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Losers: The Road to Everyplace but the White House |
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Editorial
Review:
A wickedly funny and astute chronicle of the 1996 presidential campaign--and how we go about choosing our leaders at the turn of the century. In it Michael Lewis brings to the political scene the same brilliance that distinguished his celebrated best-seller about the financial world, Liar's Poker.
Beginning with the primaries, Lewis traveled across America--a concerned citizen who happened to ride in candidates' airplanes (as well as rented cars in blinding New Hampshire blizzards) and write about their adventures. Among the contenders he observed: Pat Buchanan, a walking tour of American anger; Lamar Alexander, who appealed to people who pretend to be nice to get ahead; Steve Forbes, frozen in a smile and refusing to answer questions about his father's motorcycles; Alan Keyes, one of the great political speakers of our age, whom no one has ever heard of; Morry Taylor--"the Grizz"--the hugely successful businessman who became the refreshing embodiment of ordinary Americans' appetites and ambitions; Bob Dole, a man who set out to prove he would never be president; and Bill Clinton, the big snow goose who flew too high to be shot out of the sky.
We watch the clichés of this peculiar subculture collide with characters from the real world: a pig farmer in Iowa; an evangelical preacher in Colorado Springs; a homeless person in Manhattan; a prospective illegal immigrant in Mexico. The politicians speak and speak, often reversing positions, denying direct quotations, mastering the sound bite, dodging hard questions, wreaking havoc on the English language. Spin doctors spin. Rented strangers (campaign workers) proliferate. One particular toe sucker goes awry. Ads are honed to misrepresent and distort. Money makes the world go round.
And the citizens are left dumbfounded or cheering empty platitudes. When trail fever breaks on Election Day, half of America's eligible voters stay home.
This book offers a striking look at us and our politics and the mammoth unlikelihood of connection between the inauthentic modern candidate and the voter's passions, needs, and desires. In telling the story, Michael Lewis once again proves himself a masterful observer of the American scene.Michael Lewis, the author of Liar's Poker, which Tom Wolfe called "the funniest book on Wall Street I have ever read," now turns his eye to the peculiar method Americans use to choose their president. Beginning with the 1996 New Hampshire primary, Lewis tagged along with players both major and minor. Keeping his eyes open to the nuances of how campaigns are so carefully managed today, Lewis is able to make some insightful, damning, and often hysterically funny observations. The reporting technique is eccentric--who else would spend so much time with Morry Taylor, a rich man who ran for president in what amounted to a vanity campaign--but it works. Lewis has written a very good book that could be shelved under both humor and public affairs.
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Avg. Customer Rating:
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Customer Reviews:
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Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0
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classic michael lewis
this is classic michael lewis, along the lines of _liar's poker_ rather than _the blind side_. irreverent, laugh-out-loud funny, and insightful. the author has a wonderful writing style that is easy to read, reflects a wry wit, and is oddly ... warm-hearted. prospective readers should not assume that this is a caustic, cynical treatment of politics.
the candidates covered in the book are now largely irrelevant to national politics, but mr. lewis' observations regarding the various archetypes and the... more info
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Excellent, even at ten years old
My copy is titled "Trail Fever", but it's the same book. I picked it up in the library lobby self-service carousel for a buck, mainly because I recognize Mr. Lewis as the author of MoneyBall. Boy am I glad I did - provided you're old enough to recall the 1996 presidential campain, this is a great read, telling you everything that newspaper editors refuse to. He could write about paint and make it fascinating, sort of like a witty John McPhee. I've polished it off over a number of evenings and it's been... more info
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Different and Entertaining
Entertaining book following the Republican Primaries of 1996. You learn a lot about the candidates that you may have never known, and even more so about the candidates you never even knew. There is a lot of focus on Morey Taylor. For some reason, I never remembered him, but liked a lot about him after reading this book. Good entertaining read. Primarily for political junkies.
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Delightful
In Losers, Michael Lewis gives the reader a fun ride on the campaign planes and busses of the also ran candidates in 1996.
He provides insights and humor about those candidates and the political system we use in our fair land to elect our presidents.
Whether your political preferences tilt to the Left or the Right, you'll learn from and enjoy this book. You'll laugh out loud a few times, too.
I am a Yellow Dog Democrat and finished the book with a real appreciation of one of Lewis' heroes,... more info
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