This book is designed to initiate the average reader who lives outside the beltway into some of the most important dimensions of the federal budget crisis --both as to today as well as looking into the future.  The authors are quite skillful in using charts and illustrations, and a sometimes humorous approach, to discuss these concepts.  And it is a sobering topic to be sure, since it involves Medicare, Social Security, the national debt, deficits, and other cheery topics. One only need read the second chapter ("So what's the worse that come happen?") to get scared out of their socks.  That is, are we in year X (which is not too far away) going to be in a situation where the entire federal budgetary income can only be spent on Medicare, Social Security, a bit for national defense, and the rest to cover interest payments on the national debt? The authors take the reader step by step through what are the problems, how they developed into a serious crisis, some often mentioned but not realistic proposed solutions, and the defects of the political system which have contributed to the situation. For even those of us who live within the beltway, there is much to be learned from the book.  For example, I was not aware that fully 34.8% of the federal budget income is derived from payments into Social Security, Medicare and other federal insurance programs.  Unlike regular income from taxes, at some point in the future this increment will have to be paid back when those systems need the money.  Multiply this figure times a decade or two and you begin to see the problem.  About as palatable an introduction to this topic as one is likely to encounter.