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A review by urzajr
Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President by Ron Suskind
4.0
This book is worth your time.
Much of the media coverage focused on a few juicy details (Larry Summers "home alone" comments, the male-centered atmosphere of the White House, etc.), but this misses the larger picture.
The real story is about a presidential campaign that ran on rhetoric about changing the system, and then proceeded to govern in a way that shied away from any radical steps, no matter how radical the crisis. Read it and cringe as Paul Volker is ignored in favor of Tim Geithner, as the financial reform bill becomes weak piecemeal legislation, and as true health care reform (as opposed to health insurance reform) slowly dies.
The book isn't perfect. Suskind often relies on the same narrative tricks over and over (we're constantly put in the head of a Very Smart Person as they ride to one important conference or another - "Gary Gensler was late, but he had far more than dinner on his mind," etc.), and its clear from his characterizations who his sources are.
Ezra Klein's review should be packed in with the paperback edition:
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/nov/24/obamas-flunking-economy-real-cause/
Much of the media coverage focused on a few juicy details (Larry Summers "home alone" comments, the male-centered atmosphere of the White House, etc.), but this misses the larger picture.
The real story is about a presidential campaign that ran on rhetoric about changing the system, and then proceeded to govern in a way that shied away from any radical steps, no matter how radical the crisis. Read it and cringe as Paul Volker is ignored in favor of Tim Geithner, as the financial reform bill becomes weak piecemeal legislation, and as true health care reform (as opposed to health insurance reform) slowly dies.
The book isn't perfect. Suskind often relies on the same narrative tricks over and over (we're constantly put in the head of a Very Smart Person as they ride to one important conference or another - "Gary Gensler was late, but he had far more than dinner on his mind," etc.), and its clear from his characterizations who his sources are.
Ezra Klein's review should be packed in with the paperback edition:
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/nov/24/obamas-flunking-economy-real-cause/