The book is written by a “level headed” politician (I guess they do exist) who speaks as someone who Is walking the talk. For those with strong ideologies (Right or Left), he successfully allows their views into the discussion and for those who are complacent, he offers a well thought out call to action. And for those of us tending to be cynical, maybe some hope. This is not a theoretical treatise or a partisan diatribe. It is a discussion of who is the boss, i.e. The government (at all levels) or the governed. He makes the point, I believe rightly, that we are MATHEMATICALLY at the financial limit and politics has to be adjusted to meet the challenge of holding reasoned discourse -- regardless of one’s political persuasion. The context of the the book is mostly about how, in a primarily democrat state, a governor could persuade (not without some admitted bumps along the way) the state government to do a better job for its employers (the taxpayers). These efforts resulted in turning a $700 million deficit into a $1.3 billion surplus in his first four years by improving government services and creating private sector jobs. The turnaround was due to adjustments in points-of-view by many stakeholders. Incidentally, his second term was won by a 58% to 40% margin -- larger than his first term by 6% points. The book is an exposition about how it was done in his state and the implications for the Nation. Note: this man is NOT running for President.

Well written. Daniels shows that it's going to require dropping the barriers that divide this country and work together to make the hard choices that will make us, as a whole, great once again.