Bad reviews

I received my first bad review, (or at least not a positive review, two stars, for my book) Beating the Powers that Be on Amazon.com (well, I'll still get the royalty for it I guess.) from a J.M. Miller from Madison.

I'd say his comments are fair. The book was poorly edited because the editing was done by yours truly. It needed another set of eyes, but in order to get published in 2006, which I felt it had to be to be released in time for the election when interest in political books would be high, I felt I had to edit it immediately. I did the best I could but I'm not a good proofreader and for that I apologize to all those who bought the book. If there any inaccuracies I also apologize for poor research as well. Again, an editor would have helped but that water under the bridge.

But I also thank those who did overlook the editing and did give the work good marks.

One issue I will contest with Miller and at least explain is my highlighting Polk County as a center of Progressive Party activity in Wisconsin. Yes, I could highlighted Progressive activity in Madison and Dane County, but without places like Polk County there would not have been a statewide Progressive Party. Polk County had the demographics that are the building blocks of any political party needs to be successful. Non-major parties need to organize themselves in this fashion, that is the thesis of my book. Demographics is destiny. It was true back then, it still true now. A movement of upper-class Madisonians would not have cut it, the Progressives needed Scandinavian farmers and co-op members to work and Polk was demographically as good as any representative of a rural Progressive county as you would have found in the state.

On that points I have no regrets. There are plenty of books on Madison Progressives. Somebody needed to throw a word in for Polk County and small places like it.