Rating: 
Summary: Not in PRIMARY COLORS anymore
Review: A great read . . . sharp and funny. It's not Primary
Colors, not that close to reality, but it's easily as
enlightening, and a wild ride. Thumbs up!
Rating: 
Summary: great political science fiction satire
Review: By 2055, Bill Clinton, known as BC, remains healthy though he is over a hundred years old and has outlived Hilary and Chelsea. However, history has devastated BC's two terms in office as the beginning of the end of the American dynasty. Surprisingly two particular acts that not only had nothing to do with the zipper, but also seemed reasonable and valid in the last decade of the previous century have haunted the United States and BC's standing in the halls of history. The expansion of NATO into the former Eastern Bloc and the signing of the Anti-Tobacco accord did not turn out as expected. Instead the world has been devastated by World War III, commonly known as the Cigarette Wars and a lack of privacy led by the intrusive government.BC wants a second chance to rewrite history so he hires biographer Sal Hayden to spin his definitive biography. Instead his former crew (James, George and the Virginia National Security Team) abduct Sal. The group takes a trip first back to 1963 and then to 1995 to revise history at it source. Though the ending seems too vague, THE X PRESIDENT is a great political science fiction satire. The story line works on several levels but mostly because of how cleverly Philip E. Baruth releases tidbits that hook the audience into wanting more. The key players Bill, James and George are captured brilliantly so that they seem to have rolled off the TV screen into the crossfire of the story line. Sal is the perfect acerbic companion whom rounds out a powerful tale. Perhaps next up could be in the year 2525 the Bush Dynasty is still alive. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully inventive
Review: History wrapped in what might be called sci-fi, but really isn't. Baruth has done a marvelous job on this comedy, mystery, sci-fi, thriller. The United States of the late 21st Century faces a crisis that can be resolved only if former President Bill Clinton, then 109 years old, does things a bit differently ---- 60 years earlier.
Clinton's hand-picked biographer is dragooned into a time travel adventure that is marvelously inventive and informative to boot. Yes, the novel has a political cast, but as one blurb writer said, even if you hated Bill Clinton, it's still an enjoyable story.
And it truly is. For a leisure time read, put this one on your list. Jerry
Rating:
Summary: zippy, smart adventure story
Review: I bought this book after reading the enticing review in the NYTimes. I wasn't disappointed. There aren't many good, intelligent adventure stories out there that have an interesting woman as a main character. I have to confess that I've always found George Stephanopoulos sexy, so his part worked great for me, too. This is a very funny book, but I think what kept me going was the quirky, surprising plot (and the nostalgia trips). Mr. Baruth knows how to ask great "what if" questions, and his answers are really brilliant (often scary) alternate realities. It kind of reminded me of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, which is another fast-moving fantasy adventure I would recommend. They're both kind of brainy books, but page-turners at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: a real discovery!
Review: I had a lot of fun reading this book. If I had to describe it in a blurb, I'd say it's "Dave Barry meets Stephen Ambrose and beats the crap out of him." The brilliant thing about this novel is the way the "historical" narrative folds into itself. At one level the story is about the way stories are made. The narrator, an authorized biographer of a very old Bill Clinton (BC) in the year 2055, shapes history in her writing but also begins to "write" history through her actions. She gets to experience the time-travel adventure she would normally be able only to re-live through her imagination and in her writing. The novel implicitly analyzes the media industry as the battleground of "truth" (the what-is-"is" question). All of this, though, is fully embodied in an exciting story of desperate action and subtle intrigue. Not only does Bill Clinton figure in the story in hilarious and touching ways, but also James Carville, George Stephanopoulos, Timothy McVeigh, Rush Limbaugh--and am I the only one who thinks that the villain character is basically Newt Gingrich? The book's treatment of these characters amounts to gossip at the highest, juiciest level.
Rating:
Summary: a real discovery!
Review: I had a lot of fun reading this book. If I had to describe it in a blurb, I'd say it's "Dave Barry meets Stephen Ambrose and beats the crap out of him." The brilliant thing about this novel is the way the "historical" narrative folds into itself. At one level the story is about the way stories are made. The narrator, an authorized biographer of a very old Bill Clinton (BC) in the year 2055, shapes history in her writing but also begins to "write" history through her actions. She gets to experience the time-travel adventure she would normally be able only to re-live through her imagination and in her writing. The novel implicitly analyzes the media industry as the battleground of "truth" (the what-is-"is" question). All of this, though, is fully embodied in an exciting story of desperate action and subtle intrigue. Not only does Bill Clinton figure in the story in hilarious and touching ways, but also James Carville, George Stephanopoulos, Timothy McVeigh, Rush Limbaugh--and am I the only one who thinks that the villain character is basically Newt Gingrich? The book's treatment of these characters amounts to gossip at the highest, juiciest level.
Rating: 
Summary: Imaginative but Flawed
Review: I had very mixed feelings about this book. It is extremely imaginative, its bleak view of the future seemed posible in many ways, the characterization of Bill Clinton (both young and old) was touching, funny, insightful, and rightfully critical, and the characterization of the viciously bureaucratic Carville was impressive. But other characterizations were weak. Sal did not come across as a real woman and Virginia was a cartoon caricature. The book was also carelessly written. For example, the 1995 George/Carville is said to be 51 years old on pages 307 and 296, and in his late 50s on page 355 (since he was 27 in 1963, he should be 59). Also, the plot was often not thought out carefully enough, and in many places the novel rambles on. The ending, which does not make a statement of any kind, just fizzles out and was a disappointment. I gave this book three stars for its good traits, but that was a real compromise in my mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay read
Review: I liked this book alot for the type of book it was. It entertained me and got a few laughs and that's all I expected from a SCI FI book about Bill Clinton and Big Brother and time travel. Not worth the 5 stars some are raving about, but certainly not deserving of the "lone star" either. In my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: More biography than sci-fi
Review: I liked this book in spite of the unecessarily harsh potshots taken at political conservatives. But there were many passages where I had to stop and wonder what Bill Clinton would be thinking while reading them. And I have no doubt that if he hasn't already, he will read it. I was disappointed with the non-ending until I realized that I was missing the point. This is a clever biography with a very thin veneer of sci-fi. It has some very funny moments and reveals some interesting trivia about our real-life eX-president.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Reading!!
Review: I loved the book! It was wonderful and I couldn't put it down. The cover picture is awesome...
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