Weekend Book Review: Barons of the Beltway

I requested Barons of the Beltway based mostly on the sub-heading Inside the Princely World of Our Washington Elite - and How to Overthrow Them.  I did not immediately match the author, Michelle Fields, with the journalist involved in the incident with Donald Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski.  I think for the author it is unfortunate that she is now known mostly for that incident.  It certainly takes away from the message of her book.

In Barons of the Beltway Ms. Fields does not take political sides.  She focuses instead on the problems of Washington as a whole.  The America of 2016 does not at all resemble the America of 1776, and that is not a good thing.  Our public servants have turned into something more akin to the monarchy our forefathers left behind.  The book makes me angry at how truly out of touch politicians are from the average American, but I was well aware of that fact before reading it.  With chapters such as "The Perks of Being in Power" and "All the President's Money Men: Or, How to be an Ambassador Without Really Trying", the author lays out the problems with our current government.  While Ms. Fields offers some ways to return to America's political roots, I fear with the foxes guarding the hen house it is a hopeless dream.

disclosure:  I received this book from Blogging for Books but was not otherwise compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own!