As a political staffer myself, I am always looking for "behind-the-scenes" type of books. "Behind the Oval Office" provides its readers with a thorough understanding of the Clinton White House and the manner in which it has conducted business over the past few years. Dick Morris, in depth, discusses many of the approaches that Clinton took in his attempt to gain successful reelection in 1996. Particularly interesting is Morris' triangulation approach to governing. I would highly recommend this book to others who are interested in presidential politics.

Dick Morris is full of himself. However, this book is worth reading...particularly if you are a political junkie like myself. "Behind the Oval Office: Winning The Presidency in the Nineties," offers a front row seat to White House political strategy. To this end, the one conclusion that all will agree upon with this book is that President Bill Clinton is a slave to the polls.

In many ways this book reveals how shallow politics can get. Morris is an extremely influential political actor in the Clinton White House and is able to expertly navigate the President through the dangerous aftermath of the 1994 Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole midterm Republican advances. Moreover, there is no doubt that Morris laid the foundation for Bill Clinton's second term victory.

Morris does not enjoy the victory...he goes out in disgrace. Nevertheless, this book shows how the author's twenty-year relationship with William Jefferson Clinton and his wife Hillary allowed this couple from Arkansas to survive many political storms. Morris is a master of polling and offers many insights on how polling tracks voter thinking on many sensitive issues. This book is easy to read and a straightforward account of how the "big boys" win in the political arena.

Bert Ruiz

The undisputed master of polling, political stratagem, geopolitical sagacity, and, er... prostitutes writes an amazingly candid look into the Clinton White House worth reading years later. Morris chronicles his triangulation strategy that unfortunately led to Clinton's improbable 2nd term. Morris operated largely in secret as "Charlie" over the phone and later in and out of the East Wing while Clinton's staff worked separately in the West Wing.

Morris tells how Clinton instructs Morris to continue with the subterfuge to avoid the largely ineffective and overly quarrelsome Leon Panetta and Harold Ickes. Without Morris and his insight, Clinton no doubt would not have signed the Republican-sponsored Welfare Reform Act and would have lost in 1996. Morris, who is a foot shorter than Clinton, was tackled by Clinton while in Arkansas, only later to be consoled by Hillary as she told him that Bill only does that to people he loves. With friends like that...

This book was quite an interesting read. Clinton-bashers are likely to consider it liberal pap, but there are some serious points presented in the book. It is unfortunate that the information found in the book had to be presented in this format and not in the public media. If the media had fulfilled its obligation to provide balanced news instead of only news that sells, today's current events might look very different. The book presents, in my opinion, a good starting point for those wishing to pursue the possibility that there might actually be something resembling a "vast right-wing conspiracy" that Hillary Clinton alluded to on the Today Show, January 27, 1998. The book is well written, well documented, and very readable. I would recommend it to those who wish to explore the possibilities of how we have arrived at the pinnacle of Clinton's demise.

This calm, well-researched book takes up where Gene Lyons's irreplaceable "Fools for Scandal" left off. Mr. Retter reveals in patient detail the utter disregard for truth or fairness, and the lack of the most elementary sense of justice that characterize Mr. Clinton's enemies. Mr. Retter indulges in little editorializing--he merely lays out the facts in exhaustive and compelling detail. He documents the fact that these people are organized, well-financed, and entirely without scruple. Mr. Retter does not characterize the people whose behavior he examines; he lets their actions, his facts, and their own quoted words, do the job for him. Every American needs to see the havoc that can be wrought when the media abandon their responsibility for telling the truth. Most of the mainstream media and the Washington pundits have missed the biggest scandal of the decade, but Mr. Retter nails it.

This is an excellent and much-needed book to set the record straight. Much of what Retter has to say about the right-wing conspiracy to get Clinton is now being confirmed by one of that conspiracy's ring-leaders--David Brock of the American Spectator--who just published a book (Blinded by the Right) recanting his former deeds and admitting to fabricating Troopergate and publishing lies about Clinton and Paula Jones.

Tomasky's book will be the first and last book you need to read about the year 2000 New York Senate race. Well written, fast paced, often humorous and wonderfully insightful, Tomasky's book is both interesting and entertaining.

Political junkies will thoroughly enjoy this book, especially with the facinating insights the book provides into the unique eccentricities of New York politics. As a New Yorker and long time observer of New York politics, Tomasky is uniquely equipped to relate Hillary's race to New York's political past and the expectations that past imposed on this race. Tomasky's book is largely about how such conventional wisdom was shattered by the unexpected outcomes of this race.

Additionally, Tomasky's observations of the quirkiness of New York's politics is one of the most interesting aspects of the book. Tomasky shows that politics is a very different proposition in New York than much of the rest of the country. Tomasky sprinkles the book with engrossing tales of New York's political history and its personalities which makes for very colorful reading and provides more than a few chuckles.

The downside of the book is that Tomasky seems a bit overly enamored with Hillary. Tomasky is very exhaustive in detailing Hillary's missteps in the campaign and makes clear she exercised some very poor political judgments, especially early in the race. Tomasky clearly puzzles at her lack of openness and availability to the press.

But for the many more malignant furors that erupted during the campaign related to Hillary's ethics, Tomasky always seems to develop some alibi or another for Hillary to exhonerate her, such as when her husband issued clemency to Puerto Rican terrorists. Tomasky seems to brush off any notion that Hillary would have known about this action ahead of time because her campaign was surprised by the move. But what Hillary knew and what the campaign knew and when they all knew it may well have been two very different things. Tomasky fails to recognize this, and leaves unanswered why after years of asking for clemency President Clinton suddenly granted these terrorists their request in the middle of his wife's campaign in a state with a large Puerto Rican population.

With all the many outstanding questions about Hillary's very checkered ethical past, Tomasky seems to dismiss these as nothing more than the product of the overactive imagination of "Hillary haters." He seems unconcerned for how Hillary's demonstrated lack of honesty and candor, as well as the many outstanding questions about her role in the Travel Office affair and shady Whitewater business dealings, effect her ability to be a trustworthy leader.

Tomasky taxes credibility a bit by seeming more offended by the New York state GOP mentioning the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in an anti-Hillary campaign ad or Trent Lott reminding Hillary she needs to be a humble freshman Senator than he does about the demonstrated inconsitencies in Hillary's claims about the Travel Office affair that appear to be bald-faced lies.

Additionally, Tomasky is a little overly harsh in his assesments of Lazio's campaign. While Tomasky amply demonstrates that Lazio ran a very ham-handed race, much more than I was previously aware of, Tomasky seems to have little good to report about Lazio or the race he ran.

Despite Tomasky's obvious leanings, this book is well worth the read. I really enjoyed Tomasky's intelligent and witty writing style and were the book a little more balanced, I'd rate this book with 5 stars. But Tomasky has managed to take what could have been a very cumbersome topic and made it a breezy, readable, concise and well-told tale of one of the more interesting political races in recent memory.

As a New Yorker I followed Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign very closely. Never wanting her to run because as someone who saw the eight years of hell she endured as First Lady I knew what she'd be in for. Readng Michael Tomasky's brillant, honest and ultimately fair book I realized i was right. Mr. Tomasky was able to capture all of the good, the bad and the ugly of this unprecedented campaign bringing the reader along with him on his journey. It's all there for the reader to decide. Even having lived in New York all my life I learned things about the New York political landscape I never knew. They say a book should enable the reader to come away thinking about things they never have before, Mr. Tomasky has fulfilled that which an author should. This book takes you into a world of politics that will never be seen again in American history.

Michael Tomasky's HILLARY'S TURN not only gives a comprehensive account of all of the events that affected Hillary Clinton's quest for the Senate, but also does it in a way that's balanced, free of cliche and surprisingly literary. Tomasky is a gifted writer and a great stylist, but he doesn't bang you over the head with his talent. A phrase just catches the eye; you re-read it; you re-re-read it this time aloud and you say to yourself "wow! this SOB can write!"

I'm sure everyone else is commenting about the politics, so I'll leave that alone. Let's just say that I'm one of those who felt that Hillary was TOO CONSERVATIVE -- the death penalty, the drug war, the HMO/INSURANCE CO/AMA health gin-up, advocating abstinence, all the DLC bs, etc. -- and this is the first book that takes the opinions of our small cohort seriously. Tomasky also makes very clear how and why people of different ideological stripes loved her or hated her.

Most of all, we get a great insight into what's important in NYC and New York State politics today. We see the "gears grind" as Tomasky might have said.

Super reading.

I got the REAL Monica's Story and also bought this one with it when I saw it. Nothing less than funny funny funny! Hah! And the illustrations were crack up humerous. This book is a great companion to the REAL Monica's Story, that is...if THIS is not the real Monica's Story.

Read this book!! "Anonymous" hits the nail on the head with this pathetic tale of a misguided lass who doesn't realize the fool she's made of herself. Written in an appropriate, fairytale manner, this "Untold Story" is an entertaining encapsulation of the reasons why Miss Lewinsky is a godsend to the likes of Leno and Letterman. The tragedy is, The First Intern is the personification of a society that is plunging headlong into Existentialist Hell.

'Monica's Untold Story' broke through the stagnant, boring reporting we all got so tired of hearing. This book was a laugh out loud read that left me smiling for the rest of the day. Having to listen to endles reports about 'Monica's Story' by Andrew Morton, of which I fell asleep by the time I got to page 20, I was glad to know I could turn to something fun and fresh. We have heard all that before, through the trial, Linda and Barbara. Who wants to hear that same old story over and over?? Frankly, Morton's book was terrible. All of my girlfriends now have the Untold version and we all sat around and chuckled to ourselves about how great the rhyme and reason approach worked. Plympton's illustrations are absolutley unbelievable! This review can do Monica's Untold Story no justice. Hopefully it does all to tarnish the told version by Morton...don't waste your money on that.

This book is simple a must if you're a real AC/DC fan. Altough it is focused mainly on Bon Scott ( for the simple reason of the man's unbeliavable great charisma ), of course it deals a lot about AC/DC's career until the "HIGHWAY TO HELL" album. YOu have to got a little patience in the first hundred pages or so, when the book deals with all the secundary bands Bon worked before joining the Young Brothers. But this phase is fundamental in understanding the man's backgorund and way of life. Of course there is no official quote from AC/DC actual members ( AC/DC would never permit it!!!), but a lot of interviews from ex-bassist Mark Evans. What becomes clear after reading the book (what was already clear for clear-minded fans) is how the band lost creativity after Bon died, mainly in the lyrical department. The book reveals that some years ago the band even contemplated sacking Brian Johnson (the guy just can't sing or scream anymore - it's awful !!). The band today is almost an "Institution", like the Stones (that's why they released only two albuns in the entire period since 1991)and losing their second singer could be a definitive blow to the band. All in all, this book is a must have.

I can't understand the Young Brothers ruthless personality. I love AC/DC.
So, when a writer like CLinton Walker tries "heroically" to pay a unabiased tribute to Bon Scott, one should expect that the Young clan would give support to his project.

No. That didn't happen. Malcolm, Angus, George, drummer Phil Rudd, Harry Vanda, ex-manager Peter Mensch, well, nobody connected to Alberts Productions accepted to give an interview for this book, which was almost a "last chance" to homage their fallen comrade. This is even made worse by the fact that Bon's parents, Chuck and Iza, gave their blessing to the project...
Just intriguing, I assume... The author could not even obtain permission to quote from Bon's lyrics, what would have certainly made the book still better!!!
As for the book, it's excellent, altough it quotes so much from Bon's girlfriends (as explained above, this was the only line of action left to the author).
As for people within the band, the most interesting sources are ex-bassist Mark Evans and ex-manager Michael Browning. Altough sometimes criticizing the band, they (and the author) did it in a very soft manner, with respect and gallantry.
Well, once we don't have (and probably never will) any kind of oficial biography about AC/DC, we've gt to put our hands upon anything released. And this is a fine effort!

The book is great!!! You find out the story behind Bon Scott. I was very touched by this book. Bon lived more life than most people will EVER see in their whole entire lifetime. And he died so young. Right before AC/DC got SUPERHUGE. But as it was stated in the book, the band moved on, and it's the way Bon would have wanted it. Nothing could have been done to change that. Clinton Walker does a very good job of making Bon out to be the legend he surely was.

I got the men's version of this for my son and decided that my daughter could also use some good professional advice. This book is great and is just as helpful as the one for guys. My wife even approves of the fashion advice in here!

I bought the men's version of this book for my son last year and he enjoyed it. Then I heard about this one and got it for my daughter. It's fantastic! I have tried my best to teach them how the business world works, but it is much easier if they can read it in a book. I think it is a great source.

It's about time! We women think we have it all wrapped up when it comes to fashion, but what's up with all the "fashion don'ts" you see in every office? I loved this book, it gave me so many great tips and advice. Let's face it, women in business are still a relatively new phenomenon. This guide helps you learn how the rules of the game are played. It's not just the right brief case, it's also the right way to act in a meeting, how to shake hands with a new colleague (so many women do that awful "dead fish" thing). I'm glad I'm "in the know" now and I've recommended Greenleaf's guide to other women friends-- they'll have to buy their own copy though, I won't lend this one out.

This would make an excellent companion volume to Roni Sarig's The Secret History Of Rock and In The Fascist Bathroom by Greil Marcus, esp. since Marcus' book mostly ignores the NY scene. It details the origins of the US punk and art rock scene, like Patti Smith, Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell & The Ramones who were the originators of many stylistic and musical traits evident in latter-day bands. It's an American punk Who's Who and a rock 'n roll What's What, a detailed history and a valuable reference work. Starting with the Velvet Underground, it covers The Stooges, MC5, Modern Lovers, Electric Eels, Suicide, NY Doll, Wayne County, Blondie, The Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, Lydia Lunch and other seminal artists. This is done in the form of interviews with the artists concerned, so you hear about the times in their own words. The famous venues CBGB's & Max's Kansas City also get their due. The bibilography provides a cross-section of the most useful published sources on American punk an there's an extensive discography. Black & white photographs (some very rare, like a pic of Patti Smith's graduation) enliven the text. Highly recommended for fans of intelligent rock music.

This book tells about every band that was involved in the 70's underground punk movement, mainly centred on NYC but still has time to talk about detroit and cleveland. This book easily outweighs the British documentation of punk in the 70's, the reason for that is simple... I am biased. Although from the uk, the us punk movement was far better and more interesting, and this book doesnt disappoint. It has quotes from everybody who was around at the time, and these are linked together by Heylin in small paragraphs telling background info etc. Its an interesting and good style he uses and the amount of information in this book alone should make it 5 stars. Electric Eels, Rocket from the Tomb, to everything Richard Hell did and not missing anything.

I read that a 60's book of the same format was available, with these guys infleunces in it. ie. Sonics, seeds, and shadows of the knight etc. but i cant seem to find it, but until then..... read and enjoy this.

This is the book that once and for all gives credit to the United States for creating the dynamic scene stolen from us by the Sex Pistols. Brilliantly written. The story of the Stooges, the Velvets, Pere Ubu, Modern Lovers, MC5, Television, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Devo and many, many more. Also, Mr. Heylin gives selected discographies so that you can go out and find all of this great music. Since the publication of _From the Velvets to the Voidoids_ there has been one very notable addition to Pere Ubu's collection. There is now a box set available that has all of the first four albums, a live Pere Ubu compilation, and a compilation disc of many of the Cleveland bands discussed at length in the book (ie: Rocket from the Tombs, Peter Laughner etc.).

This collection of Molly Ivins news articles is a god-send for those of us who are not privileged to be able to read her column on a regular basis. This truth-seeker tells it like it is and the reader is left with the feeling that you have just shared an intimate cup of coffee with one of the most astute political observers of our time. My only regret when I closed the book is that my own writing skills are not on a par with this seasoned journalist. I look forward to more and more of her quality analysis and use of the language to demand our attention to the important issues of the day.

Molly Ivins work is a delight and a joy, and this is her at her best. Her optimism, humor, intelligence and willingness to examine real issues make this books a delight. Don't get it if you don't have time to read it; I stayed up to 4 in the morning on a worknight to finish it. She is also hilarious.

Molly Ivins is simply a top-notch columnist who documents her opinions with facts that cannot be denied. So, her detractors resort to calling her "liberal" as though that word has the Magical Power to transform sense and reason and humor and documentation into a negative.

The far right, filled with paranoia and mistrust, needs to resort to name calling when they deal with this witty, tough, and very well-informed treasure. Why? She's got the goods on them. (She has been a thorn in Bush's side relentlessly cutting through his misdirection to reveal what he does. And, oh, how that annoys those who want to revive the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities -- that wonderful little gang that brought blacklisting and mud-slinging to the halls of congress.)

Ivins is a patriotic writer -- too in love with her country and its Constitution to sit by quietly while it gets dismantled in the name of "security" by those who use fear as their political cover, and too sharp to allow the politics of destruction to go unpunished.

Thanks to Molly Ivins, there is something to love about Texas after all!

Steve Tally is a great humor writer with a one-of-a-kind perspective on American politics. That's why his latest book, Almost America, should appeal to anyone with an interest in humor, history or politics. The beauty of this book is that it's not just amusing; it's informative, too. When it comes to the well-known historical events, Almost America is a wonderful refresher course. When Tally deals with the more obscure events in history, he doles out some fascinating trivia. How often do you get to laugh out loud while studying American politics? Almost America is a great read!

This book is in a slightly different class than most recent alternate history (or "counterfactual history," as the author calls it). The book is an anthology, but all the stories were written by the same author, Steve Tally. From his writing, I would have guessed that Mr. Tally is a history professor, and a pretty lively one, but he is in fact a professional writer whose credits include as much hard science as history. Nevertheless, his grasp of American history is impressive, and enhances his book's quality.

The book takes twenty-eight "what if" scenarios and plays them out: What if the early United States had kept the Articles of Confederation? What if President T. Roosevelt had carried out his threat of outlawing the fledgling sport of American football? What if Nixon had fought his impeachment until the bitter end? What if IBM had written its early personal-computer code in-house instead of hiring Microsoft? The answers are fascinating, but plausible. As the author's introductory note explains, "I tried to make the counterfactual scenarios plausible. Adolf Hitler doesn't step into a time machine to join Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg . . . . [T]he counterfactuals are based on the decisions of human beings, not on acts of God. . . . Focusing on decisions allows us to second-guess those decisions, and second-guessing is always good sport." Looking past the implicit dig at "The Guns of the South" by Harry Turtledove (a very good book, in my opinion), Mr. Tally lives up to his promise of plausibility: each chapter opens with an actual history lesson that sets the stage for the alternate-history story, then closes with a discussion of the sources and historical analogies that were used in constructing the story. For example, the chapter about the early United States keeping the Articles of Confederation, "America Scraps Its Constitution," plays out an interesting storyline whose facts are partly drawn (as the chapter later explains) from the Confederate States' experiment with a decentralized national government in the 1860s.

It may be a drawback for some readers that the stories tend to be a little dry and academic, as if the book was a real history textbook rather than a novel. For me, however, the academic tone gives the book a certain charm that only enhances its interest. The stories actually engaged me as I tried drawing on my own knowledge of history to figure out where they were heading. For those readers who are seriously interested in second-guessing Mr. Tally's second guesses, he recently (Feb. 2001) set up a website for such a discussion, which he mentions in his introductory note.

This book got me thinking, it educated me, and it was fun.

Talk about a timely book. Tally takes a "What if?" approach to pivotal moments in American history and helped me understand the significance of people, politics, and cultural movements in a way that left me longing for more. He leads up to a particular moment by setting you down in the midst of the historic context and its key players and chronicles what lead up to that watershed moment. He then counter poses the question, What if the outcome had been different? And then explores how our national character or world history might have been altered if a decision or circumstance had gone the other way.

One of my favorite college football teams is headed for the Rose Bowl in January, and here Tally discusses how Teddy Roosevelt nearly used the bully pulpit of the presidency to abolish that sport. What is even more fascinating is considering how influential college athletics have been in making the University accessible and hence supported by lots of people who might have otherwise cared less.

In today's political climate of close elections and missed presidential opportunities, Tally has some wonderful chapters on what might have happened if Tilden who had won the popular vote had defeated Hayes, if Dewey really had defeated Truman, and if Nixon had not resigned but had been impeached. Each chapter seems so timely, and yet opens a chapter of American history that most of us have overlooked or forgotten.

There is the usual stuff about military defeats that might have been victories or victories that were almost defeats--the kind of stuff you used to hear vigorously debated at the barber shop. And even though I eat this stuff up like candy, you wonder, What's the point? But Tally takes it a step further and helps the reader explore the larger consequences for the future of our nation, not just the outcome of a battle or war.

What I appreciate most about this book was the diversity of subject material. It's not just politics and battle but also culture, sports, ideas, and technology. All of it is grist for Tally's thorough research and nimble imagination.

My one disappointment with the book comes when I am just getting into the life and times of person and decision, e.g. Andrew Carnegie and his decision to sell off his Steel Company, when--before I know it--the chapter is done. I look back, and yes, I've been reading for some time, but the way it's brought to life makes me want to continue my reading. It would have been helpful if Tally had a selected bibliography of where I could go to go to find more information on a particular historic hingepoint. I want to know where I can go to find other authors, who like Steve Tally, can make history accessible, enjoyable AND meaningful.

This is a book that would make a great Christmas gift (I've already recommended it to friends), but it would also be a wonderful text for high school American history classes. It would help them see that history doesn't have to be boring in order to teach us about our past and point us to our future.

Beth Harpaz has written a wonderfully clever, beautifully written, and thoroughly entertaining behind-the-scenes look at one of the most high-profile New York campaigns in a long time.
She maintains a true reporter's neutrality, offering, for example, an intriguing perspective on how the press coverage shaped the public's view of Hillary. At the same time, she offers so much more than "just the facts, ma'am." Harpaz is willing to reveal how she struggled with the choices she made in covering the campaign and offers an often hilarious glimpse into the life of an AP reporter. What makes the book even more enjoyable are the poignant glimpses into Harpaz's own life as she struggles to balance the career demands of covering the campaign with raising a family. What a delight to read a political book that is breezy, funny, and all-together human!

Ms. Harpaz has allowed us to view Hillary's Senate campaign from the perspective of the reporter covering her. This is not a book about Hillary or her views. This is a book is a first-person account of the trials and tribulations of covering her campaign. This is a book in which we learn first hand of the "joys" of juggling a family (with little kids) with the pressures of reporting on a grueling campaign. This book also gives us a glimpse of the differences in styles between Hillary's and Lazio's campaigns.

Reading the book is like what one would imagine it is like having a conversation with Ms. Harpaz - only one cannot interrupt her to ask her more questions. She's honest about when she did it right, when her fellow reporters did it right, and brutally honest about when she got it wrong. I have to say that her point of view, through all of this, provided me with a lot of insight and laughs about Ms. Harpaz, the other reporters, the campaign, Hillary, and the opponents that Hillary faced throughout the campaign.

I could not put the book down. It is one of the best books that I've read in a long time. A great way to romp through a weekend

As a New Yorker and a political junkie, I've been waiting for the inside scoop on what really went on during Hillary's campaign. Beth Harpaz has finally shed some light on one of America's most celebrated and enigmatic public figures -- and she's done so from a woman's distinct perspective.

Why do we love Hillary? Why do we hate her? Would we like her more if we knew her personally? less? Why does Hillary inspire such a range of emotions in New Yorkers and Americans? And how, after all she endured, was Hillary able to get such a plurality of New Yorkers to vote for her? Harpaz asks all the right questions, and has some inspiring and entertaining answers.

Not to mention the fact that the book is a highly enjoyable read - I couldn't put it down, and I breezed through it in one weekend.