Gore: A Political Life

Rating:
Summary: Good look at the man who thinks he deserves to be President
Review: Anyone thinking of voting for Gore should look at the details of this book. Improvement over Clinton? Hardly.

Rating:
Summary: An important biography that fills a void
Review: Even to a politically conservative person like myself, inclined to slavishly approve of anything that would take down a darling of the liberal set, I must say that this book clearly came across as politically partisan in nature. With that said, however, it is difflicult to do a political biography of anyone living or deceased without having a bias one way or another.

This book is important though in detailing the life of good man (Bill Clinton could take lesson from Al Gore on how to conduct himself as a husband) that is a political extremist. That he comes across as "wooden" or "stiff" pales in comparison to his political, more specifically environmental, extremism.

Rating:
Summary: Hatchet Job...;
Review: I always relish reading a biography of insight and wit with a keen eye for what is relevant and significant- that which reveals not only facts but innovatively deduces motivations.

Unfortunately, this is not such a book. Zelnick's writing is pale and his research is weak. He has not discovered his subject anew, as they say. He seems content to diminish what potentially could be a memorable biography with National-Enquirer glibness. His book is replete with unwarranted speculation and he lacks the discipline of an objective journalist. I think the book is compromised by the fact that the reader has to contend with the author's personal political agenda.

I truly do not think there has been a first-rate biography of Gore written yet. He may be someone that we will all have a better idea about once history gives us some perspective. We shall see.

Rating:
Summary: Negative, even where it doesn't have to be.
Review: I can take the good and the bad with any candidate. I love presidential elections and relish the time of year they occur. I read whatever I can get my hands on regarding any and all candidates, Republican, Democrat, etc. - I enjoy learning about the people running, one of whom, will probably end up being president.

This book could have been better, except for the fact that the author takes any and all occasion to make something negative, even if the occasion is not warrented. I have to say, I also don't like "white wash" books that make a candidate look like the perfect person, who's never done anything wrong (who of us can really say that?).

Early on in the book, Zelnick mentions that soon after graduating high school, Gore broke up with a steady girl friend. Zelnick then mentions that she burned the love letters he sent her at a time in her life when she was about to be married. Up to now, this is a nice fact, good reporting, but then Zelnick adds - "or so she claims!" It's like having a book written by Hard Copy! Obiously Zelnick is one of those writers who after being told by the subject that they will not cooperate and asks that his friends take the same stance cannot rise above this, but feels that he needs to exact his revenge by making the smallest fact seem negative.

This is a shame as the body of the book, the facts, the research, etc. are quite good and thourough, which is why I give it two stars instead of one.

Rating:
Summary: Gore is Good Family Man But Too Politically Expedient
Review: I think this book is a pretty fair assessment of Vice President Al Gore. Bob Zelnick would appear to have given Gore a fair shake and a balanced treatment of the facts. But the message one gets is that Gore is an enigma. He is a man seemingly devoted to truth, justice and family. But he has also seemed willing to sacrifice all of the above if it has meant advancing him one step closer to his ultimate goal - the presidency. The fact that Gore is politically expedient isn't especially revealing. However, unlike most politicians, Gore doesn't think he is doing wrong or being expedient when he sacrifices principle for political gain. In fact, he seems to go out of his way to rewrite history so that he comes out looking clean. If elected, he certainly would restore some semblance of honor back to the White House; but that isn't saying much considering how far his boss has lowered the respectability of that institution. But Gore seems too much like his boss in that he is politically spineless and because of his tendency to stretch or obscure the truth. And his ideas on the environment are way out there on the fringes. I'm not sure I want a man adhering to pseudo-science to be the ultimate say in economic decisions for America. I think Bob Zelnick has done a service in presenting a comprehensive picture of Gore and I believe every American voter should read this book in order to become more informed for Election 2000.

Rating:
Summary: Hatchet Job...;
Review: I'm not a Gore supporter but in my opinion this is a "hatchet job," done with a dull, rusty hatchet. Not worth the read; surely not worth the price. I give it one star only because there is no provision for giving it none...or "negative" stars. I'm sorry I bought this, didn't check it out of the library, wasted the money.

Rating:
Summary: A partisan, but asurprisingly worthy, biography
Review: There is little question about the author's feelings in this book. He obviously doesn't like Al Gore. But the fact that Mr. Zelnick is so candid about his partisanship is refreshing. He doesn't pretend to be objective. And there is actually a lot of interesting information contained within it. This is by no means the "definitive" biography of the vice-president but I think that it contributes well to the political dialogue. A good read if you appreciate it's limitations.

Rating:
Summary: Bob Zelnick is definitely No Bob Woodward
Review: This book was a clear dissappointment. Mr. Zelnick does not give us any more of an understanding of Al Gore that any of us could have gotten from researching Mr. Gore's public statements and positions. There is not even an ATTEMPT to uncover any "behind the scenes" conversations or the background for decisions. A very uninformative book and Mr. Zelnick puts way too much of his own opinion into the analysis (superficial that it is) of Mr. Gore the politician.

Rating:
Summary: Won't be popular within the Al Gore presidential campaign
Review: This is the book that cost the author, Bob Zelnick, his job at ABC. He chose to write an objective, even handed, biography of Al Gore - the man who is well positioned to become the next presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. That was not what our leading liberal network wanted to see from its employees.

The book looks clearly and honestly at the real Al Gore, not the Al Gore that you will see represented by political "spinners" and their cohorts in the media. It fully documents the opportunism and hypocrisy that has marked his career - ranging from his "flips" on tobacco and abortion, to his phony "tour of duty" in Nam, to the his environmental extremism, etc. - but doesn't ignore the accomplishments; his support of the Gulf War and of Ronald Regan's strategic nuclear decisions for instance. If you want to know the truth about the man, and cut through the smog that will shortly be emanating from the political spinners and their focus groups - read this boo

Rating:
Summary: A well written, well timed book about the V.P.
Review: To read some of the reviews below, one might think this book is a "right-wing" rant. Hardly. I'm still searching for the references to Gephardt as the "former" speaker of the house and various misspellings referred to by reviewers below.

Actually, before one passes judgment, as I've seen others do below, why not read the book? Mr. Zelnick has produced a fairly even-handed overview of Mr. Gore's political life. Speaking for myself, as a member of the so called "far right", I found the book to be quite fair in it's assessment of Mr. Gore and his political career, even presenting what I saw as a complimentary view , in places, of the current Vice President.

I'm no fan of Albert Gore, or his current boss, the impeached and disgraced William J. Clinton, but I believe anyone who actually reads this book with an open mind (isn't that what liberals are always SCREAMING at conservatives to do???!?), will find the book both fair and interesting. Enjoy!!