During his 33 years in Congress, Henry Waxman has sponsored legislation that's touched the lives of every American: The Clean Air Act. Nutritional labeling on food. Smoking bans on airplanes. As chairman of the most powerful government oversight committee in the House of Representatives, Waxman has also investigated waste, fraud and abuse throughout society, from Wall Street to Major League Baseball to Iraq. Few legislators can match his accomplishments or his insights into the way good work gets done in Washington. In his first book, Waxman takes us inside the life of politician to show readers how landmark legislation is crafted; how Congress really works. Only someone who has observed the workings of Washington for decades could explain with such insight the subtle rules of success (and the most common pitfalls of failure) on Capitol Hill. At a moment in our history when most Americans want change, Henry Waxman is the ideal guide to show us how it happens through the art of legislation.

Congressman Henry Waxman has represented the Los Angeles area of California since 1974. He is the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. During his thirty-plus years in Congress, he has helped craft landmark legislation addressing health and the environment.