1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
This thorough and enjoyable book reads like a good novel!, 1999-06-18
When assigned to read a book that covered the history of the budget deficit crisis for my Grad school class I was less than overwhelmed with excitement. However, these authors make the complicated history of the budget so interesting and gripping, I couldnt put it down. Though a slow reader, i must admit, I was able to finish this off in less than a week. The discussions it inspired in class were lively and germane to the world today. I could not recommend this book more highly!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Great book, but it's Mirage, which they published in 1997, 1999-01-03
This is almost the same book as Mirage, published by the same authors in 1997. The only difference I noticed after a quick review in the bookstore is the addition of a 20-25 page epilogue that deals with the recent budget surplus and how it came to be. The epilogue is good, but I wish it were longer.Mirage/Balancing Act is a great book. If you read David Stockman's The Triumph of Politics, and wondered how we got out of the budgetary hole in which we found ourselves about the time of Stockman's departure, Mirage/Balancing Act is an fascinating update. Happily, Mirage/Balancing Act is even more balanced than Stockman's work.
Hager and Pianin have a transparent writing style that is a pleasure to read. As a result, the reader effortlessly absorbs the detailed information that they present.
Perhaps Mirage/Balancing Act will receive the attention it merits when Congress and the President face up to the still-considerable budgetary issues that remain to be resolved on a more permanent basis than they have been to date. Read this book and stay tuned.