Before I give you my reasons for recommending this book, I have to tell you what really sticks in my craw about Michael Moore. He doesn’t understand what was so stupid about his support of Ralph Nader’s presidential bid. He even reiterates the same tired, illogical campaign rationalizations proving that he still doesn’t get it.

Since I am a lifelong admirer of Ralph Nader myself, I have to remind everyone that Ralph Nader is a crusader. That is different than being Chief Executive, different than being Commander in Chief, different than being a problem solver. In fact, there is a lot of proof that he does not work well with others under any circumstance. Cut through all the deceptively high-minded excuses for supporting his candidacy and you have this fact left. Those who voted for Nader knew he was incapable of doing the job. His principles are unimpeachable, but his genius is not leadership. The official campaign slogan should have been - Vote for Nader, He Won’t Win.

Now I realize that neither can Little Bush do the job that the Supreme Court gave him. While POTUS is the window dressing, it is the shadow government run by the cronies of Big Bush that runs the country. However, to pretend that Ralph Nader was a high-minded, idealistic alternative is not only naïve, but dangerous. The section in Moore’s book that tries to justify the specious Green rationale is a big waste of time.

On the other hand, there are several good reasons to read this book. To begin with, it is proof positive that the mainstream media in the USA is not liberal. The next time one of your dufus Republican relatives complains about “liberal media” you can use this book to knock him along side the head. This book contains liberal information that is not available in mainstream news or commentary. And even better, the information is documented so you can cite the source.

What kind of liberal information? Well, Moore discusses the British Broadcasting Corporation’s investigative reporting about the corrupt Florida election. No hanging chads, just downright dirty, corrupt politics that only the foreign press bothered to investigate.

Here’s one freebie that is covered in the book- the “Democratic” woman who designed the infamous butterfly ballots was a registered Republican until 1996, and switched party affiliation once again after the 2000 election. Moore’s book has lots more goodies like that.

Another good reason to buy the book is that Moore gives some basic strategies that we can take charge of our country again. Anyone can come up with a list of problems, but I appreciate it more when someone suggests solutions.

There are other reasons to read this book- if you can find it. One reason you might have trouble finding a copy to buy is that, although it had already been published, the publishers weren’t going to make it available. Moore talks about the challenges of distributing the already-published book on his web site. I believe that any book worth being censored for political reasons, needs to be read.

The book also contains interesting gossip such as the time when Laura Bush killed a man in a car wreck. Yes, he cites his source. The book has lots more such factoids, but I’ll only give you one more- since it’s on the book jacket anyway. Starting pay for a pilot at American Eagle Airline is $16,800 a year. You want more? Buy the book.