20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Book is a Political Junkie's Dream!, August 22, 2001
For political nerds like me, the every other year publication of this incredibly detailed, exhaustive and fascinating compilation of everything you'd ever want to know about politics and politicians is a major event. When the new book arrives, I get absorbed into it for hours, and am reminded of why politics is both equal measure fun and frustrating.
The book is written by Michael Barone and other foremost political observers and experts. The political analysis is unparalled, the biographies incisive and interesting and the information on the demographics and political history of each state and Congressional district is fascinating. I also enjoy looking over the results of statewide and Congressional races in each state.
There is no better source to get an idea at the national and state level of the direction of the prevailing political winds. Charlie Cook's handicapping of upcoming races is particularly fun, and helps you get an idea of what races to keep an eye on in the upcoming political cycle and to get an idea of political trends, nationally, statewide and at the Congressional district level. Spend a few days reading this huge book, and you'll become an instant expert in politics, political demographics and political trends in the nation.
The publishers have even made up for the book's one weakness, an unavoidable one, in that the book begins to get out of date as soon as its published with all the quick changes that occur in politics and our political bodies. There is now much less lag time between completion of the writing of the book and its publication, thus making the book seem much more up to the moment. The 2002 edition is updated with all the new Senate information since the defection of Senator Jim Jeffords from the GOP. Interestingly though, there is no updated information about Congressman Gary Condit, his scandal and his now very doubtful political future.
But more than this, the publishers are providing buyers of the book unlimited access to web updates for the next 2 years that helps keep you and your book up to date on all the latest political happenings. That includes e-mail updates from Charlie Cook on all the hot political races. This is a fantastic feature that alone makes the price of the book worth every penny. If you love politics, I can't recommend this book enough.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Indispensable Biennial Reference, August 15, 2002
Michael Barone is clearly a man of immense energy and political insight. His biennial "Almanac of American Politics" has been a Washington tradition for 30 years now; and it keeps getting better.
I first discovered the Almanac in 1992 and have purchased copies every two years since. My '92 edition is dogeared, with pages falling out, yet I still consult it regularly.
Barone's in-depth background information in each state and Congressional district is a feature hard to find anywhere else (certainly not all in one place). His invaluable biographical information on members of congress (and governors) is essential to understand where these people are coming from, when one sees them on CSPAN.
But the statistical information is what I treasure most. The Almanac is a quick and easy reference for finding out how vulnerable an incumbant is, who ran against them before, how their state or district leans at the presidential level, etc. These statistics are really essential for a deep understanding of congressional politics today.
In the last few years, Barone has also been providing more information about state governments. Recently, he's added the names of the leaders of every state legislature and given longer biographies of the governors. In this era of devolution, such information is greatly needed.
Another newer addition is the predictions of Charlie Cook. Cook's analysis is appreciated although I wish he would be a little more creative in his writing ("...belies the competitive nature of the district" over and over).
Barone and Cook have an excellent track record in predicting elections, but naturally they are wrong at times too. For instance, they both considered Gov. Jesse Ventura a good bet for re-election (and Barone even hinted at a Presidential bid in 2004). Of course Ventura is not seeking re-election due to low approval ratings. Since the Alamanc comes out a year before the election its focused on, it is fun to follow along and see how accurate its forecasting ends up
Granted, Barone is a conservative and his bias does occassionally surface. This can be distracting and poorly placed at times (especially for an angry leftist like me). But objective journalism is basically non-existent in this country and Barone should be applauded for staying focused and unbiased more than most.
All said, the "Almanac of American Politics" is absolutely crucial for anyone who wants more than a superficial understanding of national politics today. Read it and you'll watch "Face the Nation" and "Meet the Press" in a whole different light. Buy it; it's more than worth the price.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Have For Political Enthusists, June 11, 2002
By A Customer
Political Enthusists Rejoice! This is the book for you! I purchased this book for my spouse as a gift and he thoroughly enjoyed it. We have several editions from past years and it contains practically all of the information you'd ever want to know about your Representatives and Senators, their biographical background, voting record etc... A teriffic purchase for those who are politically inclined.
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