Rating: 
Summary: Great read!!
Review: Chris is such a highly intelligent and enthusiastic democrat. His is the kind of spirit it will take to win the White House some day. Chris have you ever considered running for president??
I like his ability to judge the person, not the party. His praise of JFK is right on the money and his look at the Clinton presidency and other issues shows excellent insight I think. Thumbs up for this one. :)
Rating:
Summary: Great read!!
Review: Chris is such a highly intelligent and enthusiastic democrat. His is the kind of spirit it will take to win the White House some day. Chris have you ever considered running for president??
I like his ability to judge the person, not the party. His praise of JFK is right on the money and his look at the Clinton presidency and other issues shows excellent insight I think. Thumbs up for this one. :)
Rating:
Summary: This was the best book I have ever read
Review: He explores his personal history, including his middle-class Republican Catholic upbringing and his two years of Peace Corps service to analyze his current political positions on contemporary culture. Considering he favors Bush and he is a lifelong Democrat, he also brings out nicely by using the topic of abortion as back drop. In 60¡¯s, he was born in Philadelphia to an Irish-American family, conservative Catholics, and Republicans. Matthews grew up a conservative but rejected the right-wing in the late 60s because of the disaster the Vietnam War. Matthews himself joined the Peace Corps to avoid being drafted. When he came back, he joined the Democrats because they were the antiwar party. He became a political aide to Congressmen, including Ronald Reagan's liberal adversary. Then he became a journalist. He wrote many opinions on many social issues in contemporary area, such as JFK, Nixon, Reagan, or his former bosses. Not knowing that much about American presidents and American History, I was a little bit confused about his story. However, as I read page by page, I could figure out his unique opinion about those mail social issues.
Rating: 
Summary: And now I'll tell you what I really think
Review: I love Chris Matthews. I love Hardball. I didn't particularly care for this book. Sadly I was really disappointed with his words. I had put this book on my wish list for the holidays and was fortunate enough to receive it. I read it. I let it sit. I read it again. My opinion didn't change. He has always seemed so straightforward, yet by his own words, he contradicts himself in his book. We are of the same generation - actually very near each other in age - and I particularly didn't care for his generalization of boomer experience. I really felt he was above such things, but he proved that wrong in this book. I hope to goodness not all of my generation - especially those who actually enlisted and ended up in a war zone, rather than finding an alternative - are lumped together with Mr. Matthews. The book is good reading for his fans who believe every single thing he says, but for those who were looking for deeper opinion, it is sorely lacking.
Rating: 
Summary: I appreciate Matthews' independence
Review: I picked up this book on sale and decided to give it a whirl. It was actually quite interesting. While I don't agree with his politics (Matthews is a Democrat) and it is the reason for the four stars, I can appreciate his independence, objectivity and I concur with a previous reviewer that this book is refreshingly honest. Matthews became a Democrat despite growing up in a family of Republicans and first supported Barry Goldwater for President. I was also surprised and agreed with his assessment of the Clintons too. While I think Matthews should give a little more thought as to what freedom is, The fifth chapter "Freedom Is Contagious" alone is worth the price of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: He can do better than this...
Review: I've been watching Matthews since early '99, and really appreciate his show. He keeps things moving, cuts straight to tough questions, appreciates how personal and social psychology have a major role to play in politics, deftly mixes humor with intense conversation, and is entirely intolerant of talking points. Unfortunately, this book contains almost none of that personality. Instead, Chris has produced a quick read of generally unprovocative ideas. Each chapter ends with, "Let me tell you what I really think...". So, what, everything before the finale was just baloney? What if he started each chapter with what he really thinks, and then spent the subsequent pages elaborating and deepening those ideas. Frankly, the whole thing smacks of a TV tie-in. I wouldn't dismiss Matthews outright -- his book Hardball is a real gem (read it, if you haven't), and the show still gets interesting here and there. But this book is thin on insight, and long on fancy footwork.
Rating:
Summary: A really great read
Review: If you don't care what Chris Matthews really thinks, then I guess this book is not for you. However, if you're a fan of the show (probably the best political talk show on television), a political junkie who shares Matthews' enthusiasm for the "game," or just someone who'd like to hear an independent voice when it seems all one can hear are the shrieking protestors on the streets and the smug talking heads on FOX, then this book IS for you. It's a very quick read, but chock-full of biography, history, and (lots and lots of) opinion. Matthews is a Democrat, but with a very independent streak. Top advisor to Speaker Tip O'Neil in the House in the 80's--when O'Neil was the voice of opposition to Reagan's programs, Matthews nonetheless admires President Bush and has contempt for what he sees as Clinton's snakiness. But one could not say he has become a "neocon" either, for he's still proud of his old boss; and his idol remains JFK. His opinions on abortion, government, and America's role in the world cut to the quick and are often right-on. In short, the book's a lot of fun, a quick read, and worth your time. So is the show...on MSNBC weeknights at 7. He may have a motormouth, but that's because he's got a lot of great stuff to say. Best book so far is "Kennedy and Nixon" about the odd friendship and rivalry between these two leaders, it's told almost as an epic novel. Great stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Chris, Now let me tell you what I think!
Review: PROS: I found this book to be somewhat easy to read and it did have a lot of good point, some of which I didn't understand though. Being a high school studdent I didn't know terribly much about American economics or some of the 20th century topics, with the help of this book I now know a little bit more about America in general. CONS: I didn't agree with some of his opinions in the book, it was at times confusing and/or vague. It was all generally opinion, educated or not, still just opinion. I would recomend this book to people who want to get into economy and government in general, I has a lot of tips and good points which would be of help to a student who's not too sure about certain things.
Rating:
Summary: Now, Let Me Tell You What I really Think About CM's Book
Review: Since I am not the type of guy active on the political scene, I didn't know who Matthews was until I read this book-for my high school government class. But in fact, I really enjoyed this book since it was an easy read, unlike many other writers, he didn't use big words hard to comprehend, rather he used everyday language and appealed to the reader by voicing his true opinions. At first, I thought he was a very hypoctical writer. He baffled Bush by saying that he was unprepared for the presidency, rediculed him for taking a month-long vacation in his home state Texas, then as you go on to the next page, he compliments his instinct and compassion towards the way he handled the disaster of 9/11. Then i came to realize that Chris is not a biased man. Based on the title of the book, he was just telling what he really thought on how he looked at politicians and political matters. He wrote down what was really on his mind, he hated Clinton but still, he thought him a great president. So this is what I thought about the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Shallow
Review: This book confirms that Chris Matthews is shallow, just like his estimation of the American public. Wasted my time on a hollow book by a below average writer.
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