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curtispaulostler's review against another edition
I could not finish this, barely got through the first few chapters. I picked it up without knowing the author, in hopes of learning more about "Silent Cal" and one of the presidents from my home state. But two things bothered me in as much as I read: 1) It is so obviously slanted toward a right wing agenda (I did not notice until after I had bought it, read some, and got frustrated with it that one of the recommendations on the jacket was from Paul Ryan), making some large assumptions about what was right and wrong with an obvious tone; and 2) it was not very well written. The narrative jumps back and forth chronologically, even within a paragraph, and many of the sentences are incoherent, even if they are grammatically correct. It was as if there was no content editor, just a spell-checker. One small example: any professional editor would know the difference between "further" and "farther" but those words are confused in this book.
I marked this as "read" only because I do not want it in my current or to read list. I will not give it a star rating, since I do not believe it is fair if I have not finished the book. I will keep it on hand for some reference of the time period, and if I ever do finish it, I may revisit the review and rating.
I marked this as "read" only because I do not want it in my current or to read list. I will not give it a star rating, since I do not believe it is fair if I have not finished the book. I will keep it on hand for some reference of the time period, and if I ever do finish it, I may revisit the review and rating.
yulelogue's review against another edition
4.0
Slightly relieving to know that some things haven't changed in 100 years as politics and rhetoric go.
theartolater's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favorite economic history books is The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes. A take on the Great Depression that you rarely see from mainstream writers, it did a great job cutting to the chase regarding Depression-era economics. When I saw that Shlaes was doing a biography on Calvin Coolidge, all the better!
First, this is very much a political biography. While there's plenty about his family and his life before politics, it's all framed within the context of his politics and political career. With that in mind, it's a biography that really could only happen in today's political and economic climate, with the record amounts of government debt and with Keynes all the rage. Coolidge, with his tax and budget cutting ways, is an easier sell to an audience as a result.
The book itself is solid. It's highly detailed, with copious notes, and is informative without being dry. For a 450+ page book, the narrative is also very tight, and, at least when it comes to the political history, I didn't feel like I was missing a lot. The downside is that, without a strong focus also at the non-political Coolidge, Coolidge does come across as a little more eccentric than he may have been. For all I know, he may have been a strange man on a whole, but strange people generally don't get elected to the presidency.
If there is a downside, it's that the book is clearly looking to build the case for Coolidge based on his actions. We get very little negative information about Coolidge that might help round out his presidency, and it makes things somewhat lacking as a result in that area. It's not a fatal flaw, but given the overall lack of knowledge people may have of Coolidge, this may not be the fairest introduction for many. On the other hand, this is not an introductory tome, so there's that to consider.
Overall, however, a great book with a lot going for it, and a strong take on a president who, at best, is largely forgotten and at worst unfairly maligned for issues he didn't cause. Worth reading for anyone interested in the political aspects of the 1920s and the aftermath of them.
First, this is very much a political biography. While there's plenty about his family and his life before politics, it's all framed within the context of his politics and political career. With that in mind, it's a biography that really could only happen in today's political and economic climate, with the record amounts of government debt and with Keynes all the rage. Coolidge, with his tax and budget cutting ways, is an easier sell to an audience as a result.
The book itself is solid. It's highly detailed, with copious notes, and is informative without being dry. For a 450+ page book, the narrative is also very tight, and, at least when it comes to the political history, I didn't feel like I was missing a lot. The downside is that, without a strong focus also at the non-political Coolidge, Coolidge does come across as a little more eccentric than he may have been. For all I know, he may have been a strange man on a whole, but strange people generally don't get elected to the presidency.
If there is a downside, it's that the book is clearly looking to build the case for Coolidge based on his actions. We get very little negative information about Coolidge that might help round out his presidency, and it makes things somewhat lacking as a result in that area. It's not a fatal flaw, but given the overall lack of knowledge people may have of Coolidge, this may not be the fairest introduction for many. On the other hand, this is not an introductory tome, so there's that to consider.
Overall, however, a great book with a lot going for it, and a strong take on a president who, at best, is largely forgotten and at worst unfairly maligned for issues he didn't cause. Worth reading for anyone interested in the political aspects of the 1920s and the aftermath of them.
yangyvonne's review against another edition
2.0
Calvin Coolidge was President from 1923-29, but we don't know much about him other than that he came right before Hoover and the Great Depression and was known for being very frugal and reserved. In this (long) biography, we see the shy boy from Vermont come into his own and help America navigate an era marked with amazing growth, innovation, and national optimism. He manages to turn the Federal deficit to a surplus while DROPPING taxes, seeing the economy grow and treating the office not as one for special privilege, but a place for humble service. Like Lincoln, he loses a son while in office, yet still carries on in his commitment.
Coolidge is a fascinating man, who clearly did not get enough credit in our history lesson, but this book is ENTIRELY TOO LONG and TOO DRY to make anyone want to care. In 456 pages, there are so many drab lists of places and names that add nothing to the overall portrait of the man. Even when we read some of his letters, there is no real analysis of the content or development of the back/front story to them - it's as if these primary texts were just dropped into the book to legitimize it. It's a shame that such an under-appreciated man is stuck with an even worse attempt to honor him!
Coolidge is a fascinating man, who clearly did not get enough credit in our history lesson, but this book is ENTIRELY TOO LONG and TOO DRY to make anyone want to care. In 456 pages, there are so many drab lists of places and names that add nothing to the overall portrait of the man. Even when we read some of his letters, there is no real analysis of the content or development of the back/front story to them - it's as if these primary texts were just dropped into the book to legitimize it. It's a shame that such an under-appreciated man is stuck with an even worse attempt to honor him!
thatjacklyn's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up Amity Shlaes' Coolidge because I've long been intrigued by the anecdotes I've encountered about "Silent Cal" and wanted to learn more about our 30th president. Shlaes' work is extremely well researched and provides the reader with a narrative that is equally interesting and readable for the historian and more causal reader. My only critique would be that I often wished that the author more frequently offered her own insight instead of merely presenting every potential and leaving the reader to decide.
papablues050164's review against another edition
3.0
It might have bene better if the author wasn't so fond of imposing modern Republican notions of economy at every turn. Coolidge becomes most sympathetic after his son Calvin Jr. dies, but freqwuently his efforts to balance th budget--of which too many pages are expended--make him appear callous. 'Starve the govermnemnt beast'? That's very much a George Norquist thing to say. His denial of bonuses to veterans of World War 1 is almost beyond belief as well; leave it to the States to take care of tgem? Sorry--it was the FEDERAL govermnent that asked them to serve, so it becomes the FEDERAL governemnt's responsibility to care for them after all the sacrifices they made. There are so many examples of this penny-pinching bordering on mania. Not enough words on family; too much on economy.
stevenk's review against another edition
4.0
Calvin Coolidge is often overlooked when reviewing American History, his presidency taking place between the first World War and the Great depression, and I enjoyed learning about the 30th President. A family tradition of public service lead Coolidge to become Governor of Massachusetts, Vice President, and eventually President of the US (first by serving the last half of Harding's term then being elected in his own right). This book gave a quick overview of his life in College, in state government, party politics and his rise to the Presidency. He was a limited governmenter who stuck to his frugal Vermont principles to an extent that I don't think would be possible today, and I admired him for that even if it is one of the reasons he is an often overlooked President. Unlike many men that become President, he didn't see the benefit in doing something just to do something, even if it meant not taking action in the face of adversity. I'd rate this book 3.5 stars if Goodreads allowed half stars.
nerdlibrarian's review
3.0
I had picked this book since I am part of a reading challenge at work. For February we had to choose a book about any president. I pulled up a list of all U.S. Presidents and figured why not do Calvin Coolidge. I barely remember learning about our 30th President. This book gives a detailed look at not only the life of "Silent Cal," but into what was happening in the world during his lifetime.
Very interesting. I liked learning about him since he was President during the notable "Roaring 20's" although the audio could sometimes get a little long winded or boring at times. I sometimes found myself switching to put on the radio while listening to the 18-disc audiobook.
Very interesting. I liked learning about him since he was President during the notable "Roaring 20's" although the audio could sometimes get a little long winded or boring at times. I sometimes found myself switching to put on the radio while listening to the 18-disc audiobook.
dashausfrau's review
3.0
Audiotape expired before Coolidge reached the White House. I can see why proponents of small-government are fans of his administration.
markk's review
1.0
Calvin Coolidge is a president who has been defined not by the times in which he lived but in the ones which followed -- specifically the Great Depression, for which he has received a share of the blame. Amity Shlaes's goal, however, is not to bury Coolidge but to praise him by arguing that his policies promote national prosperity through austerity. Yet her argument relies on a good deal of post hoc fallacy that is often contradicted by the very facts she cites (such as her continual reference to growth and prosperity that predated the tax cuts and other measures championed by Coolidge which supposedly brought it about) and she resorts to outright falsehoods in an effort to cover up Coolidge's role in fostering the stock market bubble that burst after he left office.
Nor are these the only problems with her book. Shlaes's text is disappointingly sloppy, riddled with factual and even grammatical errors that suggest the book was a rushed effort. Better editing would have taken care of this, and possibly also cleaned up the morass of details with which she loves to inundate the readers but which only serve to bog them down in her text. Readers seeking to learn more about Coolidge would be well advised to turn to Robert Sobel's [b:Coolidge: An American Enigma|860010|Coolidge An American Enigma|Robert Sobel|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387751417s/860010.jpg|845450], which in every way is superior to Shlaes's muddled effort.
Nor are these the only problems with her book. Shlaes's text is disappointingly sloppy, riddled with factual and even grammatical errors that suggest the book was a rushed effort. Better editing would have taken care of this, and possibly also cleaned up the morass of details with which she loves to inundate the readers but which only serve to bog them down in her text. Readers seeking to learn more about Coolidge would be well advised to turn to Robert Sobel's [b:Coolidge: An American Enigma|860010|Coolidge An American Enigma|Robert Sobel|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387751417s/860010.jpg|845450], which in every way is superior to Shlaes's muddled effort.
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