Vidal/Buckley It Ain't

Wen Stephenson compares and contrasts David Brooks and Thomas Frank for Boston Globe readers and finds that despite sitting on opposite ends of the political spectrum, the two authors have much in common:

As their book titles suggest, these guys Think Big. They ask the Big Questions, and they offer Big Answers. They prefer the sweeping vista and the grand statement to the finely tuned argument. They're bold, they're brash--and yes, they're funny.

But it's the fight card that holds the most interest, juxtaposing extracts from On Paradise Drive and What's the Matter With Kansas? for enlightening effect.