The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill

Rating:
Summary: Expertly written and researched. A must read
Review: This timely book paints O'Neill as a reluctant public servant. When the book begins, O'Neill is stepping down from a remarkably successful run as CEO of Alcoa. He and his wife are looking forward to retirement and travel when O'Neill's name quickly floats to the top of the list of names for Bush's cabinet.

O'Neill of course, is persuaded to come on board as Treasury Secretary. However, he is almost immediately disappointed with Bush and his policies. O'Neill's notes show a president who is almost completely disengaged with the issues, in stark contrast to the other presidents he had served under.

O'Neill's most provocative claim is that military action against Iraq was on the table as early as ten days into the administration. Additionally, some of the principal players in the administration, such as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld wanted to attack Iraq after 9/11, even before intelligence showed no link between Saddam Hussein and the events of that day. (Such a link was never proven.) The book is backed by some 19,000 pages of official documents and personal notes, many of which the author has posted to his web site.