Customer Reviews

The Worst-Case Scenario Almanac .: Politics (Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbooks)

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The Worst-Case Scenario series had brought us lots of unusual and surprising tips (How to Escape from the Trunk of a Car, How to Remove a Leach, How to Escape from a Stampede of Giraffes, etc..) but now the team tackles something that we all want to be saved from: Politics. This Almanac has lots of surprising info on politics' past (Did you know that: Trent Lott had been a cheerleader? Italy had an 83.6% voter turn-out in 2006? Or that Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry once said, "Outside of the killings, we have one of the lowest rates of crime in the nation."? )

The book also has those step-by-step how-to's that are synonymous with the series: How to Kiss a Drooling Baby, How to Counter a Smear Ad, How to Continue a Bankrupt Campaign, How to Pretend You Care, etc..)

It's a quick-read, funny book that will educate you and give you some pointers for when you want to run for office. I'm sure Obama or McCain could use some of those tips right about now.

With their third edition in the almanac format, the people who invented the worldwide market for handbooks have hit rock bottom. They may continue to publish their increasingly worthless products, but I won't be buying them, and I suggest that you don't either, and I speak as one who bought every single handbook and almanac they've ever produced until now!

As has been the case since the almanac format began, this book contains a mere pittance of the detailed worst-case scenarios with expert-provided suggestions on how to deal with same that made these books worth buying in the first place: just 28 in 260 pages, the lowest number yet. Worse, these may be the most useless scenarios they've ever assembled, at least unless they are willing to re-title this book The Worst-Case Scenario Almanac: CROOKED Politics. Fully 20 of the 28 scenarios would only be useful in whole or in significant part to the crooked or dishonest politician. Two more are of no use to the intended reader whatsoever: "How to Drive a Tank" belongs in another book entirely, and "How to Escape Assassination by Ninja" is an asinine attempt at humor where once upon a time the creators would have given useful tips on how to survive REALISTIC assassination attempts.

That leaves only 6 scenarios an honest politician might glean something useful from.

The rest of the book is filled with the by-now-expected questionable filler, made more useless than it might have been by the creators' bizarre decision to include items on monarchial and dictatorial "politics" along with the democratic politics that constitutes the only area from which useful lessons might be learned in this day and age.

Thus, out of 56 comparative charts, only 12 are restricted to democratic politics; out of 53 Political Lessons, only 25 are; out of 11 Who's Who Worst of Worst, only 5 are; and finally out of 26 Political Briefs, an almost respectable in comparison 17 are.

In such a complete disaster it almost constitutes "piling on" to point out that the book is politically biased, too; suffice it to say that a book chock full of political scandals that contains THREE brief mentions of the Clintons along with almost every recent Republican scandal isn't even TRYING to fool readers into believing it to be "objective".

Finally, it is worth pointing out that of the two possible extremes of viewing politicians: pollyannish versus completely cynical, the completely cynical view expressed in this book is undoubtedly the most destructive of good government. That's because the pollyannas at least can be a force for good once their eyes are pried open on the topic of corruption in politics. Pollyannas may be late to realize what is going on, but at least they can vote intelligently once they get their heads out of their backsides. However, the complete cynic who believes contrary to the evidence that "everybody does it" actually makes things worse because the ONLY advantage an honest politician has over a crooked or dishonest politician is the sensible voters' preference for honesty. If too many voters fail to distinguish between honest and dishonest because they falsely believe they're all crooks, the result is inevitably going to be ever more dishonest politicians because there is no longer any point to being honest.

Just what we need more of today; thanks a lot.

This is a funny, informative, entertaining handbook for anyone who follows politics, for aspiring politicians who need quick answers to the latest crisis, and the current or aspiring political pundit who needs to quickly understand the dirty business of politics in the 21st Century. The title marks this volume as one of a series of books offering advice on how to cope with the many challenges of modern living - from dating and sex, to work, to parenting, and on and on. In little more than 250 pages and six chapters this book tells you how to obtain political office, how to survive incumbency and keep your position, and how and when to leave office.

There are special instructions on such things as "How to Kiss a Drooling Baby", "How to Survive a Sex Scandal", and "How to Write a Best-Selling Memoir" among other invaluable subjects. Mini-biographies are provided on 10 of the "worst of the worst" political figures (by way of example of what not to do) and much advice is quoted from numerous political figures both famous and infamous. For its size and its humorous intent, this really is a very informative and funny book with some really practical bits of advice slipped in with the "spoonful of sugar."

Filled with useless facts and historical references this book is a must have for any history buff or someone who just wants a good laugh.

The book is composed of 6 chapters each of which has a different theme. One of the sections in the chapters is an item called 'Who's who of the worst' which goes over infamous figures in history. Most of the names are obscure (who is Sextus Pompey?) however occasionally the authors mention a recent terrible person such as Dan Quayle who I was delighted to read about. Other sections are just funny such as the page on Strange Pets of World Leaders. I never knew that President Coolidge had a hippo named Billy.

Overall this book is nonstop entertainment with fascinating historical references, covering history from the ancient Greeks to the present.