All the Presidents' Pets : The Story of One Reporter Who Refused to Roll Over

Rating:
Summary: Dr. Dolittle meets Wonkette.com
Review: "All the Presidents' Pets" is as boring as the title suggests. Except for the Starr Report, since when has obscure White House knowledge passed for funny satire?

This book is mostly unreadable. It begins with an embarrassing introduction to the charmed but wasted reporting career of Mo Rocca, in which he rises to stardom only to be branded "the most annoying man in America". After twenty pages of self-aggrandizing name-dropping, you will agree wholeheartedly.

What follows is more of the same. If you're idea of a hilarious novel is talking animals and lame Washington-insider jokes, this is the book for you. Very little of anything interesting is written, but there is enough smarmy gossip to keep a lame Washington tabloid rolling for months. All of the most annoying television personalities make an exaggerated appearance: Ann Coulter, Wolf Blitzer, Laurie Dhue, et al, ad nauseum.

On the other hand, a book this bad gives me hope because it makes me think that anyone can publish a book and perhaps my Amazon.com-bestseller is not far off.

Frankly, I feel ripped off and I'm trying to sell my copy on ebay. So, go buy it there for $10.

-Frank Pierce


Rating:
Summary: Mo Rocca rocks!
Review: I quite enjoyed this funny and informative tongue-in-cheek critique of Dubya and company. Of course it can't match the unintentional humour of the Republican National Convention or the great debates in which Bush shone in all his simplicity. For a more serious, international perspective, I'd also highly recommend Bushwhacked by Michael B. Davie (ISBN: 0973195614) as a good companion book offering a wealth of information. And let's put all this information and perspective to good use: I think "former president George W. Bush" has a nice ring to it.

Rating:
Summary: Uneven but funny in spots.
Review: I was not familar with Mo Rocca until I heard a radio interview with him and decided to but this book. He was considerably funnier and more entertaining in the radio interview.

As other reviewers have explained, this is the story of the secret contributions made by presidential pets throughout US history. Mixed in are references to numerous cable news personalities and reporters, some shots at past presidents and our current one, and a conspiracy involving the holy grail of presidential pets.

Some familiarity with TV news personalities (OK, a LOT of familiarity) is necessary to fully appreciate the inside humor. Although Fox News is hit particularly hard, Rocca spares no one.

The problem with this book is it's inconsistency. It reminds me of old average Saturday Night Live or Monty Python episodes, where moments of brilliance are interspersed with skits that just didn't work. The climax is very funny, but leading up to it were many spots that dragged or just seemed dumb rather than humorous.

My copy will probably be ending up on EBay as well.

Rating:
Summary: Mo Rocks!
Review: I've been anxiously awaiting a book from the lovable scrumptious Mo Rocca and he has seriously delivered. This is a smart and funny satire that peels away the layers of the decsion making red tape in the White House to reveal a policy dictated by Presidential pets. Mo uses his tireless reporting skills to dig deep to expose this scary truth- I was so horrified by these truths that I couldn't stop giggling. I can not tell you how many lines I have quoted from this book to my friends. Point being, this book is smart, funny, and it's freakin' Mo Rocca! Yay! Go out and buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: A shocking expose of who really controls the President
Review: Mo Rocca's groundbreaking investigative reporting is a tour de force in this memoir/thriller/oh-so-juicy political potboiler. The former Daily Show guru plows through years of lies and half-truths to uncover the deadly secret that will rock Washington to its core: Presidential pets play more of a role in the affairs of state than previously believed....

Okay, Mo Rocca may have fudged some of the facts, and he may not be telling the full story of his scandelous May-December romance with White House Chief Correspondent Helen Thomas. And sure, Laurie Dhue may not be a killer cyborg and...oops, I've said too much.

This book, Rocca's first, is a tongue-in-cheek look at the world of Presidential pets, a world that used to be regarded merely as a "photo op" to make various Presidents look human. In fact, once you finish this tome you will realize that maybe, just maybe, presidential pets have more to do with the wise decisions our commanders-in-chief make.

Rocca's journey takes him to a hidden lair underneath the White House Press Room, where veteran reporter Helen Thomas (actually a 200+ year old turkey eagle) keeps a secret archive relating the unknown history of just how important presidential pets have been. In the corridors of power, he encounters resistance from the Bush Cabinent to acknowledge information gleaned from those archives. Betrayed by someone who knew about the archives, Rocca and Thomas see their precious documents destroyed. Finally, in a showdown only Jerry Bruckheimer can bring to the screen, Rocca confronts the evil conspiracy that threatens to neuter the presidential pets' power forever. Several of his collegues and political contacts meet a bloody end in a scene so ambitious and so exhilerating that you'll just have to wait for the Hollywood adaptaion.

The book works if you suspend your disbelief...really, really suspend it. I have to say overall, this is an impressive, if slightly muddled and occasionally frustrating, debut from Rocca. Those of you familiar with "Mike Nelson's Death Rat!" by Michael J. Nelson (MST3K) will find that this is a similar style of humorous fiction. In this case, Rocca includes real people, with their real names, and proceeds to run full tilt with a story that has to be read to be appreciated.

Overall, I think the book is winning enough to merit further readings, and I hope Mr. Rocca can continue his groundbreaking studies into just how presidential pets have shaped our nation's history. The world needs to know the real role of Millie, Socks the cat, and all the other pets who have called the White House home. It might shock you, it might embarass you, but it will never fail to entertain you.

Rating:
Summary: I'm throwing this book out
Review: My friend's and I will pass books back and forth to each other to read if they are good. My friend was going to throw this one out instead of passing it along, but since I have a dog, I thought it would be interesting, but it wasn't, so I had the honor of throwing it out myself.

Typically, I would donate the book or give it to charity, but I don't think anyone would enjoy it. It's just this author's drivel. It doesn't focus on the president's and their pets at all like the title suggests.

I could see where another author could have created a really fun book about presidents and their dogs.



Rating:
Summary: So Funny
Review: This book is about Mo (if you mean self-effacing), Mo's career (if you mean completely made up), and American journalism (if you mean making fun of everyone on TV). And it also has real history, pet related and otherwise. This book is so funny, with its pop culture cleverness and political smartness. And, well, who couldn't use a good laugh now that the elections are over?


Rating:
Summary: Mo Myself & I
Review: This book is more about Mo, Mo's career & american journalism, than the Presidential pets. If you are not American & not heavily into their tv journalism this book is not for you.
Oh there is a small section at the end that mentions the pets.

Rating:
Summary: Rock On!
Review: This book was a real hoot! And it made me think about the election too. Great job Mo~!

Rating:
Summary: He must have spent his own money to get this book published
Review: What trash! I'm glad I didn't buy it and browsed it in a store. In an article where the author was attending a party and obviously drinking too much, he put down Chihuahuas calling them rats and putting down cats too. He was apparently using this event that benefited resuce pets to push his ridiculous book.

If you don't like animals, which he doesn't seem to, he should maybe write about drinking. He seems to know that best. I would have given him a no star rating, but you have to give a least one star to leave a review.