The Money Men: The Real Story of Fund-Raising's Influence on Political Power in America

Having been active in politics and political campaigns for 10+ years now, and staying current with the news of the day, I thought I had a pretty good working knowledge of the campaign finance issue. That is, until I read Mr. Birnbaum's excellent book, "The Money Men". I found out just how lacking in knowledge I was on this issue. I was drawn to this book because of my interest in politics, and also because I have enjoyed Mr. Birnbaum's work with Fortune magazine and the Fox News Channel. The book he has crafted is not a disappointment; rather, it exceeded all my expectations.The draw to this book from political pro to political novice is that is is thoroughly readable. A lot of people tend to get turned off by issues such as campaign finance because it is presented to us in that "policy wonk" or "green lampshade" form that is hard to digest. Mr. Birnbaum presents the ins and outs of the money game and its players in layman's terms that shed things in a whole new light. The length of the book also makes it appealing, because it doesn't give one the feeling of reading an academic textbook. Another strongpoint of this book is that Mr. Birnbaum is wholly impartial and objective in his writing. He doesn't focus on one side/party or the other; he gives Republicans and Democrats equal time - and criticism. He also does it without being sanctimonious or elitist, and I daresay there aren't too many others inside the Beltway who could present it any better than in this form.Of course, there are a series of proposed solutions to reform the campaign finance system, as should be expected from any book on the subject. But unlike the politicians, Mr. Birnbaum presents proposals that would reform the system while also being eminently digestable to the public-at-large and - provided they had common sense - the politicians. Quite simply, this book is a must-read for those both in and out of politics. For those in the game, it will likely do to you what it did to me: teach just how little I knew while explaining how it works and how to fix it. For those apathetic or thinking politics doesn't matter, this is worthwhile if only to make one understand the issue and begin to find ways to fix the system so as to be palatable. Most of these people think the government doesn't represent them; this is a book that shows one way to show how they can get that lack of representation back. But most of all, for anyone who falls into either category, it is worthwhile to read so one can stay properly informed when the issue rears its ugly head in the media.