The Gospel According to the Fix: An Insider's Guide to a Less than Holy World of Politics

Though a passing familiarity with key pols will certainly help, one needn't be a Capitol Hill junkie to appreciate this accessible and informative guide from Cillizza, author of the Washington Post's political blog, The Fix. Over the course of this brief book, Cillizza succinctly outlines the current political environment and how we got here, offering abundant insight without resorting to name-calling or oversimplification. While the author explores some interesting tangents, like the history of the "October surprise%E2%80%94a last-minute revelation that has the potential to fundamentally change the course of a political campaign," the real meat of the book is in Cillizza's forecasts regarding this year's Presidential election. He predicts that important issues like immigration and education will be overshadowed by talk of the persistently dismal economy, describes his "perfect" Presidential candidate, and provides suggestions for improving Congressional efficacy. A longtime political journalist, Cillizza's enthusiasm for the subject shows, and his prose retains the characteristic casualness of the blogosphere (though occasionally to the book's detriment). In addition to serving as an excellent guide for readers looking to make more informed decisions this fall, the book also contains resources (both online and off) where folks from the left, right, and center can find plenty of pertinent information regarding politics at the national and state level. (July)