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Rating: 
Summary: Bill Press, Spinmeister Par Excellence
Review: A delicious romp through the world of spin!!!As Bill Press's self-appointed "#1 Fan", I awaited release of this book with great anticipation; and, characteristic of his television personna, the book is intelligent, enlightening, and entertaining throughout. His sense of humor enables him to write without offending, even as one recognizes one's self in certain of his examples of spin.I hastily read the book as soon as I received it and enjoyed every page; however, just as one gobbles down a favorite food of which one has long been deprived, without really adequately tasting it, a subsequent reading, savoring every delicious morsel, provides even greater delight.Press's ability to totally enjoy himself, while providing truths, gift-wrapped in his wonderful sense of humor, provides the reader a delicious romp through the world of spin.
Rating: 
Summary: Good couch read
Review: Bill Press's latest spin on spin will not only open your eyes but give you a good idea about the nature of politics, as well as other fields such as media, law, and advertising. Press calls it something between the truth and a lie. It all depends on when and how you use it. Press is slightly left of center but gives a fairly even handed jab to all sides. Giving Clinton his due as the master of spin, followed closely by Bush (in politics).
A quote from the book about what makes news;"In his masterful biography of Hearst, David Nasaw explains the famous publisher's guiding principal: "News is not a phenomenon that exists in the real world, waiting to be discovered...An event becomes news only when journalists and the editors decide to record it. More often than not, what determines whether an occurrence is noteworthy or not is the ease with which it can be plotted and narrated so that readers will want to read about it." Thus spin feeds the beast of corporate-driven journalists." I'll leave you with one example of spin from the book: Spin: "I'm just an average American who found herself in a situation not of her own making."
--Linda Tripp Translation: I'm going to get a book deal and I'll rat on my friend to do it. Recommended
Rating: 
Summary: shallow and on top of that profane
Review: I began reading this book with great expectations only to discover after a few chapters that it contains nothing new or worthwhile. Sure it's funny but I would have liked to see some real political analysis on the subject of spin. On top of that,and at the risk of being labelled a prude: This book is incredibly profane ! It doesn't really matter what subject mr. Press is covering, it is usually backed up by profanity. Could it be that mr. Press doesn't really have anything interesting to say that he has to rely on this cheap method ?? It certainly looks that way.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun, easy to read book
Review: I found the book fun to read and its breezy and short style made for a quick, but informative read as well. It's witty and a great book. Bill Press has a liberal slant, but as he points out, that view is becoming rarer. His views don't mean he's not going to point out liberal foibles either. All in all, an entertaining book on politics and life. You'll never watch a political show without wincing again!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent and informative book that doesn't pull punches!
Review: I picked this up at the library and it was well worth the price! It was pleasantly non-partisan, with both Clinton and Bush (father and son) getting plenty of attention. I hadn't realized just how successful Bush's spinmeisters had been until I realized that some of the very reasons I voted for him rather than Gore were due to the picture they painted of him, rather than the real Dubya. Politics isn't the only arena in which spin is important, and Press discusses several ways in which regular people use spin every day. Not only is this book full of relevant information, Press is a witty and easy-to-read author. I was disappointed to finish this book, and I will certainly look for other works by this author.
Rating:
Summary: LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE
Review: I really do not like writing bad reviews but I do wish people to know what they are and are not getting. Like some other reviewers, I was hoping for a decent discussion on spin; what, how, why. Instead, this book is an repetitive barage of mildly entertaining anecdotes, slams and profane asides. (I'm not easily offended, but any political writer who uses the word 'bl**job' as much as Press does gets a bit annoying.) That's not to mention that the book could also, and was likely intended to, serve as an advertisement for his CNN show "Crossfire" as he mentions it once per page. To his credit, this book is non-partisan, candid and from time to time, fun. Still, from his discussions on different kinds of spin, the history of spinning and all the rest, there was not one original thought in these pages. Everything Press presses in this book, we've all thought before while pondering the nature of political spin. With that in mind, it's tough to say whether Press was being deliberately condescending by writing this book, or if that was only the unintended consequence.
Rating:
Summary: Not a bad read...and not a great read
Review: I was disappointed by this book. Over the last few months, I've been reading the latest literary offerings by political pundits. I saved Bill Press' for last, because I thought it would be my favorite. I liked the angle--an exploration of spin and its influence in every area of our lives. But with the book read, I'm not sure if I learned anything new. Before I get to my major concerns, a few things I liked about the book: 1. It's a fast read. Press writes with clarity and conciseness, a skill not to be downplayed. Especially in political punditry, this is a significant attribute. 2. Chock full of fun examples and anecdotes. Press knows that a good story is always appropriate as support for a point. He doesn't shy away from using them throughout. Excellent historical and contemporary anecdotes. But... 1. This is a shallow book. The arguments are not unique, the explanations are superficial. There are many ways to communicate the message "nearly everything is spin," and Press covers most of them, consistently repeating and rephrasing this theme. 2. I was let down that Press did not provide a clear conceptualization of what spin really is. As a result, we're left with this broad, abstract notion, and it's not powerful enough to bind the book together. 3. This is a rather minor criticism, but I think it needs to be pointed out, even at the risk of being labeled prudish/old-fashioned. The language in this book gets a little rough at times. Usually, I don't even notice the use of profanity, but in this book, for some reason, it really sticks out and seems awkward. This is not an indictment or judgment of Press' morality. It is, however, an interpretation that his reliance on profanity seems to be taking the easy route in this writing. With or without my reason #3, this was a disappointing read. It's likely I was expecting too much--however, coming to expect a well-written book of political analysis with strong argumentation really doesn't seem to be an overly high expectation.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, hilarious, solid and actually bipartisan!!!!
Review: OK, so Bill Press lost his dayjob, as co-host of CNN's Crossfire (he is now a "contributor"). But not only will we likely still see him on the tube...but he has a great back-up day-job: as an author. Spin This! has to be one of the funniest, yet most painstakingly researched, books I have ever read. From "spins" dating back to Bibical times, to politics, to show biz, to male-female relationships, SPIN THIS laughingly explores (and exposes) it ALL. Whether you're a Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative...or WHATEVER...you're going to find stuff that you'll LOVE in this book. Even if you don't know anything about politics it is not ALL about political spin. And there's this bonus: Bill Press is actually a screamingly funny and highly talented writer. And that ain't spin.
If you think you're going to get a diatribe from him, think again. You really don't. And if you love Bill Press' views and expect him to let Democrats or liberals off the hook, think again, too. In reality, he sits back and explores SPECIFIC "spins" in all walks of life -- and comments on them with laugh-out-loud wisecracks. Still not convinced that this one-of-a-kind book (it is funny but it also can serve as a GREAT reference book due to the truly solid research reflected on each page)can appeal to EVERYONE? Then consider his Spin Hall of Fame where he lets famous commentators of all persuasions profile THEIR idea of the most outrageous spins. To name a few: Robert Novak (on Al Gore), Kate O'Beirne (Hillary Clinton), Cal Thomas (Satan), Al Franken (Karl Rove), and one of his CNN replacements, Paul Begala on GWB. Clearly his colleagues on the right and left had a lot of fun with this project, too. Painstakingly researched -- and painstakingly hilarious. Gift it to those who agree and disagree with you!
Rating:
Summary: I expected more
Review: This book is not worth reading if you're looking for a sophisticated political discussion. Press applies this broad notion of "spin" to a wide range of topics, including advertising, dating, sex, as well as politics. Although his description of spin in nonpolitical contexts is interesting, it is not novel and I would have preferred it if he'd stuck to politics. I'll give Press some credit for generally writing from a nonpartisan perspective. Although he's a liberal, Press describes the spin of both Republicans and Democrats. Often, however, the discussion is more humorous than intellectually stimulating...
Rating:
Summary: LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE
Review: Total waste of time and money.
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