Book Page--2004

The Book Page-2004

Updated April 2005 See Also: The Book(s) on Bush Post Election

'04 Books Offer Insights on the Candidates and Campaign

Many a presidential candidate or potential presidential candidate will take pen, or keyboard, in hand (or ghostwriter in tow) and set out his or her views on the issues of the day, tell his or her personal tale, or perhaps do a mixture of both. A book can serve as the basis for a book tour, allowing the individual to travel around the country promoting the volume (and himself) in the lead up to the campaign. A book can also lend a bit of heft to a candidacy, showing that the candidate has thought through issues or a particular subject deeply. Publicity copy on these books is typically filled with superlatives such as "groundbreaking" or "penetrating and moving," but, truth be told, most such works are quickly forgotten (early books from the 2000 cycle). Every so often one, however, a political book will strike a chord, as did Sen. John McCain's Faith of My Fathers, written with Mark Salter (Random House, Sept. 1999) or Colin Powell's memoir My American Journey, written with Joseph E. Persico (Random House, 1995). The hot book of the 2004 cycle was UNFIT FOR COMMAND: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry which made the New York Times bestseller list. President Bush, as an incumbent, was the subject of dozens of books, most critical and some harshly so. In addition to books by and about the candidates, films and videos enter into the mix. Finally, even as the campaign is still ongoing the first journalistic and academic accounts start appearing...

in reverse chronological order

Steve Rosenbaum II, director and Rob Barnett, producer [DVD]. October 26, 2004. STAFFERS. Anchor Bay Entertainment.
"This acclaimed six-episode series profiles the unsung, behind-the-podium personalities of Campaign 2004, including John Kerry, Howard Dean, Joe Lieberman, Wesley Clark, and Dennis Kucinich. Get a glimpse of political life behind the scenes through the eyes of the Staffers. For these young campaign workers, life becomes a daily whirlwind of town meetings and celebrity rallies, handshakes and shouting matches, surprising victories and crushing defeats. From the chaos of the Iowa Caucuses to the drama of Super Tuesday, from the truth behind Dean's 'screaming rant' to the triumph of Kerry's clinched nomination, these are the public and private moments that define one of the most decisive and unforgettable political races in our nation's history."

Stephen Elliott. October 16, 2004. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the American Electoral Process. New York: Picador.
"Looking Forward To It is the chronicle of one ordinary fellow's skeptical -- and hilarious -- journey through the election process. It is on the campaign trail that he will meet washed-out campaign managers, idealistic publicists, corrupt journalists, world-weary auditorium janitors, recovering drug addicts, and, of course, politicians. His report documents a journey into the center of 'the thing', our country, where Americans high and low come together to participate in the most profound gesture of democracy: the election."

Alexandra Pelosi. October 11, 2004. DIARY OF A POLITICAL TOURIST. HBO.
Documentary: 82 minutes.
"Entering primaries...visiting state fairs...kissing babies...shaking hands--everybody knows what candidates have to do in their public quest to earn the nomination for President of the United States. But who are the real people behind the politicians? HBO's intrepid reporter/tour guide Alexandra Pelosi (HBO's Journeys With George) provides viewers with a birds-eye view of this uniquely American process by which we choose a candidate to become the next leader of the free world. This film chronicles her two-year road trip on the 2004 Democratic presidential campaign trail with a group of candidates--Gen. Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, John Edwards, Dick Gephardt, Bob Graham, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Lieberman, Rev. Al Sharpton and John Kerry--as they attempt to make their way into the White House."

George Butler. October 1, 2004. GOING UPRIVER: The Long War of John Kerry. ThinkFilm/Palisades Pictures.
Feature Film
"Loosely based on the best-selling book Tour of Duty by Douglas Brinkley, Going Upriver examines the story of John Kerry and the key events that made him a national figure and the man he is today. Going Upriver director George Butler (best known for his highly acclaimed films Pumping Iron, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition) first realized Kerry’s importance to his generation and began documenting his journey in photographs in 1969, covering Kerry's leadership of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), his early political campaigns, as well as intimate moments of his personal life. The film weaves together Butler’s extraordinary photographs with archival film, interviews with Kerry’s closest associates, and more contemporary images of the Senator at home and abroad. The film places particular emphasis on his bravery during the Vietnam War and his courageous opposition to the war upon his return..."

Carlton Sherwood. September 9, 2004. STOLEN HONOR: Wounds That Never Heal. Harrisburg, Penn.: Red, White and Blue Productions.
Documentary: Running time 42 minutes.
"When John Kerry appeared before the U. S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the spring of 1971, his anti-war testimony accusing American soldiers of barbaric acts in Vietnam sent shock waves throughout America and the world... In a new documentary STOLEN HONOR: WOUNDS THAT NEVER HEAL, former POWs tell their compelling and chilling stories of their brutal life as prisoners of war in North Vietnam and the additional suffering and extended captivity they endured after their North Vietnamese captors read to them John Kerry's words accusing American soldiers of atrocities and demanded the POWs confess to Kerry's 'war crimes' allegations." Carlton Sherwood, President of Red White and Blue Productions and producer of STOLEN HONOR, is a decorated veteran of Vietnam; and former journalist. He served with the 2nd Battalion 4th Marines while in Vietnam before forging a journalistic career. In early 2003, Sherwood was named executive vice-president for the wvc3 Group, an antiterrorism, security firm in Reston, VA. He took an unpaid leave of absence from the wvc3 Group in June 2004 in order to establish Red, White & Blue Productions, Inc.. [More]

George Butler. September 2004. JOHN KERRY: A Portrait. New York: Bulfinch Press [Time Warner].
160 pages, $40.00/US Hardcover ISBN: 0821262033
"This timely book of photographs features intimate, never-before-seen photos of John Kerry — from his return from Vietnam, to the rise of his political career, to his family life — all documented by photographer and Kerry confidante George Butler."

Howard Dean with Judith Warner. September 27, 2004. YOU HAVE THE POWER: How to Take Back Our Country and Restore Democracy in America. New York: Simon & Schuster.
"You Have the Power is an energetic and detailed guide to restoring American democracy. It exposes the radical extremism of today's "mainstream" Republicans and shows Democrats how to be Democrats again. By reigniting hope, by tapping into the energy and ideals of the American people, Dean writes, the Democrats can restore America's strength and standing at home and abroad."

John E. O'Neill and Jerome R. Corsi. August 2004. UNFIT FOR COMMAND: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing.
256 pages, $18.95 Hardcover, ISBN 0895260174
"John O’Neill was the naval officer who took over John Kerry’s swift boat in the muddy waters of Vietnam. What he learned convinced him—and convinced the majority of veterans who served directly with Kerry—that John Kerry was and is unfit for command at the lowliest rank in the Navy, let alone as commander in chief of the United States... In this stunning new book, John O’Neill and his coauthor Dr. Jerome Corsi (an expert on the anti-Vietnam War movement) have interviewed dozens of veterans who served with Kerry and have meticulously documented a shameful record of betrayal and deception on the part of John Kerry."

David Bossie. July 2004. THE MANY FACES OF JOHN KERRY: Why this Massachusetts Liberal is Wrong for America. Nashville, TN: WND Books. [Thomas Nelson, Inc. imprint]
288 pages, $21.99 Hardcover, ISBN 0785260757
"Bossie exposes how John Kerry has had his eye on the White House since childhood and has been willing to do and say whatever it takes to win the presidency... Using his trademark in-depth investigating, Bossie gives readers the real scoop on the presidential challenger- offering the only analysis of Kerry's peculiar voting record; early Naval discharge (so he could protest the Vietnam War); self-contradictory positions on such vital issues as the war in Iraq, fighting terrorism, tax cuts, health care, education, and campaign finance; and shady political dealings he'd rather voters not know about."

Paul Alexander. July 2004. THE CANDIDATE: Behind John Kerry's Remarkable Run for the White House. New York: Riverhead Books. [Penguin Group imprint]
"In 2002, Paul Alexander wrote a piece for Rolling Stone that now seems prophetic: he named Kerry as the candidate who would emerge as the Democratic front-runner in 2004, and identified the reasons why—more than a year before Kerry even announced his candidacy. Alexander has been following the campaign often from a privileged position on the inside—for over two years, and so is uniquely poised to deliver an instant book on the inner workings of Senator John Kerry's run for the presidency. In this book we...learn who calls the shots, any potential weak spots, how the Kerry campaign engineered a thorough turnaround that began with the Iowa victory. Alexander has been granted unprecedented access to the staff, the strategy meetings, the candidate, and his wife, Theresa Heinz Kerry."

Ralph Nader. July 6, 2004. THE GOOD FIGHT: Declare Your Independence and Close the Democracy Gap. New York: Regan Books.
"...in The Good Fight, Nader swings back harder than ever at those who "want to block the American people from having more voices and choices" and have lost touch with the concept that votes must be earned, not inherited or entitled. He takes on corporate-occupied Washington and the government's daily abuse against ordinary citizens... The Good Fight is a call to awareness and action that will captivate readers of all political stripes and help us define what we must do to shape the brightest future for our nation."

Joe Trippi. July 6, 2004. THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything. New York: Regan Books.
"This is the story of how Trippi's revolutionary use of the Internet and an impassioned, contagious desire to overthrow politics as usual grew into a national grassroots movement and changed the face of politics forever. But it's also more than that... It's about how to engage Americans in real dialogue, how business leaders, government leaders, and anyone else can make use of the most revolutionary idea to come along since man first learned to light a fire. No ... not the Internet. Or computers. Or telecommunications... Democracy."

Meryl Levin and Will Kanteres. June 2004. PRIMARILY NEW HAMPSHIRE. Third Rail Press, Inc.
"New Hampshire's renowned first-in-the-nation primary—the traditional kick-off of the Presidential campaign season—doesn't unfold in a single day or even in a few weeks. In fact, it is a yearlong experience. The co-authors of PRIMARILY NEW HAMPSHIRE spent 12 months utilizing their unique, unbridled access to document the characters and culture of Presidential campaigns, visually—through Levin's photographs—and verbally—through Kanteres' observations and the staffers' own words. Rarely are we afforded such a candid and unfiltered view of what it's like to work behind the scenes keeping our democracy alive."

Dana M. Dunnan. July 2004. BURNING AT THE GRASSROOTS: Inside the Dean Campaign.
"BURNING AT THE GRASSROOTS: Inside the Dean Machine, by Dana Dunnan, analyzes the first great political phenomena of the Internet age. Analysis from political scientists, journalists, academicians, and figures in the political world adds expertise to the first-person experience of key figures in the Dean campaign, ranging from the grassroots of Washington, Iowa, and New Hampshire to the DeanforAmerica Headquarters in Vermont. The book is extensively documented, with over 400 footnotes, 50 charts, graphs, and tables to display data on political trends, polling, and campaign fundraising and spending. The book carefully examines the 2004 Democratic presidential primary, while providing the historical context of all the modern primaries. Through research, as well as over 50 interviews, the book profiles Dean, along with the other major players in the 2004 Democratic presidential primary." Dunnan is a visiting scholar at MIT and a member of the National Writers Union.

Michael Kranish, Brian Mooney and Nina J. Easton. April 27, 2004. JOHN F. KERRY: The Complete Biography by the Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best. New York: Public Affairs.
480 pages, $14.95 Paperback, ISBN: 1-58648-273-4
"JOHN F. KERRY: The Complete Biography, the first fulll and in-depth book about the candidate's life, is based on a highly regarded series on Kerry published in the Boston Globe, plus years of additional reporting. It will explore his background, his service in the military (Including previously undisclosed details), his early legal and political career, his legislative record, and the remarkable turnaround in his political fortunes during the 2004 election cycle."

Charles Lewis. January 6, 2004. THE BUYING OF THE PRESIDENT 2004: Who's Really Bankrolling Bush and His Democratic Challengers -- and What They Expect in Return. New York: Perennial.
528 pages, $14.95 Trade Paperback, ISBN: 0060548533
"THE BUYING OF THE PRESIDENT 2004 reveals how the process of choosing a president has moved from the voting booth to the auction block, and highlights the special interests that heavily invest in the politicians seeking the nation's highest office. Lewis and his team reveal and investigate the sponsors and the known and not-so-known conflicts of interest entangling each of the aspirants to the White House."

Douglas Brinkley. January 6, 2004. TOUR OF DUTY: John Kerry and the Vietnam War. New York: William Morrow.
560 pages, $25.95 Hardcover, ISBN: 0060565233
"Covering more than four decades, TOUR OF DUTY is the definitive account of John Kerry's journey from war to peace. Written by acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley, this is the first full-scale, intimate account of Kerry's naval career. In writing this riveting narrative, Brinkley has drawn on extensive interviews with virtually everyone who knew Kerry well in Vietnam, including all the men still living who served under him. Kerry also entrusted to Brinkley his letters home from Vietnam and his voluminous 'War Notes'..."

Gov. Howard Dean. December 3, 2003. WINNING BACK AMERICA. New York: Simon & Schuster.
192 pages, $11.95 Trade Paperback, ISBN: 0-743-25571-2
"In WINNING BACK AMERICA, Governor Dean writes for the first time about his life and the people and events that have shaped him, beginning with his upbringing in New York and taking us through his medical career, eleven and a half years as governor of Vermont, and finally into his presidential campaign."

William Saletan and the Staff of Slate.com. December 2, 2003. SLATE'S FIELD GUIDE TO THE CANDIDATES. Plume.
128 pages ISBN: 0452284996

Sen. John Edwards with John Auchard. December 1, 2003. FOUR TRIALS. New York: Simon & Schuster.
256 pages, $24.00 Hardcover, ISBN: 0-743-24497-4
"FOUR TRIALS provides an electrifying account of four of his cases as it tells the story of the courageous and unmistakably decent people Edwards was privileged to represent in times of tragedy, great loss, and often great joy. And in a deeply moving account, FOUR TRIALS also speaks of the tragedies and joys that Senator Edwards has known in his own life -- and how today life and justice are more precious to him than ever."

Walter Shapiro. November 4, 2003. ONE-CAR CARAVAN: On the Road with the 2004 Democrats Before America Tunes In. New York: Public Affairs.
220 pages, $25.00 Hardcover, ISBN 1586481878
"Walter Shapiro, the political columnist for USA Today and a seasoned presidential campaign reporter, decided that for the 2004 Democratic race...he would get to the candidates early, when their campaign stops were small gatherings in New Hampshire living rooms and Iowa union halls, their staffs a beleagured aide or two, their ideas not yet codified in sound bites... ONE-CAR CARAVAN is the deliciously entertaining result. It is a revealing account of the humble roots of the current presidential campaign..."

Dirk Van Sustern, ed. November 1, 2003. HOWARD DEAN: A Citizen's Guide to the Man Who Would Be President. South Royalton, Vermont: Steerforth Press.
240 pages, $12.95 Paperback, ISBN: 1586420755
"Energetically reported by nine journalists whose experiences range from the Vermont statehouse to past presidential campaigns, HOWARD DEAN: A Citizen’s Guide to the Man Who Would Be President is filled with fresh, often surprising information and keen new insights. Separate chapters cover Dean’s boyhood and college years, his time as a family doctor and citizen legislator, his record on the environment, health care, and budgets, and his campaign’s revolutionary use of the Internet as a grass-roots organizing tool. For readers looking to determine whether Dean can go the distance and how to cast their votes in 2004, this book is indispensable."

Sen. John Kerry. October 27, 2003. A CALL TO SERVICE: My Vision for a Better America. New York: Viking Press.
240 pages, $24.95 Hardcover, ISBN 0670032603
"[I]in A CALL TO SERVICE, Kerry formally introduces himself to the nation. In a book rich with autobiographical details that explain the experiences behind the ideas, Kerry offers his vision for America."

Gen. Wesley K. Clark (ret.). September 25, 2003. WINNING MODERN WARS: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire. New York: Public Affairs.
240 pages, $25.00 Hardcover, ISBN 1-58648-218-1
"In WINNING MODERN WARS he writes about how the issues and principles discussed in his earlier book were evident in Afghanistan and Iraq, and will apply wherever the war on terrorism may take us next, providing a frank and revealing analysis of the gains, risks, and shortfalls of America's current approach and offering informed alternatives."

Joseph I. Lieberman and Hadassah Lieberman with Sarah Crichton. January 2003. AN AMAZING ADVENTURE: Joe And Hadassah's Personal Notes On The 2000 Campaign. New York: Simon & Schuster.
"This groundbreaking memoir is a personal recollection by Senator Joseph Lieberman and his wife Hadassah of their 2000 vice-presidential campaign.... Both authors recount the excruciating vetting process, the exhilaration of the Democratic convention...the tension of the debates and, finally, the drama of election day, and of the weeks that followed." Initial title "Going to the People."

Al and Tipper Gore. November 12, 2002. JOINED AT THE HEART: The Transformation of the American Family. New York: Henry Holt and Co.
432 pages, 10 b&w illustrations, $26.00 Hardcover, ISBN: 0-8050-6893-7
"In this penetrating and moving exploration of the contemporary family landscape, the Gores share stories drawn from their own experiences, as well as introduce us to a dozen other families they have come to know over the years. Combining personal insight and expert opinions, historical and global perspectives, JOINED AT THE HEART identifies an emerging reality-and demonstrates that, in the face of unprecedented change, the inherent need for family is stronger than ever."
and the companion photography book...
Al and Tipper Gore. November 12, 2002. THE SPIRIT OF FAMILY. New York: Henry Holt and Co.
208 pages Size: 8 1/2 x 10 7/8 260 color and b&w illustrations $35.00 Hardcover, ISBN: 0-8050-6894-5
"The American family has undergone dramatic changes in the last two generations, as interfaith and interracial marriage, new gender and age configurations, and different roles have created increasingly complex emotional and spiritual bonds. In THE SPIRIT OF FAMILY, Al and Tipper Gore chart this evolution in an entirely fresh way, with 260 black-and-white and color images from many of the country's most acclaimed photographers."

Al Sharpton with Karen Hunter. October 2002. AL ON AMERICA. New York: Kensington Books.
ISBN: 0-7582-0350-0
"In this groundbreaking, candid, and necessary book, the man New York magazine calls "The Untouchable" delivers his manifesto for change and puts forth a startling, often controversial, and wholly inspiring vision of a new America--one that is inclusive of all Americans, not just a chosen few. While serving time for his act of civil disobedience in Vieques, Sharpton stepped back and looked at America. Now, he's ready to empower America and get the country talking about things that matter to us all--from the economy to foreign policy, family values to the hip hop movement, the war on drugs to the conflict between Palestine and Israel. Sure to ignite a firestorm of debate..." [Karen Hunter, news columnist for the New York Daily News, shared the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing and has co-authored three other books].

ACADEMIC STAGE SETTERS

Michael L. Goldstein. July 2003. GUIDE TO THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. CQ Press.

William G. Mayer, ed. August 2003. THE MAKING OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES 2004. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Stephen J. Wayne. September 2003. THE ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE 2004: The Politics of Presidential Elections. Wadsworth Publishing.

William G. Mayer and Andrew E. Busch. December 2003. THE FRONT-LOADING PROBLEM IN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.

Dante J. Scala. December 2003. STORMY WEATHER: The New Hampshire Primary and Presidential Politics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

also
The League of Women Voters. November 2003. CHOOSING THE PRESIDENT 2004: A Citizen's Guide to the Electoral Process.

Sen. Tom Daschle with Michael D'Orso. November 2003. LIKE NO OTHER TIME: The 107th Congress and the Two Years That Changed America Forever. New York: Crown Publishers.
$26.00 Hardcover
"The book will be a candid look at the 107th Senate from election night 2000 to election night 2002. It will include the Florida recount, the freshman senators, Jim Jeffords's suprising party switch and the shift in party power, September 11, the war on terrorism, the anthrax attack, and more."

Overview: From and On the Candidates
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)'s memoir, A Call to Service: My Vision for a Better America, was published by Viking Press on October 27, 2003. In addition, Kerry has cooperated with historian Douglas Brinkley, director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at Metropolitan College of the University of New Orleans, who approached him in the latter part of 2002 about writing a book. Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War was published by William Morrow on January 6, 2004. There is also a film on the experiences of Kerry and his crewmates; "Brothers In Arms" was directed by Paul Alexander and produced by the Gordon Motion Picture Company. Earlier Kerry authored The New War: The Web of Crime That Threatens America (Simon & Schuster, 1997).

On April 3, 2003, Simon & Schuster announced it had reached agreement with Gov. Howard Dean (D-VT) to publish a trade paperback book "about his life, his political accomplishments and his vision for America in the future." Robert B. Barnett of Williams & Connolly handled negotiations. Winning Back America was published December 2003. Howard Dean: A Citizen's Guide to the Man Who Would Be President (Steerforth Press, November 1, 2003) provides a comprehensive overview of Dean's life and career in the form of writings by Vermont reporters edited by Dirk Van Susteren, magazine editor for the Herald and Times Argus.

On August 30, 2002, Simon & Schuster announced that Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) signed to write a book "that will focus on the lessons learned during his distinguished legal career," to be published in hardcover at the end of 2003. Four Trials was published in December 2003. Edwards wrote the book with John Auchard. Proceeds will go to the Wade Edwards Foundation, named for the Edwards' son Wade, who died at age 16 in April 1996. The Foundation runs the Wade Edwards Learning Lab in Raleigh and another facility in Goldsboro.

Gen. Wesley K. Clark, was a late entrant into the race but he had a book ready to hit the shelves. Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire (Public Affairs, October 2003), follows up on his earlier Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich's (D-OH) A Prayer for America (Thunder's Mouth Press, November 2003) is a paperback collection of essays and speeches with a forward by Studs Terkel.

The second half of the 2000 Democratic ticket, Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT), joined up with wife Hadassah to write An Amazing Adventure: Joe and Hadassah's Personal Notes on the 2000 Campaign (Simon & Schuster, January 2003). In his speeches in the first half of 2002, Lieberman would sometimes regale audiences with a number of humorous titles he had considered but rejected. Lieberman has written five previous books; his first book, The Power Broker, about the late Democratic chairman John Bailey, appeared in 1966.

The first campaign book of the 2004 cycle came from then exploratory candidate Rev. Al Sharpton, whose manifesto Al on America (Kensington Books), co-written with journalist Karen Hunter, came out in October 2002. This is Sharpton's second book; an autobiography, Go and Tell Pharaoh, co-authored by Anthony Walton, appeared in 1996.

Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO) has no plans to write a book; with Michael Wessel he penned An Even Better Place: America in the 21st Century, published by Public Affairs in June 1999.

They Decided Not to Run
Former potential presidential candidate Sen. Tom Daschle, also has a book coming out. Daschle's book, Like No Other Time, is due to be published by Crown Publishers, part of Random House, in November 2003. Written with co-author Michael D'Orso, the book will tell the inside story of the Senate during the 107th Congress, starting with the 2000 election and covering such highlights as Sen. Jim Jeffords' switch, September 11, the anthrax scare, and the war on terrorism. The book deal was finalized after a four-day auction in summer 2002; proceeds will go to charity. Robert B. Barnett partner in the Washington, DC law firm of Williams & Connolly represented Daschle, who was then Senate Majority Leader and seen as a possible presidential candidate. Senate Republicans helpfully suggested a number possible titles for chapters of Daschle's book. Michael D'Orso has co-authored more than a dozen books on subjects as widely varied as health and fitness and the Galapagos; he came to Daschle's attention as the co-author of former Rep. Carl Elliot (AL) 's autobiography The Cost of Courage (1992) and Rep. John Lewis (GA)'s Walking with the Wind; he also co-authored Sen. Joe Lieberman's In Praise of Public Life (2000).

Al and Tipper Gore teamed up to write Joined at the Heart: The Transformation of the American Family (Henry Holt and Co., Nov. 2002). The book looks at twelve families the Gores have come to know, and, according to spokesman Jano Cabrera, is "peppered with personal anecdotes." Cabrera described the book as "much more accessible" than Gore's previous book, the 1992 bestseller Earth in the Balance, which carried a heavy dose of policy. The Gores also produced a companion photo book The Spirit of Family (Henry Holt and Co., Nov. 2002) containing some 260 photographs by many prominent photographers. Gore worked on the book in an office in Alexandria, Virginia, separate from his political office. The Gores did an early promotional appearance for their books at the BookExpo America trade show in New York on May 5. They kicked off their book tour in New York City on November 12, and did an extensive round of media appearances to promote the book. The media blitz appeared likely to lead to another presidential bid; however, on December 15, Gore announced he would not run. Interestingly another former vice president also chose to write a book on family; Dan Quayle, writing with Diane Medved, Ph.D., authored The American Family: Discovering the Values that Make Us Strong (HarperCollins, 1996).

Overview: Some Early Journalistic and Academic Books
USA Today columnist Walter Shapiro has written a book on the important pre-primary period One Car Caravan: On the Road with the 2004 Democrats Before America Tunes In (PublicAffairs, November 2003).

Several academically-oriented books offering previews of the election are on the market. Michael L. Goldstein has penned Guide to the 2004 Presidential Election (CQ Press, July 2003). William G. Mayer has edited The Making of the Presidential Candidates 2004 (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, August 2003), following up on two earlier volumes. Another edition of Stephen J. Wayne's book The Road to the White House 2004: The Politics of Presidential Elections has come out (Wadsworth Publishing, September 2003).