The Book on Bush : How George W. (Mis)leads America

Rating:
Summary: Much More Researched and Better Written Than Other Critiques
Review: I'll admit it - - for the past year and a half, I've harbored a dislike for the way that President Bush is leading the country. But I also recognize that it's not fair for me to be predjudiced against him unless I have a reason for my dislike. So, I've tried to read several books to get a handle on him and his governance.

I read Molly Ivins' Bushwhacked - She's a very entertaining writer and, from living in Texas, knew President Bush when he was Governor Bush. In reading her book, however, you get the feeling that she's harboring an old grudge.

I read David Corn's The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deceptions. At first glance, I liked this book because it provided a critique of President Bush's public statements that don't seem to conform to reality. Over the past few weeks, however, I've become convinced that Mr. Corn was pushing the envelope by calling some of President Bush's missteps "lies."

I read Ron Suskind's The Price of Loyalty. I thought, and still think, that this book is very important. Paul O'Neill had first-hand access to President Bush. It's somewhat remarkable that a former Cabinet member would have such a harsh critique of a sitting president. I was disturbed by the possibility that President Bush would assemble talented advisors, but fail to take advantage of their abilities.

That being said, The Book on Bush is by far the best book I've read on President Bush's leadership and it captured for me why I've lost confidence in him over the past year and a half. Mr. Alterman and Mr. Green have done an admirable job of looking at President Bush's policy agenda as a whole, ranging from the environment to the economy to foreign policy. In doing so, they are the first persons who have tied together (at least for me) the assumptions that make all of those policies consistent. More importantly, in contrast to the other books, The Book on Bush contains an extensive list of references to detail the source information for its arguments. Granted, some of these sources may have an agenda against President Bush, but Mr. Alterman and Mr. Green spend lots of time in the source government documents to bolster their arguments.

This book is well written, but it's not an easy read. You have to spend time working through each section and there are few anecdotes.

I also appreciate the fact that Mr. Alterman and Mr. Green admit up front that they are pushing an agenda. They want to make a case for voters to consider before the November elections. I hope this book doesn't get ignored.

Rating:
Summary: Alterman and Green Deserve Pulitzer.
Review: I'll be brief. This book is a bombshell. Careful, scrupulous, often hilarious. I highly recommend it. (I wonder if the right wing amen chorus on Fox news and elsewhere will dare put these guys on camera. Fact after fact after fact --)

Rating:
Summary: Superb wrap-up of Bush 43's actions (or inactions) to date
Review: If you are only going to read one book about George W. Bush's didoes in the Oval Office, this concise, superbly documented volume is the one for you. If you've already kept up to date on this administration, from sources across the political spectrum from far-left to far-right, "The Book on Bush" is still well worth your attention.

Dr. Alterman and Mr. Green are two of the most astute, informed, and readable observers of contemporary politics. All of their books rank high with me. But as this year winds down to the November elections, this book is a must for anyone--of any political persuasion--who votes with a concerned eye to the future of this nation.

And for the knee-jerk one-star semi-literate "reviewers" who most likely haven't read the book, well, just because the truth hurts doesn't mean it's not true.

Rating:
Summary: If you liked Howard Dean...
Review: If you liked Howard Dean, do not buy this book. You already know that Bush is a "say one thing, do another thing" lier. As such, the book will simply repeat what you already know.

What you may not know is that Eric Alterman is also a "say one thing, do another thing" lier. While Eric regularly excoriates other journalists for their lazy bias, he engages in the same practices when it suits his purpose. Indeed, Alterman helped sink Howard Dean by repeating -- over, and over, and over -- right wing attacks on the good Doctor.

Rating:
Summary: Beware of one star book bashers!!!
Review: If you're an honestly curious citizen looking for answers about Bush or wanting to learn why a lot of people don't like Bush, read this book. These are actually very reputable authors and columnists in the progressive media and unlike some conservative pundits you may have heard of, they do not vent by looking facts but rather find facts...many interrelated, coherent and researched facts and then explain. A microcosm of this logic would be simply looking at the tone and content and subjectivity of negative reviews as opposed to this one.

Facts:
I'm an Independent with no party affiliation. Both parties have their faults.

This is a long book. I could never read it. So I bought the CD version which I finished in a few days because I drive a lot.

The book is factual. absent are self-serving, subjective outbursts by the author to smear the president.

The book is methodical. It surgically, meticulously and truthfully makes a powerful case with an organized, cohesive argument.

These authors do have an agenda. But so do all political writers. The agenda was to investigate, disect and analyse, piece by piece the Bush Administration's appointments, legislative enactments, revisions of existing laws and their consequences. All this while comparing action to campaign promises and relevant speeches. These results are tied in with and used to substantiate and prove certain grave conclusions as well as pre-exisisting beliefs about the Bush White House. That is the simplest, most objective way I can put it. Whether the argument is compelling is for the reader to decide UPON READING IT.

This book does not regress to name calling and ideological rants nor to baseless accusations driven by cliche beliefs and partisan passions.

My opinion:

The book is chillingly methodical. No stretches of the imagaination, no half truths, no twisted facts nor strong opinions diguised as facts.

I firmly believe the periodic one star, 3rd grade level, one line bashings you find in this review section are by angry conservatives and bush supporters who could never take the time to read a book that doesn't fit their agenda and beliefs. They didn't read it. Could you read a book whose very subject matter repulsed you or was totally unthinkable? I couldn't. Same thing. They did not read it. They see the title, maybe read the blurb and then vent.

The one negative review which is actually quite long appears to be a stump, generic cookie cutter critique which can be applied to many anti-bush books. Most of (if not all) the points attempting to be factual in that critique are also false and can be falsified by a small bit of objective research on those issues...especially the tax breakdown which I can assert is totally false and inaccurate. In reality, the tax cut is not as fair as that reviewer stated nor is it that simple. The rest are core points of hatred and ignorance of typical strong conservatives and their view of the world. In fact, I'm having a hard time recalling where some of those points are even discussed in the book. Further proof. I would tell any undecided voter who likes to read to take advantage of this information and read it (or listen to it) before voting. And even balance it with some pro-bush material that truly explains, highlights and breaks down what good he has done with his time in office. I'm still looking for it...

Rating:
Summary: One of the Two Best Books on George W.
Review: Like many others, I have read numerous books regarding the Bush administration and their influences on our democracy and our values as a people.
This is one of two that stands-out for their dispassion, unimpeachable logic and irrefutable-meticulously done research. The other is "All the President's Spin" by Ben Fritz and the good people at www.spinsanity.com . I must admit that neither of these two books I have just mentioned are particularly relaxing-fun reading. Research rarely is.
One of the essential points made by the two brilliant authors of "The Book on Bush: How George W. (Mis)leads America", the always brilliant Eric Alterman and the former Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, Mark Green, are methods used by this administration which are fundamentally different than say, the Reagan Administration. Besides resorting to the raw power of audacity, that is to say; lying boldly and unapologetically; the Bush administration relies on lots of nice moderate or even liberal sounding words, to push their arrogant agenda. Who can be against "clear skies", "healthy forest", "tax relief for working families", "leaving no child behind", or "liberating Iraq"? Unfortunately a docile mainstream media which is all too influenced by the echo chamber of rightwing media rarely brings to light the difference between reality and rhetoric of this administration.
This book painstakingly does bring the reality to light with detailed and irrefutable research.
May I also suggest; read Eric Alterman's latest book, "When Presidents Lie: A History of Official Deception and Its Consequences". The catastrophic consequences of official lies are examined from FDR on Yalta to LBJ on the Gulf of Tonkin to Ronald Reagan on Central America George W. on...I always expect the uncompromising-honest-straightforward facts from Eric Alterman.


Rating:
Summary: Analyzing a Dangerous Misadventure
Review: Mark Green is a leading authority on the subject of big money's influence on politics. He collaborates in this timely work with Eric Alterman, an authority on how that influence operates in lockstep with the media, to promote a favorable right wing agenda.

This is a book that is intensively researched and, far from what could be termed a nifty hit piece, it is intstead a reflective work in which Bush policies are critically examined from the standpoint of their disastrous impact on America. The authors begin with a look at the swaggering manner of George W. Bush and his compatriots, and how this blustery air of bravado has been used as a pretext of selling a "no nonsense" view on government and a "we're in command" presence that is all puff and no substantive reality.

Some of the crucial issues covered are:

1) Environmental and energy policies along with the Texas oil connection of Bush-Cheney and their administration are carefully explored;

2) An economic policy which,ironically, is a seemingly mirrored reflection of the Reagan concepts which George W. Bush Senior once called "voodoo economics," the idea that we can grow our way into prosperity with no residual debt impact through massive tax cuts geared toward the wealthy;

3) The way that Bush skirts around the subject of ethics in the business community by resorting to amnesia in the case of Kenneth Lay and shifty avoidance in other areas;

4) The Patriot Act and all of its tragic ramifications for democracy is another vital area covered; how Bush and Ashcroft used 9-11 to invade American basic freedoms under the guise of necessary protective action;

5) How Bush has energetically pushed privatization in the health care field while making it appear that he fully supports the system, revealing the close connection between pharmaceutical companies and the administration.

Two seasoned professionals have amassed massive research and exercised their critical talents to present a meticulous but broadly-based attack on Bush and his politics. It comes at a critical point during a watershed election that will ultimately decide the future of America.

Rating:
Summary: Don't ever say "It can't get worse than it is now..."
Review: Misters Alterman and Green use 339 pages to catalog 30 months of the most inept and arrogant administration to ever darken the doorway of the White House. This is presented in a sometimes dry read, but it is a worthwhile effort.

The extensive evidence of how this administration has mislead us in environmental, energy, economic, education, health care and numerous other issues is stunning... references take 54 pages of 4 point type. The authors also describe how the pResident has hijacked civil liberties and the judicial system. And, let's not forget, Bush started a war... as Forrest Gump would say "for no particular reason."

In addition to the factual evidence, the authors try to correlate how the (mis)adventures fit together. The result is probably the most complete picture of how Bush and his cronies are running this country into the ground.

Rating:
Summary: Concise, Fact-Filled Assessment Of Dubya's Presidency
Review: Of all the books out there taking much needed critical slams at the Bush Administration, THE BOOK ON BUSH by Eric Alterman and Mark J. Green is probably the only one any curious reader really needs to buy. Although there is really no new information on view, the book fully yet concisely documents all of the scandals and outrages that have so thoroughly appalled this nation. While quite a few of those other titles are certainly informative in their own right, virtually everything of importance regarding the Bush/Cheney/Rove nightmare is covered here.

Alterman's previous tome was the superb WHAT LIBERAL MEDIA?, which beautifully and definitively debunked the ludicrous myth of the existence of a liberal-biased media (a myth created and perpetuated by Right Wing ideologues). In that book, Alterman refused to indulge in the inane name-calling invective that so often mars many similar works, and that same tact is utilized here. The authors present their carefully researched facts in a rational and articulate manner. They back up their anti-Dubya stance with such an avalanche of evidence as to make it impossible for any reasonable person to even attempt to argue with them. THE BOOK ON BUSH is a superbly documented and highly readable source of information that will become increasingly important as a reference work the closer it gets to Election Day.

Rating:
Summary: Doing Machiavelli proud
Review: Of the spate of Bush-bashing books that have recently come out, this is clearly the best. Eric Alterman, who wrote the incisive What Liberal Media? The Truth about Bias and the News, and Mark Green, who has penned a number of other books on culture, economics, and politics, rise above the others through sheer thoroughness and a convincing literary style that transcends the merely journalistic.

Alterman and Green begin with an introduction entitled, "The Power of Audacity," which I think sums up the Bush strategy only too well. When Bush was faced with the prospect of lukewarm support for his longing to invade Iraq, he simply came up with the Big Lie. Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction that he is planning to use against the United States, and he is in cahoots with Al Qaeda in planning further terrorist attacks. It has been said that if you're going to tell a lie you might as well tell a big one. Bush may even be aware of this quote from the author of Mein Kampf: "The great masses of people...will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one."

The authors go on to show where George W. learned his audacity. From the Harken Energy insider trading that he got away with, to his irresponsible governorship of Texas, to his cozy relationship with Ken Lay at Enron (which he later denied), to his campaign prevarications about never using the US military for nation building or the No Child Left Behind rhetoric that he failed to support with adequate funding, etc., etc., we are treated to a kind of true crime thriller in which the bad guy is a sort of hail fellow well met (on the wagon of course), a good ole boy who steals from the poor and gives to the rich.

Alterman and Green have chapters on Bush's "Deja Vu-doo Economics," highlighting his anti-environmental energy policies while he thumbs his nose at pollution control and the development of renewable energy sources. There is information on what the authors call Bush's "large portfolio of antiscience policies." (p. 147) Indeed, as I write this, scores of senators and congressmen are petitioning the president to allow increased stem cell research in an effort to fight Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other scourges of humankind. But Bush continues to play a kind of reincarnation of the ignorant William Jennings Bryan who thought he had defeated "the infidels of evolution at the Scopes Trail of 1925." Also highlighted is the fact that, although the scientific evidence is overwhelming as glaciers melt around the world, Bush continues to deny that the case for global warming has been made and has called for more studies, effectively ignoring the problem.

The authors however don't think that George W. is quite as dumb and self-deceptive as many others believe. They write "we think him dumb like a fox." Nonetheless they charge that "George W. Bush entered office with less understanding of American history and the world than probably any twentieth-century predecessor." Add that to Bush's appalling lack of scientific knowledge and his dismal ignorance about other peoples and other cultures, and we have one of the most ignorant men ever to occupy the White House. Perhaps the double-edged nature of the real George W. Bush can be summed up with these ironic words from neocon strategist Richard Perle, "The first time I met Bush 43, I knew he was different...One, he didn't know very much. The other was that he had the confidence to ask questions that revealed he didn't know very much." (p. 3)

All these stupidities and prevarications are explored in full, and more, leaving us to wonder how we got into this mess in the first place. Blame the Supreme Court (and by extension, the previous presidents, especially Reagan and Bush 41 who appointed those justices)? Or blame the media for being too cowardly to expose Bush's lies on the campaign trail? Or blame a semi-educated electorate? Personally I blame the nature of the electoral process in which TV and other advertising can swing an election toward the candidate with the most money.

And what about the consequences of having this guy in office? The really terrible thing about George W. Bush is that he has so often taken the position that truth in politics is the way to go, that he would bring honesty and integrity to a White House soiled by the presence of a philanderer; yet the truth is that the one shameful lie that Clinton told caused no one to die, while the lies of George W. Bush have (at last count) caused over 800 American soldiers to die in Iraq, with thousands injured, to say nothing of tens of thousands of Iraqi dead. And for what? To provide Al Qaeda with a $200-billion recruiting poster?

In other words, not only has George W. Bush mislead the American people, he has caused grievous harm in the process. The massive treasury giveaway to his corporate buddies is something we and our children will pay for again and again over the next couple of decades. The loss of international prestige we suffer because of his misuse of American power and his disregard for the welfare of others is something we will all have to live with for years to come.

It is too bad that the startling information in this book will reach only a very small percentage of the electorate. One hopes, however, that enough of it will trickle down so that the most mendacious president in our history--perhaps even topping Richard Milhouse Nixon in premeditated lies--will be shown the door come November, 2004.

Another good read in a similar vein is The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception (2003) by David Corn.