After this recent snarl over the debt, I felt compelled to learn about how government works - not just the hierarchical system we learn about in government classes, but the tough wrangling of power and personality and special interest.

So here it is - the nature of the beast. The dense snarl of how the American political system works. This book was mainly written during the Reagan era, and makes the most references to his politics. But still, now that these once-contemporary events have become part of history, we now get to see their results with a new hindsight. A very revealing book. ( )

Excellent explanation of the turf battles, PR maneuvers, staff schisms, and other aspects of the political game. I would love to see an updated edition (this one stops with Reagan).