re: I'm looking for a good, recent political book to read. Any sugggestions?

My advice is to either find something older and generally outside your wheelhouse, or something written by an academic or specialist in a particular specialized field. Nothing being rolled out by the modern political media industry (which has grown huge, both driving and being driven by an increase in hyper-partisanship) is likely to add anything of value to your actual political understanding. You may pick up a couple of clever arguments or turns of phrase, but it'll simply be a different way of restating something you've doubtless read/heard a thousand times and likely already believe (if you choose a conservative writer).

I'm looking for a good study on why Congress is so dysfunctional (outside the obvious) and ways in which changes in elections, procedures, and rules can strengthen the institution and make it more effective irrespective of partisan alignment in the two houses.

ETA: The last "modern" book written by the political class that I could recommend would be The Price of Politics by Woodward. It's about five years old and was okay, but nothing special.

quote:

---

Death of Expertise may be out of many's comfort zone, because it criticizes the proliferation of "news" sources. I'm in the early chapters of it, but he allegedly argues that the average American can no more be an expert on policy than they can be an engineer or doctor, if not trained to be one.

Not sure how I'm going to react to that argument.

---

See that's actually something that could be a good addition to the modern political zeitgeist. Along those lines, an interesting change in approach for we lay political junkies might be to pick a single issue or policy and just study it exhaustively from all angles and see what solutions we might propose. Like literally spending a year or two on it. Probably won't make us experts, but anything has to be better than reingesting belief affirming talking points from all these talking heads, radio shows, and shitty polipop tomes.

"Ghost Wars" history of CIA involvement in Afghanistan.

Very good read goes into history of not only Afghanistan but a lot of the Middle East and politics involved with former heads and professional ladder climbers suck as George Tenet, James Clapper, and other jack asses in bed with the Clintons and Bushes

quote:

---

I'm looking for a good, recent political book to read. Any sugggestions?

---

I am reading this now. It is very good.

Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America

LINK

quote:

---

Like literally spending a year or two on it. Probably won't make us experts,

---

Just heard an "expert" speak on Obamacare. I promise you that after 1 or two years of studying health care policy you would be considered an expert in his field and he's a lifelong WH, lobbyist, health policy "expert".

He almost admitted as much during his presentation.

Reading this right now. Excellent book.

How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything: Tales from the Pentagon

Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America

I read this before the election. I am registered as an independent. Rightish of center on fiscal and business issues and leftish of center on social issues.

I didnt like Clinton. But this book made me vote against Trump.