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benlundns's review against another edition
4.0
I have always liked the idea of having an academic as a Prime Minister, whether it's just wishful thinking or the desire for the impossible I couldn't say. I liked Ignatieff when he first appeared on the political stage. He seemed earnest and committed and I never really bought into the whole "He's just visiting" tag line of the Conservatives.
But it's different to see the machinations of political parties from the inside. Ignatieff doesn't try to hide what he did or why he did it, he discusses successes and failures of all parties, (but mainly Conservatives and Liberals). Through his experiences I even gained a little, not respect, but understanding of Harper and why he made some of the choices he did.
Ignatieff unwinds the thought processes and the why behind some of the decisions politicians make that seem so baffling to us the public, and tries to show us that politicians are not bad, they are merely working at a profession where truth and loyalty to the party have to find an uneasy balance.
I am still sorry that we didn't get to see where an Ignatieff lead Canada might have gotten us, but Mr. Ignatieff leaves us with the hope that in politics today, or in the very near future might be a leader that is ready to champion the cause of Canada and inspire us to be the best that we can be. The book is a short read, less than 200 pages, but expect to take some time reflecting and thinking about some of the ideas he puts forth. You might take a closer look at politicians the next time elections come around and ask who are they really working for, us, or themselves.
But it's different to see the machinations of political parties from the inside. Ignatieff doesn't try to hide what he did or why he did it, he discusses successes and failures of all parties, (but mainly Conservatives and Liberals). Through his experiences I even gained a little, not respect, but understanding of Harper and why he made some of the choices he did.
Ignatieff unwinds the thought processes and the why behind some of the decisions politicians make that seem so baffling to us the public, and tries to show us that politicians are not bad, they are merely working at a profession where truth and loyalty to the party have to find an uneasy balance.
I am still sorry that we didn't get to see where an Ignatieff lead Canada might have gotten us, but Mr. Ignatieff leaves us with the hope that in politics today, or in the very near future might be a leader that is ready to champion the cause of Canada and inspire us to be the best that we can be. The book is a short read, less than 200 pages, but expect to take some time reflecting and thinking about some of the ideas he puts forth. You might take a closer look at politicians the next time elections come around and ask who are they really working for, us, or themselves.
ivantable's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't think I would enjoy this (Canadian!) political memoir as much as I did.
kamau_wairuri's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
I became aware of this book a few year ago but never really got round to reading it. It remained on my ‘to read’ list for a while. Then one day earlier this year I saw it in a shop and I was not going to leave it behind.
Why? For a scholar who harbours interest in electoral politics, it is perhaps the best example of someone moving from the lecture hall to the campaign trail. Ignatieff describes his effort here as an analytical memoir rather than an autobiography and I think that’s apt.
In this book, Prof Ignatieff explores his own background (coming from a political family), his intellectual life (renowned professor of human rights at Harvard), and his return to Canada to run for political office in the hope of becoming prime minister. He became MP and party leader but never Prime Minister.
It’s is a great thing that Ignatieff is a scholar and analyst. He draws out very meaningful lessons from his encounters in the political arena.
One of the most crucial things he points out is that the people who succeed in politics are not successful by chance; they know their trade. People often denigrate politician while in reality, no matter what we tend to believe, most of us cannot do what they do. He says, “what a good politician comes to know about a country can’t be found in a briefing book. What he knows is the way the people shape place and place shapes people.” He also notes the obstacles, for instance, when he observes that ‘politicians have to negotiate trust against the backdrop of permanent dislike of their own profession.”
I know that these are the experiences of a man from a far away land with very different experiences from us. Still, I’m keeping this book close — highlights, underlines and scribbles — to go back to again and again, especially if I ever decide to throw my hat in the ring and seek political office in the days to come. It not, it’ll make for good talking points in bars, the streets and classrooms.
Why? For a scholar who harbours interest in electoral politics, it is perhaps the best example of someone moving from the lecture hall to the campaign trail. Ignatieff describes his effort here as an analytical memoir rather than an autobiography and I think that’s apt.
In this book, Prof Ignatieff explores his own background (coming from a political family), his intellectual life (renowned professor of human rights at Harvard), and his return to Canada to run for political office in the hope of becoming prime minister. He became MP and party leader but never Prime Minister.
It’s is a great thing that Ignatieff is a scholar and analyst. He draws out very meaningful lessons from his encounters in the political arena.
One of the most crucial things he points out is that the people who succeed in politics are not successful by chance; they know their trade. People often denigrate politician while in reality, no matter what we tend to believe, most of us cannot do what they do. He says, “what a good politician comes to know about a country can’t be found in a briefing book. What he knows is the way the people shape place and place shapes people.” He also notes the obstacles, for instance, when he observes that ‘politicians have to negotiate trust against the backdrop of permanent dislike of their own profession.”
I know that these are the experiences of a man from a far away land with very different experiences from us. Still, I’m keeping this book close — highlights, underlines and scribbles — to go back to again and again, especially if I ever decide to throw my hat in the ring and seek political office in the days to come. It not, it’ll make for good talking points in bars, the streets and classrooms.
dbuntinx's review against another edition
3.0
Interessant boekje over de belevenissen van Michael Ignatieff. Niet wereldschokkend, maar als je de kans ziet zou ik het toch eens lezen.
wilte's review
4.0
Nice and candid book about Ignatieff’s nearly six year political career in national Canadian politics. Even though he got beat in 2011 by new politics, he is still positive about politics.
He is realistic about this (content matters less), but probably too optimistic if I am to judge the current affairs in 2020:
“We increasingly have the politics of enemies. In this perversion of the game, politics is modelled as war itself. (...) I thought I was in an election. We were in a reality show. I thought content mattered. I thought the numbers in a platform should add up. Ours did and theirs didn't. None of it mattered.”
Full thread with quotes:
https://twitter.com/wilte/status/1280892754453827594?s=21
He is realistic about this (content matters less), but probably too optimistic if I am to judge the current affairs in 2020:
“We increasingly have the politics of enemies. In this perversion of the game, politics is modelled as war itself. (...) I thought I was in an election. We were in a reality show. I thought content mattered. I thought the numbers in a platform should add up. Ours did and theirs didn't. None of it mattered.”
Full thread with quotes:
https://twitter.com/wilte/status/1280892754453827594?s=21
asgard793's review
3.0
This is a fusion of political treatise, memoir and a loveletter to Canadian democracy. While Ignatieff's experience is coloured in Liberal red, his self-awareness allows for an objective assessment of partisan politics and his failings as a politician. Fire and Ashes is rooted in a two year time-frame spanning the author's return to Canada, his election as party leader and the 2011 federal election that saw the gutting of the Liberal Party. The title would suggest a focus on the election itself, but readers may be disappointed that this is not the case. Instead, Ignatieff outlines the degradation of democracy through zero-sum, warlike politics in parliament that quashes dialog and compromise. While this is a worthy discussion, he dodges specific reasons for the election loss in favor of rallying prospective political participants for the future. What the reader receives are reasons for increased political participation, while being aware of the compromises one must incur for the sake of positive change.
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