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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
The way politics are going now he's starting to look like George Washington
informative
slow-paced
Read this book if you want a mildly interesting autobiographical account of the Bush administration, along with his attempt to defend the invasion of Iraq!! Spoiler: The his reasoning will be more pathetic than you’re imagining.
Enjoyed how it was organized, and a lot of the stories were very interesting. Later into the book, just couldn’t get past some of the differences in political views mostly stemming from religious beliefs and of course his blending of business in education
informative
slow-paced
Gah, the book was about as easy to read as living through his presidency. Daddys boy...
Listened to the man himself. Together with his art made me like him a little. Interesting start, giving a really mixed and direct impression, but got pretty boring once the war started.
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Loved the way that this book was arranged topically rather than chronologically. By focusing on a single topic for an entire chapter, the reader isn't confused by timelines or other events that pop up.
I also enjoyed the insight into political decisions that I was too young to understand or notice. I appreciate that he admitted to many mistakes and discussed moments that went against his belief system (TARP and the auto bailout), as well as those in which he made an unpopular decision (stem cell research- he was vindicated by pure luck).
I still don't support GWB on many things, but his insight into his presidency was very interesting. I skimmed over the Surge chapter (after skimming the Iraq chapter... dense and full of military facts that went over my head). I did have an issue with how he portrayed people with whom he had a disagreement, specifically female Democrats. He portrayed nearly everyone involved with Katrina in a negative light, but especially Gov. Blanco and Sen. Landrieu (the latter of whom was described as so annoying that GWB had no choice but to tell her to be quiet). Ray Nagin evaded any insults from GWB, presumably because he cried, apologized, and begged for help post-Katrina. In another instance, he referred to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi as "like a volcano ready to erupt" because she had decided what she would say before he directed any statements to her. Not very flattering.
Overall, the worst thing about this book is that now I am getting recommendations from Goodreads for books by Sarah Palin and Karl Rove.
I also enjoyed the insight into political decisions that I was too young to understand or notice. I appreciate that he admitted to many mistakes and discussed moments that went against his belief system (TARP and the auto bailout), as well as those in which he made an unpopular decision (stem cell research- he was vindicated by pure luck).
I still don't support GWB on many things, but his insight into his presidency was very interesting. I skimmed over the Surge chapter (after skimming the Iraq chapter... dense and full of military facts that went over my head). I did have an issue with how he portrayed people with whom he had a disagreement, specifically female Democrats. He portrayed nearly everyone involved with Katrina in a negative light, but especially Gov. Blanco and Sen. Landrieu (the latter of whom was described as so annoying that GWB had no choice but to tell her to be quiet). Ray Nagin evaded any insults from GWB, presumably because he cried, apologized, and begged for help post-Katrina. In another instance, he referred to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi as "like a volcano ready to erupt" because she had decided what she would say before he directed any statements to her. Not very flattering.
Overall, the worst thing about this book is that now I am getting recommendations from Goodreads for books by Sarah Palin and Karl Rove.
I added this book to my To Read list after reading an article about the favorite books of former Presidents and First Ladies. This was a favorite of a Democrat and I wanted to know why. As a book it was written in an approachable, engaging style that is humorous and sincere. The format was an interesting one in focusing on what he felt were his most significant decisions while still managing to give a good overview of his and his family’s lives. I found him to be surprisingly insightful in some areas yet narrow and too basic in others, but more moderate and progressive than I had previously thought. He is more intelligent and thoughtful than he has been portrayed. One of my favorite quotes from this book is when he said “But our economy, our security, and our culture would all be weakened by an attempt to wall ourselves off from the world.”
I found I liked, agreed, disliked, and disagreed with him on varying issues which is the case with most of us on anything. Reading this book reiterated another lesson I have learned, which is to listen to and ask questions of all sides, follow sources that rely on facts and not just opinions, and learn as much as possible before forming an opinion or making a decision. Be willing to talk to (or read about) people who see the world differently than you do. Be willing to change your mind if new information becomes available. A person can also entertain ideas and beliefs without accepting them which helps broaden one’s knowledge.
He says in his book “I believe it will be impossible to reach definitive conclusions about my presidency-or any recent presidency, for that matter-for several decades. The passage of time allows passions to cool, results to clarify, and scholars to compare different approaches.” On some things of course we didn’t have to wait that long but on others we will.
I found I liked, agreed, disliked, and disagreed with him on varying issues which is the case with most of us on anything. Reading this book reiterated another lesson I have learned, which is to listen to and ask questions of all sides, follow sources that rely on facts and not just opinions, and learn as much as possible before forming an opinion or making a decision. Be willing to talk to (or read about) people who see the world differently than you do. Be willing to change your mind if new information becomes available. A person can also entertain ideas and beliefs without accepting them which helps broaden one’s knowledge.
He says in his book “I believe it will be impossible to reach definitive conclusions about my presidency-or any recent presidency, for that matter-for several decades. The passage of time allows passions to cool, results to clarify, and scholars to compare different approaches.” On some things of course we didn’t have to wait that long but on others we will.