns are evil, the Prius will save the planet, or the rich have to finally start paying their fair share of taxes. Just go away! you think to yourself -- but they only become more obnoxious. Your heart rate quickens. You start to sweat. You can't get away. Your only hope is... ...this book. Glenn Beck, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers An Inconvenient Book and Glenn Beck's Common Sense , has stumbled upon the secret formula to winning arguments against people with big mouths but small minds: knowing the facts. And this book is full of them. The next time your Idiot Friends tell you how gun control prevents gun violence, you'll tell them all about England's handgun ban (see page 53). When they tell you that we should copy the UK's health-care system, you'll recount the horrifying facts you read on page 244. And the next time an idiot tells you that vegetable prices will skyrocket without illegal workers, you'll stop saying "no, they won't" and you'll start saying, "actually, eliminating all illegal labor will cause us to spend just $8 a year more on produce." (See page 139.) Idiots can't be identified through voting records, they can be found only by looking for people who hide behind stereotypes, embrace partisanship, and believe that bumper sticker slogans are a substitute for common sense. If you know someone who fits the bill, then Arguing with Idiots will help you silence them once and for all with the ultimate weapon: the truth.

Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American radio and television host, author, conservative political commentator, and entrepreneur. He is the host of The Glenn Beck Program, a nationally-syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Beck is also the host of a self-titled cable-news show on Fox News Channel. As an author, Beck has gained success with five #1 New York Times-bestselling books. He has become a well-known public figure, whose provocative views have afforded him media recognition and popularity, along with controversy and criticism.

Beck is also the founder and CEO of Mercury Radio Arts, a multi-media production company through which he produces content for radio, television, publishing, the stage, and the Internet.

Political views

Beck says of his political views, "I consider myself a libertarian. I'm a conservative, but every day that goes by I'm fighting for individual rights." Among his core values Beck lists personal responsibility, private charity, the right to life, freedom of religion, low debt, limited government, and family as the cornerstone of society.

Beck supports individual gun ownership rights and is against gun control legislation. He has suggested that President Barack Obama's proposed health care reform overhaul is a means by which Obama can effect reparations for slavery . Beck believes that there is a lack of evidence that human activity is the main cause of global warming, views the American Clean Energy and Security Act as a form of wealth redistribution, and has promoted a petition rejecting the Kyoto Protocol.

9-12 Project

Beck put together a campaign, the 9-12 Project, that is named for nine principles and twelve values which he says embody the spirit of the American people on the day after the September 11 attacks. Beck has supported the tea party protests from their inception and held a broadcast from one of the April 2009 rallies in San Antonio.

In September 2009, the conservative political activism group FreedomWorks organized the Taxpayer March on Washington, to rally against President Obama's policies. The event was inspired by Beck's 9/12 project.