What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't: A Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues That Matter

Excellent book. I purchased this book with the intention of becoming better acquainted with the pertinent issues of the 2016 election. This desire came about after realizing the extreme degree to which news media force feeds the public the ideas that should concern them. It's as though people have become unable to think for themselves, resulting in deep divides among citizens who otherwise have nearly everything in common over issues of little consequence to their daily lives. I felt myself slipping into this pattern, and so I decided to try and educate myself somewhat on how government really works.To put it simply, I could not put this book down once I began reading. There is a lot of information here and normally that would make it all a bit difficult to absorb and retain. However, I found that this was not the case here, in that much of the information relates to matters that are either popular topics or have received considerable media coverage, and the reading serves to provide the background to these stories that is so often missing in popular understanding of political topics. A perfect example of this is the explanation of events leading up to the Iraq War. I was in junior high school at the time and I remember the mood of the country during that period. I thought I understood how and why popular opinion of the conflict had shifted, but after reading a more comprehensive overview of these events, many of the questions or confusion I had about what went on in that period became obvious. It was like reliving those days with new eyes. This was the case with many of the issues discussed in this book; it was like one continuous stream of "a-ha" moments, which is why although dense, the info was not at all hard to retain.My only critique is the occurrence of two typos, several chapters apart, that make the meanings of a couple of sentences unclear. Both are so obvious however, that it is immediately recognized that a mistake was made.Lastly, I have to commend the author for maintaining a neutral, very academic perspective throughout the book. There is no political slant whatsoever. The author manages to present each issue from all points of view equally and without criticism. Where popular criticism of a piece of legislation or a political position is discussed, it is discussed from the perspective of each party with the respective positions of that party outlined without bias.Everyone should be required to read this book (or listen to it read) before they are allowed to vote. I think many people have no idea what their chosen political parties' ideologies and beliefs actually are. When you read the totality of its official platform and see the evidence of those beliefs presented in the form of somewhat obscure but nonetheless significant legislation supported by the elected officials of the organization, it can be something of a wake-up call as to the importance of being an informed voter. I was surprised that some of my own beliefs don't match those of my party and actually found some of my ideas being challenged numerous times as I read. The nuances of these belief systems are critical to the effects that policy decisions will have on voters' lives. I was unaware of the degree to which this is true before this book. I walked away wondering whether it is actually possible to be well informed and still identify wholely with a single political party as most people do.

Jessamyn Conrad does a very nice job identifying and describing some of the most important political and cultural topics of this decade. For each topic, Conrad provides background information about the issue at hand and the players that surround it, sometimes going back several decades. This background was essential in helping me weave a narrative (in my mind) and be better equipped to formulate a position.The book touches on 13 topics in a little less than 400 pages. With approximately 30 pages per topic, the book is not at risk of being boring, especially because the topics are independent of each other.As for the subtitle, Conrad limits her narrative to providing the main viewpoints around each topic, and the arguments presented by opposing parties. She doesn’t adjudicate the upper hand (ethical or logical) to any particular position. So, in my opinion, it checks the nonpartisan box.The one thing missing perhaps is a complete update of the 13 topics, and perhaps the addition of new ones… things changed on January 20, 2017! This is the third edition, published in 2016, when Obama was still president.In sum, if you’re looking to build or strengthen your blueprint of current American politics, read this book… and buy the fourth edition when it comes out.

Some pretty good historical background but is now bsolete. For instance, the discussion on universal health care is pre-Obama era. This book needs a major overhaul prior to any further release.

This is a good book to fill in the blanks that most of us have on the various issues we hear about daily. When I saw “non-partison guide” in the subtitle, I was intrigued to buy this book. I was thinking, “Yeah, right” since I’ve never seen anything political that wasn’t biased. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The author did her best at explaining the many sides of various issues. However, about half way through the book her left leaning worldview started to peek through by means of poorly explained conservative views. And in one case, it was entirely missing as she stated a leftist view as if it were fact. And her source for that “fact” was Slate magazine. Hmm? But overall, this is an outstanding book. She points out the blunders made by Reagan, Clinton and the Bushes, there is not much mentioned of Obama’s policies even though this was supposedly updated in 2016.

I bought this after reading the reviews and they weren't wrong. I found this book fascinating and I think anyone who votes should take the time to read it. I'm a former news anchor, community activist so I think I'm pretty informed, but I learned so much that I didn't know. It peaked my curiosity in a lot of areas. It's an easy read ( well occasionally it took me a bit to digest it) but it's well worth it. It's something I think I'll likely use as a refresher from time to time. The author has given the American people an unbiased, balanced look at subjects we all need to know more about to be informed voters.

It doesn't matter what political party you belong to. This book covers all of the issues (chapter by chapter). You can read about the topics that interest you the most, or enjoy reading the entire guide to help to understand the issues in the 2016 presidental election! I hope to become a more informed voter!!!

This book breaks down all the core components of U.S. politics in a wonderfully simple yet detailed way. It is also incredibly non-partisan or biased. I highly recommend reading this book.

Absolutely loved this book. Hope she updates it before the next election. What I particularly appreciated was the inter-relatedness of all the issues and in depth treatment, also identified whether Dems or Republicans were usually associated with a take on an issue, and why. All the whys.