Subjects:  1. Elections    2. Political Process - Elections    3. Political Process - General    4. Political Process - Political Parties    5. Political Science    6. Political parties    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. United States    10. Voting    11. Elections & referenda    12. Political Science / Practical Politics    13. Political ideologies    14. USA   

Reviews (16)

amazing , it kept me reading
i started reading this and i couldn't put it down. it was so interesting and it really opened up my eyes. krist is and amazing musician and this proves he is also an amazing writer. he deserves a lot of credit, for picking up the pieces after kurt died and for still succeeding in everything he does. you all should read this, its an awsome book.

A great gift for music fans and potential punk rock activists
I saw Krist read from this book at a music festival this summer.I was impressed by his passion and commitment but also by his detailed knowledge of the issues surrounding democratic reform.Perhaps he's not the most elegant writer, his prose is engaging and straightforward.It's a fun, quick, and inspiring read.I give copies out to teenage aspiring rockers who populate my town's all-ages shows as a way of teaching them about the history of underground music and also as a way of helping them figure out why it's important to be politically engaged.

Tellin' it like it is..
I think Krist Novoselic is a) A very kind human being b) a very smart human beingc)an excellent musician d) more knowledgable about politics and government thatn I could ever be. This book is a testement to Novoselic's lust to learn about his country and how it works, and coming from a rock and roll party guy to someone who realized there was more to life than that. This book, Of grunge and government, is not aimed at stuck up intellectual snobs, and is not fit for their tongue wagging. This book is aimed at regular people, like myself, who know little about government and politics (for plain ignorance or lack of interest) and make it understandable and interesting, all while giving some new ideas toward improving things. I bought this mainly cause of the grunge aspect, but I found it tobe thought provoking and worthwhile. Conservative jerks might lambast it (as here in this review forum), but Novoselic is no simpleton, ranter, or idealogue. He is what Dr. Phil wishes he was but could never be: the real deal. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. General    3. Government - State & Provincial    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Science    7. Political aspects    8. Political participation    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Rock music    12. Rock musicians    13. United States    14. Biography: film, television & music    15. Political Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Aesthetics    2. Imagination    3. Imagination (Philosophy)    4. Mind & Body    5. Movements - Humanism    6. Philosophy    7. Political Process - Elections    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Cognition & cognitive psychology    11. Cognitive theory    12. Philosophy / Mind & Body    13. Philosophy of mind    14. Philosophy | Mind   

Subjects:  1. Comparative government    2. Democracy    3. Elections    4. General    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Political Process - Elections    7. Political Process - Political Parties    8. Political Science    9. Political parties    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Voting research    13. Political Science / General   

Reviews (5)

How the Republicans lost in 1884
This is an extremely insightful examination of the election that first put Grover Cleveland in the White House.The ways in which Summers analyzes the political process remind me of Holt's masterpiece, "The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party".(That is a much more massive book, as it covers a broader topic over a longer period).The use of political cartoons of the period to support the narrative is probably the best I've seen.The style is engaging, although occasionally I think Summers gets slightly carried away.For example, at least one discussion of the standard myths about the period goes on long enough to be somewhat disruptive.Also, while I don't detect any factual bias, there is a tendency to look at things more a Republican perspective.That is, issues (e.g., the role of the minor parties) are more often discussed in terms of problems facing the GOP and how well they did or did not deal with them. The outcome of the election is reported in language that seems rather wistful that Blaine lost.Again, this is only a matter of relative emphasis - there is excellent material on the complex relations between the Democrats at the national and state levels and the rival Democratic machines in New York City.Despite my minor quibbles, I highly recommend this book to anyone with a general interest in American political history, and it certainly must be read by anyone with a particular interest in this period.

Great book
Anyone interested in politics or American history should love this book.The writing style is crisp and entertaining and the author strikes the right balance between explaining long ago and long forgotten events without drowning the reader in unnecesary details. The 1884 election itself was one of the most interesting of our history with sex scandals, charges of political corruption, party splits, and campaign blunders.The author brings the excitement to life and lets the reader understand not only what happened but why it occured and, even more interesting, what the participants had hoped to accomplish with their political strategies.The book succeeds in describing how late 19th century elections looked and felt to the participants.The human dynamic skillfully set out in this book (the cynical maneuverings, the overheated rhetoric, and the intense partisanship)are very familiar with what we experience in campaigns today-this very familiarity helps make Blaine and Cleveland seem real and not just sterile historical figures. Read this book!

LONG OVERDUE DEPICTION OF A FORGOTTEN PERIOD IN U.S. HISTORY
The last half of the 19th century is a period that the historians generally give short shrift to.They dutifully plow through it in the obligatory chapter in their rush to get from the Civil War to Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, and the Progressive Era.The campaign of Grover Cleveland against James Blaine for the presidency in 1884 is just about forgotten.This is too bad because what with the emphasis on character and values (accompanied by some really gross mudslinging), the extensive changes in technology and business, the factionalism and divided government, it was a period much like ours.Summers does an excellent job of dispelling the prevailing view of this period as a doldrum bookended by Lincoln and TR.In a comprehensive yet not overly long book, he shows that substantive issues like the tariff, the relationship of the national government to the states, morality in politics, substance abuse (ie prohibition), and other pressing matters really were at stake, he explores those issues and the men and women who had to face them.This book is one of the best treatments of the 1884 presidential campaign (or any other campaign for that matter) out there.Find a copy of this book and read about a time that is so much like ours. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1881-1885    2. 1884    3. Election    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. History    6. History: American    7. Political Process - Elections    8. Political Process - Political Parties    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics and government    11. Presidents    12. United States    13. United States - 19th Century    14. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    15. Elections & referenda    16. History / United States / 19th Century    17. USA    18. c 1800 to c 1900    19. presidential; election; 1884; mudslinging; Gilded Age; political managers; grass-roots democracy; politics as usual; the Southern question; Mugwumps; city bosses; tariff; Solid South; ethnic bloc votes   

Reviews (2)

Excellent first book to understand the EU!
For anyone wanting to get a first taste of what the EU is all about, this is a 'must read' book. The contents have been carefully categorised such that the reader is gradually introduced to the various facets of the EU. I must add though that some of the topics do not go deep enough but perhaps the real aim of this book is only to get you on the right track in your journey to find out more about the EU. But nevertheless 'chapeau'.

Very informative, but pretty bland!
I recently read this book for a European Politics Today class, and the teacher warned us ahead of time that it would be "hellish."It wasn't exactly hellish, but it definitely doesn't excite the reader like A Wider Europe by Michael Baun.For a pretty detailed overview of the history and workings of the European Union, this book could not be better, though. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Commission of the European Communities    2. Council of the European Communities    3. European Union    4. Government - Comparative    5. International    6. International Relations - General    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Political Process - Elections    9. Political Science    10. Politics/International Relations    11. EUROPEAN STUDIES    12. Political Science/European Pol   

Editorial Review

This collection of eight essays covering U.S. politics between 1988 and 2000 is a critical look at what author Joan Didion calls "the ways in which the political process did not reflect but increasingly proceeded from a series of fables about American experience." Read more

Reviews (21)

Outstanding
A very centered approach to both parties through the election cycles, Didion has produced another masterpiece.

A collection of mediocre material
This book is largely composed of Joan Didion's deeply researched -- but also deeply flawed -- articles that ran in magazines over the past 20 years. Keep in mind the dates at the beginning of each article, or you'll get lost in some of the obviously missing history, since these articles weren't well edited for current audiences. At last: The real Ronald Reagan exposed!
Fed up for years and years with the fiction that Reagan's and the GOP's fantasts have spun about him, Joan Didion gives us the truth about that airhead. Yes, this book is worth buying just for the chapter on him, in my opinion. I'll never foget watching as his fans named buildings and freeways after him across the country, as if he were a founding father! Thanks, Joan, for breaking the mold! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 2000    2. 20th century    3. Current Affairs    4. Election    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. History    7. Political    8. Political Process - Elections    9. Political culture    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Presidents    13. United States    14. United States - 20th Century (1945 to 2000)    15. Literary Collections / Essays   

Subjects:  1. Conduct of life    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Life skills    4. Political Process - Elections    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Public Policy - General    9. United States    10. Political Science / Elections   

Reviews (27)

A compelling text
I am a registered member of the Democrat Party and must say this is quite an amazing book on the possiblity of the junior senator from New York securing the nominee and win in 2008. The only Democrat First Lady I have ever lived under happens to be Senator Clinton so for her to win the presidency and get our country to give the reigns of power to a woman for a change shall be as compelling as the thought of the most powerful country finally choosing a woman to lead for an effective change. To me, it is high time for a woman to be the President of the United States and for many months now, I have been thinking about this dream coming true for a dedicated Democrat like Senator Clinton. Thanks to Susan Estrich for providing some thoughtful commentary on an issue that raises many questions for the American people and what we all can do to relive the glory that was the Clinton name from 3/20/93 to 3/20/01. This country could learn a thing or two by having a woman create a positive change for the free world and bring about peace, prosperity, promise, and hope to the American people. May America shine again as a beacon for all nations across the world and provide enough social, economic, and psychological welfare for all humans as well as make human rights a duty for everyone and not a problem.

I am neither an American nor a woman, but enjoyed this book
The law scholar and US presidential campaigner, Susan Estrich,is trying her best for making the case for Hillary. I think it very unlikely that the current "Madam Secretary" is running for the next US president against Hillary. If she does, she would certainly be beaten by Hillary. So the Republicans would nominate somebody else such as Rudolph Giuliani and
Estrich's TV persona defined by coarse, scratchy voice is complemented by vapid "book!" "Awwww, Seeeean!" (followed by cackling)

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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Government - Executive Branch    3. Legislators    4. Political    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Presidents' spouses    10. U.S. Practical Politics    11. U.S. Senate    12. United States    13. Women legislators    14. Political Science / Government / Executive Branch   

Reviews (1)

A Breath of Fresh Air
Andrew Sabl has written that most unusual of documents:a book on political theory that will be of real use to those who actually practice politics, including those of us who exercise the supreme office of citizen and voter.Facing squarely the problems set by the existence of real moral disagreements and the real contention of interests, he asks how the holders of what he calls "offices" (which others of a more sociological turn might call "roles") ought to act if the project of democratic self-rule is to be carried through. He argues -- convicingly, at least to me -- that different offices implydifferent sets of moral guidelines: that a good senator and a good community organizer are good in different ways, and that neither one can fulfill his office simply by acting out in public some version (any version) of what private ethics defines as a good person.Read more

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Political Ideologies - Democracy    3. Political Process - Elections    4. Political Process - General    5. Political Science    6. Political ethics    7. Politicians    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics and government    10. Politics, Practical    11. Politics/International Relations    12. United States    13. Political Philosophy    14. Political Science / History & Theory    15. Political Science and International Relations    16. Political leaders & leadership    17. Political structures: democracy   

Reviews (2)

Insight into what was "radical" then
This is a good source for a look at radical protesting in the early part of the 20th century--the early days of picketing the White House, for instance.While it over-emphasizes the role these protests played in the eventual success of the U.S. woman suffrage movement on a national scale, it's important to have this portion of social movement history chronicled so completely.It is valuable to scholars of women's history, social movements, and radical politics/protests.

Jailed for Freedom
This book is wonderful. It made me proud to be a woman and should serve as an inspiration for women to use their vote. I recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History: American    2. Political Process - Elections    3. Politics - Current Events    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Suffrage    6. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights Of Women    7. United States    8. Women    9. Women's Studies - History   

Reviews (19)

Union65
Prof. Jaffa's book restores Lincoln to his rightful place in the struggle for freedom and equality. Lincoln's claim to being the Great Emancipator lies not just with his Emancipation Proclamation, but also with the 13th Amendment, which he insisted on & sheparded through Congress. Those who feel Lincoln was insincere about freedom and equality would do well to read Lawanda Cox's Lincoln and Black Freedom: A Study in Presidential Leadership, Richard Striner's Father Abraham: Lincoln's Relentless Struggle To End Slavery, and Harry Jaffa's Crisis of the House Divided: An Interpretation of the Issues in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, as well as this book. Lincoln felt that politics was the art of the possible. His political artistry included an acute knowledge of public opinion(and prejudices) and a finely-honed sense of timing. Lincoln never retreated from emancipation once it was decided upon, just as he never affirmed black inferiority to be inherent. During his debates with Stephen Douglas he never said that he would never(in future) support equality. Again,a politician seeking an anti-slavery victory in a racist state. He didn't put stock in physical differences. He implored people to "discard" their "quibbling" about supposed inferiority, and unite around the equality of the Declaration of Independence. During his presidency he supported bills abolishing segregation on horse-drawn streetcars in D.C., for equal pay for black troops, for black witnesses in federal courts, for equal penalties for the same crimes, for the Freedmen's Bureau. He supported education for the freedman. He had African-Americans picnic on the White House lawn, bowed publicly to a black gentlemen in Richmond, welcomed(for the first time) an ambassador from Haiti, and met African-American leaders in the White House for discussions. Any colonization was to be voluntary, and was later dropped, blacks and whites having to "live out of their old relation and into the new." He called for the vote for educated blacks and soldiers[a first step]. He was killed after this. Frederick Douglass noted Lincoln's "entire freedom from popular prejudice" against African-Americans. Dr. Jaffa's book is a timely corrective to the misperception that reigns among many that Lincoln didn't really care about freedom.

More Lincoln Fiction
Harry Jaffas latest book on Lincoln is a work of fiction, confusion and silliness. Jaffa's cause is to defend Lincolns thought and actions in prosecuting his war on the South. This is a formidable task since the self-taught Lincoln would have flunked an elementary civics exam of his own day. The notions of state sovereignty, federalism, delegated powers, usurpation of powers etc. escaped him.
A Defense of the USA
This book is a story about the different ideas that people have about living together as `one people.'It begins with the ideas of `the government' of England prior to July 4, 1776 and the ideas of `the US colonists' who created a new nation based on the new ideas found in the Declaration of Independence.And, it discusses the ideas of those US citizens who want to destroy the Declaration and change the ideas of the USA.These US citizens are atheists and evolutionary theorists.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. Political Process - Elections    5. United States - Civil War    6. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    7. History / General    8. History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877)    9. USA   

Subjects:  1. 1945-1989    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Political Ideologies - Democracy    4. Political Process - Elections    5. Political Process - Political Parties    6. Political Science    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics and government    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Presidential candidates    12. Presidents    13. Transition periods    14. United States   

Reviews (29)

Funny but Unnecessary
This book was rush-released in the wake of the 2004 election.I found a copy at my local bookstore so soon after the election that I can only assume the publisher had already compiled the book on the expectation that Bush would take a second term.It's a mix of actual pointers on getting through the second Bush term and a bunch of jokes designed to take some of the sting out of the fact that your candidate lost.
ok,so what
I was actually surprised to see such high ratings for this book. yeah it's comedic and witty but it's a little bit over the top and after reading it about half the way through the comedy gets old and witt seems more like a person overwhelming disdain for Bush. Even though the book is a more than a bit extreme, I can see the book being useful some weeks and even months after the election, after that i find it useless. Personally the author seems like a an overly bitter democrat who's letting out some aggression that exploded after the 2004 election. I myself sympathize with the author and share some sentiments but some of the stereotypes were just too much and over the top to appreciate. I do admit that the jokes and the Bushisms did serve

A funny & insightful book at a serious time for America.
This book turned out to be better than I anticipated. Bush stories, Bushisms, politics in America, things to tell our children ("We survived Nixon; you can survive the Bush years.") For all of us who felt numb when Kerry lost, who cannot believe what Bush is doing to our economy & country, this book offers humor and hope. Worth reading & sharing with others.Buy it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (George Walker),    2. 1946-    3. 2001-    4. Bush, George W    5. Bush, George W.    6. Government - U.S. Government    7. Humor    8. Life skills    9. Political Ideologies - General    10. Political Process - Elections    11. Political Science    12. Politics / Current Events    13. Politics and government    14. Politics/International Relations    15. United States    16. Political Science / Government / National   

Subjects:  1. Business and politics    2. Campaign funds    3. Economic policy    4. Government - National    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Science    7. Political parties    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. Political Science / Government / National    12. Political science & theory   

Editorial Review

A Vice President, by definition, will always receive less scrutiny than the fellow at the top of the ticket. Fortunately for Dick Cheney, that lower profile works out quite nicely since, according to author John Nichols, it affords him greater ease in secretly running the government. Nichols chronicles Cheney's many different incarnations: unsuccessful student flunking out of Yale twice, young political operative, Ford administration chief of staff, Wyoming congressman, Secretary of Defense, Halliburton CEO, and finally Vice President. What all these steps have in common, argues Nichols, is a nearly insatiable hunger for power satisfied by Cheney's knack for insinuating himself, Zelig-like, into important places in order to advance. The most compelling sections of Read more

Reviews (21)

This is proving out to be the exaggeration it is.
Cheney is a powerful VP, a very well respected man in Washington and obviously a sharp individual as his resume shows. Bush and Cheney won 2 elections. The people voted for them, this was not some appointment. But is has become more and more apparent that Bush himself is making most of the top decisions. Every president uses his staff to help with making decisions and policy and Bush is lucky to have someone like Cheney there. The book's author is using his personal bias against Cheney and Bush to skew public perceptions and to cash in on politics for himself.

Good on facts but not motivations
When I read a biography, I expect two main areas to be covered: what the person did, or has done, in their life, and *why*. I want to see the author's insight into their motivations. On that level, this book failed for me.
An unauthorized first biography
George Bush may officially hold the power, but Dick Cheney is the real man in office: that's the message of John Nichols' Dick: The Man Who Is President, an unauthorized first biography of the most powerful VP in American history. From his involvements in Reagan-era scandals to his promotion of the war in Iraq, John Nichols' close inspection of Dick Cheney is damning and eye-opening.
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Subjects:  1. 2001-    2. Biography    3. Cheney, Richard B    4. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    5. General    6. Government - U.S. Government    7. Political Process - Elections    8. Political Science    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics and government    11. Politics/International Relations    12. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    13. U.S. Federal Executive Bodies    14. United States    15. Vice-Presidents    16. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    17. Political leaders & leadership    18. USA   

Editorial Review

With the same drug-addled alacrity and jaundiced wit that made Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas a hilarious hit, Hunter S. Thompson turns his savage eye and gonzo heart to the repellent and seductive race for President.He deconstructs the 1972 campaigns of idealist George McGovern and political hack Richard Nixon, ending up with a political vision that is eerily prophetic.A classic! ... Read more

Reviews (63)

A Raw and Hilarious Account of U.S. Politics
'Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72' is a fantastic journey through a spectacle which grips the U.S. every four years. It is a journey which in the hands of other authors would be thoroughly boring. But Hunter S. Thompson (HST) succeeds in combining great intelligence and insightful commentary with shocking hilarity and the result is a great book.
Hunter hits the road again!
As always, the good doctor is as sharp as a tack.

When the Democrats At Least Tried to Be Democrats
This review was originally used to comment on Hunter Thompson's Songs of the Doomed. Since most of the points I made in my review of that book apply here I will let that review stand here. Obviously each book is formatted differently but whether Thompson was skewering the Nixon era, the Reagan era or the Bush eras the song is the same. And it aint pretty.
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    3. General    4. Personal Memoirs    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Science    7. Politics/International Relations    8. U.S. History - 1970s    9. U.S. Presidential Elections    10. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Campaign funds    4. Finance    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Law and legislation    7. Political Process - Elections    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Reference    11. United States    12. Elections & referenda    13. Financial law    14. Public finance    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Elections    4. Europe - General    5. Germany    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Political Process - Elections    10. Elections & referenda    11. Elections--Germany--History--19th century    12. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    13. History / Europe / General    14. Political Science-Political Process - Elections    15. c 1800 to c 1900    16. c 1900 - c 1914   

Subjects:  1. Political Process - Elections    2. Political Science    3. Politics / Current Events    4. Politics/International Relations    5. Reference    6. ASIA    7. Australasia, Oceania & Other Land Areas    8. Elections & referenda    9. Political Science / Elections    10. Politics | International Studies | International Organizations