There couldn't be a better person than Texas daughter Molly Ivins to cover the recently hatched but rapidly ascending political career of George Walker Bush, the leader among the GOP 2000 presidential hopefuls. While the media dwells on Bush's "youthful indiscretions, " Ivins looks at his stance on the real issues and shows that for all his congeniality ("You would have to work at it to dislike the man"), there is not much there: "The single worst thing I can say about George W. Bush after five years of watching him is that if you think his daddy had trouble with 'the vision thing, ' wait'll you meet this one." Bush, whose only prior political experience was assisting his father's campaign, has succeeded largely due to his vagueness -- voters are able to read into him the views they want.

Shrub is Ivins's first book that is not a collection of previously published pieces. This brand-new material is timed just right for the snow of New Hampshire and George "Dubya's" first national test drive. Funny, trenchant, and on-target, Ivins gives the most perceptive and entertaining reading of the man she calls Shrub -- and that's President Shrub to the rest of us.