Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Kevin R. Kosar's books

821 ratings | 139 reviews | avg rating:3.65

more photos (1)

Kevin R. Kosar’s Followers (32)

Kevin’s Bookshelves

to-read (38)
currently-reading (7)
read (836)
did-not-finish (0)
written-by-me (8)

Kevin’s Friends (198)

William Cooper

492 books | 4,257 friends

Philip Reari

1,303 books | 257 friends

Leo

654 books | 200 friends

Michael Dean Edwards

24,431 books | 242 friends

Eben

1,728 books | 3,002 friends

Kriket Mckinney johnson

355 books | 75 friends

April

3,021 books | 198 friends

Charles Sedore

654 books | 12 friends

More friends…

Kevin R. Kosar

Goodreads Author

Born

Akron, Ohio, The United States

Website

http://www.kevinrkosar.com

Twitter

kevinrkosar

Genre

Nonfiction, Politics, Cooking, Food & Wine

Member Since

May 2011

edit data

Hi!

I am the co-editor of Congress Overwhelmed: Congressional Capacity and Prospects for Reform (2020), the coauthor of Unleashing Opportunity: Policy Reforms for an Accountable Administrative State (2017), and the author of: Ronald Reagan and Education Policy (2011); Failing Grades: The Federal Politics of Education (2005), Whiskey: A Global History (2010), and Moonshine: A Global History (2017).

I have written for the New York Times, Washington Monthly magazine, Washington Post, Public Administration Review, and various journals, magazines, and newspapers.

I blog and edit at UnderstandingCongress.org, EdwardCBanfield.org, Beverages, Books, and More, Federal Education Policy History website, and Kosar's Fishing Notes.

I work at the American E ...more

495 posts
Kevin R. Kosar's Blog

Upgrading Congress to Meet the Demands of the 21st Century

Americans’ dissatisfaction with Congress is long-standing; its public approval rating has hovered between 10 and 30 percent for the last two decades. This discontent threatens national unity and democratic confidence, especially amid polarization and partisan political conflict…. (Read more)

View more on Kevin R. Kosar's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on August 24, 2026 08:41

View all 495 posts »

Combine Editions
Kevin R. Kosar’s books

Average rating: 3.84 · 172 ratings · 26 reviews · 28 distinct works • Similar authors

	Whiskey: A Global History 3.69 avg rating — 113 ratings — published 2009 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Moonshine: A Global History 3.68 avg rating — 22 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Failing Grades: The Federal Politics Of Education Standards 3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2005 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ronald Reagan and Education Policy it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2011 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Regular Vetoes and Pocket Vetoes: An Overview it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The U.S. Postal Service’s Financial Condition: Overview and Issues for Congress it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Quasi Government: Hybrid Organizations with Both Government and Private Sector Legal Characteristics it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The U.S. Postal Service’s Use of Contractors to Deliver Mail: Background and Recent Developments it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Three Steps for Reasserting Congress in Regulatory Policy it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How to Strengthen Congress it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Kevin R. Kosar…

Kevin is Currently Reading

Kevin Kosar is currently reading

The Cunning Of Unreason

by John Dunn

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

May 10, 2019 05:14PM

Kevin Kosar is currently reading

Hunting Hunting Trophy Muskies & Northerns (Complete Angler's Library)

by Joe Bucher

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 04, 2017 08:37AM

Kevin Kosar is currently reading

Broken Purse Strings: Congressional Budgeting, 1974-88

by Rudolph G. Penner

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Nov 01, 2015 05:36PM

rss
Kevin’s Recent Updates

Kevin R. Kosar wrote a new blog post Upgrading Congress to Meet the Demands of the 21st Century Americans’ dissatisfaction with Congress is long-standing; its public approval rating has hovered between 10 and 30 percent for the last two decades. Read more of this blog post »
Aug 25, 2026 12:38AM · like
Kevin Kosar rated a book really liked it The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 15, 2026 06:34AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kevin Kosar rated a book liked it Flint Kill Creek: Stories of Mystery and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 15, 2026 06:19AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Flint Kill Creek by Joyce Carol Oates. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Flint Kill Creek by Joyce Carol Oates <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kevin Kosar rated a book really liked it The Life of Pi by Yann Martel	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 07, 2026 06:15PM · 1 like · like
Kevin Kosar rated a book really liked it How We Disappear: A Personal History of Information by Thomas S. Mullaney	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book is a keeper! “A U.S. dollar bill, turned 90 degrees and tattooed top-to-bottom, edge-to-edge, with Psalm 23. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Right next to it, a small slip of paper, creased and soft, covered wit ...more
Jun 20, 2026 05:39AM · 2 likes · like · see review
Kevin Kosar rated a book really liked it The Girl in Blue by P.G. Wodehouse	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 07, 2026 05:25AM · like
Kevin Kosar is now following Thomas S. Mullaney Author of The Chinese Typewriter: A History (Studies of t...
Jun 07, 2026 05:24AM · like
Kevin Kosar has read How We Disappear: A Personal History of Information by Thomas S. Mullaney	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 07, 2026 05:24AM · like
Kevin Kosar rated a book really liked it The Brotherhood of Barnabas (The Rise of Lazarus) by B W Jackson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
“Tell me,” said Grandpa Moshe, “what have you been reading this week?” “Everything,” said Aaron. “It’s overwhelming.” “I told you, you can’t do it all at once. Rome wasn’t built in a bay. That’s Naples.” Yep, theyyyyyyyyyyyyy’re back! Aaron, Grandpa Mos ...more
May 16, 2026 09:32AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Brotherhood of Barnabas by B W Jackson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Brotherhood of Barnabas by B W Jackson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kevin Kosar rated a book really liked it Serpico: The Classic Story of the Cop Who Couldn't Be Bought by Peter Maas	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 11, 2026 04:17PM · like