All Politics is Local

At the Friends of the Library Booksale last weekend, I picked up a copy of Tip O'Neill's 1994 book, All Politics is Local. The Boston Globe describes it as "A handbook for fledgling politicians." The book is a collection of folksy stories illustrating principles underlying O'Neill's political career. O'Neill was as dedicated to storytelling as he was to politics. Through the humor, the theme remains true: understanding of your neighborhood and loyalty to your supporters are the bedrock of success in politics.

The Booksale is truly one of Tompkins County's greatest institutions. It's become like a lending library with no due date. I occasionally see books I donated years ago that I know have been bought and returned a few times since then. Sometimes I wish everyone would write their names in the books. The reading lineage of some volumes would be fascinating.

If you haven't made it to the Booksale yet, you can still go next weekend (Oct 22-23) when books are all priced at .25 or .10, or Monday the 24th when you can get a grocery bag full for $1.00! They started with more than 300,000 and you'll be surprised how many good books remain the last few days. Finally, on the 25th books are free to teachers, homeschoolers and not-for-profit organizations.