What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't: A Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Conrad’s father is the senior Democratic senator of North Dakota, and her uncle is the Republican U.S. agricultural secretary and former governor of North Dakota. Still, she manages to be nonpartisan in this very helpful guide to American politics. She highlights the foibles of both parties when explaining campaign financing, special interest groups, and voting irregularities. Conrad gives readers the essentials on elections, the economy, foreign policy, the military, civil liberties, and other issues. She details all the elements that go into a presidential election, from primaries and caucuses to pledged delegates and superdelegates, and why more Americans need to pay attention to the mechanics of elections before things go wrong. She begins with a brief background of current debates on issues from abortion and the right to die (under the topic “Culture Wars”) to highway privatization and FEMA (under “Homeland Security”).This is an essential resource for Americans of whatever political persuasion, including independents, libertarians, progressives, and populists, all of which she defines and explains. --Vanessa Bush

Product Description

Its 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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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (August 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559708832
• ISBN-13: 978-1559708838
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #212,476 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A guide worth reading, August 20, 2008

By	Florian Ulrich (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are interested in politics, this is the book for you. In fact, it got me `hooked off' the internet, scimming through pundits' views back and forth, and instead presented me with a real basis on which to form my political opinion.

Jessamyn Conrad gives a concise and balanced overview to a vast array of topics in nowadays politics: elections, economy, foreign policy, military, health care, energy, environment, civil liberties, culture wars, socioeconomics, homeland security, education and trade. These are basically all fields of great importance and consequence for society, and certainly areas where decisions now will have a tremendous impact on the future.

I have to disagree with the previous commenter; everyone is entitled to his own opinion, and in my view, this is fine even for authors of nonpartisan books. Overall, this book provides an easy-going introduction into important questions of society and subjects of political discussion and leaves the reader with a well-balanced base of knowledge.

It is written in a witty and humourous style and leaves you enjoying it from front to back. Very informative, yet easy to read.

Anyone who is interested in politics and wants to inform himself well before the election - or about the political debates in general - will enjoy this book. Strongly recommended!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars true to its title, useful for everyone!, August 22, 2008

By	Erica Samuels - See all my reviews

I picked up this book by chance while browsing through a bookstore. After reading the preface, and being struck by the clarity, wit, and thoughtfulness with which the author expressed her ideas, I decided to buy it. I read the book out of order, starting with the issues that interested me most, and was surprised to discover that I'd read all of it in one sitting. The author is true to her word, and gives an unbiased, non-partisan overview of the issues. It is what it promises to be --a guide-- easy to follow, and one that can finally empower voters to make decisions without blindly following the preaching of any political party. This book would make an excellent addition to an American politics/government class syllabus, and I commend Jessamyn Conrad for a job incredibly well done!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very effectively summarizes the issues - a great book!, September 8, 2008

By	John K "John K" (Cleveland) - See all my reviews

I've often wondered why republicans and democrats take opposing sides on such a wide range of issues. Why do republicans believe in low taxes and small government while at the same time believing that Roe v. Wade should be overturned and that preemptive war is the best defense against terrorism? Why do democrats favor more strict gun control, a woman's right to choose and a balanced budget over deficit spending?

Ms. Conrad's book goes a long way toward explaining the historical background on the issues that frame the current political debates and why the parties take the positions that they do. She outlines the spectrum of ideologies that comprise the positions and points out that a party may take an opposite position in a given election cycle simply for the sake of political contrast.

Of course she doesn't have time to delve into details on many of these issues, but if you are confused by the rhetoric of todays debates and would like to be a more informed voter, this book is for you.