John W. Kingdon

And, so it was another day in the reading of a doctoral student. I actually think it is a profound blueprint for how decisions are made in Washington. If you are an advocate or a member of a nonprofit organization, the information in this book is critical learning. And, I adore politics. It was good reading. But, let's face it, it isn't an Elizabeth George mystery novel.

This might make a good high school or elementary college text, but as a serious reader of history I found it disappointing. American exceptionalism is clearly a topic with a lot of current political importance, and had hoped for an illuminating discussion of the ways in which America really is different. The author points out the obvious differences -- a limited government, loosely disciplines political parties, individualism and localism -- and takes a quick look at their possible sources, show more and their potential implications. There is, however, little in the book that was new or thought-provoking. Indeed, it is to a large extent a review of existing literature, and not a very useful one. show less

This book is unlikely to excite too many readers, but for anyone interested in learning more about the mechanisms through which issues become part of the policy agenda, this is an important classic.