What You Should Know About Politics . . . But Don't, Fifth Edition: A Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues That Matter

by Jessamyn Conrad

“Engaging and inspiring . . . Reading this book should make you want to vote.”—Barack Obama In a world of sound bites, deliberate misinformation, and a political scene colored by the blue versus red partisan divide, how does the average educated American find a reliable source that’s free of political spin? What You Should Know About Politics . . . But Don’t breaks it all down, issue by issue, explaining who stands for what, and why—whether it’s the economy, income inequality, Obamacare, foreign policy, education, immigration, or climate change. If you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or somewhere in between, it’s the perfect book to brush up on a single topic or read through to get a deeper understanding of the often murky world of American politics. This is an essential volume for understanding the background to the 2024 presidential election. But it is also a book that transcends the season. It’s truly for anyone who wants to know more about the perennial issues that will continue to affect our everyday lives. The fifth edition includes an introduction by Martin Garbus discussing the themes and issues that have come to the fore during the present presidential cycle.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Education

448 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2024

Reviews

[Djamel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting guide in the intricacies of American complex and sometime really bizarre politics. The weight of religion led me to question the difference and seek the similarities between the US Israel Iran and Saudi Arabia Reading about some bigot politicians made me think of Taliban. Then the hold of money on society and politics let you reconsider your notions of what is democracy. Also, the intelectual ability and political wit of large portion of the US voters is for me a non American demoralizing because of the US massive influence on the international scene.

I found the book useful to help grasp the US complex political structure aiming at diffusing power and forcing compromise even if some aspects of the system are plainly archaic. The book is also a mirror to the savagery of US tribal politics.

But, I even if the book is still printed 5th edition in 2024, the analysis and examples are not updated and mainly concern up to late George W. Bush second term and the early years of Obama first term. A lot has changed since that time and the book is in need of some serious update.

[Lauren Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a great book! It explains opposing views on various topics without favoring a particular one. My biggest issue is honesty how dated it is. I understand with 24 hour news and social media that politics is ever evolving, but I wish there was a more updated edition to read! I do also wish it went just a tad bit more in depth into how issues came to be…just feels a bit shallow at times but I do understand it’s trying to cover a raise range of topics in a relatively short read.

I definitely still recommend it to people who are trying to get a basic understanding of issues and differing stances/perspectives of them.

[Jeff Schuster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Conrad has done an excellent job covering critical political topics from the start of our country until 2016. I am impressed at how neutral she remains when describing the actions taken by presidential administrations and Congress throughout the decades. She labels herself as a left-leaning libertarian. I sense that she does lean left, but that she keeps her politics in check as she educates the reader objectively. Jessamyn Conrad is politically astute and knowledgeable. After thinking I knew most of what there was to know about politics, I learned a lot more.

I am a political author. Like Ms. Conrad, I am interested in educating the American electorate on key political topics. Unlike Jessamyn, I am an engineer. I covered many of these same topics in my latest book, Engineering Unity: A Path to Resolving Political Polarization in the United States. My book views these topics from the perspective of an engineer by quantifying statistics and differentiating the views of the left, right, and center. It was helpful to read Ms. Conrad’s view from a historian’s perspective.

I was hoping for more recent political insight from the most recent Trump and Biden administrations. It seems like most political observations stopped around 2016.

[Mallory Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

My biggest complaint is that this book says it’s the 5th edition and most recently published in 2024, has not been updated since pre-Trump. It clearly has no updates after maybe 2018, despite 2 editions since then. There’s been SO MUCH that has happened since then, so this book probably needs a massive redo.

[BookishBane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thoroughly impressed with this one. I’ve been dedicated to educating myself this year and this was a needed one. Most definitely something I’ll keep on my shelf and reference. I think it’s a must for anyone, no matter where your opinions leave you. It’s important to see all sides and understand everything from every angle. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for base knowledge on the subject.

[Hayden Dussol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great political information, but I knocked it down a star because it claims it’s up to date for 2024 (at least the newest edition is) but it’s really not. Talks way too much about political issues during the Bush and Obama administrations.

[Jared Morrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was very informative and provided great context around every revenant political topic. I enjoyed becoming more informed but it does read a bit like a textbook

[Grace Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent intro to american politics. very educational and puts complex concepts into easy to understand language