2 comments about Heartbeat: George Bush in His Own Words.

1. The author, Jim McGrath, has compiled a well-edited look at the life of the former President. Readers who want a "behind the scenes" look of life in the White House without all the needless commentary should purchase this book immediately!! This is a must read for anyone interested in political life.



2. "Heartbeat" is a collection of excerpts from the speeches and writing of President George H. W. Bush. The compilation delineates those "core" values that defined the policies and personal goals of Bush's presidency. The book is organized into chapters corresponding to his presidential years (1989-1992) with an additional chapter concentrating on his post-presidency. The writings,which characterize the "core" values consistently addressed, are presented in sub-sections in each chapter. These are: Faith, Family, and Friends; The Vision Thing; A Legacy of Service; and In the Arena. This is a convenient organizational tool which allows the reader, should he/she choose, to follow a particular thread through each of the four years of the president's term. Of course one may choose the conventional method of a chapter by chapter reading. I actually did both, occasionally flipping back and forth through the chapters as I read to remind myself of a particular point previously made.

   I found the book to be absorbing and entertaining reading. Having visited the Bush Library in College Station, Texas, I was not surprised by the sense of honor, duty and love of country that permeates the text. Nor was I surprised and the wonderful rather self-deprecating sense of humor that pops up in sometime unexpected places.

   All-in-all this is an effortless way to get an elementary grasp of the issues and complexities which confronted America at a time when events leading to The World Trade Center atrocity were already continuing to build.

No comments about Fidel Castro: La Tirania Interminable / The Endless Tyranny.

No comments about Pearson's Prize: Canada and the Suez Crisis.

No comments about Campaign '76: A reference of official vote returns.

No comments about The President and the military (Reprint - Brookings Institution).

3 comments about American Presidents Ranked by Performance.

1. As an enthusiast of presidential history, I enjoy reading rankings of the presidents. This is a worthwhile read, but it doesn't quite hit the mark. On the rankings themselves, there are some absurdities. Ronald Reagan at 34 ? Reagan taught America to believe in themselves again, ended the cold war, and brought unprecedented prosperity. He is one of the strongest presidents we've ever had. Carter at 19 ? Buchanan at 25 ? Kennedy at 8 ? (All too high). However, I do applaud the authors for ranking Rutherford Hayes at 14, in my opinion the second most underrated president next to James Madison. Also for lowering Polk from his conventional rating, due to his bringing on the Mexican war. Similarly, for giving McKinley poor marks for his weakness in allowing the Spanish-American war to proceed. The book misses striking a balance between consistency of ranking criteria and readability. For example, "President X did/did not organise his cabinet according to sound administrative principles" gets monotonous nearly 40 times in a book. This gives a clinical feel to the pages and therefore I didn't feel the experience of traveling through history as I do with most presidential history books. Something the authors devalue in the introduction, a poll of historians, would for me give greater credence to such a book. The opinions of several hundred learned people versus the opinions of two learned people. Overall I give greater weight to the content than the rankings. A small point ... The graphs on the front cover correspond to the rankings in the book, except for Wilson appearing higher than FDR when they are ranked the same at number 3. I found this book useful in incorporating certain information into my own assessment of the presidents, but it doesn't hold up as being authoritive on the subject of its title.



2. This is nothing but a mass-appeal marketing play.



3. This book is a thourough and interesting look into our past presidents. Very captivating and informative! Loved it! Great book for history buffs!

No comments about The Papers of Woodrow Wilson Vol. 15 1903-1905.

No comments about Churchill (British Prime Ministers of the 20th Century) (Life&Times).

No comments about Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte Volume 2.

No comments about The Autobiography and Selected Writings of Abraham Lincoln.