Rating: 
Summary: ...I'll agree with my friends on this one
Review: After reading Howard Dean's political biography, I decided to read this book, which was compiled by a team of reporters from Vermont who have been following his career. Although I found nothing of earth-shattering significance, the book did provide a bit more background for the themes covered in the political biography.As Dean suddenly appeared on the presidential campaign radar, he evidently appeared on the Vermont political radar. Leading up to his stints as governor, Dean was not widely known in his own state. Politicians and reporters alike seemed caught unawares by this rise in the political ranks. As governor, he received kudos and complaints. This book provides some of the problems with getting particular legislation going and some of the fallout, which his book did not have. The creation of civil unions legislation is one such example as is his environmental record. This leads to my problem with the book. The book's intent is to inform us about Dean rather than persuade us one way or the other. In a few articles, the writer takes the time to quote as many pro-Dean people as anti-Dean people. Even though I feel good about being empowered to choose my own path, I would like to have seen the writer's stance stated more aggressively. I would recommend this book for those wanted to know a bit more about Dean or those who wish to "fill out" what they've read in the political biography.
Rating:
Summary: ...I'll agree with my friends on this one
Review: After reading Howard Dean's political biography, I decided to read this book, which was compiled by a team of reporters from Vermont who have been following his career. Although I found nothing of earth-shattering significance, the book did provide a bit more background for the themes covered in the political biography. As Dean suddenly appeared on the presidential campaign radar, he evidently appeared on the Vermont political radar. Leading up to his stints as governor, Dean was not widely known in his own state. Politicians and reporters alike seemed caught unawares by this rise in the political ranks. As governor, he received kudos and complaints. This book provides some of the problems with getting particular legislation going and some of the fallout, which his book did not have. The creation of civil unions legislation is one such example as is his environmental record. This leads to my problem with the book. The book's intent is to inform us about Dean rather than persuade us one way or the other. In a few articles, the writer takes the time to quote as many pro-Dean people as anti-Dean people. Even though I feel good about being empowered to choose my own path, I would like to have seen the writer's stance stated more aggressively. I would recommend this book for those wanted to know a bit more about Dean or those who wish to "fill out" what they've read in the political biography.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific objective bio-develops thirst for second edition
Review: I have just finished the book and have scrambled to the computer to write this review while my perceptions are fresh. First it is an easy read and should be enjoyed by republicans and dems alike as it is simply an interesting bio of an american who has tried sincerely to make a difference for his family, state and country. Nine journalists from Vermont each writing chapters on various segmnents of Howard Dean's life timeline, beginning as a child through college,medicine and into politics. It is obvious that this is a hurried work, as I understand it, the writers had only three months to complete this work and each one working individually on separate segments of his life which inherently allows for gaps and emphasis on only a selected viewpoint of a single journalist at any given point in his life however; It would be refreshing if a book as informative, quick reading for the masses and objective were written about all the candidates. It is so difficult to get honest straight line info on candidates today. I salute this effort.
Hamilton Davis wrote two chapters "Fiscally tight but not always" and "Green and not Green" makes an attempt to give a balance to Howard Dean's effort illuminating the strengths and weaknesses of Howard's leadership style. There is a lot of space dedicated to a land deal with a trucking industry but is balance with reference to Dean's sincere appreciation for the natural resources of Vermont as he himself has walked the Long Trail in it's entirety.
One statement by Davis stays with me and that is on page 135 "What drives him ", she(Susan Bartlett) says,"are his family and his kids and having them in a safe community that they can feel good about. What I think he learned in his travels around the country is that the country is not like Vermont.The schools, the communities-the rest of the country used to have that and now doesn't anymore and that has really pissed him off. Thats why he is so angry because he thinks the country deserves that and he's determined to make it happen. He says we have the right to this. People want to believe it's possible for things to be good if they work at it. That's what Howard's about."
Everything else that I would say has been better said by another reviewer Ofer Inbar.-Read his review as he touches on many more points with more expertise and eloquence than I. Ofer Inbar suggests that another volume or an expanded edition of this work is in order to fill in the gaps and complete this excxellent effort tothis I heartily concurr. I gave this only 4 stars because it is a fine work needing to be completed.
This is a book that anyone could read without feeling that they are being politically persuaded.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of specifics on Dean's political and personal history
Review: I read this book hoping to gain enough information to decide whether or not to support Dean's candidacy. My ambivalence stemmed largely from my questions about Dean's record on environmental issues during his Vermont governorship -- which has been bitterly criticized by some Vermont environmentalists. I am also troubled by the fact that Dr. Dean is much more conservative than I on issues such as the war on drugs, gun control, welfare reform, and the death penalty. On a deeper level, my ambivalence was rooted in my concern whether his apparent forthrightness and appearance of being a rare, principled politician was "for real." Dean is under attack from opponents who portray him as waffling on issues according to political expediency, not trustworthy or reliable, etc. Such attacks are to be expected, but I wanted more detailed background information on his history and record than what I could find on the Internet to determine whether I thought they were founded in truth or just more political rhetoric. This book was what I had hoped for -- packed with facts which appear to be objectively presented. It covers Dean's Vermont environmental record in detail, allowing me to conclude that, although I will probably be disappointed with some of his environmental actions on a national level if he becomes president (he sided with business interests in Vermont to the lasting detriment of long-standing environmental protections), he does also have a history of going against the flow to make major contributions in the environmental arena in that state -- that he is not nearly the environmental radical that I consider Bush & Co. to be. The book also covers a broad range of Dean's other positions and political history. In addition, it gives personal background on Dean that helped convince me that throughout his life he has consistently acted in a principled way according to his beliefs and ethical judgment and that he is his own person -- not beholden to special interests. This is a person who, during the decade he worked nearly full time as a physician, also volunteered in poor communities, did significant volunteer and paid work in politics, and built his schedule around spending time with his family. It is a relief to me that, despite the fact it's unlikely there will ever be a viable candidate who agrees with my progressive opinions on issues, at least there do appear to be principled people out there dedicated to public service who are also mainstream and organized enough to have a chance at the presidency. Many thanks to the authors of this book for the good information.
Rating:
Summary: Great job, for such a rush
Review: I'm extremely impressed that they were able to get this book to press in under three months, and at how good a job they did in such a short time. I did find a few typos, but it reads well. Nevertheless, the rush job shows: This is a very sparse book. There's lot more to tell than they were able to get to. I finished the book the day after I bought it, and felt like I had just read a few chapters and was waiting for the rest. However, this book is packed with information and perspective. Even as a Dean junkie who's been reading everything I could about him for a year and a half, I learned a few things. The books seems fair, and accurate. I didn't see anything that contradicted what I already knew about Dean from other sources, and given how many other sources I've read, that made me feel very confident about this book's truthfulness. It also strikes a good balance between discussing Dean's history, record, personality, and governing style, with one exception. The book's biggest deficiency is that they weren't able to put in enough material on Dean's policies as governor. Out of ten chapters and about 240 pages, there are only three chapters - fewer than 80 pages - devoted to policy. These are one chapter each on fiscal policy, environmental policy, and civil unions. A couple of other major issues from Dean's tenure as governor, including school funding and early childhood intervention, are covered in part in other chapters. There's nothing in this book about judicial appointments, law & order, education policy (other than the aforementioned public school funding issue), affirmative action, and other important parts of a governor's record. School funding reform is described very briefly, and the book mostly talks about how Dean dealt with it as a political issue rather than delving into the policy. Health insurance reform, a centerpiece of Dean's governorship and of his presidential campaign, is only treated tangentially, as it relates to fiscal discipline and to Dean's campaigns and political history. There's no examination of the actual health insurance changes that Dean worked on, what they were, and how they worked out. There is one place where I felt this book was unfair to Dean: the environment. Dean's environmental record is good on land conservation, reducing emissions, and renewable energy policy. His record is mixed, in some cases poor, on groundwater pollution, and stewardship of Vermont's Act 250 which which seeks to limit development. The Chapter "Green and Not Green" focuses on land conservation first, where it gives Dean a predictably glowing review, and then goes on to delve into his mixed record on Act 250 and pollution. There is not a single mention of emissions reduction, or renewable energy, the other two aspects of environmental policy where Dean did well. The fact that this book is so much sparser than I'd have liked, gives it one advantage: It's a breeze to read, goes quickly, and is a good Dean primer to give to curious people. It doesn't have everthing a committed Deaniac might want, and won't satisfy a serious researcher, but it may be just about right for the casual reader looking for a broad introduction to Dean's record. And it does a good job of giving you what you need to know to make an educated guess about how Dean would handle the job of President. I look forward to an expanded version of this book if Dean gets the Democratic nomination, with more chapters on his policies - especially health care - and a more complete and balanced treatment of his environmental record.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good but...
Review: It has been my experience of Dr. Dean that, because he has taken stances and voiced concerns absent from the political arena for a very looooong time-and therefore recapitulates, for many of us, the idealism of the 60's-we have invested in his campaign an intensity of feeling that is in part a leftover from those days and in part a response to the very real threats to our freedoms that we face today and our desire to do something about them. (I speak here for my own generation, but he seems to appeal to the idealism of the young, as well.) Dean had been part real candidate and part fantasy hero to me. He emerged from this book as both less and more than the fantasy. I still very much want him to be president, but I have a much better idea of what that will mean for having read this book.
Rating:
Summary: An accurate and clear portrait of Dean
Review: Many people hear the words of Howard Dean, and his words echo their own deep and unspoken sentiments. They have been afraid to voice their concerns, but here is a man with the courage and moral strength to stand up and speak his mind in spite of the political pressure to stay silent. Read this book to get a thorough understanding of the man who would be President. He comes from a conservative and privileged family, the product of private boarding schools and Yale. But it is clear that he was never driven by the need for wealth or power. Instead, his values are centered on family and community, and the virtue of hard work. Even in his early years, his classmates recognized him as a moral leader and a courageous defender of justice. The anecdotes told from those years are revealing and uplifting. His early years in Vermont paint a picture of a man active in his community and willing to quietly work hard to improve the lives of everyone. He was also a natural politician, with a knack for recognizing the most direct path to his goals. As a husband and father, one can hardly imagine a man more devoted or loving. Yet he also managed to practice medicine while serving as Lieutenant Governor, no easy balancing act for anyone. When he was thrust into the job of Governor, after the untimely death of the Republican Gov. Snelling, he managed to push ahead with Snelling's economic plans and go one better. An ex-stockbroker, a medical doctor, and a political veteran, he had the breadth of experience and personal strength to truly improve the lives of everyone in the state of Vermont. Read this book if you want to understand what kind of President Howard Dean will be. Think of Harry Truman mixed with James Madison, a courageous and outspoken leader who will improve the lives of Americans and make our nation a beacon of hope in the world again.
Rating:
Summary: Topical Outline of Dean
Review: There are several books out there on the shelves about, or authored by, Howard Dean. I chose this one because it was written by independent observers; people who are not connected to the Dean Campaign for President. I wanted an objective account of the his background and his political record. That is exactly what I got. The first few chapters that detail his adolescent years are kind of dry, but informative. This book changes speed and gets interesting as soon as it tackles his public service career. His political record is one of a fiscal conservative, and a proponent of states' rights. If it wasn't for his passion for universal health care and land conservation, you might think he is Republican. He balanced the budget in Vermont, and when almost every other state had a budget crisis, his state was financially comfortable. At the same time, he was able to attract new business to the state, expand health care coverage, and protect wild lands from development. This book has a separate chapter for many separate issues, which enables the reader to study specific items of interest, and pass over those of little concern. The mass media has painted Howard Dean as a left-wing liberal. Part of this stems from the Dean Campaign's attempt to unite the Democratic base. But the other factor in this misrepresentation is the Vermont civil unions law. Howard Dean did not write this law, but he did sign it. His postion being that he supports equal protection under the law. As the book explains, Dean is not a social radical, but simply felt giving equal legal rights to same-sex couples was the right thing to do. The final chapters of this book attempt to explain the "Dean phenomenon," including his use of the Internet as a major campaign tool. And since the book was finished and rushed to publishers in the fall of 2003, the material is topical and will still be useful throughout the election year.
Rating:
Summary: Topical Outline of Dean
Review: There are several books out there on the shelves about, or authored by, Howard Dean. I chose this one because it was written by independent observers; people who are not connected to the Dean Campaign for President. I wanted an objective account of the his background and his political record. That is exactly what I got. The first few chapters that detail his adolescent years are kind of dry, but informative. This book changes speed and gets interesting as soon as it tackles his public service career. His political record is one of a fiscal conservative, and a proponent of states' rights. If it wasn't for his passion for universal health care and land conservation, you might think he is Republican. He balanced the budget in Vermont, and when almost every other state had a budget crisis, his state was financially comfortable. At the same time, he was able to attract new business to the state, expand health care coverage, and protect wild lands from development. This book has a separate chapter for many separate issues, which enables the reader to study specific items of interest, and pass over those of little concern. The mass media has painted Howard Dean as a left-wing liberal. Part of this stems from the Dean Campaign's attempt to unite the Democratic base. But the other factor in this misrepresentation is the Vermont civil unions law. Howard Dean did not write this law, but he did sign it. His postion being that he supports equal protection under the law. As the book explains, Dean is not a social radical, but simply felt giving equal legal rights to same-sex couples was the right thing to do. The final chapters of this book attempt to explain the "Dean phenomenon," including his use of the Internet as a major campaign tool. And since the book was finished and rushed to publishers in the fall of 2003, the material is topical and will still be useful throughout the election year.
Rating:
Summary: Vermont journalists know Dean best
Review: This book is very interesting, because it isn't a fluff piece.
The Vermont journalists who wrote the chapters know who
Dean is, and how he behaved in times of crisis.
I don't agree with all of Dean's positions, but after reading
the book I know what kind of man he is. He would
be a great President.
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