It is no secret at all that I am not a James Dobson fan, nor am I a champion of Focus on the Family. The litmus test of Christianity that Dobson is quick to apply does not set well with me, nor does the codification of Christian values to one or two issues.

With that said, this is not a book that is critical of Dobson and Focus. Neither is it supportive. It is a fact-based and objective look at the Christian Right in general and Dobson in particular. It traces the rise of both the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition and their subsequent falls. It then chronicles the rise of Dobson's Focus and its different entities in their stead.

This book would be a benefit for anyone wanting to know the history of the Christian right without the vitriol that is often hurled by those on both ends of the political spectrum. Gilgoff is above all fair.

At the end of the book it did nothing to change my feelings on Dobson or Focus. I disagree sharply with him. But I can also see how those supportive would enjoy this tale as well.

I greatly enjoyed this book, especially the inclusion at the end of the rise of the Christian left in general and the Evangelical Climate Initiative in particular.