The Seersucker Whipsaw

Rating:
Summary: An excellent political thriller
Review: The Seersucker Whipshaw takes the reader to a developing country in Africa. The country's first election is to take place soon and a large advertising agency has dispatched a famous political consultant to manage the campaign. Long before there was Carville or Atwater, this book written in 1968, describes the future of the political consulting industry and its positive and harmful effects on international democracy. As a political consultant, I am amazed by Ross' ability to discuss strategy and tactics in a campaign and understand fundamentally how to communicate one's message. There are many layers to this book -- mystery, suspense, drama and a campaign to boot. Thomas' covers our industry -- it's positive points and pitfalls -- and does a superb job describing all facets of a national campaign. This book is a wonderful read for those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers but what makes it special is its ability to understand its topic and delve into the pressure points of the subject. Thomas has demonstrated this ability in the spy community over the years but speaking for political consultants, I would encourage him to take up his pen once again and delve into the business. After all, whether it is a local race or the presidential campaign in Colombia (1994 especially), there is much to our work that coupled with Thomas' ability to tell a story that would make for a great novel.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent political thriller
Review: The Seersucker Whipshaw takes the reader to a developing country in Africa. The country's first election is to take place soon and a large advertising agency has dispatched a famous political consultant to manage the campaign. Long before there was Carville or Atwater, this book written in 1968, describes the future of the political consulting industry and its positive and harmful effects on international democracy. As a political consultant, I am amazed by Ross' ability to discuss strategy and tactics in a campaign and understand fundamentally how to communicate one's message. There are many layers to this book -- mystery, suspense, drama and a campaign to boot. Thomas' covers our industry -- it's positive points and pitfalls -- and does a superb job describing all facets of a national campaign. This book is a wonderful read for those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers but what makes it special is its ability to understand its topic and delve into the pressure points of the subject. Thomas has demonstrated this ability in the spy community over the years but speaking for political consultants, I would encourage him to take up his pen once again and delve into the business. After all, whether it is a local race or the presidential campaign in Colombia (1994 especially), there is much to our work that coupled with Thomas' ability to tell a story that would make for a great novel.