Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose - Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush

Pros: Examples are provided; Some humor tossed into the mix
Cons: Very biased against GWB; A little too short

Residents of the great state of Texas have a few local journalists who are highly regarded for their political commentary. Several of them have appeared on national television. Others have had their writing syndicated in national newspapers, offering ...

Pros: Hard-hitting, well researched, great Texas humor, thematic chapters offer a great read.
Cons: Very biased, yet unchallenged, lacks photographs.

A review of this book was originally posted on August 1, 2000 just as the Republican circus, I mean convention, was getting under way. The review posted here has some of its original meat. Those who are Bush supporters will eschew the review as much ...

Pros: informative
Cons: not funny

As the final minutes of the presidential campaigns run down, many of us still have not decided who to vote for. None of the candidates are really compelling, so we're left trying to understand who not to vote for. If you're still cramming for...

Pros: Fairly balanced account of W's rise and Texas record
Cons: Wish it was longer!

What took me so long to read Molly Ivins' book Shurb: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush? Maybe because I just found a copy at Super Target, on sale for under $7.00. Prior to that, I don't think I've seen it much in these here...

Pros: Compelling analysis of George W. Bush's public life
Cons: Lacks primary-source citations for those who want to check the facts for themselves

It began innocently enough. Given my liberal Democratic views and my instinctive dislike for our incumbent president, a political biography of George W. Bush was literally the last thing on my mind as I arrived at Dulles International for a...

Pros: A very funny and detailed examination of "Dubya" Bush
Cons: It's kinda short

Molly Ivins is a Texan. Molly Ivins is a liberal. And Molly Ivins is damn funny.

This, I think, makes her the first person to be all three of those things in the history of mankind. There are boring liberal Texans, and there are funny liberals...

Pros: Everyone should know these facts about the man who would be President
Cons: Long and dull. Too many uninteresting 'facts'.

Several failed businesses that left the owner rich at the investors expense, draft evasion, environmental recklessness and selling of political favors.

George W. Bush's current popularity, and Bill Clinton's Unpopularity, would seem to...

Pros: Interesting (but disturbing) reading about our new President
Cons: It isn't funny; it's depressing

We have a new President of the United States. Perhaps you are wondering how he might choose to govern. Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose have done the legwork - as they point out, the best way to know what a politician is really going to be...

Pros: Amusing and informative. Insightful about Bush and Texas.
Cons: Strong bias.

We’re now a little more than two years into the Bush administration with neither peace nor prosperity in our midst. We have seen a budget surplus transformed to a deficit with the President wanting to cut the taxes of the wealthy while spending on...

Pros: well-written and thoughtful political assessment
Cons: ultimately, not at all non-partisan

For a free-spirited, fast-talking Texas liberal, Molly Ivins remains remarkably even-keeled in her assessment of the "short but happy political life" of Republican Governor George W. Bush.

She does not address rumors, unconfirmed or...

Pros: A whirlwind tour through a sordid past
Cons: Short

The problem with a book like this is that it necessarily deals with temporary details - people, issues, events - that will be forgotten in a shorter time than you'd think. However, this book somehow transcends that limit.

Molly Ivins, having...

Pros: A good example of hard-hitting journalism.
Cons: Somewhat partisan, Bush supporters probably won't like it.

Molly Ivins is one of America's best columnists. Like Carl Hiaasen and Mike Royko she pulls no punches and doesn't mince words. But like the South Floridian and the Chicago native she also has an excellent sense of humor. Molly has released several...

Pros: Short, short read!
Cons: Definitely partisan, but still presents the facts well

"Shrub" is a book that compiles the known political record of George W. Bush as seen by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose.

In the tepid political atmosphere of today's politics the presidential race of the United States has come down to two...

Pros: Sense of humor, courage.
Cons: Needs to be longer for that price.

With a refreshing sense of humor, Ivins has revealed to the country what she as a Texan has known all along: George W. Bush might be a charming man, but he is also the least-qualified man to be a major-party nominee this century. Not since the Ohio Gang...

Pros: well written, thorough, and funny
Cons: none

Ivins and Dubose cover George W. Bush's biography thoroughly, and provide some useful notes on what Texas is like. Most important: non-Texans are likely to assume that the governor is in charge, as is the case in most other states. Apparently, in Texas,...