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Summary: No wonder this book was being sold at half price!!!
Review: What a nasty little book. If the author was looking to be subtle, boy did you miss the mark.
Don't waste your money.
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Summary: The facts, ma'am, just the facts.
Review: I just finished reading this book, which I felt I should do prior to reading Ivins' new book that just came out, Bushwhacked! I'm originally from Texas, I'm glad to see that _someone_ tried to tell the rest of the country what our illustrious then-Governor was like, both as an alledged 'businessman' and later as Governor.What Ivins present in this book is, as the TV show used to say, "the facts". Not opinions. Facts. Everything she cites can be verified, most especially Bush's business career, which she rightly describes as a mini-Enron scandal. Nothing Bush has done as President should be a surprise to anyone. His behavior in Washington is completely consistent with his behavior back in Texas. On, now, to Bushwhacked!
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Summary: Excellent Book - A Must Read
Review: Since this book first came out, I can't tell you how many copies I have bought and given to friends, colleagues and even strangers. It's an excellent, insightful and even entertaining book about an extremely important topic. Analytical and fact based, it is so well-written that you can't put it down once you start reading it. I continue to refer to the book and use it as a valuable resource when I am faced with some blatantly wrong statement about Shrub, his life and political ideology.
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Summary: Bush through Texan eyes
Review: Ivins 'biography' of Bush's political career is hilarious, yet informative. A great laugh. I laughed so much I had tears in my eyes. Cant' wait to read Ivins new book.
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Summary: IT'S SOOOO EASY TO BE A CRITIC...
Review: Reading the reviews is very depressing and tells more about us americans than it tells about Bush. Whether you like him or not, whether you voted for him or not, whether you're a republican or a democrat or independent, whether you agree with all or some or none of his views, whether you think he's incompetent or evil, HE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. People voted for him. I don't agree with everything that he does but as a leader of our country, and someone who's surrounded by WISE counselors, we have to follow his decisions. We voice our opinions PROPERLY by writing to washington (not some bulletin board like this), and leave it to the administration to choose which they think is best. Would you like it if your children talks like this about you? (we are sort of his children because the responsibility and the future of this country rests on his shoulder whether you like it or not. why don't you vote next time and get more people to vote for YOUR candidate instead of complaining). Do you really think you can do a better job? He has handled well many issues that would wet your pants! Considering that he's an underdog, he's doing okay. Outside terrorist forces knows this disunity within America and that is why terrorists have a lot of confidence that they can defeat us. Let's focus on things that we have in common rather than the things we disagree upon. Like I said, it's so easy to criticize when you're in the bleachers. If you really want to make a difference in the world, then make a difference in the world. Go help somebody instead of complaining. Many of you do not have the guts to do that, that is why you come here and vent. I don't even know why I'm wasting my time here...
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Summary: Go back and read this now.
Review: Molly Ivins is smart as hell. Funny. Wise. Well-connected. This book will tell you all kinds of nasty stuff you may not want to know about President Bush--or at least the person he was before he was put in the White House. I re-read it in August 2003. Written and published before the 2000 election, it is hauntingly prophetic. Two examples: "For an upper-class white boy, Bush comes on way too hard-... ...a common Texas mail trait. Somebody should probably be worrying about how all this could affect his handling of future encounter with some Saddam Hussein, but that's beyond the scope of this book (xxii. Written in December 1999.)" There is a chapter with the title "Is the Air Cleaner?: Bush and the Environment", detailing Governor Bush's willingness to make life easier for industrial polluters in Texas. While I was reading this chapter, I looked up at CNN long enough to see: "Bush administration revises air pollution rules" (CNN.com 8/27/03) Guess which way they were revised?
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Summary: Molly's on target.
Review: This book is accurate, humorous and depressing. Molly Ivins tells the truth about Dubya and how he has been handled since his first stride into politics. "It could only happen in Texas" is the title I would have given this book; but I am wrong. It happened in the whole country. The Bush Team handled everything, including the 'Shrub'. This book will show what was known and when we knew it. No one paid much attention. Looking back now, we see a national tragedy. Molly was on target. The depressing part is what happened since she wrote the book. Take a short step back in time with this book.
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Summary: He is worse than I thought
Review: While I have been no fan of George W. Bush's politics and vision for America since he "took" office, I'll admit that I knew little of his days as "Guv" in Texas. Well, with one funny, informative book, Molly Ivins has corrected that and much more. -His time in the Texas Air National Guard -- What a joke! He was in the same unit that held many of the state legislator's sons. There was no chance in hell that they were going to see action in Vietnam. Plus, where did W go during those months that nobody can seem to remember seeing him on the base? -He is more beholden to special interests and big corporations than I thought he was. He placed former oil lobbyists on the Government commission that oversaw the oil business. -His past business dealings -- anytime he got in financial trouble, someone was their to bail him out and save his reputation. -His connections to the Religious Right -- I had deluded myself into thinking that Bush was only tolerant of them, but now I see that he is willing to use them, and them use him. Soon, Bush is going to have to pull off a major victory for the Religous Right or there will be a confrontation. -"Compassionate Conservatism" --- Ugh! Cutting social services to parents while leading the nation in executions. Highly Recommended!
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Summary: Please read this book before the next election!
Review: In a time where politicians are suspect, truth is hard to catch, and both Democrats and Republicans have closets full of skeleton's made public, this witty, insightful analysis of George W. Bush, the Texas political incubator, power and deceit, is enlightening. If spoon full of sugar make the medicine go down, this ten gallon serving of humor makes the dose of reality and analysis easier to swallow. It is a quick read, you can spend a few minutes,here and there, or an evening being entertained and informed. It would be an great national service if Ivins would do such a piece on all our presidential candidates, before the next election! If you have run the Bush Banner up your flagpole next to Old Glory you will be offended. If you have pondered how this man ascended to the American thrown you will find this very helpful.
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Summary: A LITTLE TRUTH HERE, A LITTLE PARTISANSHIP THERE
Review: Molly Ivins is a true left of left liberal. She never met a conservative she liked and worships at the altar of every liberal no matter how insipid. That being said she is probably correct on some of her accusations in this book. George W. has definitely had a free ride all his life, but then so has Al Gore (we should probably refer to him as a "sapling" to maintain the tone in this book). Wealth and politics have always been logical bedfellows and many members of both parties are either independently wealthy or the offspring of well-to-do relatives. Being a black-lunged Texan I can attest that Bush was less than perfect in his environmental record - but then again so was the previous governor, Democrat Ann Richards. In his campaign for the governorship Bush also promised tax relief to many Texans (particularly Houstonians) who suffer from terribly onerous property taxes. That campaign promise translated into a rather small cut which was quickly overcome by a hefty rise in school taxes. In addition Pres. Bush, while being a much more decent man than Clinton, has not shown much skill in handling the economy. In these bad economic times he continues to spend money like a drunken democrat - returning billions to the upper 2% of taxpayers when we have a massive budget deficit and wasting inestimable billions in Afghanistan and Iraq (these oil rich countries should be paying for reconstruction with their own money, not mine). Now he has forked over $10 billion politically correct dollars to "combat" AIDS (a disease of the sexually promiscuous) in mother Africa. He musters the military like a child playing with toy soldiers (will we now go to Liberia?), seemingly unconcerned with the huge cost and the theory that stretching a rubber band too tightly will cause it to break. Ironically his refusal to protect our borders, especially from millions of transient Mexican nationals, must endear him to Molly somewhat. This book was written before Mr. Bush became president. Molly is a partisan leftist but I must award her three stars for more than a few kernels of truth here. Now if she would only lend her considerable ability toward writing a truthful and unbiased book about many equally "shrubby" democrats...
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