Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process

Rating:
Summary: An excellent insider's guide to understanding Congress
Review: I'm a chief of staff to a Member of the House of Representatives. I give a copy of this book to every new staffer who comes to work in our office, and tell them it's mandatory reading. Simply put: Mr. Oleszek's book is the single best reference out there for students and citizens wanting to learn about the ins and outs of how a bill becomes a law. What makes the book a must-read is not just the author's experise in understanding how Congress works, but also his ability to write extremely readable prose.

Rating:
Summary: Not the only excellent book on Congress!
Review: Walter Olezek's book IS excellent - but it is not the only outstanding book on Congress.

The Congressional Deskbook is different from Mr. Olezek's book, and includes practical tips for people who not only want to understand how Congress works, but who also want to understand how to work with Congress. Also, the Congressional Deskbook is updated every 2 years.

The publisher of the Congressional Deskbook, TheCapitol.Net, has a useful web site that contains a lot of information about Washington, DC, and Congress: thecapitol.net
I also like the other congress-related products they publish, including the Congressional Directory and the Congressional Operations Poster.

Your best bet is to buy both Mr. Olezek's book and the Congressional Deskbook.