The Worst-Case Scenario Almanac: Politics: Politics

A fun read for some spare time. Though it does slant a little to the left (like most things), I have to give it credit that it does attempt to be fair and balanced.

Filled with useless facts and historical references this book is a must have for any history buff or someone who just wants a good laugh. The book is composed of 6 chapters each of which has a different theme. One of the sections in the chapters is an item called 'Who's who of the worst' which goes over infamous figures in history. Most of the names are obscure (who is Sextus Pompey?) however occasionally the authors mention a recent terrible person such as Dan Quayle who I was delighted to read about. Other sections are just funny such as the page on Strange Pets of World Leaders. I never knew that President Coolidge had a hippo named Billy. Overall this book is nonstop entertainment with fascinating historical references, covering history from the ancient Greeks to the present.

The Worst-Case Scenario series had brought us lots of unusual and surprising tips (How to Escape from the Trunk of a Car, How to Remove a Leach, How to Escape from a Stampede of Giraffes, etc..) but now the team tackles something that we all want to be saved from: Politics. This Almanac has lots of surprising info on politics' past (Did you know that: Trent Lott had been a cheerleader? Italy had an 83.6% voter turn-out in 2006? Or that Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry once said, "Outside of the killings, we have one of the lowest rates of crime in the nation."? ) The book also has those step-by-step how-to's that are synonymous with the series: How to Kiss a Drooling Baby, How to Counter a Smear Ad, How to Continue a Bankrupt Campaign, How to Pretend You Care, etc..) It's a quick-read, funny book that will educate you and give you some pointers for when you want to run for office. I'm sure Obama or McCain could use some of those tips right about now.