The Bush Tragedy
by Jacob Weisberg
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Book Reviews of The Bush Tragedy
Book Review: George W Bush: the man, the son, the politician
Summary: 4 Stars
The Bush Tragedy is a book which immerses the reader into the personal and political life of the 43rd president of the United States: George W Bush. By immersing the reader into the politician's family life/history, politics, and convictions, the author allows him/her to understand "why" the Bush Administration has enacted laws which have caused national and international galvanizing.
The book's first two chapters are an examination of the Bush/Walker history, and how it has molded George W Bush's persona. This compendium of Bush's family history sheds light onto aspects such as Bush non-intellectualism, social ties/awkwardness, and unwillingness to correct his mistakes. In other words, these chapters are the foundation of Bush's political life, since his in/ability to function as a president stem from his life as a child, the son of George H W Bush, and a Yale and Harvard student.
The rest of the chapters provide the reader with a scrutinizing of Bush's political life. Specifically, the author provides a diagram of Bush's religious affiliation, his association with certain political figures, and his father's political "legacy," and how they affect Bush's political decision-making. Most importantly, these sections serve as a confirmer or corrector of one's ideas of George W Bush, since one can examine how the president's environment affects him and vice-versa. It is during this time that the concept of politics turns into a consequential and building process: Bush's policies are amendments, (failed) emulations, and extensions of past American and European presidents.
I strongly recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn more about the United States' current political turmoil. Likewise, this book allows readers to better understand the complexities of political rhetoric, and how it can present specious images that confuse and mislead audiences.
Book Review: An Everyday Housewife's Opinion
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book in April 2009, at Heathrow Airport, London, on my way home to Phoenix, AZ. I was curious about George W Bush, who was someone I disliked and did not vote for. I knew nothing about his background other than the basics ie parents, wife, schooling, faith, politics etc.
Although my opinion is biased, I found this book to be a fascinating read It was obviously well researched and very well written. I found the back stories on Karl Rove and Dick Cheney and their rolls in the administration especially interesting too.
I'm not going to bore anyone with my summary of the book but suffice it to say if you are seeking to understand the Bush Administration, then you will not be bored. I was left with the feeling of amazement as to how this man could have become president in the first place and how could all those right wing Republicans could have been taken in by Bush and got it so wrong.
As liberal democrat, I felt that although my views were corroberated by the book, perhaps further exploration on the other side of the "aisle" is in order to get a fairer point of view. So I'm looking for a decently written "right wing" point of view book on Bush now. But if the book is anything like the garbage they talk about on conservative talk radio I may not get too far into it. How anyone can criticise Obama after having lived through 8 years of Bush is beyond me.
Book Review: Taking a Stab at Bush's Brain
Summary: 4 Stars
Mr. Weisberg makes a very credible attempt at deciphering our 43rd President plus some of the key movers and shakers in his administration. Viewing President Bush as similar to Shakespeare's "Henry V" play is an insightful and unique take on the nature of power in search of identity and validation. The Bard reminds us that the human condition doesn't change all that much through the ages. I believe Mr. Weisberg's assessment about this Chief Executive man-child is certainly plausible. The author's book is not as much a hatchet job as a serious attempt to understand why Bush is Bush. It is a thoughtful and wonderfully written analysis about an intellectually lazy gentleman that personifies the Peter Principle.Book Review: Not the Bumbling President I Thought He Was
Summary: 5 Stars
A fscinating read on W. You wouldnt think he was born to take the White House initially, but this book proves he was=well at the very least he followed through with his (or Karl Rove's) plan, and it worked. I thought little of him because of his sloppy speeches, but that's just a small part of the big picture. There might be something to the author's point that he's selectively ignorant. The author paints the picture of a tortured soul, pressured to exceed his father's accomplishments but compelled to start his own legacy. Still, there aren't a lot of good points for Bush in this one. If you want dirt on W, this is the book for you.Book Review: Good Family History
Summary: 5 Stars
Though not a psychologist, Weisberg has created an excellent historical and psychological study of George W Bush. From his well known rivalry with his father, to his families less well known history of brashness, hotheadedness and proclivity for action over thought. Weisberg is a natural writer and it shows here. This is an enjoyable read, and anyone interested in the genealogical or psychological underpinnings for some of the former presidents actions will be well served by this book.