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Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-Handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman |  | Author: Stuart Weisberg
Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy Used: $14.16
as of 9/8/2010 04:14 CDT details
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Seller: Dispatches_From_Texas_USA
Rating:  reviews
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 584
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.3
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.7
ISBN: 1558497218
Dewey Decimal Number: 328.73092
EAN: 9781558497214
ASIN: 1558497218
Publication Date: September 30, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
In a survey conducted by Washingtonian magazine, Barney Frank was rated the smartest, funniest, and most eloquent member of Congress. A mainstay in the House of Representatives since 1981, he has come to be known for his talent as a legislator, his zeal for verbal combat, his imposing intellect, and a quick wit that both disarms and entertains other lawmakers. Most recently, as chair of the Financial Services Committee, he was instrumental in crafting a compromise bill to stem the tide of home mortgage foreclosures, as well as the subsequent $700 billion rescue plan.
Based on interviews with over 150 people, including more than twenty-five hours with Frank himself, this biography reconstructs for the first time his life and career, from his working-class childhood in Bayonne, New Jersey, to his years at Harvard and in Boston politics, through his rise to national prominence. Stuart Weisberg captures Frank in all his quirkiness, irreverence, and complexity. He also examines his less appealing side his gruff exterior, his legendary impatience, his aversion to wasting time. Weisberg reveals the pressure Frank has felt as the most prominent openly gay politician in the United States, one whose career was nearly derailed by a highly publicized sex scandal involving a male prostitute.
Above all, this book shows Frank to be a superb legislator a pragmatic politician who has dedicated his career to pursuing an unabashedly liberal agenda and whose depth of intellect and sense of humor have made him one of the most influential and colorful figures in Washington.
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| Customer Reviews:
 An enthusiastically recommended addition to American biography collections December 13, 2009
Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Grounded in interviews with over 150 people, Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-Handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman is a comprehensive biography of the unusual American legislator whose recent landmarks include helping to craft a compromise bill to halt the increasing wave of home mortgage foreclosures, and the $700 billion "rescue plan" that followed. An evenhanded portrait, Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-Handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman reveals both Frank's strengths and talents in communication and alliance-building, and his more negative side - such as his impatience, which is has all but become the stuff of White House legend. Of especial interest is the particular pressures Frank has come under as arguably the most prominent and widely known openly gay politician in America (his career was almost ended by a publicized sex scandal with a male prostitute). An excellent portrait of a career pragmatist and a skilled legislator, Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-Handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman is an enthusiastically recommended addition to American biography collections.
A riveting account into the life of one of America's finest politicians November 28, 2009
AJ (Scottsdale)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
It was only about two years ago when I first came across the name Barney Frank. It must have been on Bill Maher's "Real Time," but ever since then I have been fascinated with the Congressman from the 4th District of Massachusetts. He is an engaging legislator with a quick wit and true grasp of the issues. I had the fortune of meeting him over the summer in Washington, DC.
Stuart Weiserg has crafted a book that is just as engaging as its subject matter. Weisberg's chapters are rich with detail and anecdotes that humanize a figure that most of us only see on television. From his early life in New Jersey, through Harvard, to Washington and beyond, the author writes in prose that is easily discerned and digested while not sacrificing the character of his subject. This is is not an easy task, especially for a figure who is still alive, but Weisberg accomplishes his task with aplomb.
For me, the only shortcoming of the book is that there is no notes section. This would have come in handy for providing links to obscure resources that could be possibly be found online. It is only a minor quibble, however, as the book itself is a triumph in political biography.
A Straight Book About A Gay Man November 3, 2009
AAF (Mystic, CT)
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
Stuart Weisberg has written a strong, clear, readable and straight biography of one of the most interesting people in American life today. Weisberg tells the story chronologically, identifying the players, clarifying the issues, and not rendering his own judgment. He quotes many of Frank's greatest lines, but provides enough details on Frank's ideology, personality and psychology so the reader can see the warts. Weisberg admires Frank but this book is not an example of hero worship. We see Frank the rude, the impatient, the gloomy, the slob as well as Frank the brilliant, the funny, the passionate, and the competent.
An Outstanding Biography of a Truly Unique Politician October 16, 2009
William Black (Washington, DC)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
First, a disclaimer. I was a source for this book. That said, the book is an extraordinary political biography that describes the life of an amazing politician, but also of an era. While the term, "the spirit of the sixties" has been trivialized over time, this book highlights the best of that decade by showing the genuine idealism at its heart. Moreover, this "spirit" is transcended to the degree that Barney Frank combined - and combines - the idealism of that era with a practical approach to politics. His goal was to have a measurable effect on the lives of poor people, who were then and are today, neglected by the political elites at all levels of government. This book shows how he did this and is a very valuable primer for those driven by results in public policy rather than scoring political points. Even to this day, in his very powerful position as Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Frank remains true both to those ideals and to the practical approach to politics. Of course, the book is also peppered with endless examples of Rep. Franks wicked wit, which provides chuckles throughout.
Having proudly worked for Barney Frank, I can't claim to be objective about the book. But I can report on its accuracy, which is scrupulous. I was deeply involved with a particularly period in Rep. Frank's career and I could not find a single error of fact or even interpretation on things on which I had personal knowledge. I have to say, I was surprised by the candor I found in this authorized biography. This is a "warts and all" account that is very honest about some of Rep. Frank's personal struggles and, shall we say, challenging personality traits.
In the end, however, this is a story of a political leader who remains uncorrupted by the power he currently wields. He entered politics to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." Unlike many, he has stayed true to his original ideals and I believe the country is fortunate to have him at the center of our current economic travails.
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