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Title: Already in the trash can Review: Gets one star only because Kling expended considerable effort in writing it. This is one of the worst books I have ever been conned into buying. Title is misleading. I didn't feel any tension. After struggling for half the book I finally gave up and tossed it. Christine Kling should stick with her boating and boating buddies and let legitimate authors write the books. Is the review positive or negative?
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Negative


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Title: Problems with sensationalism Review: My main concern with this book is how it uses allegations and stories which emerged in the press and later proved untrue. Particularly with regards to the Lewinsky case, a lot of the remarks and speculations which Kurtz uses to draw a picture of how the story unfolded, have proved to be exactly that: speculations. I find it unsettling that someone apparantly so serious as Kurtz has not done some proper sourcechecking. Furthermore, I found the structure of the book to be very chaotic. Also, when I read a book about the development of spin, I don't want a book that reads "like a thriller", if I did, I would buy a thriller. For people with interest in the subject of the relationship between the press and the presidency, I strongly recommend Warp Speed by Tom Rosenstiel and Bill Kovach. It will give a nice counterweight to Spin Cycle, and furthermore put some of Kurtz's ideas into perspective. Is the review positive or negative?
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Negative


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Title: Thorough perhaps but redundant Review: Contrary to what some other reviewers have stated, I do not believe Service goes out of his way to humanize Stalin. However, Service glosses over huge and momentous events, such as the Great Terror. We have all heard of the monstrous acts committed by Stalin but none of the details are given, other than numbers and names. It seems inconceiveable that a 600 plus page book would be superficial and lacking specificity but it does. One gets the feeling Service felt previous biographers had already provided the dirty details and therefore left them out. He also does not tell Stalin's story in any chronological manner. He jumps around endlessly. I cannot recommend this book. Is the review positive or negative?
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