Fantastic

As someone from Philadelphia I think all residents of Philadelphia should read this book. Fantastic book about the challenges of being a mayor of a crumbling large city. Before reading this book, I thought mayors got elected, put their feet up, and then collected a paycheck. That's clearly not the case and the current mayor of Philadelphia is proving the same thing.

*4

My son (who lived in Philadelphia for two years while attending graduate school at Temple) gave me this book because he wanted me to understand more about what had happened to the city in the nineties, after it hit rock bottom. Mayor Ed Rendell and his chief of staff, David Cohen, did some pretty remarkable stuff to turn things around in a city that was a mess--crime, debit, you name it. I liked reading about these very different men and their ways of attacking problems and serving their city. I also liked the side stories about individuals in the city, and those were quite gripping at times. However, some of the detail and style of the book wore me out. I loved it at first, but it was just too much after awhile. Perhaps it was just the mood I am in right now. Also, the salty language was more than enough for me. I know this is just how many people talk, but no thanks!

One of my all-time favorites

this is a really good look at Philly, Ed Rendell, urban policy and local politics. The author has a really even flow to his words and it is a clear nod to west wing style walk and talk writing and action.

I'm really glad this was suggested to me. it has so much to offer that I hadn't thought about before as an interest in getting shit done at a policy level. great read.

Such a 90s book. My goodness.

I thoroughly enjoyed this close examination of 1990s Philadelphia politics. I have a new respect for the progress made during my teenage years to resurrect Philly from the status of dying east coast city. I also felt a strong sense of nostalgia reading about the demise of the naval yard and thinking about how my own grandfather raised a family of 7 children while spending his career there. Buzz Bissinger has an eye for using close observation to craft a story of Rendell's monumental campaign. I was most impressed with Bissinger's ability to see the potential in following Rendell in the first place. Those 4 years could have very easily turned unmemorable, especially given the culture of racial and political hoops through which any city politician had to jump to achieve any progress. I suppose that was my criticism of the book. Aside from descriptions of Rendell's unpredictable temper, I was left wanting a fuller understanding of his opposition and some evidence that the issues he grappled with were more complex than standing up to the unions and managing the perception of racial inequality.

This is a really great book. And I should probably give it 4 stars (I did feel a bit repetitious at the end). I just made the mistake to watch The Art of the Steal while reading this book and while the book shows Ed Randell as a great mayor the movie shows much clearer his asshole side. I guess the bool alluded to it bur couldn't move beyond how great he is. So yes the book is really good and absolutely worth reading, just either watch the movie before or after reading the book.

This was a book recommended to me from a friend. I am not particularly into Philly politics or Ed Rendell but I found this book well written and interesting. It gives great insight into all the different facets that a mayor has to deal with. It also highlighted a few citizens aroudn the city who loved the city and their struggles. I would recommend this book to anyone even if you have no love for Philadelphia or Ed Rendell.

I've heard the rave reviews for this book but honestly didn't expect to love it so much. Firstly, I'm not a big fan of books about politics or the workings of government. I tend to read for pleasure and escape. Secondly, my knowledge of this author is almost solely due to the tv show, which i loathe, based on his other book. So imagine my surprise when i sat down with it and looked up to realize i'd read about 1/4 in my first sitting. Obviously, a big draw is the fact that multiple of the neighborhoods/storylines/examples he highlights relate to my personal experience of the city, in one case painting a horrible picture of life 20 years ago on the very block we rented on for our first 5 years in the city. But more than that is the way this man paints a picture, a very stark and human look at the innner workings of the city's power players. After reading this, I feel like i personally know some of these people I've never met or, in some cases, even heard of before this book. It also made me question my committment to the city and whether i would have felt the same had I been here 20 years ago. It helps that i don't have kids or want them, but to my eyes, much of the disincentive to live in the city described has been reversed. Obviously, this is just a fantastic, thought-provoking book.

An absolutely fantastic read about the problems faced by Mayor Rendell and his staff in the early 90's. Though the context was Philadelphia in the early 90's, the main themes of the book can easily be applied to any large city.

I absolutely loved this book. It is incredibly written and gives a first hand look into city politics. Though Philly was struggling in the early and mid nineties, Bissinger still found a way to describe the romantic aspects of the city while not hiding from the truth. It gives an honest portrait of Rendell. The heroics of David Cohen was fascinating to read about and would motivate anyone. One of my favorite books that I have read.