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| What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't: A Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues | 
 enlarge | Author: Jessamyn Conrad
Publisher: Arcade Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $7.49
You Save: $9.46 (56%)
Buy New/Used from $7.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  (6 reviews)
Sales Rank: 26984
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 1
ISBN: 1559708832
Dewey Decimal Number: 320.60973
EAN: 9781559708838
ASIN: 1559708832
Publication Date: August 6, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Book Description
ItOs a very exciting time in American politics. Voter turnout in primaries and caucuses across the nation have shattered old records. More than ever, in this election year people are paying attention to the issues. But in a world of sound bites and deliberate misinformation and a political scene that is literally colored by a partisan divideNblue vs. redNhow does the average educated American find a reliable source thatOs free of political spin?What You Should Know About Politics . . . But DonOt breaks it all down, issue by issue, explaining who stands for what, and whyNwhether itOs the economy, the war in Iraq, health care, oil and renewable energy sources, or climate change. If youOre a Democrat, a Republican, or somewhere in between, itOs the perfect book to brush up on a single topic or read through to get a deeper understanding of the often-mucky world of American politics. Polls have shown that interest in the presidential campaign traditionally peaks 36 weeks before the elections. But this is also a book that transcends the season. ItOs truly for anyone who wants to know more about the issues, which are perennial issues that will continue to affect our everyday lives.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 Everything You Need to Know to More Than Hold Your Own in a Conversation About Politics August 25, 2008
This book will allow a political novice to go toe-to-toe at a dinner party with long-time subscribers to The New York Times and The Economist. It'll also enable readers to parse the most challenging reporting about the 2008 elections and the 111th Congress.
At the same time, I can say from experience that the book will be worthwhile reading for amateur policy wonks. The author mixes exhaustive academic research with the sorts of insights that you can only get from political insiders. Plus, the writing is first-rate. I found that the book was a great way to fill gaps in my knowledge base; I wound up re-reading chapters on topics where I knew relatively little and skipping some chapters where I was already well-informed.
I must say that I'm a little entertained that the only negative review of this book on Amazon complains that the author tends to endorse liberal positions--since I felt frustrated that the author often framed key debates but didn't analyze who had the stronger argument. For example, the author doesn't adopt a view with respect to whether the 2001 Bush tax cuts increased or decreased tax revenues. I suspect the fact that the author is being criticized for making both too many, and too few, judgments means that she's striking a good balance. In any event, the book makes it a lot easier to see through misleading statements by politicians of all stripes.
Great book August 22, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've always wanted someone to write a book like this. There are all the experts and know-it-alls on TV who try to tell us how to think instead of just telling us the facts and letting us decide for ourselves. The newspapers used to do this but not anymore. But it's our patriotic duty to vote and so we have to know what's going on in the world. That's what this book does. It covers all the issues, it tells both sides, it's fair, and it doesn't take long to read. I'm a teacher and a coach, and I'm recommending this book to all my classes and teams and their parents, and everyone at my church. This is the most important book I've seen in a long time.
true to its title, useful for everyone! August 22, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I picked up this book by chance while browsing through a bookstore. After reading the preface, and being struck by the clarity, wit, and thoughtfulness with which the author expressed her ideas, I decided to buy it. I read the book out of order, starting with the issues that interested me most, and was surprised to discover that I'd read all of it in one sitting. The author is true to her word, and gives an unbiased, non-partisan overview of the issues. It is what it promises to be --a guide-- easy to follow, and one that can finally empower voters to make decisions without blindly following the preaching of any political party. This book would make an excellent addition to an American politics/government class syllabus, and I commend Jessamyn Conrad for a job incredibly well done!
A guide worth reading August 21, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
If you are interested in politics, this is the book for you. In fact, it got me `hooked off' the internet, scimming through pundits' views back and forth, and instead presented me with a real basis on which to form my political opinion.
Jessamyn Conrad gives a concise and balanced overview to a vast array of topics in nowadays politics: elections, economy, foreign policy, military, health care, energy, environment, civil liberties, culture wars, socioeconomics, homeland security, education and trade. These are basically all fields of great importance and consequence for society, and certainly areas where decisions now will have a tremendous impact on the future.
I have to disagree with the previous commenter; everyone is entitled to his own opinion, and in my view, this is fine even for authors of nonpartisan books. Overall, this book provides an easy-going introduction into important questions of society and subjects of political discussion and leaves the reader with a well-balanced base of knowledge.
It is written in a witty and humourous style and leaves you enjoying it from front to back. Very informative, yet easy to read.
Anyone who is interested in politics and wants to inform himself well before the election - or about the political debates in general - will enjoy this book. Strongly recommended!
Just what you need to convince your friends you know what you're talking about. August 18, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I picked this book up on impulse, from a table of political books at B. Dalton, and read it from cover to cover, couldn't put it down. After all the shrill, partisan sound-bites that fill the air and make you sick of politics, at last there is a book that tells you what you need to know to make an informed decision.
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