Seem smarter than you are, read the Progressives' Handbook.

Sleep in today, Heather Wokusch has done your homework for you.

Wokusch spent two years researching and writing the two-book series The Progressives’ Handbook, which details the Bush Administration's record on key issues.

And yes, there are handbooks for everything these days. But if you already know all there is to know about cheese and how to be a hipster than I suggest you check out Wokusch’s books. They are part encyclopedia and part self-defense manual.

The books provide the basic background information and pithy quotes about U.S. weapons of mass destruction, women’s issues, education, mainstream media, elections and voting, the environment, and foreign policy.

What sets the books above the heap of other politically-inspired manuals is Wokusch’s writing style. She is punchy but not preachy and her ability to synthesis information, giving readers everything they need to know and leaving out the rest, is invaluable.

The best part of the Progressives’ Handbook is that it aims to make you a better progressive -- which is the point of handbooks, right? If you’ve read the books and happen to find yourself visiting your conservative relatives or seated at a dinner party next to a right-winger who wants to talk shop, you will be armed with the best ammunition.

You may feel strongly about one or many of the issues covered in the Progressives' Handbook, but after reading Wokusch you will actually be able to talk your walk.