Bush Books

This blogger will never be confused with the immortals of sports writing such as Jim Murray, Tex Maul or Ray Blount. He does exhibit the occasionally nicely turned phrase, that is when he's not to busy demonstrating the all knowingness that only a twenty-something can muster.

Being a loyal Deadspin reader for a couple years now, I was excited to get a chance to sit down with Will Leitch's book God Save the Fan and delve through his insights into what is going wrong with sports today. Leitch is one of the new breed of writers who has started striking back against companies like ESPN that have turned parts of sports into a mindless cesspool of nonsense.

The book is broken down into sections that target the athletes, fans, owners and media in essay like chapters. The essays that were the best were the ones that really took aim at the media, and the ridiculous spectacle that they've turned sports into. The most biting commentary is saved for ESPN as he tears apart their operation giving a voice to the diehard sports fan who is so sick of the antics from the World Wide Leader. He even has sharp criticism for some of the worst owners in sports and what they've done to their fans over the years.

But for the power of those essays, there is a lot of needless fluff thrown in. Essays about finding a local bar to watch Cardinal games in New York at, as well as a long piece on his supporting of Rick Ankiel. While these might be interesting blog posts, they contrast with his other essays that take a more biting approach to the topic. These parts aren't necessarily bad, it's as a reader you want more written about the negative aspects of sports that Leitch targets so well. I was more fascinated in learning the tactics of ESPN and some dreadful owners than a narrative on his fandom.

Overall though, it's a good read for any sports fan tired of what sports has turned into. It's worth noting though that there are a lot of posts from Deadspin reproduced in the book, which means you aren't getting a ton of new content. As an avid Deadspin reader, it felt more like a trip down memory lane instead of something new. For non-Deadspin fans, it's a book you'll thoroughly enjoy and laugh out loud to.

I look forward to Leitch's future books and hope they are less about his history on the web and more on his thoughts of what the sports world has become (where he excels at explaining).

Will Leitch recently gained national fame through an appearance on (Bob) Costas Now and a failed debate on sports blogging with the boorish Buzz Bissinger.

And for fans who want a big helping of what Leitch delivers in the cyber-universe, this is a great venue. But where reading Leitch online - and in smaller doses - can be compelling, sidesplitting, or just plain fun, the style fails to translate well in book form.

But consider it a primer from a notorious blogger, where the journey may ultimately end up on his home turf.

An astute author, editor or publisher knows that while factual errors may mildly tarnish the credibility of a memoir, they can destroy the credibility of an expose'. Since none of these parties seem to be demonstrating said astuteness, here are five reasons why I will not be relying on Leitch to tell me what to think about players, owners or announcers:

1. He introduces the fourth chapter by referencing a February 2006 'Super Bowl' between the 'Steelers' and the 'Panthers'. I guess there could have been a Steelers-Panthers super bowl in one of his precious fantasy leagues, but the nationally televised football game in Detroit on February 6, 2006 had as its competitors the Pittsburgh Steelers and the SEATTLE SEAHAWKS.

2. I wonder what my relatives in Pittsburgh who spend every Saturday in October and November cleaning gutters and blowing leaves would have to say to Leitch after he claims that Western Pennsylvania is devoid of trees on page 39.

3. On page 93, his recitation of the popular "it turned blue" Coors Light commercial manages to list nearly every piece of the dialogue incorrectly (what's the matter internet stud, can't figure out YouTube?).

4. I wonder if Leitch's agent is going to call Patty Smyth and demand that she sign over all of her performance royalties for "The Warrior" to Pat Benatar (p. 116)? Boy wouldn't it be fun if McEnroe was on the other extension for that call!

5. On page 212, Leitch uses the possesive pronoun "his" in reference to Bonnie Bernstein. I guess he has only seen online caricatures of her, but if you've seen her in person, there is definitely no "his" about Bonnie.

I probably do more fact-checking for one of these reviews than this guy does for a 300 page book!

A book bashing Bud Selig, George Steinbrenner, Paul Tagliabue and the a------s Michael Eisner imposed on ESPN still sounds like great fun (it was why I was dumb enough to buy this one). Maybe another one will come along written by someone who puts seventeen bucks worth of effort into it.

I agree with the "blook" description from someone else. Starts off pretty well, but gradually loses steam. It's basically two hundred and whatever pages of bloggy-type opinion, much of it about TV doofi. In the end, who the hell cares about the life of Chris Berman?

Dr.Caldicott's book is an eye-opener about military spending and more troubling,the pollution associated with the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

She answers the question "who runs the Congress?"
Transnational corporations do it through think tanks,corporate mergers,lobbying,and political contributions.
"The right-wing think tanks almost alone created the new conservative movement of the 1970's."-page 25.

The author discusses the use of and health affects from uranium weapons in the Gulf War.

To understand the enormous defense budget it helps to know who some of the decision makers are and their corporate alliance.
Lynn Cheney was formerly a board member for Lockheed Martin. Of course Dick Cheney was with Halliburton and that's well known.
Bruce Jackson,vice-president of corporate strategy and development for Lockheed Martin wrote the Republican party's foreign policy platform.
Steven Hadley has ties to that corporation also.
She does discuss "the Vulcans" in minor detail with some governmental history about Donald Rumsfeld that was interesting.

The major issue I took away from reading this book is the ecological pollution from nuclear weapons and the potential long range problems from it.

This is a very important book to read. The author is able to present her point of view in a fairly objective manner, although obviously a little one-sided. I wont go into details on the book, it needs to be read cover to cover for maximum effectiveness. Basically, it traces the U.S.'s nuclear development from the Reagan Adminstration to the present mess we are in. The only reason the book didnt get a 5 was because on the version of the book I have, the 2004 version, the cover has a picture of Bush and his buddies on the front. By no means am I a Bush supporter, rather the opposite, but I fear that this picture may keep the more conservative supporters of Bush from looking at, let alone reading the book. Most of them wouldn't even take the time to see that the author is a doctor and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Im worried that it will interfere with getting the message out to the people that really need to hear it most. That aside, this is an excellent book and is highly recommended.

She was wrong then, and she's wrong now. Just as Helen Caldicott was wrong about a nuclear freeze in the 1980's, she's wrong about the fight against terrorism now. Does anyone really take seriously the thoughts of an appeaser who would rather let terrorist enemies run over us than go after them forcefully as we should?
Admirers may point to her Nobel Peace Prize, but just remember, Yasir Arafat, a terrorist, won a Nobel Peace prize as well. The award really isn't worth the paper it's printed on.
Silly, naive, foolish - it's as simple as that.

The most striking observation about Helen Caldocott's book is that what she warned about in 2002 has come to pass in 2007. Turn on the TV and you will hear the nightly reports about the new Cold War -- but how did this happen?

For the answers read Caldicott's book. Did you ever wonder why, for example, Bill Clinton expanded NATO into eastern Europe? What Americans need to understand is that it had nothing to do with national security. Acccording to Caldicott Geo Bush Sr. made a deal with Gorbachev at the end of the Cold War. Bush promised not to expand NATO into eastern Europe if Russia (USSR) allowed the reunification of Germany, and abided by the SALT agreements. Russia held up its end of the deal, but Clinton renegged.

Why? Simple: The big arms manfacturers like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General Dyamics, TRW etc viewed eastern Europe as a huge new market -- and spent millions lobbying for an expanded NATO. The US arms industry is the world's largest. (The only thing more profitable than selling arms is drug smuggling.)

In the 1990s America and Clinton had a historic opportunity to chart a new direction after the Cold War. Clinton should have given the Pentagon firm direction to disarm. He should also have given the national weapons labs (Los Alamos, Sandia. Lawrence etc) a new mission, namely, to solve the energy crisis in order to wean us away from oil into a new era of clean and abundant solar and other energy alternatives. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

Here real leadership would have made the difference -- but Clinton failed to rise to the challenge. Caldicott's brutal assessment will make Democrats uncomfortable but it has the ring of truth. She says Clinton was weak and she has it right. I would go even further: I fault Bill for having no principles. (And now Hillary aspires to the same role. Give me a break! Haven't we been there already and done that?)

Bill Clinton thus allowed the expansion of NATO into eastern Europe -- not for national security reasons but to line the pockets of a very few. Nor was it in the interest of Europe or the world. The poor nations of eastern Europe needed to spend what little capital they had on rebuilding their infrastructure and improving the lives of their people. But we pressured them to buy Amercan weapons (we promised in return to support their bid to join the EU).

It was clearly the devil's bargain and set ther stage for Bush Jr and everything that has happened, since. Even as I write Geo W. prepares to install star wars radar and other related facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic. One can't read Caldicott'sbook without a feeling of "I told you so."

Which brings me to the bottom line. The US Constitution gives Congress the authority over commerce but today Wall Street bankers and the arms industry have done an end run around our founding document. Today they dictate both US Foreign and domestic policy. The result is a destabilized world that is increasingly armed to the teeth. What brings this home is knowing that every time a US soldier dies in Iraq our current leaders (such as they are) and their cronies in the arms industry are profitting. Obviously, they have no incentive to create the conditions for a more peaceful world. In fact, just the opposite is the case. We prepare for war to fight the next one -- not to build peace. Meawhile, the doomsday clock is ticking.

Will Americans wake up and take back their country before it is too late? That is for us to decide. By all means, READ THIS BOOK!

+++++

The heart of this well-referenced, easy-to-read book (with very informative appendices), by Dr. Helen Caldicott, is about two substances or two chemical elements:

(1) Plutonium (Pu)
(2) Uranium (U)

There are two types or isotopes of plutonium of primary importance:

(1) Pu-239
(2) Pu-238

Pu-239 is used in nuclear weapons and reactors. Pu-238 is used as a nuclear power source especially in space probe exploration. Both types of Pu cause severe health consequences when there is exposure to them via various means such as by radiation. Note that Pu-238 has been called "the most dangerous material on Earth." One pound of Pu-239 "is almost the most carcinogenic [cancer-causing] substance known to the human race."

There are two types of uranium of importance in nuclear reactions:

(1) U-235
(2) U-238 (more common)

U-235 is also used in nuclear weapons and ammunition. U has to be processed and there are medical risks associated with processing it. Both types of U cause severe health consequences when there is exposure to them via various means such as by radiation.

A large part of this book deals with nuclear weapons covering such topics as the following: their components, how they work, their testing, the newer and more efficient ones being made, the aging of nuclear weapons, and the deadly consequences of what happens if nuclear weapons are used. (Caldicott devotes an entire chapter to "The Reality of Nuclear War.") It "has [been] documented how more than 1.3 billion people have been killed, sickened, or maimed by nuclearism over the past 55 years, and how pollution from nuclear weapons operations has drastically changed the global environment and endangered all life forms."

Caldicott presents many examples of innocent people (including children) that now have serious or hopeless medical conditions as a result of being exposed to nuclear radiation through such means as working with and handling nuclear substances, conflict where uranium ammunition is used, and nuclear waste that contaminates food and water sources.

This book, I feel, has its greatest impact when it discusses nuclear accidents. I think most enlightened people are aware that there could be an accidental nuclear war set off by something as simple as the "launch of a weather balloon" and possibly resulting in the "annihilation of the planet." But other types of accidents are possible. For example, in 1964 "a [U.S.] satellite with a...plutonium power system crashed. Some 2.1 pounds of plutoniun-238 were dispersed around the world. A report prepared in 1989...stated that, "a worldwide sampling program carried out in 1970 showed [this contamination] to be present at all continents and all latitudes." Another example closer to where I live: "The most serious Russian nuclear space accident occurred in 1978 when a [Russian] satellite carrying a nuclear reactor smashed into the Northwest Territories of Canada. Sizable amounts of radioactive debris were distributed over [many thousands of miles]...[The resulting] carcinogenic, radioactive particles posed a serious risk to the population, because they could be either inhaled or ingested through the food chain."

The frightening thing is that as more countries acquire nuclear technology and know-how and, as well, as more countries attempt to join the "space race," the potential for increased nuclear accidents increases dramatically.

Another interesting aspect of this book is how the military, corporate-industrial, and political spheres are intertwined and support nuclearism. (Caldicott names specific corporations and politicians.) As a result, tremendous amounts of money are spent on U.S. military programs, money that could be used probably more effectively in non-military areas.

Near the end of the book, Caldicott states the following:

"America has the power and resources to reverse global warming, to save the ozone layer, to prevent chemical pollution, to stop deforestation, to curb the human overpopulation problem...The money that [the American government] invests in killing must now be redirected urgently to the preservation of life. America must rise to its full moral and spiritual height to reach its intended destiny--the nation that saved the world.

In a similar vein, the people of Europe must resist the constant call from America to arm and re-arm. So too, the people of Canada, of Austrailia--and indeed the people of the world. We cannot continue to behave as primitive animals killing for pleasure, killing for money, killing for religious imperatives, killing for greed and territorial imperative. Conflict resolution and peacekeeping must be our new priorities."

(Some people see the solutions in the above two paragraphs as unrealistic. How are they unrealistic?)

There are a few inaccuracies in this book. However, because the overall message is so important, I found it easy to ignore these minor inaccuracies.

In conclusion, this is a powerful book with a powerful message. In 1985, the late two-time Nobel Prize winner (once for chemistry, once for peace) Dr. Linus Pauling nominated Dr. Caldicott for a Nobel Peace Prize. After I read this book, I understood why he nominated her!!

+++++

A tragicomic chronicle of the Bush Administration in rhyme. You can't get any closer to the truth about this president and his gang of thugs than in the pages of Trillin's biting, sardonic verses.

The wry Trillin had W pegged long before the rest of the country caught on. Deserving of every enlightened coffee table.

CALVIN TRILLIN DESCRIBES, WITH SUPER WORD CHOICES, OUR PRESENT LIVING STATUS PER SE.

It's August '06 and Tony Snow, White House Press Secretary, reveals that President Bush has just read Albert Camus' "The Stranger," cover to cover. Some of us might have been very surprised to hear this. But not readers of Calvin Trillin. Before George W.Bush("W") was first elected President, Trillin offered our towel-snapping frat guy President of the United States (that is, POTUS) the campaign slogan "Definitely not the Dumbest Guy in the Deke/Delta Kappa Epsilon/ House."

"Obliviously On He Sails" was evidently not written for Bush believers. It's an indictment in verse, and occasional prose of "old cowhand" W,"toughest ombre ever hid in the Guard."

From 1999 to 2004, the funny lines keep coming, gathered in chapters like "Just invade Something" and "The Charge of the Sissy Hawk Brigades (tanks and guns-- all manned, of course, by other people's sons."

Trillin's points are often made in short essays that precede the poems. But both are lethally to the point, pithily witty. and not likely to please Bush loyalists. But we knew that, didn't we?

Trillin is spot on with his poetic mockery of El Presidente Busho. It just gets worse. Can another book be far off? I laughed. Now, I'm weeping. This guy is one bad President. The Democrats took over Congress with an anti-war voter surge and Shrub wants to send in more troops? Sad. Our soldiers are dying and this guy wants to send more?! He is so OBLIVIOUS to reality.

...my mom just didn't enjoy it, so she gave it to me. After reading it, I can understand my mom's disappointment with this book, but I still found pieces to love. However, I know that my expectations had been much lower (after hearing her review) so I'm sure that helped too. The poems set to songs were DEFINITELY my favorite. (However, I didn't always know the tune, which sort of made those poems a bust, ya know?) A note: the Sea Shanties all work well to the opening theme from Gilligan's Island, and I knew most of the musical-related songs.

Also, Trillin's prose introductions to each section were great...in many times better than the poems within. The section in which he takes the blame for John Ashcroft was particularly amusing.

But, several of the poems left me feeling very "eh" about the whole thing. Ah well. There are some pure gem moments, but a lot that just didn't work for me.

This is a good book with beautiful patterns for socks. The problem for me is that these patterns are too complicated for me at this time. I am a beginner/intermediate knitter and I am not ready for the stitches it requires to make these socks. I have made other socks but I don't feel that I am at the level it takes to tackle some of these projects. So for now the book will sit on my shelf until that day comes when I am ready.

Knitting on the Road is full of fun, interesting-to-knit sock patterns, with wonderful tidbits of travel information regarding what inspired each pattern. I am a huge Nancy Bush fan, and every time I flip through this book, I can't help but wish I could knit 24 hours a day to make most of these patterns--NOW!

I find most patterns easily adaptable to the Magic Loop method that I prefer, even though all of the patterns are written for double-pointed needles. They are also all top-down with heel flaps, which I also prefer, but toe-up and/or short row heel aficionados would have to adapt the patterns to their preferred methods.

New to knitting, I am rather reluctant to venture into new patterns. However, this book is well written and gives easy and clear instructions. Lots of information that helps untangle that skein of instructions that can often be so cryptic.

I have yet to knit a pattern from this book, but I will say when I received it and flipped through it, I will say that I would knit 90% of those patterns. There is so much to choose from and they are all fantastic! If you are a sock knitter, I highly recommend this book.

I just bought Knitting and I've already used it to help me design a pair of socks for my husband. I think it is great.

I was actually surprised to see such high ratings for this book. yeah it's comedic and witty but it's a little bit over the top and after reading it about half the way through the comedy gets old and witt seems more like a person overwhelming disdain for Bush. Even though the book is a more than a bit extreme, I can see the book being useful some weeks and even months after the election, after that i find it useless. Personally the author seems like a an overly bitter democrat who's letting out some aggression that exploded after the 2004 election. I myself sympathize with the author and share some sentiments but some of the stereotypes were just too much and over the top to appreciate. I do admit that the jokes and the Bushisms did serve

This book was rush-released in the wake of the 2004 election. I found a copy at my local bookstore so soon after the election that I can only assume the publisher had already compiled the book on the expectation that Bush would take a second term. It's a mix of actual pointers on getting through the second Bush term and a bunch of jokes designed to take some of the sting out of the fact that your candidate lost.

The problem is that it's so lightweight. Sure, many of us who voted for Kerry could be well advised to join Moveon.org or do other largely symbolic actions, but then what? Read Jared Diamond and watch Michael Moore? That's just more of the same that hasn't worked before. Mere protests and letters to our congressmen have been ineffective so far, so we need to figure out what comes next. Frankly where the pointers for committed actions are concerned, we could have figured these out for ourselves.

And the jokes are funny. I'll never say they aren't. But as you read one Bush joke after another it's easy to become anesthetized. When you laugh at something it's easy to feel superior to it, and when you feel superior to a problem it's easy to assume it's not your responsibility to do anything about it. A few jokes are good to keep us from lapsing into hopelessness and despair, but with what we're offered here we're a lot more likely to lapse into jovial inaction.

The publisher of this book was smart enough to craft and push a book that taps into the frustrations of many of us feel as the second term drags on and on. But this book is a clarion call to inaction, a guidebook for ideological sloth. It encourages us to do the same as we've been doing, and not a lot of it either. Sure, this book is funny, but it's unnecessary, and we can all do better than this if we really want to make things better.

I laughed out loud and still have my Kerry bumper sticker on my car. In fact, I have noticed an increase in Kerry bumper stickers in 2005 in Ohio! The Bushism's are hysterical and would be helpful for English teachers "what not to write" lists.

This book turned out to be better than I anticipated. Bush stories, Bushisms, politics in America, things to tell our children ("We survived Nixon; you can survive the Bush years.") For all of us who felt numb when Kerry lost, who cannot believe what Bush is doing to our economy & country, this book offers humor and hope. Worth reading & sharing with others. Buy it!

This little book is silly at times and interesting at others. It is exactly what it says it is. 250 Ways. Albeit some of the ways are drinks to get you by, example "banana swift boat" (hardy har har) but other points are actual, valid points. We all know Banana Swift Boat isn't going to get us through the next four years but it's fun to read. But for the more serious, the book gives you organizations to join in order to stay politically active over the next years despite setbacks. I think the best part of this book are the little Bush stories scattered throughout. They are absolutely funny and for me made the whole book worthwhile. I like to show them to my friends. Overall it was a good read but just not enough substance for me.

This book is one that I am glad I picked up and read. I saw the cover and was intrigued by it, but even the cover doesn't do the information inside of the book justice. I am a college professor and I read the book a few months back; I am teaching from it now. Much respect to Mr. Boothe for penning such a necessary and informative piece of work, and I look forward to more fresh and insightful writings from him in the future.

really great and informative book. I really enjoyed reading it and mr demico boothe is a very well informed and gifted brother whom I wish all the best to.I would hope that mr boothe would view these comments.

At a time when selective affluence, alleged equality, and proclamations of color-blindness abound, brother Demico Boothe exposes the harsh realities of life for millions of black men in America. His insights and conclusions are not drawn from the shelter of a university library or coffee shop. His life on the streets and prison is combined with a profound analysis of how white supremacy, free enterprise and violence have impacted black males in America. Boothe's perspectives may make some folks uncomfortable. But discomfort and agitation is what we need if we are to change and system that consigns black men to prison, drugs, and early death at rates much higher than college or employment. His work demands that we step forward and resolve the burning question of his book, Why ARE so many black men in prison?

This book should be required reading for all Americans, but especially African-Americans. Lots of knowledge and info about the subject that you won't get in the media. EVERY black person, male or female, who is in prison should read this, every drug dealer, every single mother, every gangbanger, every black congressperson and lawmaker, every black businessman, and every so-called scholar that wants to speak on the subject of criminality and imprisonment and lawmaking. This is the truth coming straight from the horse's mouth.

Its okay black men. If you need someone to blame, blame it on my great grandfather. But you'll get no sympathy from me. Be a real man and be responsible for your own actions!

It just goes to prove that America is a real democracy. Here, even the illiterate, ill informed, mentally challenged can become President. This is a beacon of hope to all citizens. Especially those in other countries waiting for the fall of the American empire.

All I can say is I didn't know he had it in him!! Who knew W could write? Wonders will never cease...However I must point out that while W has surprised us all with his wit, his knowledge makes no sense. Imagine an anti-environmentalist as the Secretary of The Interior..or whatever W called her. Hmm...did he call her? This he left out.

Would that all politicians be so frank with readers as W. is in his fascinating revelations of how he became the foreign policy maven he is today. Personally I was moved to tears after reading that poignant moment where he learned Mexico was a foreign country, a mere two years into his first term as Texas governor. Also, the description of his first "trip around the world" he took with his fraternity--where in one night they visted Ireland with Bass and Harp, then central Europe with St. Pauli's Girl, Heineken and Becks, then a breathtaking tour of the Orient with Sapporo and Kirin--will remain with me any time I find myself tempted to participate in binge drinking. With such a thoughtful perspective of the wonders this world has to offer, it's almost baffling that he wishes to protect us from it with a missile defense shield.

Wow, all I can say is that I am stunned by how much work went into this effort. Amazon, you are to be congratulated for your share in highlighting this unbelievable book.

Taking up where he left off in his seminal "Enviornmentalism and Social Awareness for Complete Raving Morons", W. has broken new and important ground with this, his eleventh book. Of particular importance is his decision to author this major tome on American foreign policy in Esperanto, the much-maligned would-be international language. Starting off with a touching dedication to Kofi Annan, the President will surely silence his many critics regarding his perceived hostility to the United Nations and to international cooperation in general. The study focuses on W.'s three main heroes of yankee foreign policy: Yogi Berra, Sylvester Stallone and, of course, Jane Fonda. With powerful anectodatal analysis and demonstrating a penchant for masonic symbolism, Bush Jr. has penned a memorable paean to the venerated and honorable field of kicking the stuffout of all those other countries out there --most of them smaller than a Texan county.

A must read.

This is a book everyone from both political parties should read. She lays out exactly what is currently wrong with the state of American politics. Fantacis on the right, Fools on the left and America is suffering because of it. As someone who has been a member of both parties, was the keynote speaker at the republican convention (I believe it was in 93) and ran against Arnold in Claifonrnia Arianna is in a very unique postition to know what she is talking about. Highly reccomended.

Huffington sees three key issues facing the U.S.: 1)We've become two nations, separated by an ever-widening economic, health care, and education gulf, 2)the way money is corrupting our politics, and 3)the nation's failed $40 billion/year war on drugs.

The "fanatics" in this book are Bush and his fellow Republicans - they don't allow reason to interfere with beliefs, are unmindful of contradictions in the positions, and believe their cause has been blessed by God. She sees Bush Republicans' self-righteous prattle about the fiscal irresponsibility of eg. Greg Davis as laughable, considering what they do in Washington.

"Fanatics and Fools" then goes on to list innumerable absurdities by Bush and his administration, always sharpened with sarcasms that eventually become tiresome.

The "fools" in Huffington's opinion are Democrats, whom she calls "the pusillanimous opposition" (I had to look that one up). Her point is well taken, and she backs it up with Democratic leaders repeated fear of taking a strong position opposing Bush lest they be painted as anti-American.

The author suggests they begin by redefining the language of politics. "Responsibility" should also add social considerations to the R's focus on individual aspects, "family values" should include the strains caused by families needing to have two or more sources of income while still lacking health insurance., etc.

Recommendations for A Better America: 1)Energy Independence, Health Care for All (including preventive care), 2)Redeploy Drug War Monies to Protecting Inner-City Youth from Violence, 3)Secure the Homeland First, 4)Restore Integrity to the Political Process, and 5)Stop Outsourcing Jobs for Increased Corporate Profits.

Looking forward to her next book - hopefully a bit less "humor

Arianna Huffington as always is informative and accurate in her scathing criticism of the Bush regime and the damage Bush and cronies are doing to the people of America and the world.... and anyone who does not yet intellectually and emotionally grasp the reality (indeed the horrors) existing under the rhetoric of our current government will benefit from reading this book. But having just previously read Senator Byrd's excellent LOSING AMERICA - which focused on the facts and Byrd's deeply felt and profound observations (in his case, of the power tactics, lack of conscience and integrity, and vicious partisanship he has witnessed among many of our Congresspersons) without ranting and name-calling, I found myself frustrated with Huntington.

Clearly the left needs its Huntington's and Franken's and Moore's - and I value all three of them. But Huntington is more likely to provide confirmation and an outlet for anger for those already strongly anti-Bush, while turning off the undecided with inflammatory language. Not all of us are empowered to political action by nonstop ranting. The realities speak for themselves. Let the reader learn of them, feel his or her own anger rather than react to the authors, and feel mobilized as a result to take action for new political alternatives. Too much ranting can leave one emotionally exhausted and depressed rather than empowered to help bring in a new government.

The Left also needs more specific clarification of its vision and agenda, and this book does not provide that in more than a few pages. After reading many anti-Bush books, I bought Huntington's latest because of the subtitle, "The Game Plan for Winning Back America". But the "Game Plan", in the simplest form, was really a brief addendum to a book which focused almost entirely on what is wrong, rather than what we need to make right and how to do it.

I do not however want to dissuade readers from buying and reading this book. The more you learn about what's really going on in this country and its effect on the world and future of this planet, the more appalled you may be... and the more committed to helping bring about a new Democratic regime. If you are wanting to learn more about what's wrong, read this book (and Hightower's Thieves in High Places, Hartmann's We the People, Derber's Regime Change Begins at Home and People Before Profit, and Byrd's Losing Ground - all which I preferred). But once you know what's wrong and are well-informed enough to share it with others, and once you have lived in your outrage long enough to want to channel your anger into commitment and vision, you may then be ready for a Game Plan for America which goes beyond Huntington. You might then wish to read John Kerry's Call to Service and Plan for America. They at least provide the seeds which can eventually blossom into a new kind of government, one which serves the needs of its people, in action as well as words.

Of all her books, this is ranked the highest. I love the fact that she pulls no punches to expose both political parties who've done nothing but to swindle the American people.

I hope that people like Micheal Moore and Anne Coulter would take off their blinders long enough to see the ills of the party they support.

I find it interesting that in the pages I scanned through that I couldn't find a single fact. All I found was the fallacy of "Argumentum ad Hominum" (Argument against the Man i.e. "He's a schmuck therefore anything he says or does isn't valid") Now, granted, I didn't (couldn't) read the whole book so I don't know if she got into any actual facts that could be looked up and verified but just the fact that what I did read was so obviously skewed by emotion doesn't lend any credence with me of the facts. I am NOT a Republican but I do like my information to be clear, concise and to have the ability to be verified. I do not appreciate "scare" tactics or emotional string pulling. Let me decide what my emotions should be by giving me the FACTS!

This is not the book you think you're buying. I thought I was buying "Barbara Bush: A Memoir" by Barbara Bush, which has the exact same cover. But this one is a biography in the third person by someone named Pamela Kilian. Unfortunately I figured this out only after I had paid for the book. This is a real bait and switch. Don't fall for it like I did!

Ordinarily, this is not the type of book that I would have chosen to purchase or read, but it was given to me as a gift.

With all of the mass media infatuation with the Kennedy family, it is interesting to note that it is the Bush family that may have quietly assumed the position as the greatest American political dynasty since that of the Adamses: Prescott Bush was a United States Senator from Connecticut; his son, George Herbert Walker Bush, a certifiable war hero, relocated to Texas and served in the Congress before becoming Vice President and President; two of his sons, George W. Bush and his brother, Jeb Bush, have served as the governors of Texas and Florida respectively; George W. Bush is completing his second term as President.

Barbara Bush's memoir is a political love story. It is remarkable to see what a great beauty that Mrs. Bush was at the time of her engagement and marriage. When her husband left the oil business to concentrate on politics, Barbara Bush became a valuable political asset. She possessed a sense of humor and steel backbone that allowed her to be a tower of strength when needed. There are some poignant recollections included in the book also: George W. Bush proved to be a great comfort to his mother following the childhood death of one of his siblings. Clearly, he inherited his mother's sense of determination and tenacity.

It would have been interesting to imagine Barbara Bush as president.

What a poitive, gritty, yet appreciative woman hlding dear the basic human values of life that hold our country together. Truly, she was one of our greatest first ladies--she put "first things first," meaning her family and husband first. A must read for all American women who think raising a strong family isn't worth it!! What a payoff! When walking through the George Bush Library at Texas A&M, etched on a wall is George Sr.'s comment that his greatest blessing in life is "that his children still want to come home" Now I understand why.

Tugboat Babs has finally written her memoir. She is in the weird situation of having been married to one president and having spawned another. She is most informative on the Bush's early years together -- although she provides very little information on the family's connection with the Medellin cartel. She is also mum on Laura's vehicular homicide conviction.

All in all, it is a tale to rank with that of the Sopranos.

While I admire the Bush presidencies, I found this book boring. It is written as a catalog of events. There seemed not to be any central theme or purpose in the writing other than that it happened. That made it about as appealing as if a cook went into the kitchen and put every available ingredient into one pot to make soup.

Love the pictures of Jesus as guardian angel throughout Mr. B's life. And it's about time that someone was willing to take a look at the shadow side of Laura (a heroine to some (or should I say "heroin"?)). Such is the price of being in the public eye.

The writing is typical for a book in this genre (nothing new, making stuff up, and uneven writing, but full of good laughs, wow sorta like Limbaugh and O'Reilly and Coulter and ... (Franken can actually write and cite)). I only buy these type things in the bargain bin, but it was really worth it for at the very least the pictures. I think the authors could have paid more attention to the conclusions of chapters, doing better tie-ins at those points, that's the main weakness.

After 16 years of Bush (he was my governor for 8 years), I'm relieved that there is less than one year less of disaster left. Just like he left us Texans with a 160 million dollar "campaign contribution" to pay off (his property tax cut), he is leaving a legacy for the US that we, our children, and our children's children will have difficulty paying off. Get back to work! (do you have a second job yet? apparently I've not been rich enough yet to receive a tax cut.)

Satire has it's place - poking fun at the high and mighty is certainly necessary.

But the humor in this book is mean spirited and about as funny as listening to a comedian spout obscenities to get a laugh. The authors consistently demonstrate a lack of knowledge about their subject and have created nothing more than a regurgitation of the blog garbage that has been over-circulated about a very successful, competent man.

Simon and Schuster should be ashamed for allowing the publication of a CD which pretends to be a legitimate title. The cover of the CD set communicates through pictures and words that this is a serious effort - not an attempt at comedy. It goes so far as to state that the authors are friends of the President and produce his weekly radio show (photoshopped picture included).

Then again, perhaps it's the author's and publisher's disdain for honesty and integrity that makes them despise the President so much.

GEORGE W. BUSH: PORTRAIT OF A LEADER. THE GEORGE W. BUSH LEGACY. THE BUSH TRAGEDY. Numerous biographizers have biographized about George W. Bush, the 43rd and 44th President of the United States, respectfully, but these biographies all suffer the same fatal flaw: they're filled with facts. Thusly, Mr. President - or King George, as he's fond of being called - has written the definingest account of his own life and times, entitled DESTINED FOR DESTINY: THE UNAUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE W. BUSH.

More faithier than THE FAITH OF GEORGE W. BUSH, more partisaney than BUSHWHACKED, more funner than THE GEORGE W. BUSH COLORING BOOK - indeed, rawer than the finest sushi made by the most hard-workingest Chinamen, more unfiltered than even Ward Cleaver's Lucky Strikes - DESTINED FOR DESTINY tells George W. Bush's life story, in his own vernacular.

In this unauthorized, semi-autobiographical autobiography, President George W. Bush recounts his life's biography, touching upon a number of touchstone issues, including:

* His childhood struggle against excessive wealth and crippling privilege: "Like ROOTS, only white."

* His love for Laura: "I was blessed with the good fortune of meeting a wonderful small-town Texas woman who had a dazed and clueless stare reminiscent of a goat that had been struck between the eyes with a tire iron - a halting kind of beauty which every man desires in a woman."

* His non-battle with a drinking problem: "The day I realized that I was not an alcoholic changed my life."

* The Greatest Love of his Life: "Jesus."

* Al Gore: "I did not have a nickname for him because I did not have warm feelings for him. I only felt for him what one might feel for a calculator or other type of inhuman thinking box."

* The multi facets of 9/11: "9-11, September the 11th, and the events of 9-11, 2001."

* John Kerry: "[The Democrats] turned to dark forces, and created a candidate using perverted science. John Kerry was what they called it. He had the tall, lanky torso of Abe Lincoln, and the brain of my previous opponent, Al Gore. He also had Michael Dukakis's hair, Walter Mondale's charm, and the strong lower jaw of Herman Munster, the great Democratic President of the 1960s."

* His brave crusade against gay marriage: "We worked to protect marriage from the wrongful marriers."

* His enduring legacy: "I strongly believe that a large statue is called for, and I propose that this towering likeness be built in the glorious city center of the new, rebuilt New Orleans."

Our Dear Leader also ponders age-old ponderables, such as:

* Is our children learning?

* Will the highways on the Internet become more few?

* Does Brazil have blacks, too?

* Should steroids be banned from baseball?

* Is Brownie doing a heckuva a job, or the heckuvaest job?

In sum, it will leave meat-huggers and meat-eaters alike wanting a hot dog. Perhaps even one dipped in chocolate. (But not dark chocolate; in the words of dubya, full-time decision-maker and part-time wiener connoisseur, "A truly American snack treat must be covered in milk chocolate only.")

Because George W. Bush is no fan of words, or collections of words called books, he has generously shouted DESTINED FOR DESTINY into a sound machine so that his adoring subjects can read it with their ears. Even so, he urges you to buy a copy of each edition, as the book-with-words also contains never-before-seen family photos and super-secret governating documents, while the book-with-sounds has bonus extra soundy stuff, like never-before-heard radio addresses. Besides, if you don't buy at least one copy of each book, the terraists win. You should probably also buy a paperback edition when it's released, just to be safer. The US of A can never be too safer. From terraists. Did I mention the terraists? They perpetuated 9-11, you know.

Also, if you like George W. Bush, and you liked the book George W. Bush wrote about the story of George W. Bush's life, then you may also like Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA's story about his own life story, entitled I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU). Although Dr. Colbert is an sinning Catholic, who has said some unkind sayings about The True Christians, he is still a rich, snow-white, heterosexual man-boy, and is a loyal supporter of both George W. Bush and Jesus. Says Our Dear Leader: "Stephen Colbert: great punditer or The Greatest Punditer (tm)?".

Destined for Destiny: The Unauthorized Autobiography of George W. Bush
This really does sound like Dubya, "in [his] own talking." It's what he'd write, if he could write. That's why it's funny. There isn't much groundbreaking material in this book, but it's entertaining. The pictures are clever, but they could've done with half as many -- they kind of beat that joke to death. Bottom line: If you think Bush is a joke, you'll appreciate all the jokes at his expense in this book. If you think he's a brilliant leader, you might be offended, but don't get your knickers all in a knot -- it's only satire. And pretty good satire, at that.

"She insisted that 3 times 2 equaled 6. But I felt strongly that it equaled 9. This was one of those tired ideas put forth by the intellectuals, and it had little or no bearing on how things panned out in the real world....Miss Baumgartner, my first grade teacher, was hard on me, making me do the same homework as everyone else....."

The book is a work of comedy. If you do not like comedy, or are an avid Bush lover devoid of the capacity to appreciate comedic criticism; then don't buy the book! For the rest of you, you'll love it. However, the book does contain over one hundred and fifty pages of actual words; yes that's right, words. Furthermore, the font size of these so-called "words" the authors insist on using are relatively small. So I caution you reader, unless you're one of those "intellectuals" who know how to read, I would not recommended this book.