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What It Takes book cover

What It Takes

The Way to the White House

Richard ben Cramer

Uncover the inner workings of American presidential campaigns with What It Takes. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Richard Ben Cramer delves into the ambition, stamina, and shamelessness that drive candidates. Follow the 1988 presidential race as Cramer dissects the psyches of contenders like George Bush and Michael Dukakis and reveals the frenzied course of the campaign. This exhaustively researched book is both exhilarating and appalling in its revelations.
Publish Date
1993-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
1993-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
first published in 1992
Goodreads Rating
4.41
ISBN
8601401170266
Recommendations
4
Recommendations
Everybody should read it.      source
2019-06-12T14:07:24.000Z
The late, great Richard Ben Cramer’s birthday today. If you haven’t read his book “What It Takes,” you really should. In my opinion, and I know I’m not alone, it’s the best book about presidential politics.      source
2020-08-16T20:37:02.000Z
@CarlosLozadaWP @JenSeniorNY What It Takes remains The best book I’ve ever read on American politics, and politics more generally. Well over 1000 pages, but I reread it every few years. And what everybody close to Joe Biden will tell you is that this captures Biden better than anything else.      source
2022-09-06T15:25:26.000Z
@rachsyme What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer. Best book on politics ever.      source