Adam Clymer wrote this book capturing the spirit, essences and panorama of a senator judged by all, at all times, without reflection on being a scorned savior.

It is so easy to judge Ted Kennedy by his personal failures, but few could take such public discrimination themselves. We all fail at certain times, whether from our own actions or the outside millstones placed upon us without our own asking. Senator Kennedy is no different from each and everyone of us and thus the book shows us more of him for our own discernment!

What few know is how large an impact he and his family has made on America's greatness, public policies and world values. Regardless of how you feel about him, you need to know that he is respected by all in Washington whenever one works with him. And he still has the abilities to select the finest staff of any public servant which is a mark of a skilled leader.

The Kennedy's are often misunderstood by critics. Some say they have betrayed the middle class values they worked so hard for all to benefit. Others conclude their personal behavior prevents them from leading anyone. Still many just say, they have forgotten from where they came and who they are in the presence of spoiled wealth.

The Kennedy's are about helping those in need, distress or giving others the opportunity to help themselves. What I took with me from this book is that, Ted Kennedy has changed because the needs of those looking for a better life in America has changed too! Now Senator Kennedy has a rare and wonderful opportunity. He can block all initiatives to reform Social Security, Medicare and Prescription Drugs Plans. Or Ted Kennedy can help find compromised solutions to our divided philosophies. Good policies create good government and good government is better when individuals are free from encumbered regulations to solve social problems with private and public solutions.

The author wrote what others needed to know about Ted Kennedy. He did so in a fashion that will accommodate all readers to learning more about the senator, man and Patriarch of The Kennedy Clan. It is a view if you hate him you must read, and if you love him, you will read and in the end you will come away respecting him.

Adam Clymer's biography on Edward M. Kennedy is monumental: the result of fastidious research and decades-long stint writing for both the New York Times and Baltimore Sun. What is so skillfully articulated here is a sober account of the Senator's long, strange trip -- from childhood days, under the shadow of older brothers, Jack and Bobby; to the tragedy at Chappaquiddick, effectively incinerating any dreams of securing the Oval Office; to his resurgence as one of the most influential and powerful political leaders in American history.

Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography, is what Mr. Clymer achieves. There are no speculations, conspiracy theories, or interviews with shady "informants"; only an astute biography of a man who is as brilliant and perseverant a leader as he is controversial and complicated a human.

I've often found that biographies are best written after the subject's career has finished. Since Ted Kennedy's career has no end in sight, that poses a problem for anyone wanting to paint this work in progress. Adam Clymer succeeds. First, he focuses on Kennedy's substantive accomplishments rather than the gossip that more interests writers like Joe McGinniss (The Last Brother) or Richard Burke (The Senator). Second, he isolates aspects of Kennedy's legislative style, such as giving credit to others and working across party lines, that serve as generalizable lessons. Third, though the book is fairly long, it moves quickly. Ted Kennedy already has a much longer public life than most, so there is much more to write about. Clymer doesn't make the mistake of wallowing in unnecessary details just to show us all how much research he did. Fourth, although Clymer does not gloss over Kennedy's shortcomings, he is also open in his admiration of Kennedy's accomplishments. The last several pages compare both, and then the whole package against other accomplishments of great senators. The message is clear that Ted Kennedy is a titan. The evidence is hard to refute. Critics of Kennedy differ on issues of fundamental value rather than issues of effectiveness or sheer impact. Ted Kennedy deserves a biography like this, and those of us interested in his long career deserve to read it.