Customer Reviews

Politics For Dummies

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

 

 

There are a lot of people who decried this book as biased, but perhaps they just didn't like what they read. There were some things in this book that could be construed as pro-democrat, but there were certainly pro-republican parts as well.

While some people don't like to think about the demographics of certain parties, it is an important part of politics, and the truth of the matter is that you can largely break down this country demographically and come up with largely consistant voting patterns. This book simply points that out - sorry if some people don't like that - and then yell about bias, since they don't like who they are grouped with.

While I would agree that political philosophies are the most important things to be concerned about, demographic breakdowns are helpful to let the reader now how those "values" are played out in the political arena, and who they tend to benefit.

However, this book is a book for dummies, and therefore only goes into politics very superficially. But, that is most likely what you want - a very basic overview, not an indepth anaylsis of each party's details.

So, I say, buy this relatively analytically shallow, but very fair book. Its nice for those of you who want to start getting more informed about the politics of the nation.

This book is a great introduction into political participation. It is written in simple language (as should be inferred from the title) and provides a fairly clear map for anyone who is interested in ACTIVE participation in politics. If you are interested in overcoming the American political apathy, buy this book.

Having only read the first few chapters, I was somewhat hesitant to submit a review for this book. Ultimately I decided that, notwithstanding, I had some worthwhile comments to put forward which may be of use to other potential readers.

Politics is a topic to which I have devoted little energy throughout my life. If the key issues in an election are gay marriage and abortion, then the significant societal issues affecting the majority of people would appear to be under control. Accordingly I have found myself ambivalent as to the outcome of most elections in mature democracies, such as in the USA. I consider this to be the ultimate victory of democracy. However my apathy for the subject lead me to the realisation that I was grossly ignorant of the structures and systems of centralised authority, to which we are all subject, and that I should read a book on the subject to set that straight.

Politics for Dummies was my obvious first choice. I have used the Dummies series for various topics in the past, and have always appreciated their clear, well-illustrated and user friendly lay-out. Their comprehensive approach to a subject, starting with fundamentals for the novice and building therefrom, while simultaneously providing a ready reference book through their thorough indexes and tables of content, put them in a class of their own. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with this offering for the following reasons:

1. The book is incorrectly titled. Politics is a global phenomenon , and any `dummies' primer on the topic should necessarily present its material from a global perspective. I am not a US resident, so my views and expectations may differ from those of the majority of readers and reviewers, yet I stand by my point. A comprehensive understanding of politics should encompass a historical overview from ancient times, Greek & Roman senators, the European powers of yesteryear and its evolution to the current US political system, as well as the fledgling democracies of South Africa, Afghanistan & Iraq etc. The book should be titled `US Politics for Dummies'.

2. The book launches into the subject taking numerous fundamentals for granted. Very early on it describes how many citizens are represented by each senator versus each representative, and how these numbers have evolved over time. I don't know the difference between a senator, representative or congressman. That's why I bought the book! My ignorance in these matters may construe me as a `wildcard' reader, whom the author should not realistically be expected to accommodate. Yet I would wager that a large number of Americans are similarly clueless, including plentiful naturalized citizens who lack a US education. From its flying start, the book doesn't look back, and continues to describe how you can immerse yourself in the political environment, raise funds, manage campaigns ... all the while leaving us political ignoramuses unenlightened and unable to follow the topics on account of a dire lack of grounding in the fundamentals. Perhaps the book should be titled `US Politics for Those Who Already Understand the Basics', alternatively they should initiate a `Complete Morons' series.

The other reviews were something of a revelation to me, with contributors variously claiming that the book was too simplistic, alternatively a covert piece of Democratic propaganda, and those who repudiated this stating that it was entirely non-partisan. Indeed, if taken chronologically, the reviews read like a partisan debate with critics responding vociferously to assertions made in previous reviews. Few, if any, appear to be evaluating the merits of the book as an introduction to politics, and most writers appear to be politically savvy and strongly opinionated ... not the target audience that I would assume for a `Dummies' title.

To be fair, I haven't truly considered the merits of the book in its own right. Well I couldn't! After a few pages I was completely lost. I awarded one star on account of its complete failure to meet my expectations of a `Dummies' title. If I were politically aware, and looking to embark on a political career, perhaps this book would fit the bill. I did however feel that the tone displayed an unmotivated exuberance - `You too can make a difference', `It behoves you to get involved', `Run your own campaign' (not actual quotes). This style of writing belongs more to the `Overnight Millionaire' type of literature. Furthermore if, as alleged, the book is a thinly veiled Democratic propaganda tool, then it may well be worthy of only one star, even on its own merits.

It is an irony therefore that my experience with this book (which include its reviews and my efforts to compose this assessment) have merely reinforced my complacency towards politics. I am more than happy to let egos and tempers flare in heated debate over whether to teach creationism or evolution, or how to handle Iraq or the deficit. Meanwhile I will focus my energies on the seemingly pragmatic matters of providing for my family, and hopefully making a positive difference to those whom I encounter in life. And I strive to do this in whatever environment the politicians create for us.

In conclusion, I acknowledge that I may be a lone voice in the wilderness here. While the book completely failed to meet my expectations, it seems to have generated interest and debate among the other reviewers, who presumably are the author's intended readership. Furthermore, the fact that I only read the first few chapters must surely temper the integrity of my review. However, it is a large world, and there are surely some of you out there who are looking for the same answers as I am. I recommend you keep looking.

First of all, I didn't get this book from Amazon, so I was forced to write this review without an account. I borrowed this book from my local library. I am not actually under thirteen, if that matters at all.

On to the book. The book begins with a very basic overview of how the government works. You should probably have some basic knowledge of the legislative branch and executive branch in the United States (for which the book is written, if you live outside the US, sorry, but this probably isn't for you). Once you know this, this book explains in very plain language the politics surrounding elections. The book explains why candidates make actions, who has the largest impact on official descisions, what you can do to help candidates and much more. It doesn't go that in-depth on the topic, but if you want to learn about politics just to get a better of elections and such, this is definitely for you.

You have to remember that this is "for dummies". This is really a beginners introduction to politics. For those who already have an understanding of it, there is no need to read this book. After reading the book, I got the impression that the author herself did not have enough political experience to write a book on politics, even for people new to the subject. Really just basic information that anyone could learn simply by watching cspan a few times and watching the news regularly. The book can also become sidetracked and go off topic with its side-subjects, and its sybols can be hard to remember and are often misplaced. Again, only for beginners and not for people with prior knowledge of the subject.

While cloyingly oversimplistic at times (there is little mention or contact information for third parities) this is a wonderful tool for the American citizen.

Although much has been written on the apathy of the American public, this book makes it clear that it is the format of the information that tends to make people uninterested in politics. Wisely, the authors perpetually drive home the point that every citizen has the potential to change the system and their voice really does matter.

Also of interest is a voter registration card (check with the index to see what regulations govern it in your state) so readers who have not already done so can register to vote and immediately begin participation in the political process.

As no suprise, this is a very basic political book but it was just what I needed and my friends knew it when they gave it to me. It does a nice job defining liberals, conservatives, republicans, democrats, right wing, etc... There were all the things I ignored when I was younger but wanted to gain a basic understanding on.

Interesting book with a simpler view on politics making it easier for all to understand. It starts with the basics and works it's way up. A good find for someone just trying to figure out the world of politics.

Book was in great condition and at a great price but shipping took a little longer than expected.

I thought this book was informative and easy to read. I was happy with the purchase and the shipping time especially for the price.