Rating: 
Summary: A Compelling and Insightful Biography
Review: As a Texan, I especially appreciated how well Mitchell evokes the Midland landscape and people. I also found myself drawn into the compelling dramas of the Bush family, especially the way the family seemed to rally around George Senior and feel protective of him. Mitchell writes with empathy when describing the family's losses, but she can be sharp too-- when she describes their distaste for reading, for example. I felt as if I really knew these people, their foibles and their charms. Now when I see George W. Bush on television, even when he seems to be doing his best to be bland, I think about specific and well-told anecdotes in Mitchell's book that demonstrate both his tendency to take credit for things he's not responsible for, and his generosity and sense of humor. (I have to take issue with the reviewer who questions the reporting--Mitchell's sources are reliable ones, and it's not clear where the reviewer has found his facts.) I highly recommend this book. Mitchell tells the story with such care and insight that one can imagine what George W. might be like as a president. Not all political writers can tell a story so well, in such elegant and engaging prose.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, but not exactly the most focused.
Review: As opposed to some of the other George W. biographies, it wasn't readily apparent whether the author was a fan of the not-yet president-elect. This adds a bit to the objectivity of the book. I feel I could believe the author.I did think that she spent a bit more time than necessary at times talking about his father George and his brother Jeb. It is understandable that they do have an influence on W (the book points out where some ideas and phrases were borrowed for the father's and the brother's campaigns while W was running for governor), but I think the author went into more depth on them than was necessary. One of the major factors in W's credibility is that he was governor of Texas. I don't think that the author spend enough time there to really give us a good idea of how his actions in office match his objectives for his campaign. I thought this could have used a bit more coverage. Not the best biography out there, but I would still recommend reading it. When rea
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but not exactly the most focused.
Review: As opposed to some of the other George W. biographies, it wasn't readily apparent whether the author was a fan of the not-yet president-elect. This adds a bit to the objectivity of the book. I feel I could believe the author. I did think that she spent a bit more time than necessary at times talking about his father George and his brother Jeb. It is understandable that they do have an influence on W (the book points out where some ideas and phrases were borrowed for the father's and the brother's campaigns while W was running for governor), but I think the author went into more depth on them than was necessary. One of the major factors in W's credibility is that he was governor of Texas. I don't think that the author spend enough time there to really give us a good idea of how his actions in office match his objectives for his campaign. I thought this could have used a bit more coverage. Not the best biography out there, but I would still recommend reading it. When rea
Rating:
Summary: A Refreshing Account of a Good Man and a Great Family
Review: Don't be misled by the title! I began this book under the assumption that this book was designed to slam the 43rd President of the United States. Surprisingly, it is no such thing, and from my perspective, the book was a wonderful account of "Dubya" and his development as a human being - just like the rest of us. I found it very entertaining and wonderfully written. I recommend it to all people interested in learning about our president, and I implore those who would chastise one political party or another to be as objective as possible when reviewing works such as these. Simply, this book is educational, informative, and best of all, a pleasure to read.
Rating:
Summary: POLITICAL WRITER SCORES WELL WITH EXCELLENT BUSH BIOGRAPHY
Review: Elizabeth Mitchell, ironically a political writer for George magazine, has done very well in the writing of her first published book, a biography of popular Texas governor George W. Bush, the 2000 presidential election frontrunner. Maintaining an adequately neutral position in the process, Mitchell has penned an entertaining bio that resonates with the boundless energy and competitive fire that have come to be associated with Governor George W. Bush. An informative and worthwhile look at possibly the next to serve us as President of the United States.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful!
Review: Former Texas Governor Ann Richards once delivered this unforgettable quip about George W. Bush: "Poor George, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth." Basically, that line has defined the media's portrayal of Bush ever since. He is depicted as the privileged, but none-too-bright scion of a political dynasty. Of course, as is the case with all really good insults, there is more than a little truth to Richard's words. But is there more to the man? That's the critical question of the 2000 presidential election, and for an answer, we at getAbstract.com recommend Elizabeth Mitchell's skillfully written account of the pampered life and tobacco-chewing times of W. Although the Bush family declined to cooperate with this particular bio, many family friends offered their insights, and the figure that emerges from their descriptions is far more complex than his late-night comedy caricature might suggest. Mitchell's superbly documented research reveals that the man who many imply is running for office simply because he has nothing better to do, is in fact guided by two powerful motives: personal redemption and family revenge. The latter agenda is clear: W. will avenge his father's defeat by striking down Al Gore, heir to the Clinton legacy. The personal redemption is a bit more difficult to isolate, but has something to do with measuring up to his father and discrediting critics like Ann Richards, who is, as we mentioned, the former governor of Texas. Smirk.
Rating:
Summary: If only the entire media was this fair to everyone
Review: It has been said that following in political family steps is often the most stressful way to make a living. You have a responsibility and family name to uphold and you are under constant scrutiny for everything you do. George W. Bush has made a political living out of defying the odds and this book is an excellent example of this. Mitchell's clear, concise and definitive look and what many are calling the next President is a remarkable story from beginning to the very end. Mitchell gives you a vast look into the man that has revitalized the Republican Party. The book goes into W's life from his childhood and college years, through his leadership in the state of Texas. What I found most fascinating about the whole book is the way the author remain objective in detailing how George W. learned the political game from watching dad. The book takes a look into a man the press knows very little about. The book and the author should be congratulated for the outstanding work. I highly recommend this book to anyone working politics or those wanting to get involved. Excellent job!
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the beef?
Review: Mitchell chooses to focus on the early years of Dubya, bringing him up as one would in a full length biography from his boyhood years to his formative years in the oil business and stumping for his father's political campaigns. She seems to have an overall favorable impression of Dubya, although she points out the various indescretions along the way, including his fraternity days at Yale. I suppose this information is helpful to those who want to get a more familiar picture of Dubya, but my interest was in his political aspirations, his first bid for a US Representative seat from Texas (1978) and his successful bid for Governor of Texas (1994). Mitchell gives this period suprisingly short shrift. She also brushes over his oil ventures and the partnership he helped form to buy the Texas Rangers. She is critical of the leading role he assumed in the baseball partnership, and in the Presidential campaigns of his father, but in both cases gives him the benefit of the doubt. She builds up the relationship between father and son and how Dubya more or less patterned his life after his father, achieving success only after his father had failed in his re-election bid. She notes how Dubya was the natural-born campaigner, able to reach out to the people where his father wasn't, and how his re-affirmation in the church helped him to gain this constituency. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of meat to this book, it capitalized on the attention Bush got after seizing the White House. There have been much more thorough books written since this publication.
Rating:
Summary: Good Overview
Review: This is an interesting book that takes a look at George W. Bush and how his life shaped him all the way up to his running for President. The main premise of the book is that GW is following in his father footsteps out of love and admiration for him and a strong sense of duty. The author also gives us about 50% of the book on the first George Bush and his life story which is needed to show you how close GW follows in his footsteps. I would have liked a bit more detail on the other Bush children though, as the author states that all the children have a desire to follow in the father's footsteps. I really did not expect this book to provide me all the details it did about the first President George Bush. That was a pleasant surprise for me. We get a good run down of his overall life and some interesting details about his time as VP and President. I also enjoyed reading how he felt a responsibility and loyalty to Nixon enough to take the RNC post. I actually came away with a better understanding of the father as both a person and a leader. I thought some of the insights also made the Bush handling of the 92 race a little clearer for me. The fist part of the book makes you think this is a love fest book put out by the GW campaign. To be honest, I really did not get that much out of all the details of him in grade school / high school. The book really started to matter to me when the author got into his time in College and later. Once GW started to move on in life the less then faltering facts started to populate the book. Given that that author gives you so many facts, both good and bad, you get a balanced look and the book, in its totality, comes off as a balanced report. I actually did think the author could have played up some of the questions on the Viet Nam issue and the business failures / bailouts to get a more sensational book. The one area that I would have liked more detail on was the major successes of GW. The book does a good job of running down his less then stellar business career, but I also wanted more detail on his work on his father's campaign. What the book does say on that point makes GW out to be good at the roll he was a playing - I wanted more detail. I also thought we got shortchanged on his run for the Governor and his service in the office. I wanted more detail on his major accomplishments in office. Basically I felt the author rushed this part through to get to print. This book will not be the end all be all biography of his years before he became President, it is a bit light for that. What the book is though, is a very readable and interesting look at GW and his relationship with his father. If you are interested in either of these two men then this is a good way to learn some facts and not get bogged down in a heavy work.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as unbiased as it claims
Review: Unfortunately this book is a "white wash" meant to gloss over critical areas of its' subject, ignoring rather than dealing with certain questions. The jacket of the book mentions in so many words that Ms. Mitchell writes an unbiased bio, presenting facts and this is what attracted me the book in the first place. I like to be knowlegable on the candidates and when choosing a book on one of them I look for a "middle of the road" or "fair" approach as opposed to a book written solely to tear down a candidate or one written to make them look like the next best thing to sliced bread. Unfortunatly, this book leans hevily towards the latter, while claming to be unbiased. A couple brief instances: The book glosses over the GW's public middle school years - something he brags about during his speeches on the campaign trail (leaving out of course that he only spent one year there and the rest of the time in very exclusive prep schools). The book illustrates his acceptance in to Yale, but totally leaves out the fact that he was denied his first choice - Uni. of Texas! To me a well rounded bio will show strenghths and weaknesses along with the subjects' wins and losses. Alas, this book ignores anything that could be as construed as negative as to make me doubt the validity of any other anecdote or life story told within its' pages. Obviously, like many works, this was apparently rushed out - the authors' introduction talks about how GW easily swept the primaries, which it looked like he was going to do last summer - but as we know he didn't "sweep" the primary. Yes he won, but it was a long expensive primary for the candidate that was hard fought. It appears to me that the author's intention with this book was to present a white washed look as opposed to a fair minded view of its' subject.
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