According to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, America currently faces five threats that could undermine, if not eliminate, the United States if immediate steps are not taken to correct them. The threats as he sees them are Islamic terrorists and rogue dictatorships armed with nuclear or biological weapons; the removal of God from American public life; a loss of patriotism and sense of America's history; a decline in economic supremacy because of poor science and math education; and the increasing budgetary burden of Social Security and Medicare. To tackle these problems, Gingrich offers his "21st Century Contract with America," which he outlines in great detail in this bold and thought-provoking book. His updated contract, which comes a decade after the original Republican Contract with America that marked the high point of Gingrich's national power, calls for a dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings and investment; government investment in science and technology, particularly regarding space, energy, and the environment; transforming Social Security into personal savings accounts; overhauling the civil justice system to reduce the burden of lawsuits; and updating the federal government, including the privatization of some functions, so that it moves at the speed and effectiveness of the information age. And that's just the beginning. He also calls for tripling the size of America's intelligence community, reforming its election system, developing a more intelligent health care system that creates jobs and increases quality of life, and balancing the federal budget.

Gingrich believes that this ambitious agenda can be accomplished, but only if it receives grassroots support. The entrenched political system, with its lobbyists, bloated bureaucracies, and the complicity of the media, is too self-serving to fix itself, he stresses. Concise and clearly presented, Winning the Future is long on specifics and short on rhetoric, and it succeeds as a springboard for political discourse. Gingrich's aim is clearly to inspire citizens to take responsibility for the county's direction by demanding more of their government and their leaders. --Shawn Carkonen

America's future in the twenty-first century, argues Newt Gingrich, will be determined by the decisions we make now. His book is a grass roots call to action--and will set the debate for the new administration and Congress.

Informative book with great insight. Ordered and gave a copy to each of my adult children.

Very readable book. I think this book qualifies as a 'must read.'

I just finished reading the book, and I must say that it was impressive. While I would have preferred more details for accomplishing the goals of the new contract, I do believe it is a very good starting point for a Republican platform to retake the Congress in 2010. Newt is 100% correct in his writings that if the private sector can do something better than the government, then why isn't the government making the most effective and efficient use of our tax dollars by using the private company?

Our country has slipped to the point of letting the world lead us, both through secular beliefs, economic policies, and even to the point of foriegn laws having too much influence in the Supreme Court's interpretation of our own Constitution. The world does not lead America, America leads the world!

The bloated bureaucracy and constant stalemates that plague our government must be eliminated as Newt states throughout his book. It made me want to call Capitol Hill and echo the words of the great Ronald Reagan (with one change): "Mrs. Pelosi, tear down this wall!" In this case it's not a wall of oppression, but a wall of ineffectiveness, inefficiency, and an outright laughable view of what this country needs.

After reading this book I am convinced this is the man to follow. I look forward to reading the next, and I hope one day he considers running for president.

If you are one of the brain washed masses who live, eat and sleep Republican then help the economy and waste your money on this book. If you actually have a brain and can think rationally then dont waste your money.

This is pretty much a mindless vision of how the Repubs want the world to run.

What is funny is this guy mentioning God. He should write about what God has to say about ADULTERY which he has committed.

This book, like most repub's writings is a joke.

Newt makes so much sense in his spoken word as well as here in his book. I only wish more people would read it and get a clue.