title: What It Takes: The Way to the White House
text: # What It Takes: The Way to the White House
  
  What It Takes: The Way to the White House (ISBN 9780394562605) is a nonfiction book about the 1988 United States presidential election, written by Richard Ben Cramer. It was published in 1992. It follows the campaigns of Republicans George Herbert Walker Bush and Bob Dole and Democrats Joe Biden, Michael Dukakis, Dick Gephardt, and Gary Hart.
  
  The bulk of the book covers the early lives and political careers of the candidates, their campaigns leading up to the New Hampshire primary, and the primary itself. Cramer spent six years researching and writing What It Takes.
  
  The book is frequently cited by political aides and journalists as one of the most influential books on politics ever written.
  
  ## Editorial reviews
  
  Cleveland Plain Dealer: "Quite possibly the finest book on presidential politics ever written, combining meticulous reporting and compelling, at times soaringly lyrical, prose."
  
  San Francisco Chronicle: "The ultimate insider's book on presidential politics...an unparalleled source book on the 1988 candidates."
  
  