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Book Summary and Reviews of What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't by Jessamyn Conrad

What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't by Jessamyn Conrad

What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't

A Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues

by Jessamyn Conrad

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  • Published:
  • Aug 2008, 336 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

It's 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 divide - blue vs. red - how does the average educated American find a reliable source that's free of political spin?

What You Should Know About Politics . . . But Don't breaks it all down, issue by issue, explaining who stands for what, and why - whether it's the economy, the war in Iraq, health care, oil and renewable energy sources, or climate change. If you're a Democrat, a Republican, or somewhere in between, it's 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 3-6 weeks before the elections. But this is also a book that transcends the season. It's 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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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Deeply insightful ... Written in language as clear as it is elegant. A remarkable achievement." - Vice President Walter Mondale (R).

"Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or somewhere in between, this book is an invaluable guide to the state of the political world today. If you want to know what's really going on, What You Should Know About Politics ... But Don't is a must read." - Senator Bob Dole (R).

"Engaging and inspiring .... Reading this book should make you want to vote." - Senator Barack Obama (D).

"Jesamyn Conrad has an astonishing command of the issues. She presents arguments from both sides of the aisle with admirable clarity, objectivity and fairness. Refreshing ... A welcome tonic to the often fractious political divide." - Senator Tom Daschle (D).

An exceptional treatise; well researched, well written, and well done. This book couldn't have come at a better time ... An impassioned bipartisan political engagement." - Senator Trent Lott (R).

This information about What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Jessamyn Conrad

Jessamyn Conrad is the daughter of the senior Democratic senator from North Dakota and the niece of the Republican US Secretary of Agriculture. A graduate of Harvard and Cambridge universities, she is pursuing her doctorate in art history at Columbia University. She lives in New York.

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