Rating: 
Summary: Why Not....The Worst? (Presidents, that is)
Review: Modesty is rarely a politician's strong suit. When he sought his country's highest office in 1976, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter titled his campaign memoir "Why Not The Best?" The former president, no doubt, would not be happy to find himself included in this far less flattering work. In this witty and informative volume, author Nathan Miller focuses on Carter and nine other chief executives who he rates as the worst presidents in our history.Some of his choices--Andrew Johnson, U.S. Grant, Warren Harding, Benjamin Harrison, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan--are pretty much consensus picks. The inclusion of Carter and Richard Nixon will no doubt stir the ire of their partisans. And putting Calvin Coolidge and William Howard Taft on the "ten worst" list is definitely debatable. But that's part of the fun of this book. Miller writes with an obvious delight for his subject matter. Whether you agree with his conclusions or not, you will have to concede he lays out his arguments with a definite sense of conviction. Perhaps the greatest prospect for debate will be the epilogue, in which he argues that Thomas Jefferson and John Kennedy are our two most overrated chief executives. Although these tales of incompetence, corruption and failure might seem disheartening after a while, there's one positive thought the reader is left with when it's all over....we've survived this bunch, so we're likely to survive a few more turkeys!
Rating: 
Summary: So So
Review: Mr. Miller's rendition of the 10 worst presidents is a good overview. It's a collection of brief generalizations with a few anecdotes for each, ranking the top ten (or bottom ten, depending on your point of view) from bad to terrible. The author does make you think; James Buchanan was never seen without his Senator bachelor roommate. Warren Harding's wife refused permission for an autopsy, lending speculation that she poisoned him. I'd like to think that I'd come to the same conclusions if I read a biography on each president he talks about. Overall, though, if you've an opportunity to add this to your Presidential Biographical collection, I recommend to do so.
Rating:
Summary: An O.K. Overview
Review: While the title kind of warns us that this might be a bit "fluffy," sensationalistic, or overly cynical, it is fortunately none of these things. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean there's a lot of depth to this work. Miller does a competent job of picking ten of our less distinguished Presidents and compiling lots of well-documented facts about their respective administrations. The book does a satisfactory job of telling us why someone is on his ten worst list. But the facts pretty much do this for us already without the need for much synthesis or supporting argument. In fact, it's hard to argue with any of his choices...with one exception. I did find Miller's choice for the absolute worst President rather surprising and far too critical considering this President's skills and accomplishments (although I should note that I'm not a big fan of the 37th President). While I understand Miller's point, I really needed some more support for his argument. Short on interesting arguments, viewpoints, or in-depth analysis, this book could still make for a nice quick read if you're looking for an overview.
Rating:
Summary: An O.K. Overview
Review: While the title kind of warns us that this might be a bit "fluffy," sensationalistic, or overly cynical, it is fortunately none of these things. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean there's a lot of depth to this work. Miller does a competent job of picking ten of our less distinguished Presidents and compiling lots of well-documented facts about their respective administrations. The book does a satisfactory job of telling us why someone is on his ten worst list. But the facts pretty much do this for us already without the need for much synthesis or supporting argument. In fact, it's hard to argue with any of his choices...with one exception. I did find Miller's choice for the absolute worst President rather surprising and far too critical considering this President's skills and accomplishments (although I should note that I'm not a big fan of the 37th President). While I understand Miller's point, I really needed some more support for his argument. Short on interesting arguments, viewpoints, or in-depth analysis, this book could still make for a nice quick read if you're looking for an overview.
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