Mode Showdown at Gucci Gulch: Lawmakers, Lobbyists, and the Unlikely Triumph of Tax

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 was the single most sweeping change in the history of Americas income tax. It was also the best political and economic story of its time. Here, in the anecdotal style of The Making of the President, two Wall Street Journal reporters provide the first complete picture of how this tax revolution went from an improbable dream to a widely hailed reality.

Alan Murray is the chief content officer for Time Inc. Murray is formerly the deputy managing editor and executive editor of the Wall Street Journal, a columnist for SmartMoney magazine, and a twice-daily commentator on CNBC, analyzing trends in business, politics, and economics. He is the author of The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management, Revolt in the Boardroom, and The Wealth of Choices.



Jeffrey Birnbaum is an award-winning journalist for The Wall Street Journal. He has previously written for The Washington Post and The Washington Times. He regularly appears as a television commentator for the Fox News Channel. He is coauthor of Showdown at Gucci Gulch. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.