A really terrific book! I listened to this one on audio tape, so it has gone with me on road trips both car and bicycle (although I don't take my ipod when I'm biking in traffic). It has also helped me clean house and work in the yard. I learned more history in this book than I think I ever did in a single American history class. It brings together the history of medicine, electronics,and the American presidency with detail and poignancy. I learned to love President James A. Garfiend despite the fact that he was a Republican. I'm not sure I would have been a Democrat myself at that time given politics in post-Civil War America. If Garfield were running today, he would be a formidable opponent for Obama. This book is worth reading if only to see for yourself a candidate and President with integrity. Ironically, lot of good came from Garfield's assassination: the use of antiseptics in medicine (Garfield died from infection rather than the bullet he was shot with) and passage of civil service acts that helped at least slow the patronage system so rampant at the time. Weirdly, the secret service did not take on protection of the presidency for another 20+ years -- not until the assassination of McKinley. Within 70 years, three presidents were shot. It took three dead presidents to finally come up with the idea of a body guard.