Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Natural: The Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton by Joe Klein ISBN: 0385506198 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 05 March, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $22.95 Amazon Price(USD): $16.07 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.40541
Rating: 5
Summary: The Natural: Bill Clinton
Comment: Joe Klein tackles the subject he knows best: Bill Clinton. Astute, even - handed, and keenly intelligent, The Natural is the only book to read if you want to understand exactly what happened - to the military, to the economy, to the American people, to the country - during Bill Clinton's presidency, and how the decisions made during his tenure affect all of us today.
Much has been written about Clinton, but The Natural is the first work to cut through the gossip, scandles, media hype, and emotional turbulence that Clinton always engendered, to step back and rationally analyze the eight years tenure, a period during which America rose to unprecedental levels of prosperity. Joe Klein puts that record into perspective, showing us what worked and what didn't, exactly what was accomplished and why, and who was responsible for the successes and the failures.
We see how the Clinton White House functioned on the inside, how it dealt with the maneuvers of Congress and the Gingrich revolution, and who held power and made the decisions during the endless crises that beset the administration. Klein's access to the White House over the years as a journalist gave him a prime spot from which to view every crucial event - both political and personal - and he sets them forth in an insightful, readable, and completely engrossing manner.
The Natural is stern in its criticism and convincing with its praise. It will cause endless debate among friends and foes of the Clinton administration. It is a book that anyone interested in contemporary politics, in American history, or in the functioning of our democracy should read.
Rating: 3
Summary: The Natural (Lite)
Comment: I am a fan of Joe Klein's from his columns in the New Yorker magazine and bought his book after just finishing First in His Class by David Morannis, the biography of Bill Clinton from birth the his announcement that he would seek the presidency in 1991. I enjoyed Klein's book and in fact read it in two quick days. However, it was somewhat disappointing. While clearly not intended to be exhaustive, it was meant to clarify and synthesize Clinton's policy making decisions during his 8 years in office as well as their political overtones. While most of the major content areas are present and accounted for (e.g. failed health insurance reform, welfare reform, effect of the Lewinsky scandal, etc.), the synthesis is hard to find and make sense of. Klein seems to be arguing that Clinton's efforts became less grandiose and more effective as he learned how be a good president, but simultaneously continued to demonstrate his personal flaws and shoot himself in the foot. This is not really a novel conclusion, and probably not worthy of a whole book. If Klein's thesis is more complicated than this, it is not well articulated in the book, and better editing is needed. More likely, future books will tackle this topic more effectively as history provides more of a context for Clinton's accomplishments and failings. Buy this book only if you are truly curous about Clinton now and can't wait for other authors to complete their work.
Rating: 4
Summary: An insightful, if somewhat superficial, book
Comment: Klein, the author of Primary Colors, probably is the most perceptive commentator on Clinton. The Natural is an analysis of Clinton's tenure as President. Klein is a moderate Democrat, and his political bias shows through at some points. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem; however, in this case, a few good points are obscured by writing that falls into hack political journalism a little too much.
At a few points, "The Natural" inexplicably leaves its analysis of Clinton to discuss the rise of smear politics, the hypocrisy of the Right that impeached Clinton, or the bias of the media against Clinton. I disagree with some of the points he makes on these subjects, and I agree with some. However, the real problem is that it makes the book oddly disconnected, and seperates Klein from the real reason to read him: his perceptions on Clinton. The discourses that Klein goes off are only tangentially related to Clinton.. In a larger book, with more space, they would be appropriate. However, they take the place in "The Natural" of more relevant information. One gets the sense that Klein was trying to score political points, when all you want him to do is describe Clinton honestly.
Still, there are major themes in this book that make it worthwhile. Klein tackles questions such as what Clinton will be remembered for, why the Lewinsky scandal gained such traction, who had his ear at what time in his Presidency, and which of his qualities accounted for his successes. He makes solid arguments that Clinton accomplished a good deal of real policy work as President (a rather new assertion), and excellently documents the workings and powers in the Clinton White House.
"The Natural" is by no means the definitive book on the Clinton Presidency. It is, however, by far the best available to us at the moment.
 |
Title: Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative by David Brock ISBN: 0812930991 Publisher: Crown Pub Pub. Date: 05 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $25.95 Amazon Price(USD): $18.17 |
 |
Title: Ambling Into History: The Unlikely Odyssey of George W. Bush by Frank Bruni ISBN: 0066213711 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 05 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $23.95 Amazon Price(USD): $16.77 |
 |
Title: Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro ISBN: 0394528360 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 23 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $35.00 Amazon Price(USD): $24.50 |
 |
Title: Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! by Michael Moore ISBN: 0060392452 Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 19 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 Amazon Price(USD): $17.47 |
 |
Title: President Nixon: Alone in the White House by Richard Reeves ISBN: 0684802317 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 18 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $35.00 Amazon Price(USD): $24.50 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
