I loved this book. The forgotten people of the presidential races. I really like that this book doesn't take itself too seriously. It was informative and warm and engaging. But I also liked that it showed that even though these people are largely forgotten by widespread America, they still have had an impact.

An excellent non-fiction book that reads like a novel. So Many things to learn that were never taught in school. Fascinating facts and tantalizing tidbits make history fun. I have to admit that history was my favorite subject in school so this book was definitely for me! Thank you, Mr. Stein.

Thanks NET GALLEY

A short primer on Presidents and politics of their time

Entertaining for the most part

This was interesting. it gave some insight into some of the presidential candidates who before now had been unknown to me at all. fascinating read.

Very entertaining book. I knew about Pat Paulsen (even though I was born in the mid-70s) and of course Colbert, but I was surprised at many of the other "joke" candidates that have run for president over the year. A lot of people would say we actually elected a couple of jokes, but that's a different discussion.

The author has a very interesting angle, however - this could have been an OK book just talking about the people who have done this over the decades, but in going beyond the comedy, he finds things that made their way into mainstream platforms.

Parody and satire can result in real change.

This was interesting. I learned a lot and gained insight into the current political climate. Each chapter was a vignette into the strife of the given time period, told in a nuanced and engaging way. What could have been a dry, dull recitation instead was a lively conversation on where we've been as a country with an eye towards where we've wound up.

I have a strong interest in the presidents and their elections. When this title popped up I immediately had an interest.
This book tells the story of those candidates that aren’t taken seriously.
An interesting book as it revealed each candidate and their motivation, some being serious or in the case of Gracie Allen comically.
The author does.a terrific job of tying in these fringe candidates to what was going on in the country at that time.
He did very well in representing a broader picture of each race.
Excellent book that is well written, easy to read, and a book I highly recommend.

In the end, this book explains how all the odd candidates who came before – and the system that let (and encouraged) them – helped make Donald Trump possible. I enjoyed reading their stories and will recommend the book for review by Washington Independent Review of Books.

I found this a really interesting look at presidential history. The premise is unique - a look at the fringe candidates that have run for US president. It's also a sort of look into the social history of America. It is well written and researched and I will be recommending it to library patrons that want something a little different in the history section.