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Title: RONALD REAGAN: HOW AN ORDINARY MAN BECAME AN EXTRAORDINARY LEADER by Dinesh D'Souza ISBN: 0-684-84823-6 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 23 February, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 (100 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Well-written and persuasive analysis of Reagan
Comment: As an White House insider during the Reagan Administration, D'Souza observed first-hand the management style of one of the most respected and unrespected presidents of the last half of the 20th century. Initially, he agreed with some of the criticisms, but later came to understand that Reagan simply had a different style than other presidents.
Criticized for being intellectually lazy or simple-minded, President Reagan was never a favorite of the intellectual crowd. His Hollywood past and appeals to higher morals didn't help. Accused of napping during cabinet meetings and using his acting skills to sway public opinion, some dismiss him and his accomplishments, giving the credit to others or dumb luck. In reality, D'Souza says he was very intelligent and could grasp a situation easily, but disliked dealing in the minutia, preferring to delegate to others. He was steered by a strong moral compass, and believed strongly in the people and their ability to make correct decisions when given the facts. His accomplishments were many, including turning around the high-inflation economy of the 1970s (although he had to weather a couple tough years of recession) and bringing the Soviet Union to it's knees by refusing to appease them.
Having grown up in the 1980s, I remember the Reagan years as a time when pride was restored to Americans, when the threat of the Soviet Union seemed very real and iminent. The suggestion that the USSR would fall by the end of the decade would have been ridiculous. But Reagan recognized that it was a system that offered no incentives to its people to perform better, and once he pushed it by forcing them into an arms race, it's weaknesses were revealed. He was often criticized as too old and incompetent for his job, but he proved smarter than all his critics. Too bad a president like that doesn't come along more often.
I found the book to be an easy book to read. D'Souza writes in a clear and logical way, that is easy to follow. His logic is persuasive, and his language without a lot of flowery nonsense. I highly recommend this book to those wishing to understand better the principles and thinking of one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century.
Rating: 5
Summary: The REAL Reagan
Comment: The Ronald Reagan presented within the pages of this extremely well-written biography is, without doubt, the REAL Ronald Reagan - not the one so egregiously caricatured by The Reagans, a movie so fallacious that it is simply laughable. Dinesh D'Souza, having been a Senior Domestic Policy Advisor for the latter part of the Reagan presidency, gives us unique and unadulterated(unlike The Reagans movie) insights into events that DID happen and things that Reagan DID say.
This is not, by any means, a blind ode to Reagan. It shares plenty of Reagan speaking gaffes as well as his distant relationship with his children. That being said, D'Souza does not go so far as to demonize Reagan as liberals invariably do. Reagan is vastly underrated as a leader - and Dinesh cites many examples how. Reagan's "rendezvous with destiny" and his bold, clear, & unwavering vision of democracy and freedom put America back on the map as THE world superpower after the chaotic tumult that ensued under the ambiguous indecisiveness of Jimmy Carter.
Reagan took the bad hand that he was dealt of stagflation, an impotent military, rising unemployment, outrageous gas prices, exorbitant mortgages of 21%, disgustingly high taxes, & a permeating sense of festering malaise and, undeterred, set into action his campaign pledges: restoring economic growth through tax cuts, curbing of monstrous inflation, ending the gasoline crisis, sparking technological progress, defeating commununism, rebuilding an outmoded and ineffective military, and most importantly, restoring the optimism, patriotism and pride of Americans in this great country. It is impossible to lead if you are unsure of where you want to go. Reagan, it goes without saying, did not have this problem.
"My optimism comes not just from my strong faith in God but from my strong and enduring faith in man."
Rating: 5
Summary: A Valid Portrait
Comment: Dinesh D'Souza's book is a tribute to a unique leader, father and husband. D'Souza writes with affection and balance, citing credible sources where necessary. Chronological accuracy is sustained throughout the text, and sensationalism is avoided. However, there is one incident that must be corrected. On page 36, D'Souza writes, 'On that momentous day in 1980, Nancy was given the honor of telling her husband that he had won. Mr Reagan sighed deeply and said, 'I am truly humbled.'' That's not quite the way it went. During a conversation I recently had with Nancy in the mosh pit at an Eminem 'concert', she was adamant that Ron had actually spluttered, 'Me? President of the United States? That's fantastic! Which one am I playing and who's the director?'
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Title: Letters to a Young Conservative by Dinesh D'Souza ISBN: 0465017339 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: What's So Great About America by Dinesh D'Souza ISBN: 0142003018 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 27 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus by Dinesh D'Souza ISBN: 0684863847 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.50 |
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Title: The Virtue of Prosperity: Finding Values in an Age of Techno-Affluence by Dinesh D'Souza ISBN: 0684868156 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 30 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The END OF RACISM: Principles for a Multiracial Society by Dinesh D'Souza ISBN: 0684825244 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 30 September, 1996 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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