Rating: 
Summary: The Right Man
Review: David Frum takes a man, whom his critics have called everything but late for breakfast, and gives the reader insights into a personality which has risen to the challenges of the Presidency with grace, style, and commitment. He has stumbled in the past two years, but he has not fallen and Frum's words shows the reader Pres. Bush's successes and failures in eloquent words that sweep along to fill a picture of a challenged man. Excellent!
Rating: 
Summary: The Right Man? AN EDUCATED VIEW
Review: THIS IS A A QUICK REVIEW FOR A BOOK THAT CARRIES NO WATER!!
i thought the author- david frum- ignored all the complications and ill business choices that were ignored during bush's run for govenor of texas in the 1990's. also, mr. frum's inability to present the 'other side' of bush when he ran for the presidency; his rocky past with business affairs as well as his inexperience in foreign affairs- these matters have come back to haunt us today, by both economic and diplomatic areas .
overall, this book is very one-sided, it left me asking more questions than ever about our president: is he the right man for the job? could we (the american people) have picked a better person for the most important position in the free world?
Rating: 
Summary: Bush as a Leader
Review: David Frum worked as a Bush speechwriter and had five minutes of fame for coining the phrase "axis of evil." He wasn't a supporter of President Bush when he campaigned for President and many of his friends were skeptical of Bush when he took a job as one of his speechwriters. "The Bush-mokers were not all Democrats. In the summer of 2001, I was invited to a large dinner party in New York City in honor of Governor George Pataki. It was a hot July evening, and the guests were standing on a brick terrace that ran the length of our hosts' apartment....'I realized,' Pataki quipped, 'that if he can be President, I certainly can be governor.' The crowd tittered appreciatively. As the the others laughed, the few Republicans present exchanged weary glances. If Bush's old Yale acquaitance and the most prominent Republican governor in the country endorsed the dismissive view of Bush's abilities, how was anybody to be convinced otherwise, " so Frum writes. As Frum writes about the first 8 months of Bush's Presidency he reminds us of how it just seemed to drift. What I took from this book is that Bush had no overwhelming goals he wanted to accomplish when he got in the White House - accept to be the opposite of Clinton and try to bring a moral tone and respect to the White House. Bush it seems wanted to BE President - not act as President. In the first few months that is. Caught in the worst of circumstances - an election no one won and an economy and stock market going down the toilet - Bush had no real mandate from the American people and found that doing much of anything was difficult. Frum thought the political enviroment would get worse. He left for a vacation in August of 2001 and thought about not returning to the White House. Then came September 11th and Frum gives an insiders account of what it was like to be a White House staffer during the attacks and in the months that followed. The book explains why those first impressions of Bush were wrong and what type of leader he really was - or became. He doesn't gloss over his personal shortcomings and explains how his quirks make him "the right man." I read this book not looking for a Bush puff piece or looking for reasons to tear him apart. I wanted to get a feel for how Bush operates and this book delivered. - "Bush was not a lightweight. He was, rather a very unfamiliar type of heavyweight. Words often failed him, his memory somtimes betrayed him, but his vision was large and clear. And when he perceived new possibilities, he had the courage to act on them - a much less common virtue in politics than one might suppose." - he writes. On foreign policy leading up to the Iraq war: "He would not commit himself to any one course of action until he must...sometimes, instead of trying one course of actions first and another later, Bush would allow both to develop, to give himself more time to decide which was superior." No other book gives you this close of a look at Bush than this one. Woodward's Bush at war comes close, but is colored by the people who were interviewed for it. Unlike the Woodward book, this one tries to give some analysis of what makes Bush tick. The author inserts his own voice into it - which is approriate in this type of work. Good crisp writing. Although most people will focus on the narrative and events of September 11th in the book, I found that what I took away from the book was the portrait of Bush. In the end - like Bush or not - Frum shows how those first impressions of him were wrong. It also gives the reader a good idea of what Bush's strategy in the war on terrorism is and how he believes Iraq fits into it. Frum notes that Bush became taken in by historian Bernard Lewis's views of the Middle East - the Muslim world has been in decay for centuries and terrorism will continue until Islam changes. We have to keep fighting back until Islam changes. Eventually it will. Bush desires to nudge history forward by bringing Democracy to Iraq and trying to plant a seed that will begin to modernize the region.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely a page turner! Best book I've read in years!!!
Review: This has got to be one of the best written book ever. The way David Frum presents his case make alot of sense as the rationale behind many of the issues we saw in the press. He presents a side of the story the liberal press chooses to ignore, thus in turn deceiving the American people. You must read this book, I guarantee that you will be enlightened.
Rating: 
Summary: Suprisingly average
Review: This book had all the signs of a good book: a white house insider as the author, a good subject, and a great title but despite all this it wasn't a great book. It was average. The opening chapters about Frum's first impressions of Bush are great but as it gets further into the book it seems as if Frum is trying to draw Bush's first 18 months in office out to fill more pages. The basic subject of each chapter was great, however I do think if frum would have cut the book in half it would have held my attention better and given me the same understanding of what he was trying to get across.
Rating:
Summary: Insight only a Canadian Could Provide
Review: I loved this book! Frum's self depreciating writing style is perfect for this "fly on the wall" account of the inter workings of Bush's Whitehouse. Many American scholars are so overwhelmed by the "Regal" nature of the Presidency they often are unable to give a truly unbiased assessment of the Man in the Office. Frum's Canadian background, his mother was a famous and beloved Canadian journalist, allows him to remain both a part of the Whitehouse, and an outsider, looking in, a role all Canadians learn to master at a young age. As Frum's journey through the Whitehouse progresses we are given a front row seat into the devastation 911 wrought on the nation. But we also see the hope that defines America, and the unwavering American sprit. From Frum's vantage point as an "Outsider on the Inside" the reader is given a clear and unbiased portrait of the President. Far from the cartoonist image the media presented for consumption pre 911, on the inside we can see that President Bush is, and always was, the Leader we needed. As a Canadian I was disappointed to read of Frum's decision to take out American citizenship. Living in California, as I do, the events of 911 seemed distant and remote. Had I been in Washington or New York, perhaps I too would have been compelled to seek out American Citizenship in the wake of all that happened.
Rating:
Summary: The Right Book on the Right Man
Review: David Frum's memoir of his year as presidential speechwriter for Goerge W. Bush is an exceptional book; it's very well written (as you'd expect)while providing a fascinating insight to the inner workings of the White House. Frum's limited access to President Bush as a speechwriter provides a more objective perspective than one usually gets from the memoirs of a former White House staffer. Of course, the terrorism of September 11 is the centerpiece of the author's conclusion that George W. Bush found the true purpose of his presidency in the aftermath of that tragic day. The "axis of evil" phrasing is fully explained by the intial author, Frum. Then, only Iraq was the nation obviously earning that dubious description. Since then, North Korea and Iran have shown themselves equally deserving of the title. Overall, a solid book that should be required reading for anyone interested why President Bush is so committed to an Iraq without "the evil ones".
Rating:
Summary: GRAP - Good Read for those with Ambiguous Personalities
Review: This is the best photograph a reader can have of GWB. Frum has done a good job with this book, with great amount of details and aspects of the current presidency. GWB is the sort of person one can admire or not, difficult to find a middle ground due to his strong and defined personality. He is a man that knows what execution means and the implicit costs that that carries. At the end, you can determine the quality of a person by the caliber of his/her enemies. As with many other good presidents, in the US and other countries, we will see the very good results of this presidency in the long run.
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Summary: Faith Can Compromise Presidency - Paul R. Henggeler
Review: Paul R. Henggeler, associate professor of history at the University of Texas, Pan American, in Edinburg, is the author of several books, including "The Kennedy Persuasion: The Politics of Style Since 'There is only one reason I am in the Oval Office and not in a bar," President George W. Bush once reportedly said. "I found faith. I found God. I'm here because of the power of prayer." Prior to his conversion, Bush enjoyed beer and parties, had brushes with the law, and was a chronic underachiever. As president, he cites Jesus as the "political philosopher" who most influences him. He says he consults the Bible for political advice. We now learn from "The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush," a new book by ex-speechwriter and conservative thinker David Frum, that White House advisers attend Bible study groups not because they are required to but because they are expected to. According to Frum, Evangelicalism has made some policy makers "the gentlest souls, the most patient, the least argumentative." Following Bill Clinton's failure in character, some Americans may find assurance in a president who turns to the Bible to become a better person. Indeed, Bush laces his most newsworthy speeches with biblical references. He identifies America with the forces of good as he battles "the Axis of Evil." Most recently, the loss of the Columbia shuttle inspired a quote from the Prophet Isaiah. Whatever faith's actual influence on policy making may be, however, it offers no guarantee for effective decisions. Indeed, history suggests that strict religious doctrine can lead to black-and- white reasoning, especially during war. A devout Presbyterian, Woodrow Wilson believed God ordained him to be president. "God save us from compromise," he once noted. "He who is not with me is against me." He defined America's entrance into The Great War as a moral crusade from which good must arise. During the Senate debate over America's joining the League of Nations, Wilson emerged a tragic figure, preferring defeat over modestly accommodating his political opponents. One does not compromise with God. Likewise, Herbert Hoover's Quaker faith in community volunteerism proved wholly inadequate in treating the catastrophic problems of the Great Depression. The faith upon which our most admired presidents drew strength was usually more ambiguous than Bush's and balanced with a rich humanity. Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt both knew the Scriptures and saw history as the working out of God's will. Neither were avid church goers, and Lincoln was especially wary of organized religion. For both men, faith was a private, personal matter that rejected dogma. Eleanor Roosevelt once asked her husband if he was convinced of the truth of Christian doctrine. "I never really thought much about it," he said. "I think it is just as well not to think about things like that too much." For Lincoln, humor, usually at his own expense, comforted him most. One of his favorite stories involved a conversation between two women. "I think that Jefferson Davis will succeed," one said. "Why does thee think so?" asked the second. "Because Jefferson is a praying man," replied the first. "And so is Abraham a praying man," the second responded. "Yes," lamented the first, "but the Lord will think Abraham is joking." God, even one as ironic as Lincoln's, has long occupied the White House. But presidential Bible study is new and potentially risky. Less "spiritual" advisers could become marginalized, their input lost in a moralistic haze. Frum writes that he felt alienated upon hearing a colleague being gently reproached for missing Bible study. Issues run the risk of becoming simplified as good or evil. A missionary zeal can create a belief system resistant to outside facts and information. However noble the gentle, non-combative temperament of Evangelicals may be, decision making sometimes requires passionate disagreement. Lyndon Johnson's unChristian-like deviousness helped persuade legislators to pass the most important civil rights bills since Reconstruction. This was the same president who drove reporters around his Texas ranch, holding a beer in one hand while using his Stetson to cover the speedometer. Everyone wants to feel uncomplicated resolve. But sociological studies on the nature of professional conduct in organizational settings suggest that leaders who rely on religious templates when making decisions are less likely to make good decisions than those who consult experienced authority. As many presidents can attest, even experts can be wrong. But the Bible would have offered President John F. Kennedy little practical guidance in removing Soviet missiles from Cuba. Instead, he turned to Barbara Tuchman's book "The Guns of August," mindful of avoiding the blundering misjudgments which sparked World War I. In weighing the momentous options over Iraq, the best question asked might not be what would Jesus do, but what might our best presidents have advised? God will hopefully serve Bush well. But he might leave room for humility, the lessons of history and his often heralded instincts, street-smarts and common sense.
Rating: 
Summary: Democracy, not theocracy
Review: When Bush the Elder began talking of the "New World Order", I was filled with dread for the future. Now, when I read of national policymakers holding White House bible study sessions, I join the ranks of the terrorized. Professor Paul R. Henggeler's just-published article on this book at least gives me some sorely needed comfort. Past presidents have made similar mistakes, and yet America survives. I do continue to wonder though how such esteemed policy advisors could be so timid as to submit to group bible study with their colleagues. The more the world sees, rightly or wrongly, an administration driven by religious beliefs, the more difficult our position in the world will become. War has everything to do with man and his weaknesses and nothing to do with anyone's God.
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