Congress and Its Members

Rating:
Summary: excellent introduction in the United States Congress
Review: "Congress and Its Members" is an excellent textbook for any government student wanting a thorough introduction into the actions and events of the United States' Senate and House of Representatives. The discussion found in the book ranges from the differences between the two houses, their procedures, methods of governance, etc... This book is very easy to read and comprehend what the authors convey.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent textbook, lots of examples, and a good read
Review: If you are looking for a textbook for upper-division classes on Congress, this is the one. It is thorough, full of interesting stories and examples, it's not too long, and it's easy to read. Oh, and it has lots of pictures! If you want to know how the US Congress works, this is the best text I've seen.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but other books tell how Congress really works today
Review: Mr. Davidson has written a good book, but there are other books that are better at describing how Congress really works.

One that I like and use is the Congressional Deskbook. I became aware of the Congressional Deskbook because of a review in last December's CHOICE, which described it as "A valuable, detailed, and highly functional synthesis of information about the legislative branch. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections."

The high praise in CHOICE is fully justified, and that is evidenced by the copies of the Deskbook that I have seen in many offices in different federal agencies in Washington, DC.

The Congressional Deskbook is a unique compendium that puts an enormous amount of information about Congress in one place. The publisher, TheCapitol.Net, publishes a couple of excellent Congress-related items in addition to the Deskbook, including the unique Congressional Operations Poster. Their web site, thecapitol.net, has lots of useful links for anyone interested in Congress and the federal government.

Your best bet is to buy Mr. Hamilton's book and also get the Congressional Deskbook.

And if you teach the legislative process, you should also look at the Congressional Operations Poster. The publisher also has a FREE glossary of legislative terms on its web site at thecapitol.net. And you can see more about the book, including sample sections, at CongressionalDeskbook.com