Who Let the Dogs In?: Incredible Political Animals I Have Known

First off let's get one thing straight... while I wholeheartedly believe Molly Ivins when she declares that she is nonpartisan one should not mistake this as saying that this book is for everyone. While it would be far too simplistic to say that Ivins loves Democrats and hates Republicans it is fair to say that she is a liberal and while this book will make you angry no matter who you are conservatives will be angry at Ivins herself while liberals will find themselves getting angry at juvenile and wrongheaded political leaders. This book is very different from her other recent books Shrub and Bushwacked in at least two important ways. First, it is important to understand that this is not new material rather it is a collection of her work since the Regan years. Since this is not a collection of new material it is on less of "a mission" than pervious books - she is not trying to convince you how to vote, just taking a look back. As such she is not as focused on why Bush would be bad for American and simple looks at and evaluated what he has done in office. In some ways the fact that this book is a look back is the saddest part of the book - I hope this book is just a milestone for Ivins and not her saying goodbye. She is caring, smart, shapely funny and a true Texan (although maybe I am just bias classifying this last one as a positive trait). Perhaps what is most impressive is that in this look back over her career she never seems to have lost her idealism or even her optimism about politics - she really always believes that things can improve and that the power lives with the people. Bottom line is that Ivins just comes off as the type of person you would want to sit around the table and talk politics with - or talk about the weather with! Once I had started this book I could not put it down, ended up reading the entire thing over the course of two days and at the end of it was left wishing there was more. Not only an enjoyable read but I am a better, more informed person for it - thanks Molly!

This is a must read for all political junkies, being a retrospective of Ivins' most memorable articles over her 30-year career of covering politics. She is always an enjoyable read, and her sense of optimism in the face of peril is a laudable trait. And she does think that we are at a time of great peril, but she feels compelled to point out stupidity and corruption and lampoon it-hence, the wit and clear-sighted wisdom that is Molly Ivins. Christian Conservatives and those who don't vote because they feel that it would not make a difference would be well-advised to read her introduction. She makes the case that Christian Conservatives are being used by the greed-is-good neocons. And for the non-voters, she harks back to a time when people followed politics with greater intensity than people follow sports today--like their lives depended on it-because it does. I would say, Molly Ivins for President, except we could probably never convince her to give up her noble career as a writer to lower herself into the political arena.

This is the first book by Molly Ivins I have read. I found it witty, satirical and worth every penny. Her viewpoint is clear; and it is definately liberal. I'm not. Whether you agree or disagree with her viewpoint, her writing is funny and very entertaining.

What I love about Ms. Ivins is she has a genuine non-mean wit when it comes to criticizing or disagreeing with someone like G W Bush. And this book is no exception. She covers all the political bases so she cant be accused of being just for the liberal side. I am a registered Republican who is more of a Reagan Democrat, who is leaning toward Kerry-Edwards in 2004. Those she writes about so well and in a way that makes you laugh, wince and think are Dick Cheney, Ross Perot, Ann Richards the former Governor of Texas, John Ashcroft, and Donald Rumsfeld, Jimmy Carter, Barbara Jordon, and Bill Clinton just to name a handful. While I love the book and highly recommend it, I am also going to buy the book on CD because she is one woman who could read the phone book and make it interesting and hold my attention.

As a longtime fan of Molly Ivins, I found this collection to be a treat in every respect. Sure, there's some repetition from her past books, but I found it refreshing to take another look at articles published long before the horrors of September 11, John Ashcroft, and Shrub. For example, take Ivins' loving tribute to the formidable Texan Barbara Jordan. Just to read BJ's assertion, "My faith in the Con-sti-tution is whole, it is com-plete, it is to-tal," sends shivers up and down the spine. Yet Ivins has added a few more anecdotes about Jordan, one politician and professor about whom it is impossible to say too much. Ivins told her young editor that the concept of a "career retrospective" makes her feel "slightly dead." To the reader, Ivins' work is still bursting with wit, insight, and just plain fun. Her intimate knowledge of government, based on forty-plus years of reporting from small-town Texas to the vagaries of the White House, gives her a unique perspective and a hilarious way of expressing herself. She can even make us snicker at the Nixon years--no small feat. In my opinion, "Political Animals" is an excellent introduction to Molly Ivins for those who don't know her work, as well as a delectable read for those who do. You keep going, girl.