AP U.S. & Comparative Government & Politics (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the A: 8th Edition (Advanced Placement (AP) Test Preparation) [Paperback]

R. F. Gorman (Author), J. Hamilton (Author), Mr. Keith Mitchell (Author), S. J. Hammond (Author), E. Kalner (Author), W. Phelan (Author), G. G. Watson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 450 pages
• Publisher: Research & Education Association; Eighth edition (March 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738600466
• ISBN-13: 978-0738600468
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #362,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Basic, April 13, 2009

By 

Spagetti "Spagetti" (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: AP U.S. & Comparative Government & Politics (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the A: 8th Edition (Advanced Placement (AP) Test Preparation) (Paperback)

This review is in reference to the Comparative Government half of the book. This book is extremely basic in its explaination of each of the six countries. There are important aspects left out which should at least be mentioned. The political systems and structures are an area which this review book is extremely weak with. If you are looking for a VERY basic and general refresher of the course, this book would be fine, but for more detailed study, I recomend a different book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars "Cutting It to the Bone" Leaves "Little Meat.", June 19, 2007

By 

Gene P. Louie (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: AP U.S. & Comparative Government & Politics (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the A: 8th Edition (Advanced Placement (AP) Test Preparation) (Paperback)

The book is written in a narrative style like a READER'S DIGEST article on a book. Because it covers U.S. and comparative government and politics, only 78 pages are devoted to the former.

The chapter reviews are very short. Take for example, the discussion on the Constitution. The Gorman book has 2.67 pages summarizing 29 pages of GOVERNMENT IN AMERICA, the standard AP text for high schoolers. Although the information is basic, it is really "cutting it to the bone." So much, that there is "little meat." The 2.67 pages on the Constitution can not possibly cover the details and contents required on the AP test. On some subjects like the media, the review has less than a page.

Certain sections covered on the AP test are not reviewed in this book. Economic policies is the best example.

The biggest problem with this book is on evaluating essay questions. It is completely wrong.

Needless to say, the text has a few good features. Explanations on the multiple choice answers and sample essay answers are detailed. In addition, the Appendices on the U.S. Constitution are priceless. Without a doubt, these are the only reasons for buying this book.

Because the book has this "redeeming value," I give it 1.5 stars. Unfortunately, this can not be done with this website's rating system. As a result, I reluctantly give it two stars. This may be grade inflation, but I have no choice.

The text advertises as "THE BEST TEXT PREPARATION FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION" and "THIS IS THE ONE BOOK YOU NEED TO MASTER THE AP GOVERNMENT & POLITICS EXAMS!" The self-serving hype is just hype. There are better books. So, why waste your money?

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Dissapointed, May 8, 2006

By 

JaRESSaLOR "JaRESSaLOR" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: AP U.S. & Comparative Government & Politics (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the A: 8th Edition (Advanced Placement (AP) Test Preparation) (Paperback)

This review is based on the Comparative Government data as I used another book for my US government studies.
I'm extremely dissapointed with the summaries. Many times, the political institutions are left out, for example. Yet, questions are asked about these institutions in the review questions following the chapters. It appears you are given a lot of information on topics you need to know the least and less on what you need to know the most. The author seriously takes a "this is just a review" approach. I used The Princeton Review for my AP US studies last year and received a four. This year for AP US Government I used to Princeton Review and I'm pretty confident. I suggest you go with them or another book with good summaries. Sadly with Comparative, you may be limited.