Tis is simply the best book that has been written about politics in Chicago. In the words of Andrew M. Greeley, "It is a very astute and dispassionate analysis of Chicago political life—far and away the best I have ever seen. Rakove is without illusions about either the right or the left." Rakove brings to his study an intimate knowledge of Chicago and the Daley machine, a practitioner's understanding of street-level politics, and a scholar's background in political theory. Blending anecdote with theory and description in a lively style, Rakove has bridged the gap between scholar and layman in a work that will appeal to both.