Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Summary:
From the editors of the award-winning nonpartisan Web site Public Agenda Online comes this irreverent and candid guide to the federal budget crisis that breaks down into plain English exactly what the fat cats in Washington are arguing about
Federal debt will affect your savings, your retirement, your mortgage, your health care, and your children. How well do you understand the government decisions that will end up coming out of your pocket?
Here is essential information that every American citizen needs—and has the right—to know. This guide to deciphering the jargon of the country's budget problem covers everything from the country's $9 trillion and growing debt to the fact that, for thirty-one out of the last thirty-five years, the country has spent more on government programs and services than it has collected in taxes. It also explores why elected leaders on every side of the fence have so far failed to effectively address this issue and explains what you can do to protect your future.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
Very Good Overview
Customer Rating:
This book is a very good overview and presentation of the problems that we face with the Federal budget. Unlike us (for the most part) the government is able to spend pretty much freely regardless of the consequences to the dollar and our economy.
This book is easy to read with good information and graphs showing what is going on and if you are not very familiar with the Federal Budget or the overall issues this book is a very good place to begin.
Easy to read and understand and reading this will give you some more awareness. Of course further reading on the subject is a good idea if you want to get more into the details - the subject matter is daunting and extensive and this book is more of a primer - but like I said a very good read regardless.
Highly recommended.
book group liked this book
Customer Rating:
I picked this up because it was a staff pick at a bookstore this summer. I consider myself reasonably well-informed on news and general economic issues, but I learned something new from every chapter of this relatively short but extremely well-written book. The authors aren't partisan and ask thought-provoking questions throughout. I recommended it to our book group (whose usual preference is for fiction) and everyone found it worthwhile reading. Our group includes both democrats and republicans, and all of us thought the book was important, very readable, something we would recommend for everyone to read. It prompted us to talk extensively about the challenges faced by increasing national debt and deficit, and to discuss possible ways to modify social security and medicare so that the systems will remain solvent. One of the last chapters includes a detailed map of the federal budget, which we read while appreciating that Obama's transition team must be studying exactly the same information with the charge of suggesting budgetary modifications. Highly recommended for anyone from high school to senior citizens.
Great Balanced Commentary
Customer Rating:
Even though the election is now over, don't think that you can stop caring about the Federal Budget Crisis. In this book, the authors give an incisive and balanced look at the budget, and why it's not working. More importantly, there is a great deal of discussion on what you should and should not believe when it comes to political jargon, or biased pundit commentary. I recommend this book to everyone, as it is a great starting point to understand not only the budget, but also issues like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and how they relate to budget policy.
Important for future generations
Customer Rating:
A very easy and informative read which lays out the issues very clearly and recognizes the need for them to be addressed now. I've recomended the book to all my friends and have purchased copies for my family.
Too much fluff
Customer Rating:
'Where Does the Money Go' is an objective, easy, and informative read for anyone interested in the spending habits of our Federal government. It contains many important and up-to-date statistics, helpful graphs/charts, and an overwhelming amount of reference for further reading. Furthermore, there is a very interesting chapter that lays out the budget and lets you play politician; you allocate money based on your personal opinions and you discover where your budget ends up. This exercise puts a little substance to all of the reading.
While I do think this book is a good read, especially during a time with the big promises from our Presidential nominees and multi-billion dollar bailouts, I found this book to be a bit fluff. There first 150+ pages were good, but after that the book seems to drag on. Given the fact that this book is more of a broad introduction to the subject, it should have been wrapped up in 150-200 pages, not 300+. The last few chapters drift off subject.
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