Rating: 
Summary: This stuff is scary.
Review: Paul O'Neill came to the Bush White House with very impressive credentials. He had worked for several previous Republican Presidents and had been a successful CEO of a major company. He was also a long time friend of several key players in the Bush Administration, most notably Dick Cheney. Almost from the beginning O'Neill began to see signs of trouble. For one thing, the President seemed to treat those who worked for him poorly and worse yet the new Chief Executive didn't really seem to have a clue as to what was going on. Previous Presidents that O'Neill had worked with had meetings with him and asked probing questions that showed deep insight and a desire to learn about what they didn't understand. G.W.B. just sat there with a blank look in his face. Apparently he was that way with most everybody because no one seemed to know what he wanted, a situation that would cause problems.Then there was the first meeting of the NSC. From that point on it was clear to O'Neill that the Administration was determined to go to war with Iraq and was just looking for an excuse. Many will not be inclined to believe Mr. Suskind's book especially regarding Iraq but O'Neill brought with him documents that prove his accusations. Before I go farther, let me say that this book was written by Ron Suskind about Paul O'Neill's experiences in the Bush White House and was written with Mr. O"Neill's complete cooperation and backing. Mr. O'Neill worked with EPA Secretary Whitman on global warming because even as a former CEO he could see that the evidence was pretty conclusive. The extreme right in the White House shot them down however and made Mrs. Whitman look ridicules because she had assumed GWB meant what he said during the campaign. Colin Powell tried to conduct diplomacy in an honorable manner but he too was shot down by Rove and company. When the Enron scandal hit, O'Neill and Alan Greenspan tried to actually fix the problem that had led to that mess. Again Rove and his gang shot them down. Fortunately, O'Neill was able to occasionally push aside the flaky ideas of Larry Lindsey. Lindsey is an extreme right wing economist who on fairly scant credentials had worked his way into the Bush Administration. Give at least some credit to the Administration; Lindsey is gone too. Finally, as the deficits continued to grow and grow, O'Neill began to despair of ever getting the President to understand what he was doing. As that despair grew so did the Treasury Secretary's boldness. The Rove, Card and Cheney gang finally had all they could stand and managed to get rid of O'Neill, much to the disgust of many Republicans including many who had served daddy Bush. So why did Mr. O'Neill decide to help with this book? The Bush team it seems had engaged in some rather low down tactics to hush some other former Administration officials and O'Neill finally decided that he had to speak up and tell the truth. O'Neill told the author that he was old and rich so there was little the Bush men could do to him and the truth has come out. Of course O'Neill has been smeared and belittled by the White House but even though I disagree with Mr. O'Neill on many things he comes across as a sincere and honest man. Honest enough to put the country before party and tell what the current administration is really like. You will find that the writing style in this book is fairly good but a little dry at times. The author seems to assume that everyone will understand some of the economic theory put forth but I occasionally found myself exhibiting the same kind of blank stare the President often wore. All in all though, this is a very good book and every American who doesn't believe we should blindly believe everything the President says should read it and decide for themselves.
Rating: 
Summary: Warped Frustrated Old Bureaucrat
Review: This guy shows up in Washington expecting to start making policy without having a Republican Bone in his body. What he is folks is 100% policy wonk, bureaucrat, and all around busybody. He doesn't have the slightest idea that the good and decent people of this country, especially those who elected George Bush as president, want lower taxes and much less government interference in their lives. Instead, he shows up thinking that it will be business as usual, which means completely ignoring the wishes of the people who put the administration in office, and that he and the other bureaucrats will just get on with the business of governing the country. Of course, this is what every President has done as far back as ONeill can remember. So ONeill's feelings are hurt when GWB wants to govern in a way that will please the republicans and the voters who elected him. Instead of digging in and solving the great "problems" of Washington policy, problems that insiders like ONeill have taken years to create by the way, ONeill has to follow the dictates of a President who is trying to be faithful to his "base". And for that sin, ONeill insinuates that GWB is lacking in intellectual ability and curiosity. Sounds to me like the traditional line that political liberals have taken since the 1960s, to wit, the American people are stupid and we in Washington and in the Elite know better how to live their lives than they do. Its obvious to me that GWB should have fired this guy earlier. He should have been given his pink slip right in the middle of that pathetic safari to Africa with the silly Rock Star. Who knows, maybe he would not have come back, preferring to stay and dig wells or fight AIDS, like a modern day Jimmy Carter. Instead, "Pablo" ONeill has given the democrats a playbook that they are using to attack the Bush Administration with. And this attack has been quite effective, since the book was released. Unfortunately, this will be one more win for the Washington Insiders and Bureaucrats and another loss for the ordinary, decent, honest, and hardworking Americans who pay the freight in this country.
Rating:
Summary: Good--but denying the bias is naive
Review: Ron Suskind is a lovely writer. After finishing his book, that is the first thought that comes to mind. THE PRICE OF LOYALTY is well-written, seamlessly carrying the story from the day Paul H. O'Neill was asked to be the Secretary of the Treasury by George W. Bush to late 2003, a year or so after his firing. While due to the nature of O'Neill's job there is much talk about finance, THE PRICE OF LOYALTY is remarkably clear and readable. It would make an excellent novel; all the characters are perfectly in place. There's the distant, inscrutuable man who heads the country; his Vice President, a man senior Cabinet members thought they knew but are now finding unreadable; Alan Greenspan, the old and trusted friend, a brilliant economic mind himself; Donald Rumsfeld, also an old friend but now in the President's "inner circle"; the "Triumvirate" of sorts, that is so often left out despite their public respect because of centrist views: Christine Todd Whitman, Colin Powell, and, of course, our hero, Paul O'Neill, a nonpolitical man who wants to deal with facts and seek truth. Finally, there is Lawrence Lindsey, O'Neill's advesary, who in the end was fired as well. The problem, however, lies in the book's extreme readability: its truth is easily questioned. Despite O'Neill's claim that, "I'm an old man, and I'm rich [so I have nothing to fear from telling the truth]", THE PRICE OF LOYALTY also states that Paul H. O'Neill had never before been fired. Despite his claims that he doesn't take the firing personally, it is extremely hard to believe that this is entirely true. It is a rare man who does not feel the humiliation of being publically forced from such a position as Treasury Secretary. While Suskind claims to have spoken with others in the research of this book, the fact remains that it is the story of Paul O'Neill and he is the contributor. Therefore, it stands completely to reason that it is slanted, almost so severely that anyone who disagrees with our "hero" is painted as one who does not wish to look out for what is true and the welfare of the people, but rather his own ideals and in the end, politics. This may be true; however it is far from likely that one is either in agreement with Paul O'Neill or wrong. An even larger problem is the book's timing. O'Neill may claim that unfaltering personal loyalty is not loyalty at all, but the fact remains that he is largely responsible for an expose painting his former boss in an extremely unflattering light while that former boss remains in office. While it is ridiculous to expect the Presidential Cabinet to agree on everything--in fact, that would more likely be a detriment than a success--it is not unreasonable to expect them to publicly support each other. Allowing for a "transparent" government, one in which the personal opinions of high-ranking governmnet officials are made public, though apparently a goal of O'Neill's, would also allow for easy pitting of officials against each other and the appearance of instability. While, for example, the (hypothetical) Secretary of State may not agree with the (hypothetical) Secretary of Defense, stating so publicly would undermine authority, therefore causing distrust of the government by the people. THE PRICE OF LOYALTY, despite its noble claim of "telling truth", seeks to do exactly that to President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Lawrence Lindsey, among others. It is hard to get past the fact that this book remains quite one-sided, and no matter what Paul O'Neill says to the contrary, vindictive.
Rating:
Summary: An Eye-Opener
Review: I have found the slew of anti-Bush books either depressing or boring; "The Price of Loyalty" is one of the few books in this catagory that I finished. It kept my attention even with the long descriptions of economic policy. O'Neill confirmed what has been stated already: Bush has little understanding of the issues of our country. And he does not seem interested in learning. I trust this account due to O'Neill being a Republican and being witness to what went on at the White House. If one of his own "people" can reveal all this, Bush is hopefully in a lot of trouble. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: well worth the read
Review: A very insightful must-read look at the inner workings of the Bush administration. What makes this book unusually valuable is the amount of detail it's able to provide since O'Neill is a meticulous note taker with an outstanding memory, who has a deep self-professed commitment to the 'truth'. Will confirm the worst fears of those opposed to this administration, and provides an account that will be very hard for Bush supporters to dismiss given the source. All of the documentation used in the book are posted on the author's website. The accounts and portrayals are one-sided since it's all from the perspective of O'Neill, but he's arguably one of the few insiders who can provide a reasonably objective account of the Bush presidency. This book that will surely haunt the administration in the upcoming election. On a more general level, this book is a vivid demonstration of the absolute necessity of having a knowledgable, open-minded and intelligent leader at the head any complex organization. It will likely prove to be invaluable as a detailed account of a deeply flawed presidency.
Rating:
Summary: It Confirms Our Worst Fears - And Signals The End Of Bush
Review: There are two ways to view this book. One can say it is a naïve portrayal of a cabinet member that worked on the fringes or it is an accurate record of what Bush-Cheney are doing wrong. There is a third view which I think is more accurate and perhaps more damming - and maybe more people have slowly come to accept. Just so that I am honest - I am a "conservative" and previously supported Bush. But now he seems to have no agenda or core values. The book tends to reinforce these ideas. here is what I think has happened - reinforced by the book. (1) The president like his democrat opposites lusted after power and having gained power help their friends - a concept as old as government itself (2) The administration has no financial plan or idea on how to balance the budget and live within their income - so he is not a financially responsible conservative. (3) The government has simply ignored huge domestic problems such as 10 million illegal Mexicans streaming across the borders. (4) The US government is not interested in being a responsible citizen of the world, and the administration dismissed the Kyoto protocols essentially out of hand, spurns the vetoes at the UN by its European allies accompanied by derogatory remarks and much anti old Europe propaganda, continues to path of lawless action outside of norms of international laws and invades Iraq on a pretense that now appears quite false - killing thousands of Iraqi's and perhaps thousands of Americans at a cost of hundreds of millions - the jury is still out. (5) Government propaganda is the norm and the "war on terrorism" a cover for more reckless actions including expansion of the budget adding hundreds of thousands of permanent government employees - a big spending liberal dressed in the clothes of a "good old boy" conservative. In any case the book probably signals the end of Bush, but will the dem's do better job at management? Probably not. But at least there will be grid lock in the government and spending will stop and maybe it will be a better world citizen. My humble opinion. Jack in Toronto
Rating:
Summary: Those dashes drive me crazy
Review: Though I think this is an important book and anybody in America who is planning to vote should read it, I want to address something else. Mr. Suskind has a profound love of the punctuation "dash" (--). My rough estimate is that he uses on average 2 pairs per page, and on some pages 4.5 pairs! They interupt the flow of the sentances and drive me crazy! So a suggestion to the author: if you want more people to get through your book, take your hands off those dashes!
Rating:
Summary: Stunning
Review: This is without a doubt one of the most revealing and breath taking accounts of how the Bush Administration works. O'Neill and Suskind has done a great job making this a fantastic book that you cannot put down. Amazing insights into the way Bush works as well as into some of the finer details of Tax legislation and politics in general. O'Neill was and is clearly one of a kind and it is a shame that Bush did not have the courage to let him do his job. For sure some of the prominent cabinet members as well as White House staffers will have glowing red ears when they read this.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing Insider's Perspective
Review: "The Price of Loyalty" is an insider's perspective on an inside fight -- inside the Republican Party and particularly inside the Bush '43 White House. Suskind's book articulates the view of former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill that the ideological wing of the Republican Party has ascended. O'Neill, representing the pragmatic wing, is appalled. Democratic and Republican pragmatists may be perturbed by what they read. Politics inevitably influences policy, and that may even be a good thing. But science should not be enslaved to ideology, as it was in the Bush '43 White House's Kyoto Protocol deliberations. Tax cuts should not be enacted to please the Republican base at the price of a huge deficit, when responsible counsel (Alan Greenspan) points to an economy already on the mend and to long-term disastrous effects of that deficit. American soldiers should not be sent to foreign lands to fight and die without compelling reason. "The Price of Loyalty" makes the case that all of these unhappy occurrences transpired. This book is more memoir than policy tome, but it articulates convincing positive positions that thoughtful members of both major parties could endorse, but which never saw legislative daylight. For example, fiscal prudence. For example, a paltry twenty-five million dollar foreign aid investment in an African country's water system that would have provided all its water needs, saved lives and exponentially advanced that country's economy -- creating a reservoir of good will that would have payed dividends far into the future. This book gives credit where credit is due. O'Neill admired some members of the administration -- for example, Christine Todd Whitman (now gone), Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice (whom O'Neill praises as an "honest broker" of divergent viewpoints). Karen Hughes he compliments as pragmatic. "The Price of Loyalty" raises questions for the reader to answer. O'Neill admired President Ford's amazing grasp of issues and rigorous thought process. Ford did not win re-election. O'Neill also admired George H.W. Bush. Bush '41 did not win re-election. So, for a book that extols pragmatism and denigrates the opposite, the question arises: is the Bush '43 White House in its own way more pragmatic than its immediate Republican predecessors? Isn't it smart for politics to trump policy? The answer lies in the attentiveness of the American voter and the kind of leader they want. Personally, I think O'Neill is prophetic, but time will tell whether he is a prophet of the Cassandra variety.
Rating:
Summary: O'Neill hits the nail on the head..
Review: For anyone that thinks this book is not accurate is way off base. O'Neill has first hand knowledge of meetings and provided Suskin with over 19,000 pages of documentation. He has minutes from meetings with the president and is one of the most respected businessmen in the country. Of all of the executives in 43's White House only O'Neill has transformed a company. Bush has never been a great CEO and Cheney left Haliburton in a mess from acquisitions of company's that have left Haliburton in litigation on asbestos.
For anyone to say this is not an objective review does not know O'Neill's history in Washington or running a Fortune 500 company. As far as Woodward's account of the President I am not sure of the last policy meeting he has sat in or access to any NSC meetings. He is a great writer, but not one that can refute any of O'Neill's claims.
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