From Publishers Weekly
Former pro wrestler and Minnesota governor Ventura (Do I Stand Alone?) has been awakened out of semiretirement by his outrage over the grievous state of the country and his need to once again exercise his enormous ego by rehashing events from his life and political career. He holds forth in his typical blunt, anti-intellectual style on a range of topics including the Rolling Stones, Fidel Castro and 9/11 conspiracy theories. His diatribes are loosely linked to a travelogue as Ventura and his wife drive to Baja California in their truck-camper. Excerpts from interviews and his wife's diaries provide a welcome break from Ventura's boorish tone (although his anecdotesβparticularly one involving the Dalai Lama and the film Caddyshack βare occasionally amusing). The book concludes with Ventura combining his three passions: wrestling, politics and self-adulation when he imagines running for President on a WWE ticket. Whether the reader will find that a horrifying fantasy or a hilarious one will largely determine how they feel about this book. (May)
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Product Description
Jesse Venturaβformer governor, wrestler, and Navy SEALβon what's wrong with the Democrats, the Republicans, and politics in America.
Jesse Ventura has had many livesβas a Navy SEAL, as a star of pro wrestling, as an actor, and as the governor of Minnesota. His previous books, I Ain't Got Time to Bleed and Do I Stand Alone? , were both national bestsellers. Don't Start the Revolution Without Me! is the story of his controversial gubernatorial years and his life since deciding not to seek a second term as governor in 2002. Written with award-winning author Dick Russell at a secluded location on Mexico's Baja Peninsula, Ventura's bestselling book reveals for the first time why he left politicsβand why he is now considering reentering the arena with a possible independent run for the presidency.
In a fast-paced and often humorous narrative, Ventura pulls no punches in discussing our corrupt two-party system, the disastrous war in Iraq, and what he suspects really happened on September 11. He provides personal insights into the Clinton and Bush presidencies, and elaborates on the ways in which third parties are rendered impotent by the country's two dominant parties. He reveals the illegal role of the CIA in states like Minnesota, sensitive and up-to-date information on the Blackwater security firm, the story of the American spies who shadowed him on a trade mission to Cuba, and what Fidel Castro told him about who really assassinated President John F. Kennedy. This unique political memoir is a must-read for anyone concerned about the direction that America will take. 16 color photographs