Electing Jesse Ventura: A Third-Party Success Story

I had to read this book for my State and Local Government class. I'm not from Minnesota (although my roommate is and insists that he was voted in as a joke - but whatever), but this book gave lots of background and plenty of information for Non-Minnesotans. Writer Jacob Lentz gives a short background before going into the story of Jesse Ventura's campaign, and then analyzing Ventura's victory in the last chapters. This isn't a "celebrity" book. You won't find any information about Ventura's wrestling career here. But for those interested in political science and why Ventura got elected, this book makes for a fascinating read.

As somewhat of a pundit and a native Minnesotan I had been waiting for ANY analysis of Ventura's victory beyond our abysmal newspapers' and Ventura's own "We shocked the world." After having just begun this remarkable book I wondered why I had no other works by Mr. Lentz in my library. This smart, crisp analysis is extraordinary in both its breadth and depth. Simply page through the bibliography and footnotes and you will understand what I mean. This would be a perfect addition to any class (or individual) interested in the rising third party movements in our country, and will pleasantly surprise both the novice and the seasoned pundit with it's readability.

Having been a fan of Lentz for years, I feel that this book is the pinnacle of his writing achievements to date. As another member of the "Jacob Lentz Official Fan Club" put it, "This book will hurt your brain and make you weep". Lentz has established himself as one of the pre-eminent American authors of the mid-late 1990's era and hopefully, will continue to impress the American public with his eloquent verbosity. Bravo.

This is a great book. Read it and weep over the beauty of the prose, the breadth of the insight, and the joy of being a human alive and reading.