Rating: 
Summary: Verified what I already knew...
Review: While Bush was campaigning it was clear to see he wasn't wrapped too tight and Ivin's book just verifies that over and over again. What is amazing to me is how he has fooled the American public. However, I believe that into his second year as "that guy occupying the White House" the public is beginning to understand the big mistake they have made. All they have to do is to look at their bank accounts and stock portfolios. It's that old line..."It's the economy, stupid!" But Bushy boy is in great shape. This books tells all about how he sold stock in failing companies making millions before unsuspecting shareholders knew the truth. He bailed out & left them holding the bag. After reading this book the reader will be sick, disgusted and angry with George W.
Rating: 
Summary: Shrub
Review: George W. Bush, or "Dubya," gets skillfully skewered by political writer/humorist Ivins in this devastating, funny, and highly informative political biography of a leading Republican contender for President. Ivins, with journalist Dubose, presents the embarrassing story of how Dubya avoided the draft and service in Vietnam (with the help of his father's influential friends), his many failed ventures in the oil business (only to be repeatedly bailed out by his father's influential friends), and his dubious activities as part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team (where once again his father's influential friends helped out) and offers a fairly detailed account of his short tenure as governor of Texas (a state with a weak governor system). Ivins makes Dubya look like the dim afterglow of his more accomplished father, though she does concede that Dubya is an excellent fund raiser and a good campaigner. This biting political biography is well written, witty, engaging, biased, and important. It cuts deep into the flesh of the man who might be the next president of the United States. As such, it is an important book for citizens and pundits alike
Rating:
Summary: Everyone Should Read This
Review: If you've ever shaken your head wondering about some of the things that George Bush says and does, this book will help you understand more about him. Forget about everything and everyone except for big business and you'll understand very quickly where he's coming from.
Rating:
Summary: Required Reading.
Review: This book should have been required reading for everybody who voted in 2000. It should be required reading for everyone who is going to vote in 2004. It is a fair account of Bush's record--or lack of one--as a politician and nothing more.Molly Ivins is possibly the wittiest political writer of our day and her talent shines bright in this fun-to-read and informing book.
Rating: 
Summary: Is this about Bush?
Review: I was looking forward to reading facts about Dubya, but, other than the "duh" variety (his father was VP and President of the US, rich people invest money in speculative ventures, it is easier to solicit capital from people you know) they are few and far between. Most of Ivins' and DuBois' material is gossip or speculation and their use of "*" is not to provide sources, but to make more catty asides. The chapters beginning on page 57 and 71 have nothing to do with W. I guess they needed to pad the book. I will try to read some more, but my eyes keep glazing over.
Rating:
Summary: Good Grief
Review: Molly must have a personal grudge with President Bush since all she seems to be able to do is find ways to bash him. Even the complements in the book are backhanded and it feels like the tone is anti-Bush. Molly has a way of telling a story to make it seem one sided, the book isn't totally unreadable but if you understand the Ivans/Bush relationship you need to read it with a grain of salt. This book would be better if you had a non-biased person writing it
Rating: 
Summary: An Education in Texas Politics
Review: The theme of this book hasn't lived up to its title as G. W. Bush was elected President and is quite popular at the moment. But never judge a book by its cover right? Ivin's pulls very few punches when hitting Bush in this book but some times her hits just don't make sense. It occurs whenever she tries to knock Bush down a few pegs and then at the same time contrast him to Gore or Ann Richards She makes the point a few times how week the position of Governor is in Texas (especially when giving Bush credit for anything) but that doesn't stop her from praising Ann Richards on her job Governor and how much she could accomplish. So is the Governship of Texas only weak when Republicans hold it but not when a Democrat does? Next Ivin's takes pot shots at Bush and his knowledge on religion, or lack of. It's all cute and fine until she has to bring Gore into the picture. She goes out of her way to praise Gore and explain his wide ranging knowledge on Christians from taking some schooling in the subject. This one doesn't add up either because this is the same man that said that John 16:3* was his favorite biblical passage in a speech. A man with limited biblical knowledge would have noticed his speechwriters fubbed up and corrected that to John 3:16. You can check what John 16:3 at the bottom of this review is. The anti Bush rhetoric gets rather flimsy and old at some points but a lot of the book is devoted to strange world of Texas politics as usual. The book is wroth reading just for its stories that come out of the Texas legislature and how business gets down in Texas. Molly Ivins is as partisan as they come but she does tell a good story.
Rating:
Summary: Sad truth - hasty conclusion
Review: I lived in Texas during dubya's reign there. As governor, he wasn't all bad, but there were some real 'interesting' inconsistencies. Sadly, the book is filled with questions and issues that the media seems to have ignored/overlooked. If only they could go after these stories with the same fervor that they did for the Lewinski scandal..... Molly's book prematurely concludes that dubya would not have a long political career. Her style is witty but her points are distressing. She lays out a distrubing case.
Rating:
Summary: Tells the painful truth about Bush
Review: Many conservative Republicans might not like to hear the truth about Bush, but here it is. This book is very well written and has much documentation to back up what the authors say. If you would like an accurate portrait and history of Bush, unlike what the corporate controlled media hides, then get this book.
Rating:
Summary: this is not only a book about george w. bush.........
Review: this is a book about our faltering american political system
and about how big money and one-issue lobbying groups have taken over it. it is also a fascinating look at the political process as it is practiced in the state of texas. i am neither a democrat, republican, or libertarian, just a voter who tries to look at the issues and candidate's records and make an informed decision. in other words, a member of a group that both of our major political parties are no longer concerned with. candidates for national office, whether or not they are qualified and concerned for the state of this nation, are now slaves to a system that demands exorbitant amounts of money to get elected. if they do not have such sums available, they are not going to get elected. they are also forced to take the low road and engage in negative advertising and half-truths(or sometimes outright lies) about the other candidates. witness the recent new york mayoral election if you need any more evidence of this. $50 MILLION dollars to win a mayor's job?!! part of this is our own fault for letting it happen, of course. i am still angry about the last presidential election because the most qualified candidate(senator john mccain) never even made it to the national ballot. instead we got george w. bush, a man who made the finals because he had the most money and the best spin doctors. his shortcomings as a governor are well documented in this book, in a state where the office of governor is not even
considered the most important office. i do not think the authors have done a "hatchet job" on our new president, merely recorded what he has done in the past. they do have some good things to say about the work he did as governor for education in the state
of texas, and the post-election afterword tells us that he will probably do an adequate job as president. he has appointed some very good people, like colin powell, and made some atrocious choices, like john ashcroft for attorney general. my hope is that president bush has a good term(for all of our sakes) and then is replaced with someone more concerned with important issues, like campaign finance reform. i also hope he(or she) will have the courage to take on one of our politial process's most sacred cows and get rid of the antiquated electoral college.
you can bet that is not an item on president bush's agenda!
| 
