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jaraddavis02 's review for:
The World As It Is: Inside the Obama White House
by Ben Rhodes
The fever pitch of the election is running wild as we have endured the last 4 years of dysfunction, seeming incompetence, and moral failure. This reckoning has caused me to miss the days of yore when we had a Black family in the White House and also feel some guilt that I didn’t pay more attention while they were there. Thus, I was compelled to read “The World As It Is” by Ben Rhodes, a senior advisor, speechwriter, and friend of President Obama. This book takes you on a journey from within the president’s cabinet as they created policy and changed the world. Being that Rhodes advised from the perspective of the National Security Council, much of this book is focused on foreign policy. However, since that is the type of policy many people overlook, it was certainly interesting to me.
Rhodes allows you to travel with him across the world as he supports Obama with some of the biggest decisions in history including the Iran nuclear deal, the killing of Osama Bin Laden, and the normalizing of relations with Cuba. My interests lie in seeing how Obama handled allies as well as adversaries. Whenever I consider the issues I have to deal with as a leader, I tend to reflect on Obama and I can’t imagine all he had to navigate as the most powerful man in the world and a Black man. Rhodes attempts to give some credence to that, but of course can’t do it too much justice.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and felt like I learned a lot of new information. Additionally, Rhodes studying fiction writing as an undergrad probably helped with the prose. I’d recommend this book for those who want to get insight and may have forgotten what competent executive branch leadership looks like.
Rhodes allows you to travel with him across the world as he supports Obama with some of the biggest decisions in history including the Iran nuclear deal, the killing of Osama Bin Laden, and the normalizing of relations with Cuba. My interests lie in seeing how Obama handled allies as well as adversaries. Whenever I consider the issues I have to deal with as a leader, I tend to reflect on Obama and I can’t imagine all he had to navigate as the most powerful man in the world and a Black man. Rhodes attempts to give some credence to that, but of course can’t do it too much justice.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and felt like I learned a lot of new information. Additionally, Rhodes studying fiction writing as an undergrad probably helped with the prose. I’d recommend this book for those who want to get insight and may have forgotten what competent executive branch leadership looks like.