Rating: 
Summary: "A good man stays committed to his faith."
Review:
As a Canadian I had not paid much attention to President Bush.I guess the long episode over Lewinsky,the lead up to the election and relative calm of 2001 got our focus off politics.However; 9/11 changed all that.As these horrible events occurred, we were to learn of the outstanding leadership of the new President.One of my most lasting images is of Bush with his arm around the shoulder of retired fireman Bill Beckwith,standing atop the remains of a destroyed fire truck :
"Well I can hear you."
"The rest of the world hears you.And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon"
This spontaneous remark came straight from the heart and soul of the great leader that the new President was.
Mansfield has written a marvelous book showing Bush's development from his childhhd days to the President.Bush is a man of faith and character and this is where he gets the moral compass that guides him.He knows he has "A Charge to Keep" and above all else intends to keep it.He does not believe in physobabble and navel gazing and credits his faith for "getting him out of the Texas bars and into the Oval Office.
The image portrayed by the leftist influenced Media could not be further from the truth.He learned a long time ago that the best way to fight back against the hatred and misrepresentation hurled at him is with conviction and kindness.
What his faith tells him is that "Evil will pass,but good is eternal."
A lot of what we hear today is that there is no place for God in government or other institutions.This is as leftest as was the concept of dialectic materialism on which communism was based.It seems to me that when you look at the great leaders,thinkers and scientists ,almost without exception you find people of faith.Many say that Bush carries it too far.
Let me give a quote from this book:
"I have the feeling that God has created us and brought us to
our present position of power and strength for some great
purpose and up to now we have been shirking it."
This is not a quote from Bush or the religious right but
President Harry S Truman.
I am extremely glad I read this book as it gives me a much greater understanding of what motivates the President.Would
that we had a leader of such moral convictions in Canada.
The imps may be on the run in the US;but they are still holding court here!
Rating: 
Summary: A few missing pieces
Review: Well Gee Whiz . . . Here we are, close to election time, and low and behold this book comes along. I'll admit, the book in and of itself is outstanding. However, there is one very glaring omission:
Why don't they ever mention the whole Bush, Taxation, African Pharmaceuticals, Stolen Documents, Artificial Hearing Implants, Mickey Mantle Memorabilia, Beatles' White Album, Flag Burning, FBI, Johnny Depp, Oil Spill, Mike Henderson Scandal?
I for one thought that whole deal was pretty important, but I guess they didn't want to discuss it - near election time . . .
How Convenient . . .
Rating:
Summary: George W. Bush: A Man of Faith!
Review: "The Faith of George W. Bush" takes an inside look at the man behind the presidency. Detailing how a man went from empty and a failure to a successful Baseball manager, Governor of Texas, and the 43rd President of the United States, while chronicling his return to the faith of his childhood. It is a deeply moving and personal story of a man who feels is doing God's will in the White House. Even if you don't agree with his policies, "The Faith of George W. Bush" will give you a glimpse at a man who redeemed himself in the eyes of God, and whose every move since then has lead him to the oval office. This book will not dissappoint. Grade: A+
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!
Review: "In a choice between immoral brilliance and the C student with a moral compass, (the American people) would take the moral compass." (The Faith of George W Bush, p. 115)Though we may fool ourselves into thinking that education, charisma and intelligence provide the perfect formula for strong, healthy leadership, history (including the Clinton era!) proves otherwise. America needs much more than that. The moral compass within George W Bush is vital to our nation's greatness. Mansfield does an excellent job of unveiling the man and the President. He doesn't shy away from Bush's weaknesses and failures. This is no Republican propaganda piece. He clearly disagress with Bush in a number of areas. Mansfield presents us with the challenge of how we will tolerate/incorporate faith in the public arena. This is an extrememly well-written, honest and insightful look at our nation's leader.
Rating: 
Summary: no theologian
Review: A brave attempt to impute logic and system into the befuddled "thinking" of George W. Bush. It doesn't work but the author does his best to explain the president's bizarre desire for an American Taliban.
Rating: 
Summary: What do Christians want in a President?
Review: After reading this book, I think I simply want a God-fearing man in office. A man who will seek the counsel of God before making decisions. This book and George W. Bush's faith convinces me that he does this. This book, written before Bush's re-election will not offer much insight into the political arena that you have not heard before. But, it does hi-light his upbringing, his slow conversion and the drastic effect it has had on his world-view. The movie, "George W. Bush: Faith in the White House" contains almost as much information, and if you're looking for the quick version, it'll save you some time. But, learning that the majority of his staff participates in early morning Bible studies and daily prayer meetings was worth the read for me, and gave me assurance in the administration. And the story about Condoleeza Rice being a classically trained musician who led a worship service on Air Force One...I wish we could hear stories like that more often. If you're a Christian who doubts Bush's heart, give it a read, and you can rest assured, he is a man who loves God. Whether that's enough for you though, is up to you.
Rating:
Summary: His Faith is Important to me
Review: After reading this book, I was relieved to know that we have a president that is human enough to admit that he believes in God and isn't afraid to do that.
In the book Bush starts out like most of us, stupid and full of mistakes on how to live and be in this world. It shows how he came out of that chaos by two big events. First by meeting Laura and then second, meeting the Lord. There is a humility in Bush that makes him approachable and more real than some of our previous presidents. This book portrays that so well. It brought peace of conscience and a sense of hope that our country has a chance to do good in the face of evil.
Rating:
Summary: An inspirational look at the power of faith in Bush's life
Review: America has seen many a politician wear his faith on his sleeve - more often than not, it's obviously fake, nothing more than a political play for votes from Christian voters. We've seen, in Ronald Reagan, a man of great faith whose powerful religious convictions are only now being truly appreciated by the public for the first time. We've seen, in Bill Clinton, a President who spoke of and obviously valued his Baptist beliefs but continually fell prey to temptation. Now, we have George W. Bush, a man who makes no secret of his Christian beliefs and ideals and their crucial significance in everything he does - and he acts on those beliefs, every day. Christians have been heightened and inspired, nonbelievers have increased their anti-religion lawsuits, and the whole country has had to reconsider the role of morality and faith in the life of the nation.
This is not a biography of George W. Bush, but it does take us back to his roots in Midland, Texas, and follows him all the way to the White House. The President never had a "road to Damascus" moment; the Bushes were a church-going family, and Bush has basically been a churchgoer all of his life. He did not truly commit himself to God's plan until he passed his fortieth birthday, but the ever-present religious aspects of his earlier life can clearly be seen moving him in that direction, preparing the ground for "the mustard seed" planted in the company of Billy Graham in 1985 to take root and prosper. Bush was, for many years, a man without a true purpose, a son living in the shadow of his famous father's name, and the account of Bush's "nomad" years reflect the man's search for meaning in his life. You will read about his "young and irresponsible" days, the years in which he grew in stature but vacillated in the application of God's word in his personal life, his ultimate decision to stop drinking, and several milestones on the road to faith that ultimately changed him completely.
While this book does not go into the details of Bush's faith-based initiative proposals, it does a superb job of relating these bold ideas to the actual actions and ideals of America's founding fathers. Obviously, the book covers the importance of Bush's faith in terms of dealing with 9/11 and its aftermath. Lest we forget, Bush has often been criticized by the religious right for his seeming acceptance of Islam as a religion of peace. Whether criticized from the right or the left, Bush follows his own moral compass because he now knows he is right with God. This does not mean he wants to force Christianity down everyone's throats - far from it. Bush equates personal morality with public policy, as the author explains extremely well in these pages. This belief system influences every decision he makes, which is a sign of the genuine nature of his faith.
The Faith of George W. Bush is an inspirational book all Christians can profit from reading - even those who dislike the President. In these pages you will see how God has worked in Bush's life, patiently waiting for him to heed the call he has heard all of his life, and you can see the incredible change that a commitment to Christ ultimately made in that life. In twelve years, Bush went from a good man without any real focus in his life to the President of the United States, one who has shown us all how richly faith can infuse a politician's important work in life without stepping across the line marking the separation of church and state. Forget politics, if you can - this is an inspirational story of the power of faith in one man's life.
Rating:
Summary: Spiritually Inspiring
Review: Are you working 100+ hours a week? Feeling like something is missing in your life? No matter how hard you try or how much success you attain, you just don't feel complete. This book may be the beginning of your cure; if you are ready to hear its message and take it to heart. The book is a quick read which examines the religious histories of both the USA and the Bush family. From these contexts Mansfield reveals George W. Bush's spriritual awakening which occured late in his adult life and how this awakening has made him whole. As a spiritual biography of sorts, The Faith of George W. Bush illustrates that in his search for self fulfillment, Bush has found the answer which few seem to discover and fewer actually act on. What answer is that? Getting into heaven is more important than getting into Forbes.
Also, we all have a soul which plays a much greater role in our big picture and sometimes due to the hectic pace we all lead; we neglect it to our overall detriment. Best Wishes.
Rating:
Summary: the mustard seed that grew deep roots
Review: Carefuly researched and well written, this biography is refreshing in its unbiased, non-partisan portrait of our 43rd president. It talks about his forty years of aimless living, when he was a rowdy hard drinker and not much of a student, without condoning or condemning; his road to redemption starting in 1985, when George Bush would say Billy Graham "planted a mustard seed in my soul" is a fascinating "prodigal son" history, as is the theory (once suggested by Gail Sheehy) cited in Chapter Three, that Bush, like his hero Winston Churchill (who was also an academic disappointment, and lacking in reading skills), is an "undiagnosed dyslexic". Churchill would practice his speeches for days for fear of making a mistake, and there seems to be a language disorder that makes Bush's opponents want to "misunderestimate" his intelligence. Chapter Seven, which deals with 9/11, follows the timeline of those first agonizing days, and how we saw Bush become stronger in the midst of the turmoil, especially on the 14th, when after his powerful speech at the National Cathedral memorial service, he went to ground zero, and clambered onto a destroyed fire truck, with rescue worker and retired fireman Bill Beckwith. It was unrehearsed and unplanned, and pure Bush.
Also interesting and informative are the explanations in the final chapters of how we have gradually deviated from the intent of the Founding Fathers when they wrote the First Ammendment, and the reasons for the shift in policy. Those who quote Bible passages and say that Christianity is not compatible with war, perhaps have not read the entire Bible; Jesus said that the time would come when we should sell our garments for a sword (Luke 22:36), and perhaps in this post 9/11 world we are in such a time.
The more I read about George Bush, and the more I listen and observe, the more I like, respect, and admire him, "this flawed Everyman, indefinable commander in chief".
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