Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton

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In this book by David Gergen from 2000, Gergen offers more access to the White House than a former President of the United States could. David Gergen served in a total of six capacities for four presidents. This makes David Gergen the consummate insider to the beltway and the inner workings of presidential administrations.

The first part of the title of this book is an ironically modest choice of words. David Gergen is not just an eyewitness to power. He has the expertise on power that reflects having been powerful and having researched political power with the greatest dedication. This book shows the insight of a great scholar, not a mere eyewitness.

The title is also misleading to readers who just want to read the observations of an eyewitness of recent presidencies. This book has too much complexity for an eyewitness book. It is not for readers who just want to read about what it means to watch a handful of presidencies in action. "Eyewitness to Power" is a book that grades the effectiveness of past presidents, explains what leadership itself is, explains what creates an effective leader, and even gives limited analysis of past presidents' psychology. "Eyewitness to Power" is not just a book that records presidencies from a firsthand perspective. It is a timeless work that delivers great insight.

The insights of this book do not just come from the perspective of an insider. Gergen is also capable of delivering his commentary because he is one of America's top political scholars. "Eyewitness to Power" gives a level of insight that must come from a writer who sees the presidency and the presidents from a distance as well as from inside the White House. Gergen delivers an in-depth look at the American presidency and also dissects the presidency with an outsider's curiosity.

However, Gergen's dissection of presidents and their administrations is not done in a critical way. Anyone looking for analysis that harshly criticizes the presidencies will not find that refreshing perspective. Instead, the reader will find the most generous portrayals of presidents and presidencies that are still wise. Gergen has criticism of former presidents in his book, but he portrays each former president in a flattering light. He clearly loves and admires any President of the United States that he has known. This book comes from the perspective of a writer with bias from emotional attachment to presidents and his personal investment in the careers of presidents as a White House staffer.

David Gergen also seems a little starstruck by presidents and the status of the American presidency. He makes direct comparisons between each president and greater leaders in an overly flattering way. The most extreme example is when he compares Nixon to Mahatma Gandhi in a couple of instances. Another example is his close comparison between FDR and Reagan.

Gergen is still not too generous to presidents to be a great journalist. He is candid about their lower qualifications for the presidency. He expresses deep personal frustration over examples of poor decisions by presidents. He also delivers a completely nonpartisan view of presidents and their work.

In our mass media age, journalists tend to put the President of the United States on a pedestal and then readily humiliate important figures for catchy headlines. This book contrasts with the usual presidential coverage by humanizing presidents, exposing their flaws, and analyzing their qualifications with great detail.

The Communist Manifesto Review - A Short, Concise Summary

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Now largely discredited after it inspired - or some say was manipulated by - the murderous, brutal regime of Leninist/Stalinist Soviet Russia, The Communist Manifesto contains great insight into the limitations and superficiality of a Capitalist society; both the instability of the economic structure, and the shallow philosophical implications of consumerism inherent in a capitalist system. It predicts the overthrow of the elites in society by the workers, known as the bourgeois and the proletariat respectively, and the eventual abolition of all social, economic classes.

Marx saw a consistent pattern in history; that there has always been one minority ruling class exploiting the larger, workers class; his view of history is summarized in his assertion that 'All history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. He implored all the various communist groups scattered around Europe to incite revolution, in order to overthrow the self-interested, apathetic ruling classes and establish a society where class did not exist: where material would be evenly distributed to prevent inequality.

"A spectre is haunting Europe--the spectre of Communism"

Published in 1848, The Communist Manifesto was penned mostly by Marx at the request of various communist groups in Europe. The stated aim of this enterprise was to create a document that clarified and illuminated the beliefs and doctrines of communism in the face of a concerted campaign from opposing political parties who were sabotaging communism by spreading a wave of malicious falsities. The book contains a highly moralistic message of despair at the exploitation of the many by the few; the large disproportionate between the value of an individuals work, and the amount of wage they receive for it. Marx witnessed in his day the consequences of the Industrial Revolution: the squalor, the poverty and the unrest, and felt indignation at such blatant exploitation.

Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution

What shrouds this work in infamy is the application of it's principles and repute in subsequent years. Lenin, and then Stalin, ran an increasingly violent and cruel state under the guise of communist principles. Collectivization was utilized, as well as centralizing the means of production, yet Stalin embarked on genocidal campaigns, and brutally neglected a criminal amount of Russian people. It is not right to associate Stalinist Russia with The Communist Manifesto. The manifesto challenges both previous and current economic, and the consequent social, systems; and it further encourages us to review and reconsider our conceptions about the world. It is by no means the manual to violent dictatorships that it is often misconceived as, and even if you strongly believe in capitalism, it remains an interesting discourse on economics and human nature.

The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workers of the world, unite!

Luke Bodell is a freelance author living in Bath, England. He runs a book review website that provides brief, concise reviews on books in Top 10 Lists, to help people decide new books to read.

Read many more at http://www.top10books.org/

Congress Looks to Avert Eurozone Struggles and Damage to Sterling US Credit Rating

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This week, President Obama urged congress to reach a compromise on the so-called debt ceiling-the legal ceiling for federal debt-and agree on a new budget that would balance America's books. Policy wonks and politicos have prophesized that any prolonged, bipartisan stalemate would plunge America into economic turmoil anew. It seems the congressional "Gang of Six, "composed of the top lawmakers on either side of the isle, has finally agreed to move forward with talks to cut nearly 3.7 trillion dollars in federal spending over the next 10 years. Though it is unclear from what programs and jurisdictions this money will come, it is clear that reaching a final version any compromise and subsequent bill, in the bipartisan House and Senate, will be long and anguished.

Credit card bills become a headache for everyone

Much of America will be relieved that the US government isn't going to shutdown as it threatened many times earlier this spring. Some might recall the thousands of government employees furloughed because lawmakers couldn't reach an agreement over the federal budget.

Evidently, even the most powerful people in the country are struggling to reign in spending and control their credit.

These temporary lapses in government underscore the availability, or lack thereof, of new credit and new credit alternatives. US lawmakers are effectively engaged in what many credit card customers would recognize as a credit card negotiation.

Like all credit card consumers with revolving debt, many lawmakers are getting their first significant taste of the anxiety and pressure that comes when creditors call and you can't pay up-in this case, failure to pay up could mean years of political backlash from angry voters. What's worse, a federally sized "credit card negotiation" gone wrong could undermine the frail but recovering international economy.

Unlike the Eurozone

Over the past year, the US, despite opinions and forecasts to the contrary, has weathered rough economic forecasts with brassy conviction. Much of the Eurozone, in countries like Italy, Spain and Greece, has suffered a paralyzing series of severe economic shocks equivalent to nation-sized bankruptcy. Not a few times have financial earthquakes punished the Eurozone and pushed it to the brink. International creditor and banking confidence has been rattled by high unemployment in pivotal Eurozone countries and the reduction of hundreds of billions of dollars of European consumer debt to "junk" status.

Of course, no one can argue that the United States and the Eurozone haven't fallen upon similar hard times. Historically, however, there has always been a major difference in the outlook of American consumers and Europeans-American confidence usually prevails over hardship. That appears to still resonate with a bipartisan Congress this week: Americans move forward.

The Lee Law Firm aims to provide local residents with high quality legal representation at affordable rates. Their attorneys specialize in all aspects of mortgage loan modification. As Dallas foreclosure lawyers, the Lee Law Firm attorneys understand the pressures their clients face as the battle a financial hardship.

Game Change - The Audio Drama of a Presidential Campaign - Audiobook Review

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Game Change, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin and narrated By Dennis Boutsikaris, had Washington shaking even before it went on sale. It reveals some shocking information about the 2008 presidential campaign. The authors went out of their way to find out the back story and gossip from numerous angles on the candidates and on others around them. Senator Harry Reid, leader of the Senate, was singled out for racially insensitive words about then Senator Barrack Obama.

The authors leave no one out. They have written about Elizabeth Edwards, John Edwards's wife, going into tantrums and swearing like crazy about him and his antics. The authors expose more about the Sarah Palin selection and how rushed the process was. Not only was no one in the Republican leadership consulted, but little thought and consideration appears to be given to the choice. The choice was a tactic to knock the Obama campaign off guard and that part worked until Palin self destructed in numerous interviews.

Then Senator Barrack Obama is shown to be heavily staged throughout the campaign. They show the two sides of the man, calm cool and collected when on the stump, profane with flashes of anger off the stump. "This #@!% would be really interesting if we weren't in the middle of it."--Barack Obama, September 2008

Hillary and Bill Clinton take their lumps too. President Clinton's inappropriate comments and Obama's observation that Hillary could not control her husband. The book also covers Obama's hard sell to get Clinton on board for Secretary of State. The book opens doors into other mysteries from the campaign like Giuliani's Florida gamble and why he left the race.

When listen to the book it's like living through the campaign once again, but you get to be the fly on the wall with inside view of what really goes on. You will get insights that will inform you, but also make you angry. This should have come out during the campaign, but the press was not doing its job well. Maybe that's the most damning insight of all. If you're a political junkie like me, get the audio book and enjoy the drama.

Listen to the audio sample of the Game Change Audiobook.

Do you have a long commute? Need to make that wasted time more productive. Audio books are the answer. Find 60,000 great downloadable audiobooks, that you can listen to on your iPod, iPhone, MP3 player, PC or burn to a CD.

Alex Nesbitt provides audio book reviews from CastLibrary.com Audiobook Store.

Ameritopia by Mark Levin

There are books that enjoyed, slowly digested your mind like a fine multi-course dinner, and reminded to fill lovingly. Mark Levin was one of these books to freedom and tyranny. And then there are books that your mind like a fantasy set to exceptionally to extend that it juicy taste is sweet, surreal, seem never to forget. Mark Levin Ameritopia is one of these books.

Levin begins by dissecting the ideas of these great thinkers to influence, as she designed America's Government most responsible for our founder. Levin not simply mention names like Locke, Montesquieu, Tocqueville, and then throw a few inspiring quotes to the reader. Levin correlates with their ideas, where they fit in the founding of the United States of America.

Levin in detail these philosophers influence on Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin, how they designed the Declaration of independence. He explains their impact in particular on Madison in the design of the Constitution in General, and the Bill of rights. Levin deals Alexis de Tocqueville of democracy in America, as the French scholar sometimes Americans their uniqueness in the world, and his hope that they keep their characteristic values and their commitment to freedom and limited Government.

And come this season of serious choice and with our freedom is perched precariously in the balance, Ameritopia could not have been better. I will shout this book of praise to all who will listen, and probably not some. This book is a classic. It is a pity, as Levin later in the book, at that time constraints prevented him to list the other crimes against the freedom during the last century of the progressive, Extras and Collectivists committed.

This miserable disaffected present themselves as Savior, that "made would save us from the"mistakes"our founder". You put their distorted perception of humanity with the chains of the big Government of the liberation of the individual unlimited for the benefit of humanity in slings. You want - such as the large it have collectivist?-Amerika fundamentally change. She would like to jeopardise what- how did these great American expressed? the last hope of people on Earth.

Levin makes everything! and Ameritopia for all readers of the scholars, students, to the uninitiated that is easy to digest. It is not only important that every American to read it; It is important that every American to read it. Ameritopia is not only a textbook for understanding, the concept and the design of the American Liberty. It is a battle plan for their retention.

Steve writes about issues in connection with the police, writing, freedom and Seattle at: http://www.stevepomper.com/. If you have questions, delete comments, concerns about these issues, please Steve a line.

"You Snooze, You Lose" - New Global Values and Morals

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Prime Minister Brown of Britain, said it best, and I shall paraphrase: we have no Global Morals, nor Values, speaking economically.

Let me be frank, and speak for the whole world in general, we do have values, values being those things in life we value the most, but they've changed, and as far as morals go, those things that are under the heading of ethics-I used to have to take an ethics class once a year to keep up my counselling license-teaching me to maintain my principles, a code of behaviour, honour (respect, regard) not like today, it is a code of horror. We don't have the same old style, or type we had forty years ago. Mr. Brown should remember we took them out of the schools, with God, and Liberty, and saluting the flag, at least in America we did, and usually the world follows America, right to the abyss sometimes. Anyhow, we got want we planted, 'You snooze, you lose,' that is our new morals and values in a nutshell. If you don't like it, it's too bad, it is what we planted, and it is what is being harvested, and it is why were in such a worldwide crisis today. I feel sorry for the young generation; they have to live with the garbage we planted.

I had to teach full grown men, while in my counselling career, those coming out of prison, into a halfway house back into society, that without discipline, there are no limits to a person's behaviour; nothing to govern them by if you do not have a moral code (meaning good behaviour). They thought I was talking Greek. We got what we deserve; now we are complaining. Doesn't that beat all? What did Mr. Brown expect; flowers from planting in manure for forty-years. Trying to teach an old wolf morals and principles, and discipline, and values, is like trying to part the Red Sea, good luck.

A Review of Barack Obama's the Audacity of Hope

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In his book, The Audacity of Hope, President Barak Obama addresses issues that catapulted him to fame and brought the hope that he would be a prominent presidential election candidate. The book is originally his speech in Illinois state elections for senate chamber which has been delivered in 2004 in only 20 minutes. Later in 2006 he published that speech under the title "Audacity of Hope" that has the same themes he touched upon in the campaign speech in 2004.

Chapter one

The first chapter of the book is dedicated to two American parties, Democrats and Republicans. In this chapter, Obama contents that the congress is now more partisan than other times and that these two parties should overlook the differences and show collegiality and fellow feeling. He is not a supporter of mere partisan stance by the democrats against Republicans, nor does he agree with the old and worn out partisan poses or the Republicans. He hopes that Democrats show a sense of cooperation, while adhering to the central trends of the party.

Chapter two

He then in chapter two has recourse to politician behavior in the American political and social scene, asserting that in the age of information, not any of the politicians can remain exempt from the public scrutiny in the case of blunder. He calls for more adherences to political values in the face of conflict for sheer power. He also objects that the Democrat loss of offices comes from the internal factions and also from a more divisiveness with the Republicans. He admits that political scene dose not permit politician to remain true to their values. He finally hopes that the leaders of the two parties converge in the direction that its outcome be the nation's profit.

Chapter three

Then in chapter 3 Obama gives an account of legislation debate in which the law makers are actually reluctant to amendments necessary to make the law up-to-date according to the needs and requirements of the day. Personally, Obama is in the front who support the idea that, though the constitution is the historical phenomenon, we can have special cased that according to which this constitutions shows flexibility of interpretation. He generally supports this flexibility, when facing the needs of an ever-growing world.

Chapter four

Obama in chapter 4 goes back to previous discussion of politics and politicians, saying that special interest groups have an influence on them, who seek out their special interest during any political event. Obama declares that in order to tackle the problem of being at service of special interest groups and increase the efficacy of any political system, politicians should be true to the morality and values of the party. He, then, calls for democrats' appeasing the power-seeking parties and attitudes, so that they are able to serve their constituency better.

Chapter five

Obama, in chapter 5, this time targets economy and US economy in particular and considers its impact in social, cultural and political domains. According to him economic inefficiency is to the loss of the poor and marginalized people, but his own meetings with the prominent and wealthy people attests that his view is ironically also true.

Chapter six

He then, touches upon school reform, which has been implemented through empirical research. Religion and religious faith is Obama's next resort in his book, by which he contends republican show- off of the religious faith. He gives an account of his journey from atheism to faith and that religious faith has strengthened his personal and moral convictions. Obama objects that since Americans are deeply religious, the only by which democrats can win this people's consent is remaining in a sense of ease to religious faith. He concludes that religious tolerance is the best way to, for the two parties to have common grounds for ideas, not a hotspot in which they lead full-fledged war.

Chapter seven

Race is dominant theme in chapter 7. In this Obama admits that, although the institutionalized form of racial discrimination has been ended, but with a look at American social scene, one can notice subtle form of discrimination is still present, however this prejudice dose not stem from fundamentally race-based attitudes, but from sheer ignorance of its perpetrators. Obama wants all Americans to disagree with any cases of discrimination in order to uproot this filthy phenomenon from Black experience of life.

Chapter eight

Chapter 8 of the book is a scene in which Obama arranges American role in international politics and relations. He asserts that US defense budget is not in accord with the new patterns and needs of international relations and that American must attempt to assume more responsibility in facing the new paradigms emerging after 9 September 2001. In Iraq war issue, he believes that unilateralism was misguided and it has been poorly handled by Republican administration. He admits more multilateral efforts in solving world problems and that the Americans needlessly have been complacent about their role and function regarding the world affairs.

Chapter nine

The last chapter is family in which Obama gives his own childhood accounts. Obama here contends that Republican's stance over the family in posing personal dogmas in the frame of the law is not true to the private aspects of personal life. He finally asserts that in order to provide a center for children to thrive in, the families should have an unshakeable foundation and for that, supportive policies and personal responsibility must be dominant among the collective attitudes toward family.