Product Description
The wild fun of whitewater rafting has gained enormous popularity in recent years. This basic guide is a smart investment for anyone considering a trip. Clear, concise text and easy-to-read illustrations show how to read the water and maneuver the craft. Chapters on safety cover the basic equipment, such as PFDs, throwbags, and ropes, as well as risk management, capsize drills, and rope handling. An extensive listing of contacts and select destinations are also included. The wealth of action photos are both entertaining and instructive.About the Author:Graeme Addison pioneered commercial whitewater rafting in South Africa and has paddled all over the world. He is a founding member of the South African Rivers Association and coordinates tourism for the International Rafting Federation. Safety and rescue Key technical moves ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Get whitewater smart
As the adventure travel industry continues to boom so we're seeing a lot of new titles on sports that were once considered extreme but are now happily prospering with regular infusion of new thrill-seekers.

Addison's welcome book does two things. Firstly it's a guide for people who've never been near a river, raft or expedition but who, after spending enough time watching the Explorers' channel, would very much like to "do" a river. This, it does well. Addison has had a long involvement with the Southern African Rivers Association, notably as an instructor, and it shows in this book. He has left nothing out, even so far as to give a brief history of rafting. There is a chapter on rivers themselves, which introduces the finer aspects of what rivers are made of and how they work.

It's all there, illustrated with the kind of pictures - eight-person rafts plunging through the turmoil of clear-fast rivers - that will inspire the curious.

But it's not only a beginner's book. Later chapters discuss in detail how to plan and execute river expeditions and how to run commercial rafting trips. Of course commercial rafters should know all this stuff already it won't hurt to read-up on capsize drills or test what you thought you knew about safety and rescue.

The book should have universal appeal. In fact the publishers, New Holland, have aimed it at rafters everywhere, with generic pictures ranging from the Colorado River in the US to the good old Zambezi. Although not dealt with in sufficient detail, there is a small section describing some of the world's finest - or at least better known - whitewater runs.

There's enough meat here for everyone, even the experienced river gods. You never know what new things you might learn.

- Paul Ash, reviewing for AdventureZone magazine, May 2001

A must have
Excellent reading. Lots of usefull information, great pictures, and well written. I recomend this highly to anyone getting started in whitewater, or those already well submersed in it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This is the one
I can't beat Thomas' thorough review. I simply wanted to add another strong recommendation. This is it. It's the definitive whitewater book for WA. Combined with real time river gauge data from sites like American Whitewater and Professor Paddle (here in WA), you can easily find which river from the book is running at an acceptable level.

As a new paddler hitting the numerous class II rivers in the book, I've found the descriptions concise and accurate and the directions excellent. I'll contrast that to some other paddling books out there (Verne...) with some truly addling directions. The only things you might want to see added are warnings about which parking lots require permits (typically the WA Fish & Wildlife permit).

--Links--
American Whitewater: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/state/WA/
Professor Paddle: http://www.professorpaddle.com/gaugeview.asp
WA F&W permits: https://www.greatlodge.com/cgi-bin/licenses/customer_search.cgi?st=WA&btype=Licensing&r=0.17156896083894152

Must Have for Washington State Whitewater Paddlers
This is the guide to whitewater paddling in Washington State with over 320 different trips described for the following drainages/regions: Columbia River Gorge, Lewis River, Kalama and Cowlitz, Lower Columbia and Chehalis, Upper Cowlitz, Deschutes and Nisqually, Puyallup, Green and Cedar, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Pilchuck and Stilliguamish, Skagit, Nooksack, Northeast Cascades, Wenatchee, Yakima, Klickitat, Eastern Washington, Olympic Peninsula, Clackamas, Sandy, Hood, North Central Oregon, Snake, and Southern BC.

Jeff Bennett has paddled most of the runs and for those that he hasn't he has enlisted local experts to provide accurate descriptions. This guide gives equal attention from rivers all the way from class II beginner trips to the nationally-known class V creeks including the Little White, Ernie's Canyon, Robe Canyon, Canyon Creek, Cispus, Icicle, Ohanepecosh, Big Quilcene, and many others.

While this guide does not go into detailed mile-by-mile descriptions, it does provide an excellent summary of the overall character of each run including potential suitability for rafting, notes specific hazards, and highlights the unique features and noted rapids. Directions to the put-ins and take-outs are generally excellent and it serves as the must-have dashboard companion for anyone looking to find their way around Washington State's Rivers. The coverage of runs in Oregon, BC, and the Olympic Peninsula is less complete but this guide still hits the highlights. The guide also includes drainage maps, black and white photos that illustrate several of the region's classic rapids, and a number of rather humorous river stories.

This guide is much broader in scope than Douglass North's Washington Whitewater which has more detailed descriptions and mile-by-mile river maps but only covers 34 of the states classic runs and nothing beyond class IV. Gary Korb's guide to the Olympic Peninsula provides much more detailed descriptions of the rivers in that region. Verne Huser has a guide that covers rivers in Western Washington characterized by flatwater and mild rapids that would be of more interest to those looking for a scenic canoe trip. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
For years William Nealy has been delighting whitewater paddlers with his informative and hilarious cartoon maps of popular canoeing and kayaking steams. Practically collectors' items, these maps are sought by paddlers all over the United States for their accuracy, relevance, and wild insider's perspective on those strange creatures who inhabit the exotic sport of whitewater paddling. Now, for the first time, Nealy has coupled his most celebrated Southeastern U.S. river maps with an anthology of cartoons, paddling homilies, and unsolicited advice. The result is a crazed but incredible book titled Whitewater Home Companion, Southeastern Rivers, Volume I. Through his distinctive drawing and wholly peculiar river-submarine terminology, Nealy successfully reveals rivers and boaters alike as never before. Contained within the covers of this book is a wealth of information and humor good for many hours of pleasure both on and off the river. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Whitewater Comics
If you are planning to kayak (or even raft)any of the Southeastern Rivers, you will want to have this hilarious handwrittenNealy guide.(For those not familiar with Nealy, this book is not meant to be a technicalriver guide).Although some of the rapids he highlights have been significantly altered by mother nature over the last 20 years, the reader still gets ahumorous look at the"hydro-namics" of the various rapids on the rivers he describes.In addition to his commentary on the rapids of each river, Nealy also includes his trademark comical sketches which have helped make his books so popular.

Like his other classic kayaking books, this is a comic book river guide for the Southeast Rivers. (Rivers included are the Cheat, Chatahoochee, Chatooga, French Broad, Gauley, Haw, Hiawasee, Locust Fork, Nantahala, New River Gorge, Nolichucky, Savage and Youghiogheny.)Paddlers will appreciate the descriptions of the rivers, some b/w photos and the comical sketches of the major rapids of each river.In addition he also includes a funny glossary section ofriver and paddling terminology with his highly opinionated sociocultural paddling commentaryoffered throughout.

As paddlesports are becoming increasingly popular and thus "more commercially marketable" in the US, Nealy's books and commentary are becoming even more funny, more meaningful and somewhat prophetic. ... Read more

Book Description
Biography of America's great river runner, Buzz Holmstrom: thefirst to run the Green and Colorado Rivers alone in 1937. Born in the coastallogging communities of coastal Oregon, Holmstrom built his own wooden boats andsoloed several of the country's great whitewater rivers. He died mysteriously onthe Grande Ronde River at age 37. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great River runner's companion book
The legendary Buzz Holmstrom was a more complex figure than I knew.His journal entries express the feeling of all who really love rivers and the famous entry that includes "the doing of the thing" should be read on every river trip.
This is the second Brad Dimock book I've read (the other on Bert Loper) and I am impressed with not only his skill as a writer, but his careful research.His handling of the tragic end to Buzz Holmstrom's life was that of a journalist with a sense of humanity.
I've already loaned this book to friends.

White water fun
If you like white water rafting, this is a wonderful book about the birth of white water fun.

heroes of the soul
Even today, with rescue not so far away, few of us would have the nerve to go down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon alone, so imagine the nerve it took when Buzz was totally alone, with no chance of help if he made a mistake.But the most amazing thing about Buzz was that in the midst of an adventure that would leave most people totally preoccupied with survival, Buzz had the soul power to look for and see the poetry in the river and the canyon.Merely knowing how to survive can be much easier than knowing how to live.

Answers to an old story....
I remember years ago when I was a kid a story my father told me about an amazing river rafter and boat builder.My Dad grew up in Coquille and went to school with Buzz's younger brother. His story always ended with how Buzz had been on a rafting trip in eastern Oregon and went off and committed suicide.I couldnever understand how someone who had done the amazing things he did could end his life on that note.I thought about that story many times over the years and always wished I knew more.This book is incredibly well researched and documented.Even thoughmany questions were answered,many more were raised.Such was the enigma that was Buzz Holmstrom.

INSPIRING
Well-written and researched. But the thing that shines through is Buzz and his strong spirit - the writers were careful to be sure this was HIS book, not theirs, which is how it should be. A true boatman's boatman, Buzz wasmaybe born too soon - it seems the world wasn't quite ready for his singular love of the rivers and nature. This book won't disappoint you - what will disappoint you after reading it is that Buzz is gone. ... Read more

Book Description

Now in its second edition, Whitewater Kayaking: The Ultimate Guide has become the established, definitive guide on the sport.

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Laughted until I peed
So much of this book is actually true.Don't let the fact that is is a cartoon book fool you, this is not a book for the kids.Repeat not for kids.

Groovy Paddling Satire Sequel
You must be a paddler (or at least paddled once)to appreciate William Nealy's zany little collection of humorous sketches and creative cartoons.This collection includes unsolicited advice on paddling, epic adventures, another parody ofoutdoor equipment advertisements (S&M River Supplies),the "S&M Campfire Songbook"featuring the lyrics to "my Boat" (set to the music of "my Guy") and a host of other funny little penned paddling sketches and comics which, most likely,came right out of Nealy's river sketchbook.

It's agroovylittle book and another cool thing to pass around on camping/paddling trips to get some laughs by the campfire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Predictable Romance.
If you're expecting a fast paced adventure novel like "Hunter's Pursuit," you won't find it in "Whitewater Rendezvous," Kim Baldwin's third novel.Although it's set against the background of an Alaskian kayaking vacation, the journey is not as thrilling as I expected considering the rapid speed excitement of Ms. Baldwin's first novel.

The story centers around Megan, a workaholic lesbian from New York who has to be convinced to take a vacation with her friends to Alaska, where she meets Chaz, a lesbian biology professor and one of the guides who leads the group on a whitewater kayak trip.Chaz is the spitting image of Megan's ex who left her for another woman, and so Megan immediately despises Chaz and gives her the cold shoulder.Chaz is so easy going and laid back I kept wondering when she was going to grow a back bone.Of course, these two will eventually get together in the end, there's no surprise there.I was hoping there would be some twists and turns along the way that would make their impending romance fun to watch unfold, but the rush of the whitewater was more of a trickle.

Kim Baldwin is an excellent writer.However, she should leave the romance novels to all the other lesbian novelists out there and do what she does best -- the action adventure with a bit of mystery thrown in.It's not that she can't write romance, just that there are few who can write the lesbian adventure novel like Ms. Baldwin that it's a waste for her not to go against the norm.

Originally, I gave this three stars because her third book did not measure up to the first.However, after reading a different author's work I realized just how good a writer Kim Baldwin actually is.So, I'm upgrading this to four stars because it's well written.But, it still loses a stars because it could have been so much better.

The Question of Personal Sacrifice
Opposites attract in this thrilling story, in which two women must discover if it's worth it to change their lives to be with each other.

Exciting Story about Choices
Whitewater Rendezvous is a good book. It tells the story of Chaz Herrick of Alaska, a Biology Professor and dedicated environmentalist, and Megan Maxwell of Chicago, an executive in the entertainment industry with a six-figure income. Other reviewers have laid out the plot, so I'll skip that part and go directly to my thoughts about the subject matter and how it's handled.

Because of their widely divergent value systems, the two protagonists could not possibly be any different.But when they meet, their mutual fascination is compelling.Eventually, as much as they struggle against the inevitable, fascination becomes enchantment and they fall in love.Although at first neither is ready to deal with the consequences of what has happened or to face the possibility of quantum shifts in their chosen lifestyles, they are finally forced to face a tough situation and tough choices.

A basic question both women must deal with (and one that many of us have struggled with at one time or another) is whether their love for one another justifies compromising the lives that they have built for themselves at great personal sacrifice.Can a person give up so much of herself and find happiness?It's a difficult situation to be in and a difficult situation to write about.Kudos to Ms. Baldwin for her thorough and insightful writing, as well as a wonderful love story.

Romantic Suspense
Chaz Herrick, Ph.D., is dedicated to her work as a biologist in the Alaskan wilderness.Megan Maxwell is entrenched as a power player in the high-stakes world of television news production.Whitewater Rendezvous is the beautifully told story of two intelligent, successful women whose lives are as different as night and day.

What happens when women like this are attracted to each other and ultimately find themselves falling in love?The author does an outstanding job of delving into the hearts and minds of both women as they navigate the conflicts of their respective lifestyles.I particularly liked watching Megan gradually change as she re-examines her value system.

The descriptions of the setting of the story, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, are captivating and powerful.As a preservationist-type myself, I appreciated the depiction of Chaz's love of and respect for the Alaskan environment, even when it is cruel and survival cannot be taken for granted.

This book has it all: an adventure story told against a backdrop of breathtaking wilderness, and a love story that is as emotionally sensitive as it is physically, well, hot, hot, hot.It's definitely a keeper for me.

Save your money......
Bad, bad and bad. This book could have been condensed down to 5 chapters to tell the story.It was dragged out for no other reason then to make it a full book.I have enjoyed this authors other books, but this was was very disappointing.Save your money on this one ladies. ... Read more

Book Description
Texas and whitewater. Who knew?

According to Texas Whitewater, by veteran paddler Steve Daniel, one doesn't have to be an outdoors expert to find whitewater fun and adventure in the Lone Star State. Sometimes all that's needed is a little rain and perseverance and this handy guide to more than seventy Texas rivers and creeks with the greatest prospects for whitewater.

"Making the best of it is what this book is all about," Daniel writes. "It is about beautiful scenery, long-lasting friendships, and challenges to one's physical and mental abilities."

Texas Whitewater is arranged according to river drainages:Trinity, Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe-San Antonio-Nueces, and the RioGrande. Each description includes a map and an overview of the location, gradient, drainage, and difficulty of the run. Daniel draws on his own and other whitewater enthusiasts' experiences to describe the runs. Many chapters conclude with "Lagniappe," a section detailing the best restaurant or tourist attraction to be found in the area.Eye-catching photographs highlight whitewater features and showcase some of the state's best boaters at play. Daniel also provides information on access and safety issues. He offers tips on obtaining information on water levels and stream flow data locations via the Internet. Also included is an updated legal summary on the navigability of state waterways, prepared by Texas Assistant Attorney General Joe Riddell. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

I love it
Being an avid paddler, I was initially dissappointed to move from Georgia to Texas and leave behind the whitewahter rivers of the southeast.I was happy to find that there are some credible paddle spots in the Lone Star state and this book helped me to find them.It is well organized and easy to read and the information provided is very thorough.

The best resource for paddling whitewater in Texas.
This book has identified all the information you need to locate true whitewater in the state of Texas.

One of a kind
If you like Texas Whitewater, this book is a must ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A Word of Warning
This is indeed THE guide to paddling in the western Carolinas, but it contains one extremely important error:the put-in listed for the Upper Green (class III) is actually the put-infor the Narrows (class V).

Thetrue put-in for the Upper Green is just below the Tuxedo power plant; thetake-out is what Benner mistakenly describes as the put-in.

This is THE book
on North Carolina white water.There are a number of regional white waterguide books, and while they can be more helpful in some ways, they are notnearly so comprehensive.Benner has got it all.If it's in NC or SC andit's whitewater, then it's in there.The Caveat:Bob Benner is the oldschool author of most of the book.His son, David, is from the more elitehair-head generation.This means that the rivers rated by David are on adifferent scale from those rated by Bob.The good news: careful readingwill reveal the difference between Bob's description's and David's. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Dated but still of interest
Although dated, this is a good book on whitewater racing.Eric Evans was a member of the US whitewater team from 1967 through 1979, winning the national slalom championship 9 times and the wildwater championship once in 1972. John Burton was on the national team several times through the same period winning the national C2 championship in 1970 and the national C1 title in 1971. Both competed in the 1972 Olympics and together the two authors provide a wide overview of whitewater racing disciplines. While the techniques are somewhat dated, aspiring racers will find some interesting tidbits and the book is of historical interest. In addition to covering K1 slalom this book also gives significant coverage to C1 and C2 paddling and includes a chapter on wildwater racing. For a more up-to-date reference on whitewater slalom check out Scott Shipley's book, Every Crushing Storke. ... Read more

Book Description
Southeastern Whitewater contains clear, concise descriptions of fifty of the best whitewater river trips in the southeastern United States.Profusely illustrated, with digitally-enhanced maps, photographs, tables, and mile-by-mile river itineraries.Packed with information on river access, river hazards, alternate trips, nearby campgrounds, and driving distances from major metro areas.All trips are inter-linked by the TRIP rating scale, a creative new way of comparing rivers on ten dimensions of paddling difficulty. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Southeastern Must Read
As an intermediate paddler I consider this book almost my bible. The TRIP scale is immensely useful for selecting trips and pre-evaluating what are suitable trips depending on my skills and that of the company I am with. Ihave found Monte's characterization and ratings of the rapids right onwhich is rare (example. Benner's Carolina book is excellent but theTuckaseegee gorge is no class 2/3 river like the Nantahala is). The writingis superb and amusing, each section contains a wealth of information onnearby alternate trips, gradient statistics, length, gauge, etc. along withMonte's comments and injected personality which I found entertaining. Thebook has a wealth of rapid pictures too which I usually can't find with theexception of W. Nealy's maps and cartoons. Using this book I have been ableto plot which rivers I need to become proficient on first. Next to checkingthe water levels, this is my primary source for plotting an itinerary up toAppalachia.

The Real Story
If you are going whitewater boating in the Southeast and you want to buy just one book, then this is it.Monte Smith describes all the best whitewater in the southern Appalachians and he soe a great job of it.Thedescriptions are both amusing and informative.His TRIP scale is extremelyuseful, although it defies any brief description here.

I do have acriticism or two.First, Monte makes too many references to his otherbooks.Second, Monte is a little full of himself.The envelope has beenpushed far since his hey (sp?) day, and there are many more skilled andsignificant paddlers out there today.Despite those criticisms, the factis that Southeastern Whitewater is now THE definitive regional whitewaterguidebook for the southeast.There are more comprehensive state guidebooks(Benner's Carolina Whitewater or Corbett's Virginia White Water) but MonteSmith's book covers all the best whitewater in the whole region.

The best single guidebook on southeastern creeking
Southeastern Whitewater describes fifty of the best whitewater paddlingtrips in the Southern Appalachians, ranging from the Little River Canyon toBig Sandy Creek and located in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina,South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.It won't replace CarolinaWhitewater, Northern Georgia Canoeing, or other detailed state orwatershed-specific books because it doesn't include everything (for exampleonly the Cartecay and Lower Conasauga represent Georgia).On the otherhand, it covers the entire southern Appalachians, so no matter where youare in the area this one book will describe something nearby to paddle. Only quality whitewater streams are included, so if it's in the book it'sworthwhile doing.None of the trips in the book are appropriate forunaccompanied beginning paddlers.The average difficulty is Class III (IV)(similar to the Big South Fork, Nolichucky, or Ocoee) and about a third ofthe trips are more difficult than the Ocoee.Finally, Smith only includedstreams that he had paddled multiple times and knew well, so the detailedtrip descriptions are outstanding.Many chapters have at least onefull-page action picture of open-boaters doing a signature rapid (forexample Julie Keller and Francis Cheung are featured in Entrance Rapid andDiamond Splitter).

In addition to 50 detailed trip descriptions,Southeastern Whitewater introduces the Trip Relational Information Profile(TRIP) rating scale, an elegantly robust new way of comparing rivers onboth specific and global dimensions of difficulty.The TRIP scaleincorporates and normalizes nine dimensions of stream difficulty,"weights" them, and derives an overall difficulty rating.Thenine dimensions include; Difficulty of Rapids, Volume x GradientInteraction, Average Gradient, Streambed Morphology, Continuousness ofRapids, Maximum Gradient, Total Gradient, Inaccessibility, and Reputation. The 26 pages in Chapter 2 explain the TRIP scales.One-hundred is theaverage for each item; a 10 point difference is about half again as hardand a 20 point difference is about twice as hard.For example, many of usquickly work-up to the Nantahala (77 overall TRIP points) and becomecomfortable after doing it several times our first summer of paddling. Indeed, it is common to move right up to the Chattooga Section III (86points).It's a lot tougher than the Nanty (10 pts or about half again asdifficult), but it's usually within range except for the Bull.So... isSection IV a logical progression?.Section IV has an overall TRIP ratingof 116, 30 points more than Section III.Whoa!! It's more than twice ashard.Definitely time to reconsider.The lower Tellico (96 TRIP pts) andOcoee (104 TRIP pts) are more logical areas to become acquainted withfirst. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Must Have!
Definitely a must-have for anyone who runs rivers in the western US, regardless of conveyance.This is a comprehensive listing of major (and not-so-major) runs giving mile-by-mile descriptions of the rivers, their rapids, and points of interest.While the fact that it's out of print may lead to some errors that develop over time (the take-out on the Klamath River isn't as described any longer), the sheer volume of information in this book is too great to ignore.

The definitive guide
I can't believe that this would go out of print due to unpopularity. This guide is too good and too popular among river rats I know. I suspect liability issues, though I really hope it is coming out again, new and improved

This definitive guide of runnable rivers in the West features detailed directions to put-ins, take-outs, mile-by-mile guides to the rivers (including descriptions and suggestions of routes and scouting points in major rapids).

I love this book so much and regard it as so valuable that I'm almost tempted to pay the astronomical and ridiculous fee of $75 to once again own a copy. But I probably won't. ... Read more

Book Description
In the heartland of America rise the Ozark Mountains, verdant, rugged, and teeming with cascading, free-flowing streams. Situated astride the Missouri/Arkansas border, the Ozarks represent a canoeing and kayaking wonderland to paddlers from twelve states. Now for the first time, with photos, maps, data sheets, and detailed stream descriptions, whitewater veteran Tom Kennon catalogs the varied rivers of the Ozarks. Comprehensive, accurate, and eminently readable, Ozark Whitewater will become the definitive sourcebook for Ozark river sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A classic & still an invaluable resource for Ozark paddlers!
The venerable "blue book" of Ozark whitewater streams and paddling is as good a read as ever, and the information is still some of the best you'll find anywhere on the topic.This is *the* book that I always have in my shuttle vehicle.I have a nearly unrecognizable copy that has gone on a few too many adventures, and I bought a new second edition copy a while back and am in the process of wearing it out too.With the number of new paddlers in the area growing in leaps and bounds, this text provides an essential starting point for those wanting to explore the exciting whitewater of Arkansas and Missouri.Highly recommended!

Great Guide for canoers/floaters
This is a great guide book for Arkansas and S. Missouri rivers. If you need information about a river in AR./Mo. then this is the book to start your research. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Great river reviews - your mileage may vary!
A handy sized, informative guide to rivers in our area.We have used this to plan numerous trips on rivers and have found the guide to be (relatively) accurate and easy to use.Having said that, we discovered (duh!) that rivers change over time and that this guide is a great STARTING point for trip planning.Good scouting and maybe talking to people with experience on the river in question are valuable parts of good trip prep.There is a website for the book where people can submit changes or inaccuracies that they have discovered - this helps to keep the guide current.All in all one of the best we've looked at. ... Read more

Book Description
As scandals increasingly dominate the political agenda, Benjamin Ginsberg and Martin Shefter argue in this illuminating book, the United States is entering an era of post-electoral politics, with media revelations, congressional investigations, and judicial proceedings replacing elections as the primary tools of political competition. In a far-reaching shift of the political landscape, contenders now seek to discredit or take hostage their opponents rather than to expand the electorate or otherwise compete for votes.

In this new edition, which includes a full chapter on the politics of Bush v. Gore, the authors discuss the long-term significance of the decline of electoral competition: voters are increasingly alienated, the government's effectiveness is weakened, and the democratic process is threatened. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not Bad
This book is a good explanation of political battle without the electorate being involved.It reveals some of the more tragic but interesting and lesser known political methods in use today.It is informative but not uplifting.

The Gilded Age, Part Two
Benjamin Ginsberg and Martin Shefter have written a thorough recounting of the last thirty years in American political life. The authors' views are interesting as well as provocative. Most notably, their thesis that the United States has entered a postelectoral era where the importance of elections is eclipsed by instruments of political combat. And the practitioners of this combat while perfecting these weapons have failed to mobilize voters, which has had a deleterious effect on party organizations, and has lead to deadlock in government.

There are points that the authors could pursue that would strengthen this work. It would be worthwhile to note that low voter turnout, particularly in the case of primary elections, works to create nominees of the more extreme wings of the parties. If more voters than just the party faithful were to show up perhaps deadlock and institutional combat would be precluded. But the authors seem to blame the failure of voter mobilization on the leaders rather than on the disinterested electorate.

Another notion that could be suggested is that the United States has entered another "Gilded Age" where there are no over-arching issues around which consensus can be reached. Isn't it possible that this combat may be a result of the end of the Cold War? Didn't a new power structure need to be created in that vacuum?

Additionally, the authors write of the media and its rise to power but fail to fully explore the increased capacity, or presence, of the current wall-to-wall coverage.

the political shift
This was an excellent book.The authors took an extensive look at the shift in the approach to politics today and examined how the shift stems out of history; including references to political parties and the media.The book explains, in an insightful way, how the current focus on prosecution of political figures has contributed to electoral decay.This book includes fascinating insight into the current political situation and how we have arrived at this point. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in why our politics seems to have decayed to the negative state it is at now. ... Read more