What is it about the business of politics which turns hope, vision and ambition to despair? Jeremy Paxman proposes to find out. Among the things this book examines are: where politicians come from; how they are chosen; the promises and compromises they must make to get on; how the party machines control them or fail to do so; how to win elections; how to fake sincerity; the terror of power; riding the civil service; what the cabinet is really like; and why democracy - the least bad form of government we can imagine is destined always to disappoint.