If You Had Five Minutes with the President : 5 Minutes, 55+ Personalities, 1 President

Rating:
Summary: An Opportunity for Liberty and Justice for All
Review: For such a small book, If You Had Five Minutes with the President, it carries a lot of weight, and there is something for everyone in it words. Let's face it, celebrities and personalities are paid attention to by our leaders. When they have something to say, people listen.

Each personality in this book speaks eloquently about his/her indvidual concerns about homelessness, war, the electoral process, the death penalty and the distance of airport parking from the main terminal, (Tucker Carlson) and much more.

I think all of our concerns are touched upon in this book in a gentle manner. No screaming, no anger, no blaming.

As a school teacher I think this would be an appropriate addition to secondary school libraries as a way to intoduce kids to the reality of what is life in America. The Creative Cooaltion has given us an opportunity to participate in the political process and, for what it's worth, I commend them for it.

Rating:
Summary: Who cares about Hollywood
Review: I have a hard time understand why someone thought this book was even necessary except as a fundraiser for a Hollywood lobbying group. The book is 90% left wing rant from actors, writers, producers, and other artsy types who have no particular expertise in any of these issues and whose opinions should have no more value than anyone else's. Why should we care what these people think? This caters to an obsession with celebrity that is unhealthy and distracting.

Perhaps if Harper Collins had collected opinions from a wide segment of society (with ideological, professional, and regional diversity) it might be interesting to read what fellow citizens across the country had to say. Instead we get, with a few exceptions, insulting, condescending, sophomoric, and redundant rants from a bunch of rich, liberal, secular, artists. Their opinions are neither interesting nor new. In fact their sentiments are a dime a dozen on the Internet and in the op-ed pages of newspapers around the country. Again, why was this book necessary?