Books: US ADMINISTRATION

Series Title
Series Details 04/01/01, Volume 7, Number 01
Publication Date 04/01/2001
Content Type

Date: 04/01/01

Title: Is Our Children Learning? The Case Against George W. Bush

Author: Paul Begala

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Title: Shrub

Author: Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose

Publisher: Vintage Books

Title: Economic Puppetmasters: Lessons from the Halls of Power

Author: Lawrence Lindsey

Publisher: AEI Press

Title: Maestro: Greenspan's Fed and the American Boom

Author: Bob Woodward

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

If you want an idea of what the arrival of George W. Bush in the White House will mean, these are must-reads.

Begala's book, named after one of Bush's famous grammatical tangles, gives away its sympathies with its subtitle. This is hardly surprising since the author was a long-time Bill Clinton aide.

The book - like Ivins and Dubose's more measured and analytical work - emphasises what everyone says about the next president: he is a nice guy but...his business record is thin and seems largely based on his father's name and contacts, while his performance as governor is one of kow-towing to business interests.

The collection of essays by Lindsey, who is likely to be appointed as Bush's chief White House economist, provides an insight into the thrust of policy under Dubya.

His chapter on the euro, 'Europe's Great Experiment', is especially interesting. One of Lindsey's previous jobs was at the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, working for legendary chairman Alan Greenspan.

Woodward's book is another of his trademark behind-the-scenes looks at a major institution. It shows where real economic-policy power will lie under Bush.

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