Game Change

Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heileman and Mark Halperin is the book I have been working on all week (along with The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli), that has taken a lot of time to get through. This book gives an in-depth, behind the scenes look at the 2008 election, and is fascinatingly hard to put down as anecdotes and other never-heard-before information is exposed.
Almost two years after the election, it is fun to relive some of the events that it will be known for, but also very entertaining to be in on all the juicy gossip (or maybe they're facts) of this election. Elizabeth Edwards, who I have long admired, and whose biography, Saving Grace, I enjoyed immensely, is actually a shrew. Bill Clinton tried to take over Hillary's campaign. John Edwards became full of himself and ultra concerned about his appearance, and had a fling with Rielle Hunter, who went on to give birth to his child. Sarah Palin was initially calm and collected when asked to be McCain's running mate, yet after she was announced as the vice presidential candidate, almost appeared to come undone at the instant celebrity bestowed on her, and was shockingly ill-informed about important topics. Even Barack Obama doesn't get off entirely in Game Change as his conceitedness is well documented as is the rift that his decision to run for president created between him and Michelle.

While the election results aren't a surprise, all the little tidbits keep this book interesting and entertaining. And, for those of us who can't wait a few more years until the next election, Game Change helps keep politics front and center.