The special thing about this book of political cartoons from The Des Moines Register, is that they are annotated with short, clear explanations of the issues the cartoons address. This is very valuable to those of us who have either never lived in Iowa or who are too young to remember the events that are referred to in the cartoons.

Do not discount the cartoons in favor of the commentary, though. These cartoons are glimpses into the mirror of a particular time and place in history and have much to say about both local, the national, and the world issues. Many of the cartoons could have been drawn for today's newspapers; some illustrate enduring human foibles and some are just plain funny.

Worth owning. ( )