Rating: 
Summary: Political Action Thriller/hilarious Clinton fantasy
Review: This novel is more thriller than sci-fi, but the science fiction elements (time travel, cool futuristic technologies) are lots of fun. The X President is also a hilarious political satire that somehow manages to please Clinton-lovers and Clinton-haters at the same time. I'm an admirer of Clinton, but a friend of mine who hates Clinton was roaring with laughter when I read him the great scene involving the interactive virtual reality of the "White House coffee" event. Baruth's characterization of the ancient BC is so good you'll want those scenes to keep rolling. Incredibly, the portrait of young BC (yBC) is, if anything, even better. Baruth's novel combines edge-of-the-seat action scenes with brilliant vintage historical moments (Cassius Clay, for example, is featured) and laugh-out-loud funny dialogue. So, why should you get this book? First, it's guaranteed to crack you up. Second, the time travel adventure is exciting (well-plotted and full of moments that make you go "Wow!" and "Oh no!" and "Ah-ha!"). The third reason is that the Clinton stuff is just a blast. Baruth has read everything about the man, perspectives across the spectrum, and has selected the juiciest, tastiest morsels for the reader to chew on. As a bonus, the writing is stylistically fine, a real pleasure for us literary types, and yet not stuffy; so the effect is a stylish but wild ride rather than either a merely stylish ride (think Updike) or a wild ride in a racer that is actually rusting out and about to crumble but you can overlook that because the ride (i.e., the story) is so much fun (think Grisham or Clancy). Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but could have been better
Review: Time travel to go back in time and change history. It's not the first time the idea has received literary attention, but the X-President might be the first time has ever written a story about time travel that features Bill Clinton and James Carville. The end result with this book is that it is entertaining although just too over the top to maintain its credibility. Luckily enough the dialogue from the James Carville character makes it extremely entertaining when it isn't considering the world tobacco wars. Also the action when the main characters actually travel back in time keeps your attention. The problem is the set up before the action when the main character a Clinton biographer meets with a 109-year old Clinton at his Presidential Library to author his biography. Unfortunately the biographer's character isn't all that sympathetic nor believable. Part of the problem is that the author of this book is male while the main protagonist in the book is female. Even the biggest fan of this book will have to admit there is a credibility gap. It often reads like a man pretending to be a woman and just like in an internet chat room or like Gore Vidal with Kalki, it seems way too fake. Once the preliminaries are over and the actual plot moves forward, it's an easier book to like. Overall, I give the book high marks for creativity - it's a great idea, but it could have been so much better.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining but could have been better
Review: Time travel to go back in time and change history. It's not the first time the idea has received literary attention, but the X-President might be the first time has ever written a story about time travel that features Bill Clinton and James Carville. The end result with this book is that it is entertaining although just too over the top to maintain its credibility. Luckily enough the dialogue from the James Carville character makes it extremely entertaining when it isn't considering the world tobacco wars. Also the action when the main characters actually travel back in time keeps your attention. The problem is the set up before the action when the main character a Clinton biographer meets with a 109-year old Clinton at his Presidential Library to author his biography. Unfortunately the biographer's character isn't all that sympathetic nor believable. Part of the problem is that the author of this book is male while the main protagonist in the book is female. Even the biggest fan of this book will have to admit there is a credibility gap. It often reads like a man pretending to be a woman and just like in an internet chat room or like Gore Vidal with Kalki, it seems way too fake. Once the preliminaries are over and the actual plot moves forward, it's an easier book to like. Overall, I give the book high marks for creativity - it's a great idea, but it could have been so much better.
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