My Life
by Bill Clinton
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Book Reviews of My Life
Book Review: America's First Black President
Summary: 5 Stars
Upon taking the journey through this long book, I was enthusiastic about reading President Clinton's memoirs, but did not want to burden myself with 957 pages of it. However, I moved swiftly through the first chapters, enjoying his knack for storytelling with great transitions. His childhood stories were numerous, but short and interesting. Sometimes I felt that there were some embellishments, but hey, I would probably do the same thing.
Throughout the book, I came to understand why he came across as genuinely comfortable in relating to African Americans and our issues. As the consummate politician that he is, he did not support all legislations favoring African Americans. However, I could see through his book that experiences with and concerns for the African Americans were threaded throughout his life.
Somewhere in the book, I came to the conclusion that everybody was his best friend. He portrays genuine fondness for many people. Not only is Bob Dole a true friend, but there were a couple of times when he tried to find good at the heart of Newt Gingrich. The friendships that he made with so many people early in his education and career helped this lower-middle class person to be able to travel extensively throughout the world. A lot of it was connected to politics, but it seems that in many cases, he was invited by someone to fly this place or that place and stay with them. Bill Clinton was and still is like a political Jim Rat. (Democrats, we can still learn from him.)
It became evident that President Clinton began keeping a detailed journal as early as his time in England as a Rhodes Scholar. I would read with deep interest as he chronicled events and books in his life (including his reactions to the books).
Later in the book, when he began giving the almost daily accounts of political campaigns, policy, and his accomplishments in the White House, it was too much minutia for me. I did a lot of speed reading. I also wasn't interested in his recap of all of the foreign affairs of the time. Also, although I believe in President Clinton, I do realize that he had to put a positive spin on most of what he'd done. So I did not want to take the time to read all of those detailed events and have a skewed view of them.
When I read about the scandal, I did not approach it voyeuristically like many people do. I found myself pulling for him and wanting to see what he was going to say to explain his actions. I "heard' a sincere apology in his writing. The reading was cathartic for me, as it allowed forgiveness. I do recall tears finally coming to my eyes back in 1998 when the situation was at its lowest point, and my disappointment and anger at President Clinton came to a boiling point. That is over now, and he has redeemed himself in my eyes. Who among us have not sinned, fallen short of the glory of God?
Overall, I enjoyed the book and gained a healthy dose of enlightenment about how politics work.
Book Review: Disappointing.
Summary: 2 Stars
First the disclaimer--I am a conservative and I disagree with Bill Clinton's politics. Naturally I view the man and his book from that perspective. However, let me say that I acknowledge that Clinton was in many ways an extraordinarily competent politician who was a formidable political foe of my side. He deserves the respect one gives to a competent adversary. Look, let us face it: Clinton was the first Democrat since Franklin D. Roosevelt to finish two full terms in office. Not an insignificant achievement.I agonized between a two star and a three star rating, because I wanted to be fair but not to a fault. I finally went with two stars because to be honest, this is a long hard slog and does not remotely constitute "a good read." It should have been and could have if Mr. Clinton had had a good editor. But no.
That being said, I think that Mr. Clinton did himself a disservice in this book. Maybe because he wrote it too soon, without the benefit of some historical perspective, which might have developed given a bit more time. As someone else observed, can you imagine the memoirs of great presidents such as Jackson, Reagan, or Roosevelt having a chapter dealing with a sordid event involving a young woman intern? The question is its own answer.
Clinton should have focused on what he wanted to achieve, and why this led him to a career in politics. Instead, we are presented with largely irrelevant and not very interesting background on his life, most of which information he incoherently presents without any real context. The book rambles and dwells in a literal desert of irrelevant facts, anecdotes, people, and places. When he does talk about his administration and its goals, (which I might have hoped would be the central theme of his book, but almost is not) I found it coming across as self-serving, largely as a quest for a legacy. I admit that my view on this might be influenced by my own hostility towards the man and his agenda. However, contrast this book with any analysis of say, Franklin D. Roosevelt (whom conservatives such as myself admire even as we dislike his policies) and you have to conclude that this book (and this man) come up short. By the way, I don't hold it against Mr. Clinton that he chose to mostly gloss over the other "bimbo eruptions" (that is what his own people called it) that characterized his administration and his earlier political career. I do mind that he seems to be trying to say that he was right on the job as regards terrorism when we all know that he viewed the terrorist problem as a distraction from his real goals of universal health care and the rest of the progressive-liberal agenda (which the Republican Congress with which he had to contend largely thwarted).
Bottom line: if you are really interested in Bill Clinton, read this book, but don't expect this book to establish any kind of legacy. If you are not particularly interested in Clinton, steer clear entirely.
Book Review: One Helluva Ride...
Summary: 4 Stars
As someone who has studied the American Presidency since childhood, one of my greatest regrets is that Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt never lived to write Presidential memoirs. Most books by presidents, prospective presidents, and former presidents are deadly dull affairs - and as often as not, ghostwritten. Neither is the case this time.My Life, by President William Jefferson Clinton, may be the bluntest Presidential memoir in American history. Is it self-serving? Of course. As was every other memoir ever written. But neither is this book a whitewash of history. The former president is careful to strike a balance between doing service to history, crediting friends and family who influenced him through his youth, and meting out justice to his political enemies. On the occasions when he accepts blame for his actions or inactions, Mr. Clinton is self-critical without lapsing into self-crucifixion.
The first ten percent of the book is dedicated to Clinton's turbulent childhood and adolescence. His candor, on issues ranging from his stepfather's alcoholic rages to his awkward teenaged years (he describes his first awareness of sexuality as a frightening experience), is refreshing and unprecedented in a book of this type.
The forty percent that follows, from college through his years as Governor of Arkansas, is where the book drags. There are some charming moments (as he recounts the awkward first meeting between his wife and mother), and a few howlers (Mr. Clinton relates an entertaining story in which, as a law student studying at a diner, he was asked for legal advice by a transsexual prostitute). But this section is overloaded with details that most readers will not find particularly interesting.
It's in the second half of this book, when Governor Clinton announces his run for the Presidency, that he hits his stride. Mr. Clinton obviously loves people, loves the art and craft of American politics, and his enthusiasm rubs off on the reader. Mr. Clinton chronicles his two terms in a mostly chronological manner - with brief asides to cover selected subjects in depth. One can complain that this mish-mash of issues is confusing to the reader. But the rapid-fire onslaught of changing topics effectively relates what it's like to be President. This portion of the book is best digested in small portions.
Mr. Clinton writes with an easily readable, enjoyable style, often elliptically - similar to the way he speaks. It's no secret that this book was rushed into print. Frankly, it could have used a bit of editorial pruning. But it's better too have too much of a good thing than not enough. On the other hand, the abridged audiobook is a welcome alternative to the printed version. The experience is tighter, and Clinton's vocal style is a joy to listen to.
To paraphrase Henry Kissinger, I believe history will judge Bill Clinton in a kinder light than his contemporaries have.
Book Review: Let Me Tell Y'all a Story 'bout a Man Named Bill.
Summary: 4 Stars
Early on in this book President Clinton quotes some of his staff who had said that Clinton, "never met a meal he didn't like." Apparently he is also very fond of words for this book is of almost Biblical proportions. There are times when one feels as if he is never going to finish and it is my understanding that the first draft was much longer. Still, as one reads along it is obvious that quite a bit has been left out and it is painfully clear that multiple volumes would have served this purpose much better. Former President Carter seems to have found the key to successful presidential autobiography by writing numerous short volumes, each detailing a different period or facet of his life. For example, Carter's book about his first real campaign for elective office is fascinating and I hope Mr. Clinton will think about doing something along those lines. I am sure that his first congressional race would easily provide enough material for a book.
Clinton's writing style flows nicely although it is fairly obvious that he has gone to great pains to not write over anybody's head. There are a few choppy sentences and in one case a fairly long paragraph is entirely made up of one sentence but overall this is a very well written book. One of the most annoying aspects of this book is Clinton's apparent attempt to name everyone who was part of his team at least once. The names fly by so quickly at times that the reader will have no hope of retaining much about some of these people. On the other hand it is very commendable that President Clinton has attempted to mention as many of the people in his administration as he could. Very few big name politicians are that big hearted.
Being an autobiography this book must of course be taken with a grain of salt. The beauty of all autobiographies is that they give the reader a real inside look at the subject and his life while the downside is that they are almost all self-serving to at least some extent. For example, his childhood commitment to civil rights smells just a little fishy for a rural boy in Arkansas, especially since Clinton seems to have been quite popular in school. Still, the stories like the one Clinton tells about the two guys who would support him if he took a big chew of Red Man tobacco make these books priceless. The reader doesn't have to believe everything the author says to know that stories like that just can't be made up.
Overall, this is a very good book but it kind of reminds me of the text for a college survey class. A lot of ground has been covered but there has just been so much left out. Love him or loath him, Bill Clinton is a man who loves life and that clearly comes through in this book. Even if the reader unwisely rejects over half the information in this book as self promotion, what is left is still a valuable tool for not only understanding Bill Clinton, but a whole generation of Americans.
Book Review: He should have plead the 5th
Summary: 1 Stars
Clinton is the Warren Harding of the late 20th Century. Harding had a great presidency; peace, prosperity, a roaring economy and oversaw a massive industrial manufacturing boom that made America the dominant nation in the world. Of course, Harding had very little to do with any of these accomplishments and is remembered as perhaps our worst president. His term was filled with scandal, and the prosperity was short-lived.The parallels to Clinton are uncanny. Clinton entered office as a recession came to its cyclical end, and enjoyed the peace dividend of our victory in the Cold War. The end of the S&L bailout (remember that?) that taxed our yearly deficit coupled with an internet boom set the stage for a REPUBLICAN Congress to balance the budget and assert fiscal discipline in Washington (Clinton NEVER proposed a balanced budget with a Democrat Congress, in fact his Labor Secretary, the self-appointed economic guru Robert Reisch stated the administration did not have balanced budgets as a goal in 1993). The economy roared, the stocket market rocketed, and by the time he left office our nation was in recession and suffering from his neglect of corporate corruption and unchecked terrorist activity.
Clinton cannot, and has not, pointed to anything specific he did to create the economic success of the 90s, it of course was accomplished by the hard work of the American people. His book attributes deep meaning and importance to his nearly every waking act since kindergarten. As the chief guardian of our constitution and nation's laws, he of course broke them then committed perjury to hide his crime. He was disbarred and impeached, yet Clinton calls this a badge of honor. Anyone who has the time and patience to wade through this unsettling testament to a true sociopath has essentially forfeited the right to complain about anything. Is it possible to admire this man, who solicited campaign donations from the Red Chinese through a conduit he installed in the Commerce Dept., and call yourself a patriot?
Clinton embodies the greedy immoral ethos of his generation that shames the honor of the great men who died and fought to make this country free. People who admire Clinton scorn a good man like Clarence Thomas despite the fact Clinton's known offenses of women make Thomas look celibate by comparison. While Clinton gets rich peddling his book and making corporate speeches, Bush is left to revitalize the bust economy and defeat the emboldened terrorists that Clinton willed to him.
It is hard to find any act of Clinton that is not self-serving, and this book continues the trend. He demands admiration and/or understanding for everything he has done, like a small insecure child demanding validation. One difference between Clinton and Harding is that Harding admitted he should never have been President. A truly honest book from Clinton would have come to the same conclusion.