Rating: 
Summary: He's Right!
Review: Carville really gets under republican's skins, mostly because he makes such a compelling case for a liberal agenda. Carville clearly explains why education funding is so important, and how funding continuing education can be used to SAVE money in the long run (by moving people off welfare). This book is largely based on the idea that "the only two respectable things for someone between the ages of 18 and 65 to do are woking or getting yourself educated", and the government should help facilitate this. Since this book was written, the US has moved away from Mr. Carville's philosophy, so if you agree with him, reading this book is pretty sombre.
Rating:
Summary: He's Right!
Review: Carville really gets under republican's skins, mostly because he makes such a compelling case for a liberal agenda. Carville clearly explains why education funding is so important, and how funding continuing education can be used to SAVE money in the long run (by moving people off welfare). This book is largely based on the idea that "the only two respectable things for someone between the ages of 18 and 65 to do are woking or getting yourself educated", and the government should help facilitate this. Since this book was written, the US has moved away from Mr. Carville's philosophy, so if you agree with him, reading this book is pretty sombre.
Rating:
Summary: Still highly informative, humorous and appropriate
Review: Carville writes like he speaks -- full of passion about everything. One can almost hear his Cajun drawl and rapid-fire style in this book.
Of course it's partisan. It makes no pretense about being otherwise.
It's also packed with examples of Democratic successes, suggestions on improving the country and tips on battling the sound bites, accusations and fabrications of the neo-conservatives.
Sources are footnoted and verifiable and he quotes acknowledged experts and sources to back up the points he makes. This truly could be a handbook for the spirited progressive, if only it were longer.
Even despite its slim size, It's packed with useful information written in an entertaining style.
Rating: 
Summary: The Democratic Gospel According to Carville
Review: Carville, an advisor to (and well-known campaign strategist for) Bill Clinton, wrote this book two years after the "Republican Revolution" of 1994, when Democrats lost both houses of Congress to the bad guys. The book attempts to give Democrat readers "the facts to contradict all those myths and falsehoods put out by the Republicans". It's not trying to give fair and balanced views of both sides of a political discussion; rather, it's trying to provide partisans with verbal ammunition. It's thus a liberal version of popular 90's-era conservative books like Rush Limbaugh's SEE, I TOLD YOU SO (which, I might add, was also pretty entertaining even though I disagreed with most of Limbaugh's positions).Following a brief introduction involving a Republican barbeque, the author proceeds to attack conservative argument after conservative argument, including job growth in the Reagan/Bush administrations, supply-side economics, the ineffectuality and social pathology of Welfare, the superiority of private education to public education, the fairness of regressive tax cuts, the destructiveness of the minimum wage, Medicare as a part of a socialist conspiracy, etc., etc. Carville makes an admirable case for the value of federal government (a favorite target for conservatives), describing more than 40 "Things Government Does Right". I had a few criticisms with the book. One simply has to do with its datedness (1996). Although the majority of the arguments continue to have validity today, throughout the book I was trying to remember what was going on in the political world at that time. Another problem I had was Carville's conversational tone of writing. While generally it's quite readable, folksy expressions like, "...some people think it's kinda crazy..." and, "That's not philosophy, it's foolosophy," ultimately prove a bit patronizing and kind of annoying. On the whole, the few flaws are worth overlooking. Recommended for (mostly Left-leaning) readers who, like myself, don't already feel terribly familiar with the subjects listed a few paragraphs above.
Rating: 
Summary: Thinly disguised threats
Review: Carville, like all leftists, is a coward and a bully. The name of this book should have been "Agree With Us Or We'll Incinerate Your Children Like We Did The Waco Babies." Although he puts on the facade of wanting to discuss ideas, the hatred is never far below the surface. This is the same "man" who tried to intimidate Fox News's Heather Neuart by trying to shove her off the debate podium. He always targets women and children, never men. In general, Democrats use such techniques all the time. This book is the bible for such as Alec Baldwin, who urged a crowd of cheering leftists to stone Henry Hyde's children to death, or Sidney Blumenthal, who used sneer quotes when talking about the "victims" of Communisms, as if there were no victims of Communism. Ask the millions who were deliberately starved by Carville's and Blumenthal's mentor, Josef Stalin. In fact, the US today is much like the Soviet Union during the Thirties, and this is in no small part due to such as Carville. A small privileged group of Democrats leads a life of ease, with constant sex orgies over cappuccino. The rest of the population works at hard, dirty jobs and are forced to pay for the Democrats' life of ease. There is really no way anyone can seriously doubt that the Democrats know that they are the Forces of Darkness; indeed, when no cameras are around, they giggle about how they got one over on God's children, the Republicans. "We're gonna get your guns and we're gonna get your kids," they chant in their high-pitched lispy voices. I suggest you read this book, but don't pay for it. It will show you the kind of vermin we're up against. Hopefully, this book will help escalate the tensions between the Republicans and the Democrats, so that the Second Civil War will come that much sooner and eliminate vile swine like Carville once and for all.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and unapologetic.
Review: I think Carville's greatest strength comes from being an unapologetic, entertaining, not-overtly intellectual liberal. Although I feel a little bit of trepidation about the fiery, "Conservatives Are Evil" rhetoric (I'm inclined to believe that liberals should stay above the partisan fray that the rabid neo-cons so adore), I'm realizing that possibly the only way we can win back the White House and Congress is by stooping to the lowest common denominator and striving to entertain the electorate.
Anyway, Carville is a hilarious writer, and an inspiring general for young liberals like myself, and this book is excellent at outlining the inherent hypocrisy, immorality, and illogicality of many of the platforms of modern neo-conservatives. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Rating: 
Summary: Right on the Money
Review: I would only suggest this book to a Democrat, because of the way the author deals with the subject is such a black and white fashion, it would aggravate a non Democrat to no end. With that said if you are a Democrat hold on to your hat. Basically the author approaches the book the same way he handles himself on Cross Fire, well maybe a bit more toned down, but still feisty and outspoken. He basically takes on what was coming from the Republicans during the 94 - 96 time frame and shoots back with his version of the truth. He includes some detail on the arguments and some footnotes, but he can not help himself in tossing in a few proclamations that are without back up. That's what makes the book fun to read. With such a short book it will not give you an in depth look at any one issue or program talked about. The author states the book is help for he reader to argue points with friends and given that goal, the depth is really not there. This was the only thing that really disappointed me, I think the author could have taken more time to develop some of his / Democratic ideas instead of the gloss over many of them received. The most helpful thing he put in the book were a nice list of government programs that help the average Joe. It was nice to see such a long list. Basically the book is entertainment and not a deep study of any one issue. It is fun to read and moves quickly. If you are interested in the author or just a Democrat that likes to read something a bit in your face then you will enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Right on the Money
Review: I would only suggest this book to a Democrat, because of the way the author deals with the subject is such a black and white fashion, it would aggravate a non Democrat to no end. With that said if you are a Democrat hold on to your hat. Basically the author approaches the book the same way he handles himself on Cross Fire, well maybe a bit more toned down, but still feisty and outspoken. He basically takes on what was coming from the Republicans during the 94 - 96 time frame and shoots back with his version of the truth. He includes some detail on the arguments and some footnotes, but he can not help himself in tossing in a few proclamations that are without back up. That's what makes the book fun to read. With such a short book it will not give you an in depth look at any one issue or program talked about. The author states the book is help for he reader to argue points with friends and given that goal, the depth is really not there. This was the only thing that really disappointed me, I think the author could have taken more time to develop some of his / Democratic ideas instead of the gloss over many of them received. The most helpful thing he put in the book were a nice list of government programs that help the average Joe. It was nice to see such a long list. Basically the book is entertainment and not a deep study of any one issue. It is fun to read and moves quickly. If you are interested in the author or just a Democrat that likes to read something a bit in your face then you will enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Primer For Democratic Partisans
Review: I'll admit it, like a lot of radicals, I took Carville to be a dumb Redneck scumbag who did not believe in his own cause, but unlike a lot of radicals, I read him anyway. I was impressed. His passion, his humor and his well-documented defense of his ideological position impressed me. Carville is a partisan, make no mistake, he hates and fears Newt Gingrich and his cronies the way that little children hate and fear the boogieman, as inexplicable monsters bent on destruction for destructions sake. Of course, being a Democrat, he is willing to give credit where credit is due and admit that the right can be right about some things (one will never hear a Republican credit the Democrats with anything except maybe, grudgingly, good intentions). Those that are seeking a response to Republican mumbo jumbo need look no further; Carville provides both quickie one liners and more detailed refutations. He goes after right wing targets (like big government) and sacred cows (like the flat tax) with intellectual deftness that belies his dumb hick persona. He also does an excellent job of skewering Republican hypocrites (like Phil Graham, the pro-free enterprise right winger who, like so many pro-free enterprise right wingers, has spent his whole life working for the eeeeevil government) and Republican dingbats (like Fred Heineman who thinks his 180,000 a year income makes him 'lower middle class'). Highly recommended for mainstream Democrats seeking ammo to use on their mainstream conservative critics as well as Republicans looking to understand the positions of their ideological opponents (do the latter exist?).
Rating:
Summary: A HANDBOOK FOR DISPIRITED DEMOCRATS
Review: James Carville has become a cottage industry unto himself. And like Britney Spears, Michael Jordan, and Suzie Orman he has become hugely overexposed. His books are just like his political agenda - the same tired, liberal failures to which he affixes shiny new titles before shamelessly foisting them yet again on the unsuspecting public. In similar fashion, the undesirable term "liberal Democrat" has now been replaced with the word "progressive" in the never ending effort to dupe the naive. The dust jackets are always appropriately cartoonish, the better to reflect the folly of his ways. This book may be many things, but right is not one of them.
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