Customer Reviews

Outsider in the House

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bernie Sanders chronicles his 1996 re-election campaign and his views on various political issues.
What sets this book apart from other books in the category is that Sanders is an elected Independent and he's from the unique state of Vermont.

Bernie Sanders addresses a number of battles from the Gingrich era.

Some of the general issues he addresses are:
>"Payoffs for layoffs" for Lockheed-Martin.
> The fight over minimum wage legislation.
> The identity of a host of "wedge issues" exploited by Republicans.
> Why the poor not voting empowers Republicans.
> Why NAFTA "was a sellout to corporate America."
> How the debate over health care is about economics and class politics.

On page 189 Bernie Sanders explains being an Independent in Congress:
"I am an independent because neither of the two major parties represents the interest of the middle class and working people of this country."

This is a well-written book from a rare Independent Congressman.
Another angle that makes this book of interest is that Sanders is a self-admitted "democratic socialist" so that political viewpoint is detailed.
I recommend this book for anyone desiring to read about Progressive politics.

The other reader reviews give a good idea of what's in this Terrific book, but require further comment. One reviewer says Bernie declares his socialist approach to politics but doesn't tell readers what socialism means. While it's true there's no 'one-liner' definition, the whole book lays out what it means to be a socialist & what socialists do & stand for, & even how they can (maybe) get elected in the USA! I've never read a more clearly presented, generously thoughtful book of ANY political persuasion that tells as much about what (truly) democratic politicians should be doing, how they can get elected & then stay in office to get it done, how to communicate with constituents & generally make a positive difference in their country. Anyone who wants to get elected & work for All the People can learn how--& where--to try from this 1 book.
Beyond that, I've never read another book that makes so clear what politics should be all about, or how to recognize what a true representative of a large group of people should be doing, as well as how to make it possible even in 'America'.
If you read only 1 book on politics in your lifetime, this is the one; read with an open but critical mind & it will uplift you.

As a former congressional candidate, I have read numerous books on the subject of congressional campaigns, and this is by far the best. Mr. Sanders chronicles his ascent from pitiful protest candidacies with the socialist Liberty Union Party of Vermont, where he often got just 1 percent of the vote, all the way to his eventual victory as mayor of Burlington and election to the U.S. House of Representatives. This quick, fun, and informative read has it all - the actual campaign strategy and logistics, what it's like to raise money, the human and family costs of running for office, and of course, what it's like to actually legislate in D.C. The fact that Mr. Sanders is an independent makes the book particularly interesting. The one thing I was disappointed with, however, was the fact that the self-ascribed socialist did not spend even one word describing what he thinks "socialism" is. Other than that, this is a perfect book, even for the non-socialist lover of politics (and third-party/independent politics in particular) such as myself.

Sanders does a few wonderful things in this book - first off, he shows what socialists truly believe - I now realize that, while I don't agree with them, I got a false impression of their views from the mass media. The book also gives a detailed account of how hard it is to make it as a third party candidate in America, and does so without becoming dull at any points. Finally, Sanders covers a wide range in issues in this book. Overall, very interesting for anyone even remotely interested in American politics.

Since this book was from my grandchildren for their father and they had very little money, I was happy to find this book for such a cheap price. The dad was thrilled.

What a great book by Senator Sanders, he writes as well as he speaks, and in my family he is respected andloved. He gave a moving and very interesting report of his life, dreams and lifes work. Thanks, Bernie

Birthe

In this book now Senator Bernie Sanders calls out the Wall Street corporate welfare hypocrites. Bernie recently did the same in the Senate for 8 plus hours of speeches. Keep on keeping on Bernie and update this book.

OUTSIDER IN THE HOUSE is an interesting and intriguing book by the only Independent in the Hosue of Representatives, and the only Independent *ever* elected to four consecutive terms! How did formerly conservative Vermont elect a democratic socialist as its Representative in the House? This book will tell you. How did Bernie Sanders first get elected Mayor of Vermont's largest city? What did he tell Bill Clinton when they met? What does it feel like to see your Congressional colleagues gutting welfare? What is the 52-member Progressive Ccaucus, and why did Bernie Sanders help found it? This book answers all these questions in a fast-paced narrative which weaves together Sanders'most recent re-election campaign (targeted by the Republican leadership, the NRA, and corporate America, he managed to win by 23 points!), his fights on Capitol Hill, and a brief history of the most successful progressive political movement in modern America. And if that is not enough, the book concludes with a clear-eyed look at America's major problems -- and presents reasonable ways of addressing each of them. Highly recommended. [Of course, you might consider that this review was written by the book's co-author, Huck Gutman....] Still, I think you will like it, and be energized by reading it. Our purpose in writing it, after all, was to give people hope: it is really possible to take on the corporate powers and big money interests, and beat them at the electoral game.

I am not a big fan of Bernie Sanders at all. I can not support him in any way because he is too radical for my taste as a Moderate Democrat. But this book was very well written. The writing clearly reflects something that he went through as a member of the US House. But I did notice that Bernie accuses everyone for America's problems. It's always someone else's fault. He never mentions his failures which are important to understand as a public official, and what he has really done. I found Bernie to complain almost all the time, but on the other hand, it was very well written, interesting and informative in vermont politics. I enjoyed it, but the more I read it, the more I liked the Republican caniddate that was running against him in 1996.