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Rave Review
of Congressional Deskbook
by Wisconsin Lawyer
The following review appeared in
Wisconsin Lawyer, Vol. 76, No. 10, October 2003
Congressional
Deskbook 2003-2004 - 108th Congress
By Michael L. Koempel & Judy
Schneider (Alexandria, VA: TheCapitol.Net, 2003). 656 pgs.
$47.00. Order, www.congressionaldeskbook.com.
Reviewed by Jenny Boese
Dwight Eisenhower once said "politics
ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen...."
Should you take that to heart, one book you can read is
the Congressional Deskbook. From detailed information on
the federal legislative process to the interplay between
the different branches of government, the Congressional
Deskbook provides a solid overview and is a good, albeit
hefty, read.
The book begins by providing a look
into the life - both the advantages and the pressures - of
those who serve in Congress. It proceeds by organizing
chapters around: support entities to Congress;
organization of Congress; in-depth description of the
federal legislative process; overview of federal budget
process; explanations of Congressional documents;
information resources; researching and tracking
Congressional action; and a case study to integrate these
chapters into a more understandable whole. A final added
bonus is the "back of the book" segment that includes a
glossary, eight appendices, and relevant Web sites.
While many of the chapters can only
provide a cursory look at the issues or entities in
question, the meat of the book arguably comes from the
chapters explaining legislative processes. This is where
the book dives deeper into descriptions and terms. Related
chapters on information providers and researching
resources provide lots of useful information. Because the
book conveys a lot of valuable information here, it can be
text-heavy, but the use of sidebars assists in directing
attention to important information or helps break it into
more digestible pieces.
Overall, the Congressional Deskbook
is an excellent resource for individuals seeking to learn
or expand their knowledge of Congress and our system of
lawmaking. What's best about the book is that it puts so
much valuable information into one place and provides
hundreds of additional resources, should the reader desire
to learn more.
Jenny Boese works in government
affairs at the U. S. Commission on International Religious
Freedom, Washington, D.C. She formerly was the senior
government relations coordinator at the State Bar of
Wisconsin.
Reprinted with permission from the October 2003 Wisconsin
Lawyer, the official publication of the State Bar of
Wisconsin, available online at
www.wisbar.org/wislawmag/2003/10/ .
Congressional Deskbook
URL:
www.TheCapitol.Net/Publications/ravereview_DeskbookWILAWYEROct2003.html
Last updated:
November 25, 2007
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