I started reading this book simply because I had it in my university library and the title seemed interesting. Although it did not match how I thought it would turn out, I learned something new. 

So, the book argues that metaphors (how one perceives something) shape the way people think about politics. It talks about the idea of the country as a family and how this idea shapes all political views. The ideal family for liberals and conservatives is different. Liberals think "nurturing parents" are the best, while conservatives think "strict fathers" are. 

The "strict father" morality represents the traditional nuclear family, in which the father provides for and protects the family. He teaches the children strict rules. Their children need to learn how to take care of themselves, be independent, and treat adults with respect. People will only help other people get what they want or avoid what they don't want if it helps them get what they want or avoid what they don't want. 

A "nurturing parent" is someone who cares about their child, is fair, and makes things easy for the child. This paradigm is based on feeling cared for and being cared for, having your needs for loving relationships met, living as happily as possible, and finding meaning in caring for and being cared for. Children do what they are told not because they are afraid of getting into trouble, but because they love and respect their parents and other people. Good communication is important because kids will only respect their parents if they understand why the choices, they make are safe and healthy. 

Both liberalism and conservatism have moral and political worldviews that are broad enough to allow for a lot of different variations. The metaphors used by each moral system affect how they run politics; especially the government. Most people get their ideas about politics from what they were taught at home (or from their environment). These rules fix what to do and what not to do. These ideas are important for things like equal rights, abortion, education, and making sure the country is safe. So, the book gives a good insight on how political views are formed and how it affects a person's level of independency. It draws a distinction between liberalism and conservatism, which was interesting to me.

A good political read. Won't give this a rating.