Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think

... If, like me, you genuinely LIKE Chris Matthews, you will LIKE this book. The man reveals that he has a HEART as big as his MOUTH! ( No small potatoes in this case! ) He has a sincere affection and respect for his heroes - no mater what their political persuasion - and he never hesitates, or feels ashamed, to tell you so. Bottom line: Chris Matthews is a good guy. Period. He's just a decent kind of guy - tough, but fair. He's the kind of guy you always wished you had as your best friend when you were growing up as a kid who may have been surrounded by mindless jocks, wimpy nerds, or violent punks in a neighborhood short on both brains and heart. Chris Matthews is short on neither.... If you watch his program - HARDBALL - on TV every night ( as I do most nights ), you may have wondered why he interrups his guests so often. You find out why in this book on page 23: "The truth is, I can come up with some explanations for this oft-cited "bad" habit of mine. There's the TV excuse: I refuse to let plodding guests kill my Hardball pace. I like it fast. So does the audience - and probably even, secretly, some of those who complain do too. Or there's the professional rationale: I'm not in the PR business. I'm a journalist. Therefore, I refuse to let politicians use my show to recite their staff-scripted talking points. I could also offer the "I-grew-up-in-a-big-family" dodge. With five brothers around the table, we had to eat fast to get second helpings - and talk fast in order to get anyone to listen. But are you ready for the real reason I interrupt so much? I can't help myself. It's like that Phil Ochs song from the sixties, when he declared, "I've got something to say and I'm gonna say it now." That's me. A guest will say something, and suddenly I'll be reminded of something I'm dying to say. This book is a chance to finally get it out, to tell you what I really think."... He does just that in this very revealing book. ... Man, can this guy talk fast! Either he's drinking some really strong java before each show, or his youthful enthusiasm is still flowing strong from an endless supply of adenosine triphosphate! His synapses are literally BURNING on camera! It's inspiring just watching him THINK - because you KNOW his brain is working way faster than his motor-mouth can get the words out. He's also got a great sense of humor! ... Can I make one suggestion, Chris? DROP the incomplete sentenses - like the one here on page 157: "Except for one hulking white-haired guy who refused to quit." Learn to incorporate the semi-colon, or at least the dash. Okay, buddy?... Hey, if you're one of those people who believes the myth that the "media is liberal" in this country, then you may not like watching HARDBALL ( because Chris is definitely more progressive than reactionary ) or even Donahue ( also on MSNBC ) for that matter. But if you're one of those people who realizes that there is more to a person than meets the eye, then you will find when you read this

You do not have to read certain books to be enlightened or taught. You don't need to be lectured especially about our USA politics to be able to figure it out. But sometimes we need to be brought to the general awareness of certain subjects which allows us to expand on our thoughts and knowledge, and that is what this book does. You can go on, on your own and say, now this is what I really think. I don't know if that is what Chris Matthews had in mind, but its all to obvious to me. Read a book that will do both, inform and cause thinking, Read Karl Maddox.

"Hardball's" Chris Matthews has written yet ANOTHER political classic. Hisbook Hardball was already a political classic due to Matthews talent for cramming tons of perceptive political insight into short, conversational chapters written in a breezy style. Let Me Tell You What I Really Think lives up to it's title: he outlines topics such as Al Gore, George Bush, Bill Clinton, JFK, Ronald Reagan etc. then at the end of each chapter under the title HERE'S WHAT I REALLY THINK he bluntly tells you. No hedging allowed. No political lines or spin. Just stuff from the gut -- and heart. Matthews is without question the best, most succinct newspaper columnist of his generation. Way before he hosted the confrontational Hardball, he wrote speeches for President Carter, had been a Democrat, Republican, Peace Corps volunteer, worked for Tip O'Neill, etc. What he was TOPS at was writing to-the-point newspaper columns...that often accurately predicted political outcomes (he won several awards for this talent). In this short, but opinion and idea-packed book, you can read the three pages on George Bush, written after the Sept 11 attack, and read the BEST, most insightful profile on GWB written by anyone yet. Read his Clinton chapter and he manages to actually give a new perspective on the former prez. Read the Al Gore chapter and he writes about a man he personally knows, explaining why he lost and will never be elected president (Gore's "know-it-all" personality did him in). Democrats and Republicans will alternatively love and hate this book, since he is not parroting a radio talk show host, member of Congress, or activist. Matthews marches to his own political drummer, so various partisans go through stages thinking he is "on their side" or "against them." Wrong on both counts!Reasons why you MUST read and/or gift this book: 1. It's a pleasure to read. 2. His chapters on political leaders are the best ever written. 3. His chapters on America, democracy and American spirit burst with his own enthusiasm, ideas and specific examples. 4. His chapter giving career advice should be REQUIRED READING for young people or anyone who has a dream. Again, in a few short pages he gives basic advice so forcefully and documented that you can throw out ALL your wordy and costly motivational books and tapes...and just READ and re-read this chapter. That'll do it! 5. His personal stories about the Peace Corps, his family and his political evolution show someone who is truly a national resource. Great to read...great to gift!

What is it that we find compelling in each other? If you are curious about what makes Chris Matthews tick, it's (almost) all here. His reverence for Winston Churchill. His crazy days in the Peace Corps. His 1950s Catholic school education. Matthews weaves personal history, opinion, and political anecdotes into a charming and deeply entertaining book. Ten succinct chapters each end with a summary that begins, 'HERE'S WHAT I REALLY THINK.' But did you expect anything less from the man who is famous for playing hardball? Matthews' discussion of a uniquely 'American Attitude' is especially relevent now. He declares that Americans are the most freedom-loving people in the world. How our love of freedom manifests itself in the coming years is perhaps a topic for a future book. Chapter nine, 'Worldly Wisdom,' is well worth the purchase price of the book in itself. Here we glimpse Matthews as professor. He offers three fundamental precepts for success, and it is a generous gift. Sugarplums like, 'When you ask someone for help, you are implicitly asking them to take a chance on you' and 'There's a magic that results when a person invests in you' are sprinkled throughout this chapter. He offers his advice heartily, and tenderly. I saw Chris Matthews speak about this book in a Washington DC bookstore appearance. He simply emanantes joy. It's not an act. The sparkle in his eye is no trick of television. He's the real thing. And his love of this country is palpable. To borrow from Matthews, HERE'S WHAT I REALLY THINK: This is a book you should buy, not borrow, because you'll want to return to it again and again.

I must confess at the start that it is hard for me to be objective about Chris Matthews. I have regularly watched his CNBC show HARDBALL for over three years. In this open letter to his fans, we learn a little more about how his strong opinions were formed and why it seems he enjoys what he does so much. Being part autobiography and part political opinion, the book is a quick read. Containing opinions on JFK, Nixon, Reagan, and his former bosses, Jimmy Carter and Tip O'Neill, to name a few, much of what Chris has to say will sound familiar to his fans. Some of it, especially his opinions on Nixon, will surprise us. For those who already know Chris, this book will be a pleasure to read. For those who don't, it will provide a glimpse of what his show is like: fast paced and refreshingly honest.