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A graduate student, Sara has just begun her studies at Moore College, when she meets Irish folklore professor Liam O'Connor. The attraction is mutual. Liam has only one flaw, he's very superstitious. When Liam proposes marriage, Sara is elated. Not even the brutal killer that's terrorizing campus can take away her joy. But to her horror, Sara is about to learn why Liam has a good reason to be superstitious. 2 cassettes.
After 35 years in the House of Representatives, Waxman, the mustached congressman from California, offers a very readable insider's account of his 35 years in the House. The longtime governmental watchdog crusaded for AIDS awareness, the Clean Air Act and stronger tobacco regulations as chairman of the Health and Environment subcommittee. The book chronicles the strategies and horse trading necessary to enact these regulations, including coalition building, raising public awareness and remaining informed on the countless issues affecting his constituency. Waxman doesn't romanticize his position, and admits that the qualities that have best served him have been "patience, a knack for finding allies... and the ability to persevere." His conviction that government can better the lives of citizens is uplifting and strengthened by his record of implementing landmark legislation. The book frequently reads too much like a civics lesson to be fully engrossing, but the explanation of the workings of a widely misunderstood government body is a public service from a committed civil servant. (July)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction ix
1 The Early Years 1
The Art of Making Laws
2 California State Assembly to Congressional Subcommittee Chairman 15
3 HIV/AIDS and the Ryan White Act 35
4 The Orphan Drug Act 53
5 The Clean Air Act 75
6 Nutrition Labeling and Dietary Supplements 103
7 Pesticides and Food 127
The Art of Oversight
8 Fraud, Waste, and Abuse 145
9 The Tobacco Wars 171
10 Steroids and Major League Baseball 201
Conclusion 217
Epilogue 225
Acknowledgments 239
Index 241
Henry Waxman is easier to respect than to like. His book is a useful primer on how the legislative process works and he has some important reforms under his belt. There is a certain element of self-congratulation in the book, but based on his performance on CNN in hearings, he is an incisive interrogator and no-one to cross. He believes that government can accomplish good things with a positive effect on ordinary people and regrets the loss of confidence and element of irrationality becoming more prevalent in current debate. He has not been able to make any headway against the powerful NRA lobby, but has achieved the bureaucratic regulation of tobacco by the flawed FDA. Worthwhile and earnest in tone.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 2, 2009
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This book was the best read for me in July 09. The books describes in detail how and why Congress works as it does. I learn a lot from his book and the process of legislation. I recommend this book. Congress needs more people like Henry Waxman in Congress and less Repugs that only work to provide comfort to their Lobbyist!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 9, 2009
If Waxman was at all honest, he would have written about cowering to a party line rather than voting your conscience; he would have written about the power of special-interest dollars and how that easily sways how a politician votes. Heck, he would have covered how disgusted America is at the entire political spectrum, party affiliation aside, and the arrogance of Washington. Until he does, this book is good to take camping in the off-chance you run out of toilet paper on the trail.
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Posted July 17, 2009
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Overview
At a time when some of the most sweeping national initiatives in decades are being debated, Congressman Henry Waxman offers a fascinating inside account of how Congress really works by describing the subtleties and complexities of the legislative process.For four decades, Waxman has taken visionary and principled positions on crucial issues and been a driving force for change. Because of legislation he helped champion, our air is cleaner, our food is safer, and our medical care better. Thanks to his work as a top watchdog in Congress, crucial steps have been taken to curb abuses on Wall Street, to halt wasteful spending in Iraq, and to ban steroids ...