If you're Canadian, you really need to read this book. If you're American, you really need to read this book. James J. Blanchard has seen our Canadianisms and helped us to do the unthinkable, define ourselves. From coast to coast and beyond, the essence of what we are leaks out on these pages. It is fitting that an American should expose our mysteries and histories. Not that we are hidding them, we just seem to have a hard time accepting them. We remain the True North, Strong and Free. Thankyou James Blanchard.

...read this book. It is a decent primer for US residents who want to learn more about our oft-neglected neighbor. Warning: Mr. Blanchard is quite liberal, and liberal policies (US & Canadian) are treated matter-of-factly. His conservative successor as governor of Michigan (John Engler) has, in most people's opinions, done a better job. Interested conservatives will still enjoy the book--just keep a few grains of salt handy.

Canadians might get a kick out of a quintessential "American discovers Canada actually exists and is also pretty neato" story.

As the previous reviewers have said, Blanchard has written a key book for understanding US-Canadian relations. But this is also the most insightful book I have found about Clinton and the Clinton Administration in the areas in which Clinton was most successful, personal relations and trade policy.

I like the theme of this book, but the author relies on too many cliches to excite the readers interest. The story is basically evil and greedy politicians conspire with the liberal anti-gun media elite to do away with the constitution and bill of rights. Add into the mix the Fidelistas (Mexican invading army) and the Patriots (a group of, well, patriotic Americans wanting to fight the evil government and bring back America's greatness) And you have all the elements fo a great story. But, this particular story doesn't go anywhere, and the book ends without any resolution. I suppose that is left up to the imagination of the reader. Maybe the author intends to write a sequel? If so, I would buy it.

A book with a similar theme, but that is carried out with a lot more convincing detail is "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross. I highly recommend Unintended Consequences.

If you like Westerns, you'll like the action in this novel. If your politics are right of center, you'll enjoy the political intrigue. Even if your politics are left of center, you'll enjoy this portrayal of the US in the near future, when three political factions are fighting for control of all or part of the country and some good people have to make some hard choices about which side they're on.

When "Patriot Radio is on the air" my friends and I listen. We are still trying to stake out our own political philosophies and D. Michael Phillips does a great job in assisting us. I would recommend this book to any college- aged student wanting to strengthen their grasp on the American political economy.

I read this book while reading Clinton on Clinton at the same time, and found this one to be much more negative. The pyschology of Clinton is interesting, but at time it get a little to in-depth for somebody wanting to know about politics and not childhood lessons that were learned. It talks about Clinton's mother, which is interesting to hear. If you want an overview of Clinton, don't read the book, if you feel like you need to know evrything, read it.

I had never head of this book before I spotted it on the shelf of my local bookstore. But after reading it, I was surprised that it hadn't received more attention and praise. As far as the Clinton books go, this is the few non-partisan works you will find. Further, it is packed with information and original analysis. David Maraniss's biography is still the best on this subject but Mr. Renshon's book is close behind. He complements Maraniss by offering psychological insights and then applying these to Clinton's first term in office. The result is a clever book that will leave the reader more informed and enlightened about this enigmatic president.

I bought this book because I heard a talk by the author on C-Span summarizing the book, and I had been puzzled by Bill Clinton's behavior. This book gets to the root of his behavior and why he does what he does, and why he does it the way he does. Part of the book is devoted to the real history of Clinton's young life, and part to the analysis of recorded behaviours in his political life. The combination truly clarifies what is going on. Stanley Renshon is Professor of Political Science at CUNY with a specialty in Psychology of Political Behavior, and does a fine job in this book.

It is a refreshing start to a book when the author admits up front that he is and was a strong supporter of President Clinton. Unlike many of the books that have come out regarding Clinton, either positive or negative, they all profess to be unbiased and fair, but usually by about 25 pages in you know the track the author is following. With this book the author admits up front his position so there is never any question as to the slant he was using. You could read the book and know that the positive side of the situation was being documented, not a sly attempt to malign the President.

As you know from reading the book synopsis, the author was the head speechwriter for Clinton and was with him for almost his entire Presidency. Unfortunately for me that fact seemed to mean that he was not really involved in any policy decision (I assumed that fact going into the book), but also that he did not share any gossip or good insight in how many decisions were made. I do not think there was anything detailed in the book that was not already spelled out in other books or in the papers. The laborious speech writing process Clinton used was interesting and the lack of organization of the early administration was expressed well.

Overall I found the book to be just average, nothing really new. I felt that best parts of the book dealt with the start of Monica issue and the impeachment process and how the speechwriting team just kept plugging away. If you are looking for a light book from a Clinton fan then this book will make you happy. I would suggest that the following books are better: Locked in the Cabinet (by Reich), All Too Human (by Stephenopolis) and Shadow (by Woodward). All of them give far more detail and I thought they were actually better written.

This book gives a fine example of what it's like to work for the most powerful, or one of the most powerful, person[s] in the world. Not unlike the NBC show "The West Wing", the battles over language; the frustration over when things go wrong and the joy at when they go right, this book by Michael Waldman sparkles with wit and humor. It also goes a long way to explaining the tough task of working for a President like Bill Clinton. If you're a "West Wing" fan, as I am, and want to get a clue into working inside the White House, read this book.

Whether you admired the 42nd President or not, many agree he had fabulous oratorical skills. A person who is partly responsible for that was Michael Waldman, his chief speechwriter and author of POTUS Speaks. Even though he admits having a bias for Clinton, it is clearly non-evident in this book, in comparison to grossly negative statements or outlandish praises about a complex President. If you've ever wanted to know what a Clinton speechfest was really like, this book is for you. It takes you into the last minute motorcade edits and to gaffes by the White House staff (which Clinton masterfully covered up with his brilliant skills). An example is the big NAFTA speech, in which the President doesn't have the correct speech, and instead the "sloppy copy" with edits and cross outs all over the place. And, no one knows the difference.
A must read for anyone interested in the White House.

The intoxicating power of politics gives meaning to a young man's world. The book presents an interesting insight into Clinton's thirst for political and personal acceptance

NOT your standard political biography. Excellent example of the craft of biography, regardless of the subject. This reads reads like fiction and author David Maraniss clearly deserved his Pulitzer for his balanced reporting on the Clinton '92 campaign. The 400+ page book ends with Clinton's announcement for president. This goes a long way to explain why Clinton is the way he is. Love or hate him you can't be indifferent. A must read before the electiion

I just finished this book and enjoyed it immensely. Drew provides a fly-on-the-wall account of the early Clinton years with breathtaking depth. With the benefit of a few years' hindsight, her analysis and perceptions at the time were spot-on. Highly recommended for political junkies and people interested in the inner workings of the White House.

I consulted this book for background on how the administration handled the Bosnian war and got swept into it. Drew is an outstanding writer, and her style is reminiscent of Bob Woodward's.

This presents a full account of Clinton and his aides, their battles, their personalities, etc. Clinton definitely had a rough going early on...it's hard to believe he stayed so popular all along.

Anyway, if you like Woodward's stuff (All the President's Men, Commanders, the Brethren, etc.), you'll find this very interesting. I am sure we will see more good things from Drew again.

Elizabeth Drew has brought years of experience and contact work to the effort to cast light behind one of the most conflict-ridden periods in recent American politics. Parting the curtains of public affairs rhetoric and the pap spoon-fed to the nightly news shows, she shows the reader both the hard policy considerations and the fragile egos at play in the 1994-1995 battles between Bill Clinton's White House and Newt Gingrich's House of Representatives. Two caveats: 1) for political junkies only; if you don't eat, breathe and sleep political intrigue, you ain't gonna care; 2) the editor could have done a little better job of smoothing Drew's dry journalistic style into a somewhat more flowing and readable narrative.

Ok, I admit it; I am a political junky and a bit of a liberal. I will tend to read anything political and probably enjoy it. With that being said here is another book of his that I will profess to really enjoying. This author has been writing these type of book sense the early 70's and you can tell she has it down cold. She has so many contacts that many times in reading the book you could swear she has the Congress and White House bugged. This book follows the Ginrich contract with American process and how it effects the Clinton team through the second two years that they are in office. You get all the standard Drew items with the book, great details, wonderful he said - she said conversations that really make you feel like a fly on the wall, an easy to follow and well laid out book.

I have read the book "The Agenda" and "The Choice" by Woodward and this book is a nice book in the middle of the two. If you through in "All Too Human" that George Stephanopoulos wrote and you have an excellent view of the first four years of the Clinton Presidency. This is an interesting book that I really enjoyed. If you like political books then you will like this book, if you are interested in the second two years of the Clinton presidency then this is also a good source of information.

America's funniest political pundit dissects America's funniest president (whom Sobran rightly likens to Falstaff): so how can you possibly go wrong with this collection of spirited and fierce essays? The author's combination of moral passion with complete freedom from unctuousness remains as impressive as ever.

This is a great selection, full of Sobran's characteristic wit and insight.

Over the last 8 years America was under the charm of the Bill Clinton. Books, magazines, newspapers, television and radio relayed countless stories about the scandals and corruption within the White House day after day and nobody cared - or so I thought.

With this book you have an author who takes an objective and biased looked into what made and what makes up the legacy of Bill Clinton and his presidency. Written with a great detail to the facts, Sobran presents story upon story about what happens when you cross Bill and when Bill determines to disregard his advisors.

Read stories about the sex scandal, dealing with the Republican majority, foreign affairs, trashing those who disagree with Bill and Hillary. Also the is stories about people like Monica, Paula Jones, David Brock, Linda Tripp and others.

Overall the author makes very short work of those liberal myths about what Bill Clinton stood for and what his presidency was all about. Well documented and well argued this book is a real eye opener. The book does require and open mind in order to understand the gravity of each story, but the time spent reading is well worth it.

Well, the books on Hillary are coming too fast and furious to read all of them. Yet, better to learn more than less. What I cannot understand is why people just do not leave her alone and let the people decide when she runs for election. Speaking of elections, Hillary should switch from running for the Senate of New York to running for The Presidency of the United States. Why? Because she has a great opportunity to win based on her their power of incumbency. No can manipulate people, votes and power better than these two political gurus. If she loses the Senate race and when he leaves the seat of power, like what is in the book, the choice for Americans will be to not recall the past. She is viable, willing and able to win the Presidency now not in 2004. The book discloses such insight between the lines. She has the right to put forth her agenda and have it accepted or rejected by the voters. Read it, it will not provide you with the greatest of stories but it is interesting.

This is a very well written biography of Hillary Rodham Clinton's life from childhood to the aftermath of the Monica scandal. It portrays Clinton as a woman of uncommon intellect and empathy. Warner shows Clinton's dream of a better well-being for America's children, and her personal and not so personal successes and failures. I believe Warner does show the "real" Hillary Clinton.

This book portrays Hillary Clinton as an intelligent, complex, strong, sensitive person. Her identity as a thoughtful, dedicated public servant has been derailed by marital troubles, the harrowing pursuit by partisan bloodhounds, and the fickle opinion of the press and public. This is a book about the stigma that still exists in being a smart, bold woman. It is a sad, frustrating story about misunderstandings, personal foibles, and distortions of Clinton motives and activities created by politics and the media. A believable portrait of Hillary Clinton as a lively, spirited individual who cast her fate with a man whose ideals she shares, suffering pain and doubt that the public and press presume to be privy to but don't understand. We see her expend her incredible energy and talents in public service, only to have her intentions twisted. The book details a great body of work she's done in the areas of family and child advocacy, which endears her as a truly dedicated public servant. I want my daughter to read this book and to learn to persevere, as I cheer Hillary Clinton on to do.

This bio of Clinton is not as easy to read as the Maraniss book; however, the effort to plough through it is well worth it. Because Oakley had covered Clinton for so many years, she offers far greater detail and insight into the inner workings of his years as governor. Sometimes she provides too much detail which, unless you are a true policy wonk, you may find tedious.

The result is an insightful and generally balanced view of our most gifted politician who is also a complicated and enigmatic man.

This is, next to David Maraniss' bio, the best one available. Although Oakley spends too much time glorifying Arkansas Democrat Editor John Starr, she does present a look at Clinton from his home crowd, the people who have known him longer than anyone else. At times she seems almost jealous of Clinton's success. This remains, however, a definite book to read if you want to get inside Bill Clinton's head and stroll around for a while.

Great Bio. Here's an excerpt from page 68. Taken from a statement made by Clinton's friend, Clifford Jackson during their student days at Oxford. " One incident stands out very clearly in my mind," Jackson said. "We were talking about politics. Bill recounted a story he told to be true. He had heard a ... staff member telling about a White House secretary walking into the Oval Office...to find Lyndon Johnson and a certain attractive young woman...engaged in sex on the Oval office floor. She was on top of the president ,and she had a peace symbol on a chain dangling between her breasts." Jackson recalled the look of amusement on Clinton's face as the anecdote unfolded." Sure..it was a funny story...but the impression I got was that Bill thought it was so neat that Johnson could get away with something like that."

So, as I said, great book!