Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery

Kindle
$11.99

Available instantly

Hardcover
$18.08

Paperback
$17.27

$17.27 with 14 percent savings

List Price: $20.00

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Saturday, June 7 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Thursday, June 5.

Arrives 10 days before Father's Day

In Stock

$$17.27 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

30-day refund/replacement

Payment

Secure transaction

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$8.76

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include From the library of labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys dvds etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime! Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include From the library of labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys dvds etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime! See less

FREE delivery Saturday, June 7 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Wednesday, June 4. Order within 5 hrs 21 mins.

Arrives 11 days before Father's Day

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$17.27 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by GreatBookDealz and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (64) from $1.81 + $3.98 shipping

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the authors

Showdown at Gucci Gulch: Lawmakers, Lobbyists, and the Unlikely Triumph of Tax Reform Paperback – April 12, 1988

by Alan Murray (Author), Jeffrey Birnbaum (Contributor)

85 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$17.27","priceAmount":17.27,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"17","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"27","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"8pUhfeE9IlZvDT%2BAdMbu7kt4aEpWom1vfR6nLIKsOHTOzmCnsBcrvmUO%2BqszcZQMbHc2tfTIw8iX8Q95fsYm5jzr6IPd3tPY7H0ezC0cvo4HARnsJrWAnteZ0a816ckn%2FRTUF%2FNSJ9g%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$8.76","priceAmount":8.76,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"76","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"8pUhfeE9IlZvDT%2BAdMbu7kt4aEpWom1vm%2FMNEMoImyWWhJY633P9BzpO63Jzoo5HM%2FmUD6%2F%2FZgCfqyWsh0umlSApAzUiDEXlWLTkvglPt4gy2DNQ7AGIMrikYrwJGeG%2FuG2uesYR%2FEJHgCbZzkBlxzrjsfB89jKeWt3wJToIOulOqXukC0PXo9wyo%2B5a6FzZ","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 was the single most sweeping change in the history of America's income tax. It was also the best political and economic story of its time. Here, in the anecdotal style of The Making of the President, two Wall Street Journal reporters provide the first complete picture of how this tax revolution went from an improbable dream to a widely hailed reality.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Even the hordes of Americans whose eyes glaze at the sight of a tax table will enjoy this remarkably lively account." -- The New York Times Book Review

"A riveting account of the political Process that produced the new [tax reform] law."

-- Fortune

"Messrs. Birnbaum and Murray... have written a splendidly readable book about America's recent tax reform." -- The Economist

"Showdown is a classic of its genre....It is illuminating and systematic enough to become a staple in political science courses, yet entertaining enough to be read this summer on the beach." -- Washington Post Book World

"Showdown at Gucci Gulch reads like a thriller, which it is, with a remarkable cast of characters and a payoff in billions."

-- David S. Broder, chief political reporter and columnist, Washington Post

From the Publisher

"Riveting...Showdown is a classic of its genre." -Washington Post Book World
"A superb piece of reporting on one of the most important pieces of legislation in years....A great case study of the political process." --The Washington Post
"Showdown at Gucci Gulch is likely to become the standard narrative of tax reform for years to come."--The Boston Globe

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 12, 1988
Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 333 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394758110
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394758114
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 0.84 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #547,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #41 in Accounting Theory
- #61 in U.S.Congresses, Senates & Legislative
- #135 in Tax Accounting

Customer Reviews:
85 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.
See more on the author's page
Alan S. Murray
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.
See more on the author's page

Customer reviews

85 global ratings

5 star
76%
4 star
20%
3 star
0%
2 star
0%
1 star
4%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book well-written and insightful, with one review specifically highlighting its detailed account of the 1986 tax reform. They appreciate its value, with one customer noting it's worth re-reading in light of current tax reform campaigns.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Insight Value for money Writing quality

9 customers mention "Insight"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, with one review highlighting its detailed account of the 1986 tax reform and another noting how it helps understand the tradeoffs involved.

"...The goals were to: - Simplify the tax system. - Reduce marginal rates. - Broaden the tax base...." Read more

"...Unbiased, reputable investigative journalism. Presents the scope of conflicts, goals, and problems obtaining cooperation among the different..." Read more

"...It helped me understand the tradeoffs that cause legislation be so convoluted - even one intended to simplify the tax code...." Read more

"Well written and detailed account of how our government operates." Read more

7 customers mention "Value for money"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth their money, with one mentioning it's worth re-reading in light of the current tax reform campaign.

"...I haven't finished the book, but it is definitely worth your while especially if you began your tax career after 1986 and you were too young to..." Read more

"...It's a very good read if you're looking to understand politics at the time...." Read more

"Great book, if you're interested in learning about how our government works and how much the president has very little do to with laws being created...." Read more

"...gets kinda boring but overall good book. Recommended to anyone who likes politics." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book.

"Well written and detailed account of how our government operates." Read more

"...The writing is fresh, clear and incisive." Read more

"Good history, well written in simple language & understandable for the layman." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

Eric E. Haas
Outstanding and still relevant 24 years later
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2012
Verified Purchase

This book documents the process/drama behind the astonishingly comprehensive mid-1980s overhaul of the US Income Tax system.

The goals were to:
- Simplify the tax system.
- Reduce marginal rates.
- Broaden the tax base.

Those goals were accomplished. What is especially interesting reading this now (2012) is that our country really needs a similar effort to take place.

To see our current dysfunctional congress arguing these issues, you might imagine that nothing resembling this is possible. But this book proves that it IS possible. It happened. It is quite interesting to find out exactly how.

Read more

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Amazon Customer
Showdown at Gucci Gulch is a brilliant expose of the lawmaking process in Washington
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
Showdown at Gucci Gulch is a brilliant expose of the lawmaking process in Washington. While the backroom deals and the outcomes are there, it is nowhere near what we have today with open and legal bribing of lawmakers but it does show how it all become so corrupt under the Reagan administration. We owe the dystopian society we are living in today to the unhanded deals that began in this administration.

Read more

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
jBay
Interesting read for the tax geek at heart
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2013
Verified Purchase
If you ever wanted to know how 1986 tax reform came about, this is the book to read. I haven't finished the book, but it is definitely worth your while especially if you began your tax career after 1986 and you were too young to understand what was going on anyway.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Amazon Customer
Context to the tax code, Congressional committees, Congressmen; applicable issues today
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2016
Verified Purchase
Context to the tax code, Congressional committees, Congressmen (well-known and lesser known), and lobbyists (who wear Gucci shoes).

Unbiased, reputable investigative journalism. Presents the scope of conflicts, goals, and problems obtaining cooperation among the different political parties. Much insight given about lobbyists and their harsh impact on tax codes/laws, the economy, and people from the poor through the rich.

Same issues applicable to today.

Excellent resource for history majors and some political science students..[Edited to correct spelling error.]

Read more

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Z
I highly recommend this book
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2017
Verified Purchase
This was a detailed, informative book that remains relevant despite the passage of time. It helped me understand the tradeoffs that cause legislation be so convoluted - even one intended to simplify the tax code.

A couple of minor objections - I found the text somewhat repetitive, and the authors tried a bit to hard to convey the drama. Despite those objections, however, I highly recommend this book.

Read more

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Nancy
A LITTLE OLD, BUT STILL APPLICABLE
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
Well written and detailed account of how our government operates.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Ess Pie
Great book for understanding '86 tax reform and how policy is made.
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
It's a must-read if you want to understand 1986 tax reform.
It's also a must-read if you want to understand how policy is made in Washington.
It's a very good read if you're looking to understand politics at the time.

Those who're rating the book 3 or below are likely not interested in any of the 3 items.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Vinny
Great book
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
Great book, if you're interested in learning about how our government works and how much the president has very little do to with laws being created. This book is not dry or boring, trust me, I'm not a reader

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report

Amazon Prime Free Trial