This biography series is indeed timely with profiles of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, and Rudy Giuliani along with other notable politicians, including Nancy Pelosi and Arnold Schwarzenegger. These two lively, intimate glimpse include their subjects’ childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. They portray quite different personalities and upbringing, but both men triumphed over difficult challenges and serve as role models for youth. Political philosophy is woven throughout the narratives, but one suspects that most students will find the personal details much more fascinating. Barack Obama describes himself as the skinny kid with big ears and funny name. He was shuffled among adults and locations from Indonesia to Hawaii as he coped with developing his personal identity. Photos and descriptions of his trips to his father’s native Kenya will intrigue students. John McCain had a much more privileged and stable childhood, but he exhibited adolescent rebellion. The key exciting portion of the book for most students will be the narrative of McCain’s experiences as a fighter pilot and a prisoner of war in Vietnam. The political threads in Obama’s biography focus particularly on urban issues, whereas McCain’s story emphasizes campaign reform and military issues.