Fitch (deputy director, Congressional Management Foundation), and communications instructor, American Univ.) professes no unique insight into media relations, but it is obvious that while working on Capitol Hill he astutely observed and developed practical solutions to a myriad of public relations problems existing in the public sphere.  Writing crisply in first person and without theoretical pretensions, Fitch takes the reader step-by-step through the quagmire of public relations in government and quasi-governmental areas.  He clearly lays out the practicalities of understanding media--including effectively discussing the dos and don'ts of using the Web or e-mail, dealing with employers, preparing for interviews, reacting to crises, and handling outside governmental agencies. The appendices include "Thirteen Rules of Media Relations," a glossary of public relations terms, the Public Relations Society of America's "Code of Ethics," and rights under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act.  Truly a handbook for agencies, associations, nonprofits, and those campaigning for or holding public office, this book will be of  value to students and professionals of political communications and public relations. Summing up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections." --- J. L. Allen, University of New Haven