About Book Marks
Recent Reviews
David Gergen
Positive Washington Post David Gergen worked for four American presidents — Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton — and he witnessed their struggles with leadership up close...In his remarkable new book, Hearts Touched With Fire: How Great Leaders Are Made, he rejects universal models for leadership...Individuals make themselves into leaders, as Gergen describes, by finding their passions and nurturing an \'integrated life\' that allows consistent pursuit of purpose within a sustainable setting...He showcases James Baker’s time as President Ronald Reagan’s chief of staff (and Gergen’s boss)...Baker quietly and consistently cultivated strong ties with members of Congress, especially powerful figures across the aisle...Gergen recounts Baker’s intense preparation, careful thinking and unbending determination to get the job done for the president and the country...Gergen wrote Hearts Touched With Fire to bring figures like Baker to life for young men and women concerned about the future of the United States and the world...They will obviously need new leaders, with different experiences and outlooks from their predecessors...That is the main point of this inspiring and useful book — to help a new generation reimagine leadership for our troubled times.
Martin Indyk
Positive The New York Times Book Review The strongest case for Kissinger’s heroism is found in his Middle East diplomacy, chronicled in fascinating day-by-day detail by Indyk ... Chronicling many of the twists and turns in Kissinger’s breathtaking diplomacy, Martin Indyk is in awe of the man ... When Indyk analyzes the obstacles that Kissinger overcame, he knows of what he speaks ... draws on his experiences as well as extensive research in American and Israeli archives. Most of all, Indyk captures the unique intensity of diplomacy in this region, where every gesture is treated with suspicion, and every concession is a matter of life or death.
Kai Bird
Positive The Washington Post Although these contradictions make Carter a potentially fascinating figure, he is a surprisingly boring subject for biography ... Bird’s book offers a rich and compelling account of Carter’s sincere efforts to make American policies match the nation’s ideals.
Major Garrett
Rave The Washington Post The book covers a range of issues, from tax cuts to judicial appointments to immigration restrictions to foreign policy. In each area Garrett narrates the chaos created by the president. He \'rarely reads memos,\' and he often fails to tell his closest advisers what he has decided before they read about it on Twitter or somewhere else ... Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride captures the political storm and takes the reader to the center. Other journalists have reported on many of the same details, but Garrett provides a coherent narrative. His book allows readers to understand how different Trump really is — behind the scenes and on the surface — from other recent presidents who still define the image of the office. And we do not know how it will end, because Trump is making it up as he goes ... Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride is excellent journalism, an early draft of our current history.