BOOK REVIEW:
If The Gods Had Meant Us
To Vote
They Would Have Given Us Candidates
by
Jim
Hightower
Publisher:
Harper Collins
Reviewed by
bobby jennings
Jim
Hightower's new book is a further indictment of a political system that is
broken. What makes "If The Gods Had Meant Us To Vote..."
different is that it is not an angry book, as so many of these books are,
but is laced with humor -- that makes it an enjoyable read regardless of
your predisposed perspective. Mr. Hightower also brings his experience as
a former Texas Agriculture Commissioner to explain why the political
system is in need of repair. He makes an excellent case for his viewpoint
without many endless boring statistics and other ad nauseam.
I
learned a lot from reading "If The
Gods..." Of special interest is the
chapter "Beelzebub's Buzzwords".
This chapter is a glossary of common buzzwords
in use around our Nation's Capital by
lobbyists and political leaders. As I
read, I realized the low regards these people
have for our cherished political process.
Hightower's
knowledge of Texas politics is particularly
relevant for us, as we must judge the qualifications
and candidacy of George W. Bush in the
upcoming elections. I, for one, have been very
suspicious of Bush's candidacy and I have read
much and listened to many opinions. With
Hightower's portrait, I have made up my
mind.
"If
The gods.." has an impressive endorsement
list, with praise from Warren Beatty, Norman
Lear, Studs Terkel, and Ralph Nader. One such
praise, given by William Greider, I found best
summarized the book:
"Forget all the political insider books about
America's elections -- here's the outsider
book that tells you what's really going
on in the 2000 election, why, and what we have
to do to make politics work for us again. Jim
Hightower is the rarest of creatures: a
serious political thinker with a sense of
humor."
Mr.
Hightower also explains why he thinks that
real progress will come on a local level and
also includes many resources that will help
both the budding and seasoned activist.
As
a book reviewer, I often skim books looking
for relevance or the elusive point. I read
"If The Gods..." word for word,
cover to cover, in one sitting. I highly
recommend this book to anyone who intends to
vote intelligently.
"If
the Gods..." is a positive book that will
give hope even to most apathetic among us.
Click
here
for more info
or to
order
this book.
 Jim
Hightower, America's most popular populist,
is a bestselling author, radio commentator,
and public speaker. He publishes a
monthly political newsletter, The Hightower
Lowdown. His previous book was "There's
Nothing In The Middle Of The Road But Yellow
Stripes and Dead Armadillos" He also
can be found online at http://www.jimhightower.com
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