Jake Sherman

A pretty balanced look at the craziness in current US Government. I have read reviews that consider the book a hit job on Trump and Republicans, but I actually found myself angry with the authors whenever they honestly found faults with Democrats the party. That's when I realized they were simply being balanced. I may not like reading about the faults and mistakes of the Democrats, but if I deny them, I am no better than they are.
It is frustrating to read about the horrible, stupid, show more self-serving actions of Trump and his disciples. It is especially sad to read about them when we are also living through them right now. It is exhilarating to read about the 2018 elections and the Democrats re-taking the House.
Our government, and the administration, have devolved so far in such a short time, it is head-spinning. One wonders where it will end. My thanks to these authors for delving into the topic in an even-handed manner. show less

Some books are "timely", in that they give good information about on-going activities. Others are "timeless", in that the information they contain remain relevant for years. Others, like "The Hill to Die On", just seem to pass in the night. It makes me think that some non-fiction books should have an expiration date, much like the dairy products I buy from the supermarket, e.g., a "use by" date, a "best before" date.

This book, by long time political writers Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman, show more focuses mostly on some of the inner workings of the House and Senate in the aftermath of the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President. It provides a glimpse of some of the workings of Congress, but now that the 2018 election has been completed, much has changed. They give us several looks at Congressional interactions, what they did, but not much in terms of analysis as to how these actions affected voters. Congress is no longer totally controlled by the Republican Party, the House Leadership has changed, and the dynamics of legislative initiatives have changed. So it's not a forward looking book, and doesn't answer relevant questions such as "where do we go from here", "how do we improve things", etc.

But, for those interested in reviewing the President's campaign promises, such as repealing and replacing ObamaCare, building a wall on the Southern border, declaring China a currency manipulator, prosecuting Hillary Clinton, negotiating new trade agreements with trading partners, passing new infrastructure legislation, etc., and understanding why many of these promises remain incomplete, there are some nuggets of information within. The authors give some insights into why Congress was ineffective early on, even though under single party control, and then look at more recent interactions between the President and Congress after the 2018 election. Other sections ​remind us about campaigns are financed and how Congressmen must continue to raise funds for their election races. There also are descriptions of selected Congressional primary contests​ and political in-fighting among Congressmen. However, many of these individuals may no longer be in office, be of only minor importance, or of little significance to many readers.

I would have hoped that the book offered more insights into National Party priorities, national vision, major legislative initiatives, etc. Instead, what it showed me is that the primary priority of both political parties is preserving their power in office, and finding equitable solutions to the problems of the Country is a secondary concern. If you already have a low opinion of Congress, this book won't make you feel much better. show less

I was initially hesitant to pick up this work as I thought that reading about Congress would not be as interesting as reading about the president, etc. This book proved me wrong! This book was an exceptional and easy to read tale about Trump's first two years told through the eyes of Congress. This is easily one of the best books I have read this year! I do hope they write another one in the same manner after another two years, because I think there will be plenty of material!

Jake Sherman
Anna A Palmer