This complete, updated guide to understanding the 108th US Congress seeks to "provide as much practical information on the operations of this institution as possible in one volume." Biennially revised, it functions as a ready-reference guide for answering both straightforward and more complex questions about the day-to-day operations of the US federal legislative branch. Its 15 chapters cover such topics as the pressures affecting congressional members, congressional support structures, and organization. The book also includes a detailed overview of the legislative and federal budget processes, various congressional documents, the many private and governmental resources available, and a case study of specific legislation passed into law by the 106th Congress. The work is logically organized and includes many informative, easy-to-use legislative tables, charts, sample documents, and diagrams. It concludes with a useful expanded glossary, appendixes including Capital Hill telephone and room listings, and an index. A valuable, detailed, and highly functional synthesis of information about the legislative branch. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections. --- J. D. Shank, Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus