What a book! I normally don't read this level of political commentary, but I was fully engaged with this one. The points made were interesting and informative. I really loved the way the author was non-partisan. It was refreshing and I admire Califano for doing this.

Mr. Califano provides an exhaustive amount of information about the causes and results of government dysfunction, primarily from the Nixon era forward. He works very hard (perhaps too hard) to be balanced, equating everything done by any president, regardless of party.

Here's the problem - while he goes through all the causes of the problems we have, particularly the polarization of everything now, and the causes of these problems, particularly gerrymandering and the effects of Citizens United, there's nothing new here. Anyone who follows politics is certainly aware of everything here, and the exhaustive numbers that he provides doesn't really change that.

I was eagerly awaiting for his recommended solutions. Unfortunately, that came down to a section that essentially said that I, the reader, must vote and must be an informed voter and not be swayed by smoke and mirrors. Fine, I already do that, at least to the best of my ability. But who is reading this book? Presumably, people like me who are already engaged in the process and who read and work hard to be informed. So, preaching to the choir here?

There's nothing wrong with this book- it's a good historical account of where we are and how we got here - but I ended it feeling just as depressed or even more so about the current state of affairs as when I started. I don't see a book telling us to be informed voters as adding anything, particularly since I doubt that people who aren't already trying their best to be informed voters would ever read this book.