The Leader's Shadow: Exploring and Developing Executive Character

Book Description

The Leader's Shadow is the first book to fully examine the inner dynamics of executives in top leadership positions. Based on systematically collected descriptions from a wide variety of executive leaders and a comprehensive review of the literature on leadership character, this book provides a framework for thinking about the character development of those in leadership positions. Judge describes and analyzes the context within which leaders operate, the theory and research behind the personalities of leaders, and the values held by leaders. The Leader's Shadow is an important resource for executive coaches, management trainers, and consultants, as well as students in leadership, organizational change and organizational development.

Customer Reviews:

Not recommended.......2002-10-29

This book is little known and with good reason. Frankly, there is nothing here about leadership of any value. To add insult to injury, Judge's communication style is downright irritating. Should you wish to know about leadership, I recommend books by Goleman, Kotter or Collins. I was forced to read Judge as I am an Executive MBA student at the University of Tennessee, where Judge teaches. However, it's unlikely that you will encounter this book anywhere else.

Poorly researched and written.......2002-10-06

Besides the hackneyed MBTI theory and the smarmy interpretation, I can't believe Judge found no women leaders to interview!

Those who can do..........2002-02-25

And those who can't teach. Judge's book on leadership
appears to classify him in the latter category. I disagree
with the suspiciously glowing review of this nondescript
book. There is nothing risky in this book -- after all,
what is risky about the MBTI; or concluding that leaders
have to want to change in order to do so. There is a
lot here that is hackenyed, old hat and nothing special.
Skip this one.

An experiential approach to behavioral change for leaders.......2002-02-11

Judge's book represents a risk on the part of the author. Namely, stating the conclusion that changes in a leader's behavior and style can only be accomplished by the individual's own reflective self-examination and desire to change. Admittedly the supporting data are limited - caveats clearly stated at the outset. These include limited geographic and gender CEO representation in the survey upon which the book is based. But the conclusions are clearly limited to those supported by the research. In addition, this book does not offer the simplistic and ineffective "checklist" approach to effective leadership. It recognizes that meaningful and lasting effectiveness for leaders is based on recognition of their weakenesses, and use of the personality attributes not naturally a part of what they perceive as their strengths ("shadow work"). Finally, the message in this book is not heard by all, only those sufficiently intuitive to understand the natural internal conflict that results in extraordinary leadership. An excellent book from a thoughtful author.

Pass this one by..........2002-02-02

Neither a book on ethics nor leadership -- nothing worth remembering or savoring. You can safely skip this one as many others have.

In the Shadow of FDR: From Harry Truman to George W. Bush

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Examines the Lasting Impact of FDR 55 Years Later

In the Shadow of FDR: From Harry Truman to George W. Bush
William E. Leuchtenburg
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Leadership | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0801487374

Customer Reviews:

Examines the Lasting Impact of FDR 55 Years Later.......2004-04-15

Leuchtenburg, and esteemed historian of the Roosevelt era, examines the profound, lasting impact of Roosevelt's policies on America for many decades following his presidency and how future presidents have operated in Roosevelt's shadow. (The book will need to be revised again due to the Bush plan to privatize Social Security - although FDR's original plan was more modest than the current system, significantly expanded in years after FDR).

Roosevelt influence is still great - the greatest of any modern president.

Shadow : Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate

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Inside of the White House
The effect the Independent Counsel had on the Presidency
Interesting, disturbing look at the presidency
An important bridging of common sense psychology & politics
Overall good, but too soft on Clinton

Shadow : Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate
Bob Woodward
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0684852632

Amazon.com

There are two ways to look at this bestseller by Watergate scoopmeister Woodward. First, it's an original take on Clinton's sex scandal, framing it as the latest consequence of Nixon's assault on the U.S. political system. Woodward sketches each president's tussles with scandal managing after Watergate permanently turned up the press heat on the White House. Ford lies about a meeting concerning a potential deal to pardon Nixon, but remains convinced he did nothing wrong. Carter's pious advocacy of truth telling backfires when he's confronted with conundrums involving his pal Bert Lance, the fallout from CIA-provided hookers, and cash for King Hussein. Reagan's men try to make him understand the lies and shocking wrongness of the Iran-Contra debacle, but he simply, stubbornly doesn't get it. And by the time prosecutors interview Reagan in 1992, he's so ill he can't remember his own oldest friends and advisers.

All provocative stuff, some of it new. But most readers will flip to the book's second half, a fly-on-the-wall account of the backroom mud-wrestling in both the Clinton and Starr camps in the Monicagate morass. It's a trove of racy facts (mostly from anonymous sources). We read that Clinton called Nixon a "war criminal," yet tried to minimize Watergate in his Nixon eulogy, that he disgusted Ford and Jack Nicklaus by cheating while golfing with them, and that he kept falsely assuring aides, "I'm retired! [as an adulterer]." We hear Hillary's alleged words of agony and see the pain on Bill's face after Chelsea reads The Starr Report on the Internet. Starr comes off like RoboCop without the human side. Woodward calls him "pathetic and unwise" in rejecting his staff's urgent demand not to send the lurid details of presidential sex to Congress. "I love the narrative!" Starr weirdly exulted, according to Woodward's new Deep Throat (or Throats). Since Monica was interrogated at Starr's mother-in-law's apartment, which he called "Grandma's place," ethics expert Sam Dash suggested they call it "Operation Red Riding Hood." What sharp teeth everyone in this book has!

To tell the truth, Woodward doesn't really knit together 25 years' worth of scandals into a single strong narrative. But the Clinton part is the closest thing yet to what we all crave: a tale of Monicagate with some of the flavor of a John Grisham thriller. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year

Twenty-five years ago, after Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, Gerald Ford promised a return to normalcy. "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over," President Ford declared.

But it was not. The Watergate scandal, and the remedies against future abuses of power, would have an enduring impact on presidents and the country. In Shadow, Bob Woodward takes us deep into the administrations of Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton to describe how each discovered that the presidency was forever altered. With special emphasis on the human toll, Woodward shows the consequences of the new ethics laws, and the emboldened Congress and media. Powerful investigations increasingly stripped away the privacy and protections once expected by the nation's chief executive.

Shadow is an authoritative, unsettling narrative of the modern, beleaguered presidency.

Download Description

Twenty-five years after Nixon's resignation, the reporter who helped break the story explains how Watergate--the premier scandal of our time--has indelibly altered American politics, culture, and the presidency.

Customer Reviews:

Inside of the White House.......2005-06-15

Another Bob Woodward book, another masterpiece. I am getting great pleasure from his books. Detailed research, witnesses, and main character interviews are combined to revealed truth with every respect. In Shadows, he discovers the last five presidents scandals and events around them. Book starts with Ford, Nixon and Watergate, This is the most interesting chapter of the book, and it is explained with every detail. Secondly, Carter and payment made to Jordan King and Iran Hostage crisis. You can feel Carter's pain in this chapter. After that, of course Reagan and Iran-Contra weapon sale and Oliver North incident. This chapter is also very interesting. The role Regan and Senior Bush is much different than public knows. Senior Bush's role is very controversial. There are always something learn from his books. When Senior Bush was at the White House, subject is the war again. First gulf war and Saddam stories given. There is also little bit information about Bush-Saudi relations in that time. Inevitable, Mr. Bandar's name is also here. Finally, Clinton era, Whitewater and Monica. This is also very big chapter. In Whitewater investigation is explained very well. Also Monica scandal is the fun part of the book. Star and Clinton have not a bad relation as we know.

This is the best book for near presidential history. I give all the credits to Mr. Woodward for this great book. Buy it and read it!

The effect the Independent Counsel had on the Presidency.......2003-12-26

I think this is a pretty good book on the Presidency of the United States since Watergate. Of course, Mr. Woodward played a significant role in reporting Watergate and has written extensively about the Presidency since then.

This book examines the various difficulties and scandals the Presidents since Nixon have had and the shadow the legacy of Watergate fell on those events and affected how they were handled and perceived. The most significant event in the way these things played out was the creation of the Independent Counsel. While I was never wild about the Independent Counsels before I read this book, I have come to the conclusion that it was an awful idea and an abuse of our Constitution. While the office was designed to not be accountable to the President to afford a credible ability to investigate the Executive Branch, it has no reasonable boundaries or limits and is not subject to any of the checks or balances that enable our government to function as reasonably as it does.

Freed from any limits of time, budget, or public accountability it is not surprising that many, but not all, of these Independent Counsels end up pursuing all kinds of things apart from what they were originally charged to pursue. My chief conclusion from reading this book is that this was a bad law with worse execution and should never be revived. Good riddance!

Half of the book is devoted to the Clinton scandals. The other large section is Iran-Contra. How you perceive Woodward's balance and objectivity will be colored by your personal politics. I have to admit that I found my own reading of the book varied at different points because of my own view of these scandals and whether or not I agreed with Woodward or felt that his own political biases were creeping in (which is impossible to avoid). But all-in-all there is a lot of good reporting here and is written in way that is easy to read. There are lots of endnotes to document the sources for the various statements, meetings, and conclusions drawn.

I recommend the book highly.

Interesting, disturbing look at the presidency.......2003-02-03

Heard the taped version of SHADOW: FIVE PRESIDENTS
AND THE LEGACY OF WATERGATE by Bob Woodward . . . it
is a very interesting, as well as disturbing, look at what it takes to be president in this country.

Because of Watergate, the press no longer takes a "hands off"
approach to what is being done in the White House . . . consequently, Woodward points out that all presidents--from Nixon through Clinton--seem to have had lapses in judgment, during which they either did not tell the truth or had others help cover it up for them.

I got a fresh perspective on Ford's pardon of Nixon, and though
I had thought I had known a lot about the Monicagate morass,
I now know even more (including a lot of dirt not uncovered
elsewhere).

Fortunately, Woodward is only heard at the beginning and
the end . . . he does not have a great speaking voice, that's
for sure . . . the rest was narrated by James Naughton . . . his
impressive baritone voice made for easy listening . . . moreover, he actually sounds like many of the characters he portrays, such as James Carville, Ronald Raegan and Jimmy Carter.

An important bridging of common sense psychology & politics.......2003-01-18

The first line in Micahel Lind's deeply provocative treatise on the modern American conservative movement UP FROM CONSERVATISM kicks you in the stomach, regardless of your political beliefs:"American Conservatism is dead." Like the political Nietzsche he is, Bob Woodward, in SHADOW: FIVE PRESIDENTS AND THE LEGACY OF WATERGATE, finishes that statement in this 500-plus page tome by saying, essentially, "...and Nixon has killed it."

None other than Gore Vidal has nicknamed America the *United States of Amnesia* so often that the trueness of it stops it from being funny. Yet any psychologist worth their salt will tell you the many reasons why memory, in a person or culture, is often the first thing to be EXORCISED. It isn't always something that leaves willingly. Bob Woodward brings common sense psychology--memory--back into the discussion of what has happened to the presidency, and America's relationship to it, since the quasi-psychotic Nixon disgraced it in the early 1970's. He reveals this with SHADOW, not by calling out and judging the Nixonians from the perspective of opinion, but via showing and analysing actual history. The degree to which the entire concept and institution of the American Presidency has been almost irrevocably debilitated by Watergate is the subject of this book, and it cannot be ignored in our time after reading it. In revealing the new cynically invasive psychic architecture of American politics, built on the destroyed remnants of the trusted Tao of FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, LBJ and Kennedy, he offers a glimpse of what Watergate symbolized about Nixon's soul. And what that tortured soul has meant for American culture today, in the 21st century.

Doing this not only puts Monica Lewinsky into a less mythological perspective. It also puts all of the machinations that now go into politicking for your right to actually BE President long after you have been elected--Republican or Democrat--into a new, important, and ultimately saddening perspective. (The degree to which her very existence in the public mind is shown to be part of a desire of Clinton's powerful enemies to erase Nixon's legacy from the annals of history with the impeachment of a Democratic President is brilliant. That omen is ironically overshadowed, however, by the way he explains the uncontrollable political Frankenstein that was the Office of Independent Counsel. This evil genie, with its granted near absolute power, is what Clinton let out of the bottle; a bottle that, after Watergate, was thought never to be opened again. Without it, the reincarnation of the Salem witch trials with Kenneth Starr and the pornography of his reports would never have occurred.)

I happened to have picked up this book to read after reading Conason and Lyons' THE HUNTING OF THE PRESIDENT--something which truly must be read in tandem with this if one is to really understand the social forces that also took center stage in the Clinton drama, despite their desire to still remain hidden. As such I found the Clinton chapters of SHADOW a rehash of previously digested material. SHADOW nonetheless, with its detailed meticulous analyses of the weaknesses and foibles of Ford, Carter, Regan, Bush and Clinton, and how these weaknesses became debilitating through the sins of their Watergate predecessor Nixon, cuts to the quick of our social consciousness today.

It is so important, it seems, for the American public not to have a historical perspective on anything that happens in politics. As if the pretense that all of it has no precedence somehow makes it more real or important--or worse, justifies an often hypocritically manufactured moral outrage. (I'll never forget the rage Clinton-haters would express at the mere mentioning of Sally Hemmings [Thomas Jefferson's slave mistress], Judith Exner [one of Kennedy's mistresses] or the broken first marriages of Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich, seemingly defending their right to believe Bill and Monica had ushered in the seventh sign of the Book of Revelations with their original sin.) Woodward's SHADOW destroys any validity that way of thinking had, and redefines the desire to be willfully politically/historically ignorant (as if ignorance buys someone moral virtue) as anything but sane. The book has a way of revalidating the entire concept and discipline of psychology, and its ability to explain the source of today's events, as it gives new strength to the battle weary line of Santayana: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Anyone interested in a deeper perspective on the Clinton presidency, the presidency of both Bushes, and modern American culture would highly benefit from this powerful trinity: Michael Lind's UP FROM CONSERVATISM, Conason and Lyons' THE HUNTING OF THE PRESIDENT, and this book. Woodward's SHADOW is extraordinarily well written, tremendously informative, and, even with its inevitable biases both in favor of journalism as it is presently practiced (Consaon and Lyons are fortunately not so kind--particularly to the Washington Post) and against the possibility of a president after Nixon inspiring the kind of faith and hope that those like FDR and Kennedy did (though he is almost right, Conason, Lyons and Lind will explain clearly why it could have happened but would not be allowed in Clinton's case), Woodward's masterful writing and storytelling skills hide a multitude of sins. Highly recommended.

Overall good, but too soft on Clinton.......2002-04-29

Woodward does an exceptional job of covering the impact of Watergate on the Nixon-Bush administrations. However, he is far too easy on the Clinton administration.

If we are to believe the Woodward account, every Clinton scandal was one big misunderstanding after another. Travelgate...Filegate...Fostergate...Paulagate...WhiteWatergate...Monicagate. The Clintons were being up front, but poor Starr and the Republicans just kept misinterpreting everything.

Nice try, Bob. But it just don't add up.

If this had happened just once or twice, that would be explainable. (After all, every administration has some bad apples. That's just a fact of life.)

However, the plethora of scandals reflects a systemic problem in the Clinton White House. A fundamental rule of leadership (to quote John Maxwell) is that WHO YOU ARE is WHAT YOU ATTRACT.

If Clinton had that many people in his inner circle who were so dishonest, then that reflects his own ineptitude as a leader.

Book Description

How an image-obsessed president transformed the way we think about politics and politicians.

To his conservative supporters in 1940s southern California, Richard Nixon was a populist everyman; to liberal intellectuals of the 1950s, he was "Tricky Dick," a devious manipulator; to 1960s radicals, a shadowy conspirator; to the Washington press corps, a pioneering spin doctor; to his loyal Middle Americans, a victim of liberal hatred; to recent historians, an unlikely liberal. Nixon's Shadow rediscovers these competing images of the protean Nixon, showing how each was created and disseminated in American culture and how Nixon's tinkering with his own image often backfired.

During Nixon's long tenure on the national stage—and through the succession of "new Nixons" so brilliantly described here—Americans came to realize how thoroughly politics relies on manipulation. Since Nixon, it has become impossible to discuss politics without asking: What is the politician's "real" character? How authentic or inauthentic is he? What image is he trying to project?

More than what Nixon did, this fascinating book reveals what Nixon meant. 30 photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Pulitzer Prize Historian: It's "The Best Analysis of Nixon".......2005-02-01

I was intrigued about this book when I heard it praised in a lecture by Walter Macdougall, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning historian. He published his lecture and what he said was, "What image will posterity nurture of Nixon? The best analysis is David Greenberg's Nixon's Shadow, published last year. Greenberg describes five Richard Nixons that beguile and perplex the American people."

But after reading it, I agree. Greenberg is younger than other historians who have written about Nixon and so he is, arguably, more objective. This book gives each point of view its due - those who hate Nixon, those who think he's an elder statesman, those who think he is a nutcase. It is as much a book about American political and social life and all of its strife and controversy in the years 1946-1974 (and after) as it is about Nixon himself. It doesn't just praise or bash Nixon - it explains WHY people praised or bashed Nixon.

Greenberg has really invented a new genre of history here. You might call it Rashomon Plus. He shows you Nixon from different perspective but then goes on to unpack these different images of Nixon and explain why they have all taken root in our political mindset.

A couple of the other posts apparently don't like Greenberg because he is liberal. That may be true, but this is not a liberal attack on Nixon, in fact he is more critical in many places of Nixon's critics than he is of Nixon. The "liberals" who came up with Tricky Dick are faulted for sneering at the middle class. And the radical left that attacked Nixon on Vietnam are faulted for being in the grip of conspiracy theories at times. The book gives Nixon's supporters more than their due. (In fact Walter Macdougall is a Conservative.) This is a highly orginal work of history.

A simplistic and narrow look at Nixon's image and legacy.......2004-11-27

David Greenberg's 'Nixon's Shadow' is an interesting and easy read but hardly complete. He is quick to label those who applaud aspects of the Nixon presidency `loyalists' and dismisses most of their interpretations as being partisan, naïve, or worse, comparing them to holocaust deniers. Furthermore, the author himself is in denial of FDR's, Truman's, Eisenhower's, Kennedy's, and LBJ's abuses of power. All of which made up the institution known as the imperial presidency that supposedly came crashing down after Watergate. Now, with that being said, Greenberg would probably contend that I believe Nixon is a victim and am a staunch Nixon loyalist...both of which are untrue. You cannot place such a diverse group of people into a labeled compartment.
Finally, Greenberg's admiration for Bob Woodward, which he tries to conceal, jumps out at the reader throughout the entire work. Since he worked for Woodward on another book, it is apparent that the controversial reporter, whose book 'The Final Days' has been discredited by most historians, influenced Greenberg's judgement. In fact, Greenberg thanks Woodward for his advice and assistance on Nixon's Shadow. The best historical works on Nixon will not be written until baby boomers who have a stake in the outcome, such as Bob Woodward, have passed on.

Tricky Dick unveiled?.......2004-02-26

Greenberg is a good chronicler of events and few occasions in Nixon's life, however incidental, is missed here. The book is long on details relating to the professional side of Nixon, but I was disappointed that there was a lack of personal anecdote within the covers of the book. Of course RN was an inscrutable, moody, paranoid and ultimately unknowable man, but I would have liked more material on Pat Nixon, as well as Tricia and Julie. Greenberg quotes copiously of Nixon's own self-serving memoirs but doesn't include much primary source material on Nixon as a human being.

The strong points are the chapters on Watergate and the gradual demise and destruction of RN as President. The ancillary characters of Watergate all get their just due: Halderman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell and Dean are described in sometimes sympathetic but occasionally, brutal detail. Reeves shows masterfully that Nixon dissembled and lied to the bitter end, not to the American people, but most disturbingly, to himself. It's well-written and full of detail, just don't expect much on Nixon the man. Otherwise, an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Complexity means we much search some more.......2004-02-08

Greenberg's work is the first I have read that expores the relationship between image and history in an interesting and inviting manner. I think one of the reasons that Nixon invites so much controversy was that he was a complex and contradictory man. He just does not seem to fit. Watergate destroyed him, but you have conservatives railing against him and liberals saying he did good work and vice versa. Greenberg attempts an overview of all these competing images and it is surprising how often the image being projected says more about the writer than Nixon himself. A very interesting book that deserve patient study.

Another Elitist "Does" Nixon.......2004-01-24

Here we go again.... It's become a "right of passage"
in the leftist community: if you want to be invited
to the best wine and sleeze... I mean cheese parties,
write a book smearing Nixon. Richard Nixon was
a complex human being, with both good and bad
sides to him, just like you and me. He had an
indelable impact on the development of the nation,
in both positive and negative ways. He is far too
much damned for his flaws, and far too little praised
for his successes. This book is just another stale
hatchet job, written by a hack who will be forgotten
as quickly as yesterday's toast; just another necrophiliac
having his way with a dead man. It's easier to
regurgitate leftist party hate speech than to actually
research the man's life and be honest about it.
Don't waste your money on this drek; it isn't
even good for toilet paper.

The Shadow of a Flying Bird: A Legend from the Kurdistani Jews

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The Shadow of a Flying Bird: A Legend from the Kurdistani Jews
Mordicai Gerstein
Manufacturer: Hyperion (Juv)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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And overly contrived it is
Bond mates!

Shadow Leader (Tales of the Wolves)
Tara K. Harper
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345371631
Release Date: 1991-04-13

Customer Reviews:

And overly contrived it is.......2007-09-30

The problem with `Shadow Leader' is that everything in it sounds way too ridiculous to be believable. It also seems that, in every ending of her `Wolfwalker' books, things aren't always what they seem. Apparently, in the first novel, it seems that that a happy ending is just around the horizon. But in book two, somehow, the raiders and Zentsis' men--a power-hungry Lloroi from Ramaj Billocctar--had caught onto the group led by the Wolfwalker Ember Dione. In the group, one of them finds out that Zentsis' little schemes aren't right at all, and wow, what do you know, the actual mastermind behind it is a woman. Everything in the book is thrown at you in a fast-paced, this-is-how-it-is way that for a while, you're most likely go `huh?', and struggle to figure out all of the needless potholes? How is Longear, the woman behind it all, even get to power? What is this `war' that is coming over the horizon? Nothing is ever explained properly, and it staggers me how two men were able to outsmart a whole fortress of guards. Hey, if they can do it, why not everyone else?

While the writing is spot-on, Tara seems to rely too much on shock-value to grip you, rather than a well-balanced plot with fleshed-out characters. You got the drug-addict bitter woman, but you really don't care much for her seeing as though she might as well be the female version of Aranur, among another new character that is introduced. This book probably would've been better off if Tara elaborated more on the details and built it up to a more enjoyable, easy-to-understand read rather than have this and that happen, but with nothing to tie it together with. How did this war start? Why did it start? Why is it starting? Don't even bother reading the sequel that comes with this book. If you thought book three would explain it all, you're wrong. You're faced with maybe a blunt explanation, and that's it. I've never been this upset with such a contrived plot since `Wolf's Bane' and if you're looking for Dion to unravel the true secrets of the aliens and find a cure for the wolves in that book, you've been introduced to some false advertising.

Bond mates!.......1998-08-29

Dion and her wolf, Gray Hishn, share a telepathic bond. They can scout trails better than any single human. Dion is also a Healer and together they can do Ovousibas, the long forgotten way to heal people from within.

Enemy agents scour the countryside looking for the group which includes them. But they must make it through the frozen mountains, avoiding the Mudsuckers, Masa, the troops, and more to warn their people of impending war.

Book Description

Under the shadow of ancient Egypt, a baby boy is born to a peasant woman. His young sister leaves him in a basket in a river, hiding in the rushes to watch over him until a princess comes to claim the child as her own. She names him Moses, and he grows to become a man whose life is characterized by violence and terror, but equally by faith, and whose sacrifice ultimately leads to the redemption and liberation of his people from slavery. Told from the perspective of the women who loved him, from his mother and sister, who saved him by giving him up, to the Egyptian princess who adopted him, to the shepherd's daughter he married, this epic novel of passion and intrigue offers a fresh perspective on the man who received the 10 Commandments, parted the Red Sea, and led God's people out of Egypt: Moses, one of the most enigmatic figures in Biblical history.

Customer Reviews:

Historical Fiction Based on the Women in Moses' Life.......2006-06-04

This is a book based on the views of the key women in Moses' life. It is written very much as how a diary would be written, with each woman writing her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives on various circumstances.

The 1st part of the book is focused on Moses' Egyptian mother, Merytamon. While another reviewer stated that this book was slow I found that only to be true during Merytamon's chapters. However, the author filled this portion of the book with many details of the Egyptians' medical procedures, customs, gods, and culture. It was very eye opening and educational. I had no idea that Pharaohs typically married their sisters and daughters in order to preserve the throne. They were very superstitious people, very pre-occupied with death. The author did extensive research on the ancient Egyptians and her resources are listed in the back of the book.

Zipporah, Moses' wife, wrote her perspective of what living was like out in the dessert in a pagan culture. She seemed to be a very faithful woman towards her roles in life. Her meeting Moses, spending time with him, and ultimately marrying him was wonderful to read.

Miryam, Moses' sister, was most interesting. She is portrayed as a strong-willed, prideful, and a somewhat controlling older sister. Her life was filled with resentment and bitterness towards her lot in life. She was self-righteousness and judgmental toward the women in the camp who were not Hebrews (i.e. Zipporah). It was very interesting how God broke her pride and led her toward humility, healing and reconciliation.

Although this is a fictional book, the author did use scripture as her base. She has a Q&A section in the back addressing questions.

This isn't your typical historical fiction romance from Angela Hunt, but it is worth reading, especially since it helps to capture what it would have been like living in the times of Moses.

Educational and beautiful Biblical fiction.......2006-03-26

I finished Angela Hunt's biblical fiction The Shadow Women which recounts the lives of the women surrounding the life of Moses: Pharaoh's daughter, Miryam, and Zipporah. Hunt's strict adherence to Scripture and attention to detail made me truly understand some characters I had been unable to before. Now as I read through the actual passages, I find myself able to visualize events more clearly and with greater understanding. I'm able to connect with the stories more. The Shadow Women is a great piece of Biblical fiction and shouldn't be passed up

What a great Suprize.......2004-12-02

I loved this book. My friends are asking to borrow it and I dont want to give it up because I want to read it again. I am going to buy another copy to give away. I learned alot about myself through the charactors and it touched me deeply. Even if you dont learn anything, it is a great story.

Another great read by an outstanding author!.......2004-07-03

I am always eager to read a biblical story from a different point of view; to see the events unfold through the eyes of a participant that has never before been given a voice in the matter. In SHADOW WOMEN, you get to view the life of Moses through not one; not two; but three different witnesses: His Egyptian foster mother, Merytamon; his Midianite wife, Zapporah; and finally, his older sister, Miryam.

Merytomon is the daughter and newest wife of Pharaoh. She is barren, believing that one of the multitudinous gods of Egypt has stolen her womb out of jealousy. She knows that unless she produces a son for Pharaoh, she will be demoted from her most-favored-wife position and banished to his harem to live out her life amidst the myriad of wives who have lost the attention of their husband. After learning of the PharaohÕs decree that all Hebrew baby boys are to be sacrificed to the river god, she conspires to take one of these babies and present it to her husband as a gift from the god of the Nile.

In addition to the retelling of Moses rescue from the Nile and his Egyptian rearing, we are made privy to the unique life of one so close to the throne. MerytomonÕs love for Moses is touching and tragic as she suffers under the burden of her deception, knowing that the discovery of Moses true origin would very likely result in not only her death but the death of her beloved adopted son.

After Moses secret is revealed and he flees into the wilderness, we meet Zapporah, his nomadic wife. Here the story takes on new depth as we learn more about the character and life of this remarkable woman.

Finally, we are reintroduced to Miryam, Moses headstrong sister. We see her in a totally new light as the author puts flesh to the bare bones of information we are given in scripture.

Even though the author takes great literary liberty in fleshing out the character and lives of these three women, there is nothing anti-scriptural in her exciting embellishments and therefore, I found them to be most enjoyable and their stories very plausible. I highly recommend you add this to your reading list!

P.S. Be sure to read the quotation before the title page to understand where the author got the title THE SHADOW WOMEN from...very cool!

Not your typical Hunt.......2004-01-24

Angela Elwell Hunt is one of my favorite Christian authors. Therefore, at the release of "The Shadow Women", I practically jumped into a chair to begin my reading.

I was sorely disappointed.

Hunt is brilliant with character development, and she develops the women of Moses' life- Merytamon (mother), Miriam (sister), and Zipporah (wife)- with her usual vigor. The obvious and expected spiritual themes in this book are outstanding, inspirational, and Hunt does deliver on these two qualities she always brings out in her stories.

My problem is with the pace of the book- very, very slow. We all know this Biblical story so well that, in reading a book about the women in Moses' life, I expected to hear a twist on the tale, new angles, new stories.

Well, I got some new angles for certain, but new stories? Hardly. Hunt retells the entire life of Moses as we know it using the women in his life as narrators. Though I learned several new facts about life in Egyptian palaces and a possible, very different alternate history to the love story of Moses & Zipporah (let's just say the Ten Commandments is its polar opposite), I was expecting more twist and insight into the lives of the "shadow women".

*potential spoilers*

I know that Hunt can in essence completely retell a biblical story through her series about Joseph, vizier of Egypt. But she did not make such an attempt here. Merytamon dies halfway through the book, leaving her perspective in the cold. Miriam is made out to be a cold-hearted, self centered, conniving old woman up until the last few chapters. The only parts I truly enjoyed reading were Zipporah's, and even hers were far too biblically repetitive.

In short, these are not the women of Moses as we know them. In fact, this book is more about the life of Moses and his human interactions with women who were around them then about the lives and stories of his mother, sister, and wife and their consequent interactions with HIM.

For all its spiritual insights, the book followed Moses too closely and left his women in the dust.

JK

In the Shadow of the Liberator: The Impact of Hugo Chavez on Venezuela and Latin America

Average customer rating:

Hugo Chavez is an inspiring leader for Latin Am & the world
Totally Biased
Worthless and outdated. Gott owes an update to his readers
What the...
Fool yourself at your own risk.

In the Shadow of the Liberator: The Impact of Hugo Chavez on Venezuela and Latin America
Richard Gott
Manufacturer: Verso
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1859847757

Book Description

'Many people thought if I became president it would mean the return of Hitler and Mussolini rolled into one . . . the imagined disaster has not taken place.' -- Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela. The spectre of Simon Bolivar hovers once again over Latin America as the aims and ambitions of the Liberator are taken up by Comandante Hugo Chavez, the charismatic and controversial President of Venezuela. Welcomed by the inhabitants of the teeming shanty towns of Caracas as their potential saviour, and greeted by Washington with considerable alarm, this former golpista-turned-democrat has already begun the most wide-ranging transformation of oil-rich Venezuela for half a century, and dramatically affected the political debate throughout Latin America. In a first-hand report from Venezuela, veteran correspondent Richard Gott places the Coman-dante in historical perspective, and examines his plans and programmes. He describes the support and opposition that these attract, and argues that this unique experiment may prove a new way forward for Latin America.

Customer Reviews:

Hugo Chavez is an inspiring leader for Latin Am & the world.......2005-04-04

President Hugo Chavez has been a fantastic leader for all people with a progressive, social conscience. He inherited a land where the overwhelming majority of the population lived in dismal poverty despite being the 5th largest oil producing nation in the world. A small, elite group of oligarchs, mostly white in a country largely mulatto and black, controlled the wealth and the country's valuable resources. As Richard Gott makes clear in his excellent book, appropriately titled, that not only documents modern Venezuelan history, but brings us all the way back to the very beginning: Spanish colonization, resistence and finally, liberation at the hands of revolutionary Simon Bolivar.

Now I must get into some of the vile responses and outright lies that have been made by other reviewers of this book. Some of their comments, like repeating the same exact quote over and over again, makes me wonder if it's one than one person writing this. Others define themselves as "Venezuelan exiles" who are now living in Florida. Let me tell you right now, if there are people going around calling themselves Venezuelan exiles and living in South Florida typing away on a computer, you better believe they are white and make up that top upper-income bracket that I alluded to earlier. Take a look at some of their obvious disdain and downright loathing of the poor, oppressed masses of poor Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority (thus showing their distaste for the Venezuelan people themselves) "I emphasize the word "educated", because it is no surprise that his demagogical approach results appealing to the lower-income strata of Venezuela"

Because Chavez nationalized the oil industry and decided to make Venezuela's resources to the benefit of the Venezuelan people, he has made enemies among the infamously right wing, and pro business corporate media in Latin America and its cousin in the United States, who relies on the general ignorance of most Americans on Latin America to defame a great leader. First off, Hugo Chavez is NOT a dictator! The man has had 6 or 7 elections in the past 5 years and has won each and every won of them! And might I add, with overwhelming majorities to the tune of 58% and 60%. In the latest recall effort, that was defeated by nearly 60% of the vote, it was affirmed as being fair by international observers, including former US President Jimmy Carter. NOW, let's compare that with the Bush regime and its "democratic" credientials. 2 Elections in 8 years. NO recall possible under the US Constitution (It was only possible in Venezuela thanks to the Constitution that the "dictator" Chavez made as a way of removing unpopular leaders and keeping them in check! Boy that Chavez! What a funny way of showing what a dictator is!) In 2000, Bush gets controversially "elected", loses the popular vote, no international observers, and needs the Supreme Court to do him in. Yet Bush and his reactionary allies on this board, have NO problem with calling Chavez "anti democratic" and "Totalitarian"

By the way, remember that coup of 2002? Supported by the Bush administration and the oligarchy? One of the first things the coup plotters did was DISBAND the Congress and the Supreme Court! Venezuela's democratic foundations. So who is the "authoritiarian" again? Not only that, but try asking the oligarchs where those coup plotters, those that tried to overthrow the democratically elected gov of Venezuela by force, are doing now? In America, they'd probably be sitting on death row. So where are they in Venezuela? In a mass grave? Sitting in a jail cell??? No! THEY ARE FREE! The Supreme Court of Venezuela let them go! And they walk as free men today! What a horrible dictator that Chavez is! An opposition media, an opposition mayor in Caracas, and COUP PLOTTERS GO FREE!

Hugo Chavez is anything but what his opponents claim and for the love of God, please don't believe everything you hear in the corporate media..of from wealthy, right wing Venezuelan exiles. Read Richard Gott.

Totally Biased.......2003-11-08

This book is a double edged sword. On the one hand it is the first and only(to my knowledge) account of the Hugo Chavez debacle in Venezuela. This volume documents the rise of Chavez. The failed coup, the army, the prison term and his present role as dictator-in-making of Venezuela. This is a fine account of the life of this controversial leader who embodies the 1970s communist idealism with the standard Latin American coup mentality and obsession with military strongmen. He is a caudillo in every sense of the word, except he is living in modern times when Caudilloism is no longer appreciated because it subverts democracy.

This book highlights the present problems in Venezuela. The major flaw here is the authors opinion that Chavez is a romantic communist who is reforming his country. Well this is just not true. Average Bolivians, especially the urban unions hate Mr. Chavez and the oil workers walked off the job to protest his treatment of them. Mr. Chavez is a typical leftist who has used divisive politics to `help' indigenous rural Indians and divide the country along race and wealth lines. In this he has failed, which is why the country came to an economic standstill last year. Chavez suspended the rule of law, arrested his political opponents and pounded his chest in daily 4 hour TV broadcasts. He is a disgusting gutter like gangster and the author doesn't look at this side of him at all. The author in point of fact was a writer on the guerrilla movements of the 60s in Latin America and has apparently been taken under the Chavez spell, because Chavez once met Castro, who is the authors hero. The book is terribly biased and does not tell the whole truth, namely that ordinary proletariat factory workers in Venezuela hate Chavez and his programs. He has systematically crushed the unions in his attempt at dictatorship.

Worthless and outdated. Gott owes an update to his readers.......2003-10-27

This appears to be just another propaganda pamphlet paid by the Chavez administration. This book omits facts that not even the well paid P.R. machinery have denied such as the wild increment in poverty and misery indexes as well as the index for administrative corruption and crime to levels unheard of during the previous Venezuelan governments.
There are lots of other maladies created or incremented during this tragic (and comedic) regime that one does not expect to read about in a book like this one since they could be construed as subjective, such as the horrendous administration of public funds, the blatant intromission of the Cuban government and its intelligence services in Venezuela's internal affairs, the destruction of the Venezuelan economy while having more oil revenue than in the last 20 years together. But leaving out documented facts as the ones briefly mentioned at the beginning of this review just makes this book worthless of any credibility.
Hugo Chavez bought himself a brand new Airbus 320, which he had repainted because he did not like that paint scheme previously ordered (total tab: over $15 million), while Yanomami (Amazonian native) children starve in the streets of Caracas (so much for the rights of indigenous people) and hospital do not have gauze, syringes or clean water. The Venezuelan Left have distanced its self from Chavez in disbelief. I did not read about any of that either.
Many things have happened since this book was published. Luis Miquelena abandoned Chavez, Chavez was briefly ousted in April 2002 only to return in the wings of the horrible mistakes of the ousters, Marisabel Chavez left the president in a much-publicized public dispute in the best tradition of the cheesiest soap opera, the country is in fact living a much worse disaster (an orgy of corruption and violence) than that imagined before Chavez's rise to power.
For its objectivity and informative value this book is not worth much. For historic value it probably will hold a prominent place with Ignacio Ramonet's articles in Le Monde Diplomatique and others, as the flies that made their party around the stinkiest garbage can in Latin America and got handsomely paid for it. Enjoy Mr. Gott!

What the..........2003-10-08

This might be just another of the well paid efforts of the Venezuelan Goverment to improve its international image with the nation's taxpayers money. This country is on the verge of civil war thanks to its communist and authoritarian tendencies. Anyone who likes dictatorship should back this holdum we have as a president.

Fool yourself at your own risk........2003-05-27

It is hard to talk about Chavez without emotion, without passion for me. I left Venezuela over three years ago because I decided I didn't want my family to be raised in what was to come (and I don't regret having left), so I will not deny that I am an open anti-chavista. Now, on to this author and his views...

First of all, the period covered in the book (before 2000) could be a pretext for the author's views, since (like he did in his book), many intellectuals, leftwing and not-so-leftwing too, were supportive of the Lieutenant Colonel back until 2001 even: after all and although I did not like him from the start, Chavez could have been a true alternative to decades of corruption and traditional politics in Venezuela. Also many, many middle-class, educated people (to my dismay, some still to this day) supported him. I emphasize the word "educated", because it is no surprise that his demagogical approach results appealing to the lower-income strata of Venezuela, much like it was the case with previous Presidents.

On a side note, I saw the reaction that a figure like Castro provoked in the media in Venezuela (in case you're wondering, I am from Venezuela) during the visit for the ceremony where Carlos Andres Perez took on the presidency for the second time: they were running around Castro like puppies, fascinated my the "comandante". Therefore, it doesn't surprise me that Gott acknowledges that "reporters have always been susceptible to the charms of Latin America's radical strongmen, and I am no exception".

What's my point here? Gott's views cannot be excused as being accidentally biased in this book, simply because Chavez had not taken his mask off by the time he wrote his book, allowing the unaccounted deaths of dozens of his opposers, the looting of the country's main industry (PDVSA, the Venezuelan oil company), and the gradual shut-down of the economy leading to shortages in basic foods and medicines. Gott's views (is it coincidence that his last name means "God" in German?) had not changed much by early 2003....

This book is just another leftist manifesto, supportive of the barbaric attrocities of a regime who is perfectly willing to say with a straight face that the country cannot be in better shape and blame the opposition for everything, while inflation, unemployment and several other macroeconomic indicators are at their worse levels in over a century, in spite of the fact that the country has over $16 billion in international reserves. Sadly, I can't say that I entirely support the work of the opposition either, one that has come out of the struggle against Chavez as a fragmented block, and one that doesn't show enough signs of acknowledgement that politics-as-we-know-it will no longer work in Venezuela after this past few years of political and social nightmare.

Book Description

Traditionally seen as a master of domestic politics, Lyndon Johnson is frequently portrayed as inept in foreign relations, consumed by the war in Vietnam, and unable to provide vision or leadership for the Western alliance. In this persuasive revisionist history, Thomas Alan Schwartz takes issue with many of the popular and scholarly assumptions about the president seen as the classic "ugly American."

In the first comprehensive study of Johnson's policy toward Europe--the most important theater of the Cold War--Schwartz shows a president who guided the United States with a policy that balanced the solidarity of the Western alliance with the need to stabilize the Cold War and reduce the nuclear danger. He faced the dilemmas of maintaining the cohesion of the alliance, especially with the French withdrawal from NATO, while trying to reduce tensions between eastern and western Europe, managing bitter conflicts over international monetary and trade policies, and prosecuting an escalating war in Southeast Asia.

Impressively researched and engagingly written, Lyndon Johnson and Europe shows a fascinating new side to this giant of twentieth-century American history and demonstrates that Johnson's diplomacy toward Europe deserves recognition as one of the most important achievements of his presidency.

Customer Reviews:

A Texan with a sense of humor.......2005-12-21

Complaining bitterly to Dean Acheson about the public affection that had surrounded John Kennedy and the coolness toward him, Lyndon B. Johnson wondered aloud why people didn't like him. "Mr. President," Acheson replied, "you're not a very likeable man."

Contrary to Acheson's opinion, shared by most contemporaries and by many subsequent historians, Johnson emerges from this thoroughly researched and well-crafted study, not only as a shrewd politician, an able negotiator and a skillful foreign-policy leader, but also as an almost likeable person.

Schwartz finds that LBJ, after he settled into office, became "an astute and able practitioner of alliance politics," one who developed a keen understanding of the perspectives and preoccupations of European leaders and who dominated the foreign policy process. His policy toward Europe, the author writes, was "one of the most important achievements of his presidency." Schwartz unravels a series of complex negotiations-over arms control, the future of NATO, a Multilateral Force, and international economic issues-, and asserts that LBJ, determined to combat nationalism and unilateralism, effectively pursued his vision of a further integration of Europe and a relaxation of cold war tensions.

What makes Johnson an engaging character are the many quips and axioms of popular wisdom that he brought to a foreign policy realm traditionally dominated by soft-spoken diplomats and cosmopolitan personalities. When his advisors reminded him that America was committed to the creation of a Multilateral Force and had to find a compromise even though the Europeans didn't really want it, Johnson proposed to drop the idea altogether by remarking: "While you're trying to save face, you'll lose your ass." This Texan brought up in a German-American community developed a good friendship with Chancellor Eckard but advocated the following course of action toward his ally: "There's only one way to deal with the Germans. You keep patting them on the head and then every once in a while you kick them in the balls".

He resisted the advice to react strongly to the public attacks by de Gaulle by remarking that he didn't want to get into a "pissing match with the French" and, commenting on de Gaulle's decision to exit NATO's integrated defense system and have American troops evacuate France, noted soberly: "When a man asks you to leave his house, you don't argue; you get your hat and go." He also brought fresh ideas to international economic policy debates, bringing the Kennedy Round to completion and salvaging the Bretton Woods system, although he rarely talked publicly about those issues - he once told John Kenneth Galbraith that "making a speech on economics is a lot like pissing down your leg: it seems hot to you, but it never does to anyone else."

Indeed, Schwartz makes the case that LBJ's gut feelings and instinctive understanding of power politics often trumped the judgment of more experienced foreign policy experts and made him a natural leader of the Atlantic alliance. The book opens with a reference to Lyndon Johnson as "the Ugly American" and concludes with a quote from Charles de Gaulle, who once said that "Roosevelt and Kennedy were masks over the real face of America. Johnson is the very portrait of America. He reveals the country to us as it is, rough and raw." The quote wasn't intended as a compliment, but may be taken as one.

"Lyndon Johnson and Europe".......2003-11-06

Professor Schwartz has taken a balanced, even-handed approach towards the presidency of Lyndon Johnson. The result is a thoroughly researched accout of one of the worst- and best- periods in American history. Professor Schwartz aptly describes Johnson's reputation as the "Ugly American" and "quintessential provencial," an ethnocentric with no taste for foreign affairs. However, Professor Schwartz also extensively discusses Johnson's effective diplomatic strategy and role in Europe at a time when the early turbulent years of the Cold War began to close, and there was a criticalneed for a more permanent, lasting policy.
To be frank, this book basically accomplishes a miracle. It is extraordinarily well-researched, with a complete framework of domestic, foreign and social issues examined for each country examined, so that any historian would be satisfied. Yet, the language and clear communication make Johnson's presidency come alive for every reader. The language is rich and colorfu, with "cigar chomping" Ludwig Erhard and "mercurial" Khruschev.
A different picture of Johnson, one that is much more well-rounded and balanced, emerges from "Lyndon Johnson and Europe". It truly is a fantastic read!

"Lyndon Johnson and Europe": An Important Reappraisal.......2003-07-14

"Lyndon Johnson and Europe" provides a fresh reassessment of Johnson's foreign policy. Thoroughly researched and clearly written, "Lyndon Johnson and Europe" uses solid historical analysis to tear down the notional, knee-jerk response that Johnson's presidency put the U.S. in a foreign policy funk. Schwartz also avoids overstating his point. Johnson was not perfect, but, like every President, he worked within the international context in which he found himself. In Johnson's case, Schwartz provides enough evidence to show that given the circumstances, Johnson actually enjoyed a good measure of success. On one level, Schwartz's work is an academic revisionist history of Johnson's foreign policy with Europe, attractive in and of itself. But more broadly it reads as a diplomatic/political history of America, its friends, and its foes, during the turbulent 1960s. Easily forgotten cross-Atlantic spats (the Multilateral Force, France's break with NATO, the Kennedy Round, Prague Spring, et al.) all spring back to the relevancy that they held during Johnson's presidency through Schwartz's skilled hand. Schwartz's ability to capture the big picture while proving his point make this book not only an important reappraisal of Johnson's foreign policy, but also of great use to every student of American history, politics, and diplomacy.

Impressive.......2003-06-22

I found "Lyndon Johnson and Europe: In the Shadow of Vietnam" to be insightful and relevant to U.S. policy toward Europe. In light of this last conflict over war in Iraq, I believe Mr. Schwartz provided a thought-provoking narrative of a previously unknown and volitile time in U.S. politics. Lyndon Johnson was brought to life skillfully and with obvious attention to detail. I would highly recommend this book, not only for students and history buffs, but for everyone who should understand more about Lyndon Johnson and his administration.

A reexamination of Johnsonï¿½s European foreign policy...........2003-06-06

A reexamination of Johnsonýs European foreign policy, that puts him successfully at the helmý

In contrast to the traditional view, Prof. Schwartz presents a convincing and extremely well written case that President Johnson successfully guided American foreign policy towards Europe. The book tells a story of a talented power politician whose astute understanding of his allies and foes domestic political environments, enabled him to hold NATO and the Atlantic Alliance together, while maintaining a viable global economic system and effectively moving towards détente with the Soviet Union.

The book weaves together the complexities of Johnsonýs personality and the dynamics of his inherited administration into a compelling and clear historical narrative shedding new light on the usual uninspiring vision of the president.

The book attempts to break away from the Vietnam bias of historical accounts of Johnsonýs foreign policy. However even for someone interested in Vietnam, this book provides many missing pieces of the puzzle and clarity of insight into the functioning of the Johnson Administrationýs foreign policy that are invaluable in understanding the era.

Book Description

A compelling probe of Bushs psychology, linking the person with the policies, updated after the election From a son who waged a life-long struggle to live up to family expectations, George W. Bush has transformed himself through acts of will and faith. Having won a second term, he has exceeded his fathers achievements and come out from his shadow. Stanley Renshon examines the psychological transformation of Bush and identifies the pivotal changes that allowed him to achieve success in his personal life and in the political arena, and shows how Bushs personal transformation has come to shape his presidency and policies. This insightful look at Bush enhances understanding of his strategies and goals, providing crucial insight into his transformational leadership, his re-election, and his likely legacy.

Customer Reviews:

How Does George W Bush Succeed By A Psychologist.......2005-02-06

This is a pro-administration book. The author's presentation in the book is very sympathetic to the President and his administration. The polls show the public trusts Bush according to the author. The book lays out a very upbeat analysis of the President. The author is a psychologist and the author attempts to psycho-analyze the President from afar. He spoke at an author event in January where the attendees seemed to be underwhelmed. The author added that people have underestimated George Bush for over ten years, in his opinion.

worthless book.......2004-12-01

MR. RENSHON IS A PART OF ADMINISTRATION'S PEROPAGANDA MACHIN . HE EVEN DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE PLAN FOR OCCUPYING IRAQ WAS DISCUSSED AND PLANED EVEN BEFOR MR. BUSH CAME TO OFFICE.

Total nonsense.......2004-10-06

I have taken a course with Renshon, and read portions of his writings on this subject before the book was published. It's not so much that I'm opposed to his partisan perspective -- he's entitled to that if he wants it.

The real problem is his complete disregard for any standard of social science research methodology. He has given up on trying to explain what happens in reality, and instead focuses on the alleged psychological issues of Bush as they relate to his father (presumably all emanating from some sort of ultimate Oedipal complex).

His research relies almost entirely on media reports and Bob Woodward's 2 journalistic accounts of Bush. Renshon attempts to put Bush on the couch from afar, and utterly fails.

Balanced.......2004-08-24

Reading this book, I didn't start out liking Bush very much, but
afterwards I had learned a lot that was new and sort of interesting about him. After reading this book, you may not end up voting for Bush, but you probably will see that there is a lot more to the man than his critics say. The author has clearly reached some conclusions about the man, but lays out the evidence on both sides of the issues carefully. I thought both sides got a fair hearing and that the author let the reader make his or her own judgments, and that overall the book was surprisingly balanced.

No tiresome spin.......2004-08-24

GWB is a remarkably polarizing president, and the storm of emotion that surrounds him makes getting a handle on the man and his presidency extremely difficult. And yet, the context of war makes understanding what makes him tick particularly urgent. Renshon's book arrives at just the right time. And his careful, thoughtful analysis should be fascinating reading even to political junkies who thing they know this president well.

Renshon explores the story of what it was like to grow up as a Bush, of his struggle to make something of himself, and of his conquest over an addiction to alcohol. Most interesting, however, is Renshon's description of the president as an agent of transformational change dealing with the question of national survival in a deeply divided society. To an unexpected and startling degree, Bush has been willing to risk his political future by going against the grain of much of the public, liberal and conservative alike. There will be lots of books on Bush written by talking heads who mistake political warfare for careful analysis. Renshon's book, however, should stand the test of time as a work of scholarship and integrity.

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