Smells Like Dead Elephants: Dispatches from a Rotting Empire

At times, it feels to me like we could be in the final day of the GOP, or at least on the cusp of a necessary apotheosis. I saw this title and figured it was Taibbi documenting that decay into fecundity of some new growth. I have read other books I liked of his and recalled liking his wit on Real Time with Bill Maher , MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show and other programs back when I had cable. This book is a collection of pieces more dated than I expected and recalls to me how I first lost faith in the GOP during the Dubya years of Iraq-Afghanistan, Jack Abramoff, etc. Taibbi emits an off-putting desperation to promote a gonzo journalism in the style of Hunter S. Thompson, who also covered politics for Rolling Stone. However is show more unnecessarily crude characterizations diminish the light he can shine on how our partisan government works through a tour of the sausage works by Bernie Sanders, weeks of patient embedding with troops, sitting in the galleries of the legislature, etc. show less

This a collection of articles from Taibbi's Rolling Stone column from the past few years. I've enjoyed seeing Taibbi on Real Time this season and wanted to read some of his work. The last article entitled the Worst Congress Ever is a very depressing look at 109th Congress and how it attempted to keep the Democrats out of the loop and the indictment of Tom DeLay and the scandals surrounding Jack Abramoff, Mark Foley, Bob Ney, Randall "Duke" Cunningham, and William Jefferson. While its quite clear where Taibbi stands politically, he includes quotes and opinions from more conservative leaning individuals such as congressional scholar Jonathon Turley. I would love to read a follow-up article here with his opinions of the 110th show more Congress.

Other articles include his coverage of the Lynndie England and Michael Jackson trials. His descriptions of the circus around the Jacko trial and how the amount of time taken to bring England to trial is shown by the lack of public interest taken when she was finally in front of the judge are spot on.

Overall an enlightening but depressing read if you aren't a Rolling Stone subscriber as there isn't much added to the book other than the original articles. show less

Sometimes he's too much, Matt Taibbi. Mostly he's not. And always is he hilarious, clever and enlightening. Great journalism.

Drivel - don’t waste your time. Any possible insights into the lives and behaviors of the people about whom Taibbi is writing is lost in his heavy-handed snark and attempts at caustic humor.