THE POLITICAL BRAIN The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation DREW WESTEN

"This is the most interesting, informative book on politics I've read in many years. Westen explains how our brains work and respond to different kinds of political messages. He shows what polls and other research are good for, and how a blind adherence to them can be self-defeating. His suggestions for what candidates should say – and should have said – should be read and studied by anyone who wants to understand modern American politics. This book is a handbook for how to talk about what really matters to you, written in just the way Westen says we should talk to voters – with vivid language, evocative imagery, and a sense of humor. It's also a good primer on why attacks can't go unanswered and how best to respond to them. If you want to know why candidates win or lose elections and what voters look for in a leader – whether you're an interested voter or a candidate for public office – you have to read this book."
—Former President Bill Clinton

"Democrats have caught up with Republicans in being able to target voters, and we're making rapid strides in rebuilding our party so we can talk to voters in fifty states. This book outlines a more intractable problem: How to actually talk to voters once we organize. Drew Westen is a must read and must hear for any Democrat who wants to win in Mississippi, Colorado, or rural Ohio. In 2008 we will win the presidency if our candidate reads and acts on this book."
—Howard Dean, Chairman, Democratic Party

"The Political Brain is the most illuminating book on contemporary American politics I've ever read. By explaining how voters actually process information, Drew Westen lays bare the connection between political technique, political conviction, and the Democrats' habit of bungling winnable elections. If every leading Democratic politician reads this book, we could have a decent America back."
—Robert Kuttner, writer for The Boston Globe, and co-editor, The American Prospect

"Why do most Americans agree with Democrats and vote for Republicans? Because Republicans know more about the human brain than their opponents do. In a delightful and insightful book, Westen uses the latest research in psychology and cognitive neuroscience to show how Republicans win by appealing to the heart while Democrats lose by appealing to the mind. This fascinating book will appeal to hearts and minds on both sides of the aisle. The Political Brain is scary and scary smart, serious and seriously funny. Machiavelli, move over, there's a new kid in town."
—Daniel Gilbert, Harvard College Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Stumbling on Happiness

"A brilliant new book…Let's make sure that all Capitol Hill cavemen read [it], and take it to heart. With America stuck in the Iraqi tar pit, the last thing we need is for Democrats to de-evolve into invertebrates and slither back into the sticky muck from which they only recently crawled."
—Arianna Huffington, The Huffington Post

PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-1-58648-573-3
Pub date: 05/05/08
Price: $15.95/19.50 Canada
5½ x 8¼
496 pages
Carton Quantity: 30
Politics, Psychology
Selling Territory: W
Pub history: 978-1-58648-350-0