Rating: 
Summary: In-depth, honest and well-written
Review: A stimulating and surprisingly in-depth, lucid, and non-tabloid-style portrait of the enigmatic world of Bill Clinton and the White House - and how his spinners were kept up nights handling scandal after scandal. You won't find much about Monica here, so don't buy it for this reason.A memorable and hardwon insight into Clinton is that he is simply "an optimist and a doer." That said, the novel seems to show Clinton's influence on the narrator, from that of an intellectual cynic to, I believe, an optimist himself. Another note is in the midst of a petty battle, Bill Clinton says simply, "I did it because it was the right thing to do." You can also see Gore in action, battles with Hillary, and his contribution to the passing of affirmative action. Thank You George for taking the time, care and effort to humanize the often "demonized" chambers of the White House. Scandals aside, my respect for those in office is even greater as a result.
Rating: 
Summary: Gossipy, Tell-All, Eyewitness Account on Clinton
Review: First, I have to say that I find it horrible that people like Mr. Stephanopoulos write these kinds of books, especially when the subject is still in office. This involves a fundamental betrayal; when the President or First Lady told Mr. Stephanopoulos their thoughts, fears, and hopes, it was not meant to be shared with the world. So, shame on him for revealing what was surely meant to be private material. That being said, this is a good glimpse into the Clinton White House. Ignore the self-serving platitudes, take his view of his role with a grain of salt (for example, in his book David Gergen paints a much different picture of Stephanopoulos, one not nearly as flattering), and enjoy some interesting gossip. For that's what this is. But, to someone like myself who loves politics and history, this is GOOD gossip.
Rating: 
Summary: The Story of George and Bill
Review: George Stephanopoulos, senior advisor to Bill Clinton, won the 1992 campaign by making sure that Bill Clinton stayed "on message", and deflecting the "bimbo" eruptions which would nearly tank the campaign. After the election, Stephanopoulos stumbled at first but continued to save Bill Clinton from himself by ensuring that he stayed on message and spinning any problem issues that came up. At least this is what Stephanopoulos would have everyone understand in his book, "All Too Human". With the exception of nemesis Dick Morris, there is very little mention of the roles that other senior policy makers had in advising Clinton. The story is all about George and how he successfully guided Clinton through the first term, all the way up to the 1996 election. It was George who ensured passage of the economic plan, George who made sure NAFTA passed, and George who saved affirmative action. David Gergen, Al Gore, Mack McLarty, Dee Dee Myers were all bit players in this drama. When Dick Morris arrived on the scene, the dynamic changed, but ultimately, George wins (as he humbly states). There are some factual and disputed areas of the book -- he states that when the President arrived on a Navy aircraft carrier, they announced "America Arriving" (should be "United States, Arriving"). Also, he states that his aid, Jeff Eller, called him and told him about the controversy surrounding the infamous Presidential haircut at LAX airport. This is contradicted by Eller's own account in Jeff Birnbaum's book "Madhouse". But these are minor factual errors. If you can get past the self-indulgent nature of Stephanopoulos' book, it does provide some interesting insight into the inner workings of the White House and the decision making process -- amazing that any of them could sleep at night!
Rating:
Summary: I'm probably an atypical reader of this book
Review: It's no secret that this book stirred alot of controversy before it was ever released. People wondered, "Will it be a political kiss and tell? A self glorification? A 20/20 hindsight misrepresentation of white house policy?" Frankly, I missed all the hype. I found out about this book strolling through the local Barnes and Noble where a stack of paperbacks were lying on the floor ready to be shelved. I am casually fond of George Stephanopoulous so I picked one up. I was hooked in the first few pages. This is my first politcal read that wasn't required reading. I am a 19 year old black female who generally considers myself apolitical. But even for me, this book was very interesting. Overall, anyone who intrigued by politics will enjoy this book. It's a psychological journey of a relatively young politician with a strong ethic that was infused in him from infancy. He views politics as a way to use his uncomprimising principles to improve lives. A simple enough plot. Yet, the conflict comes in the various moral delimmas that he has to reconcile everyday. For example, he has to weigh his ideals vs. his pragmatism, his adoration of Clinton vs. Clinton's fallacy, campaign promises vs. their actual realization, and even his private life vs. his political ambition. Most poignant was the tug-of-war between his White House loyalty and his own self-preservation. Despite the down to earth writing, it occassionally stalled in political detail that could bore anyone who wasn't politically motivated or familiar with pretty specific events. In response to the book's critics, whether or not you enjoy the "All Too Human" is entirely personal. But, many forgot the intention of the book. It is not a persuasive book in partisan politics, a Clinton tell-all or a justification for past wrongs. It is, however, a candid, frank account of Mr. Stephanopoulous's burning hunger, the people who served him his dreams, and how they, in some ways, soured his dessert. It is full of humor, angst, franzy and pathos wihtout losing its dignity or focus. Probably most notobly, Mr. Strphanopoulous doesn't hesistate to reveal his own shortcomings with humility. "All to Human" could not be a more fitting title for such a tale.
Rating:
Summary: Life next to the Oval Office
Review: George Stephanopoulos certainly saw it all firsthand. A Rhodes Scholar who worked for the Dukakis campaign and for Richard Gephardt, Stephanopoulos joined Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign because Clinton seemed to have it all. As his time progressed and life in the White House became an exciting but difficult reality, depression and other problems set in. In this very in-depth book, Stephanopoulos gives the reader a view inside the Clinton White House that could only come from one with such close access. He writes of both the Clinton Administration's best and worst moments, and pulls no punches when they made mistakes. One particular highlight is his contentious and venemous relationship with former Clinton aide Dick Morris, whose ideas always seemed to conflict with Stephanopoulos. He also manages to present his story in a "just the facts" style; there's no coaching the reader to believe the author's own ideology, so readers of all political viewpoints can read it. If you are a fan of Bill Clinton, this book will remind you of what went both right and wrong. If you hate him, this may remind you of Clinton's worst attributes. Either way, All Too Human is an important study of life in the White House with all of both its positive and negative aspects.
Rating:
Summary: A good portrait of the life of an idealist.....
Review: People who have ranted against this book in their reviews seem to have done it for idelogical reasons (either being conservative, anti-Clinton, or somehow anti-Stephanopolous...) than for it being a bad book.... Really, this is a spectacular book. The author has a slightly gossiupy style; this does not detract from the whole of this book but quite possibly adds to its immediacy. That the book had to be rewritten after the whole Lewinsky scandal broke does not indicate somehow that the author was acting as a revisionist: moreso, it illustrates that he was hurt by the actions of the President both ideologically and personally. This is a tale of how an (very pragmatic) idealist comes of age in the presence of our (somewhat) brilliant, (sometimes) clueless President.... it's not a story about Clinton so much as a tale of the life and times of one of his advisors, it's not about the substance of policy as much as the substance of a soul of a person.... It's a good book: obviously, people could clash with it on a number of fronts... for their own ideology... for their own stand on Clinton... but not say that it is in any way a poorly written, false, or ill-concieved book.... because it is none of these....
Rating:
Summary: Interesting behind the scenes view of the White house
Review: I know nothing about politics, so I chose to read this book to find out a bit more..What I got was a well written, engaging story that gave me insight into what goes on behind the scenes at the white house, how decisions are made, and what goes on in the president's mind when facing tough decisions. One cannot help but be amazed when (s)he reads about all of the strategy and planning that goes on behind the scenes. I liked Stephanopolous' writing style, and narrative tone -- for the most part it was lively, and kept me coming back to read more. There were a couple of parts that were on the boring side, but all in all I really enjoyed this book.
Rating: 
Summary: George, or Stephanopolous, or George Stephanopoulos
Review: While I read the entire thing, and absorbed at least some facts about being a spin-strategist for the President, this wasn't an enjoyable read. It didn't make sense a lot of the time and technical terms were used that I didn't understand. The most annoying part about this book was how the author would mention a person once, using their full name, then refer to that person either by their first name or their last name, depending on his mood. Bothersome.
Rating:
Summary: See George...
Review: See George dream. See George in awe of Bill. See Bill bark and bite at George. See the rest of the people with clout on the hill torment George. See George trying to fight back. See George trying to maintain idealism. See George succumb and surrender to the pressures of the dirty nincompoops and write a book about his experience. That's what it's all about. Pretty good, if ya ask me. (grin)
Rating:
Summary: Well . . .
Review: I approached George Stephanopoulos' "All Too Human" with a certain amount of curiousity. A friend of mine and I who occupy different poles of the Democratic Party's ideological spectrum (I the more conservative, she the more liberal) had given the book a glowing review and I wondered how I would look at it. When I finished I came to a few conclusions. I rather like Stephanopoulos's narrative style- he's honest and forthright about his beliefs and attitudes. I also found his cynicism about the political process was something I could empathize with, given my own disgust for the way 30-second attack ads and slick one-liners have turned politics less into a forum for discussing policy than a war without end. The problem with Stephanopoulos's outlook is that his point-of-view is fundamentally at odds not only with the prevailing wind of the country, but also of Clinton himself. Clinton promised in his presidential campaign to be a different kind of Democrat, more attuned to the concerns and causes of the middle class than his predecessors, a pledge that attracted moderate Democrats like myself to his banner. His first two years in office felt, more than anything else, like a betrayal of that promise. From Stephanopoulos's perspective, Clinton's first two years were more about the failure of communications: Clinton lost not because he had sold out on his campaign promises, but because he failed to communicate his message to the people. From Stephanopoulos's perspective the failure of the administration's communications caused caused Clinton to turn right. From my perspective, it was where Bill Clinton always should have been. What contribution does he make to the understanding of the Clinton White House? Pretty much nil. Okay, Dick Morris is pure slime, but those who follow politics already knew that. Morris's own memoirs do more to convey the man's cynicism and lack of morality than any tirade Stephanopoulos can come up with. There is a certain tinge of jealousy and sour grapes to Stephanopoulos axe-grinding: his rival Morris is evil, like we didn't know *that* already. Democrats like Oklahoma Congressman Dave McCurdy, who an lost election bid in 1994 and blamed his loss on the liberal tilt advisors like Stephanopoulos gave the Administration, is just bitter. His hatred of McCurdy, who he accused of treachery when he voted against the 1993 budget, stems from his belief that McCurdy was jealous of Clinton. From McCurdy's perspective (see Bob Woodward's "The Agenda"), the Administration's budget had failed and wasn't worth voting for. It must be mystifying to such a committed liberal as Stephanopoulos that someone might disagree with him over the course of the Democratic Party, but Dave McCurdy did then and so do I now. One could certainly argue that the Administration's failure to keep to the center path politically in 1993 and 1994 did more to hasten the end of liberalism than Dick Morris ever did. In the end your ideological stripe will go far to determining how much you like this book. If you're a dyed-in-the-wool liberal you'll love it, and if you're a conservative you'll hate it. Myself? I thought it was okay, but found much to disagree with.
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