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Rating: 
Summary: A mixed review
Review: A insatiable reader of books on TR, I was immediately drawn to "Carry a Big Stick" by its small size and by its wealth of quotes from the President (something many authors neglect). Grant is unabashedly hero-worshipping here: no negatives are to be found. If one begins "Stick" with this in mind it can be accepted and tolerated. Though it is often colored by Grant's conservative ideology (he tags turn of the 20th century politicians with turn of the 21st century labels - and greatly underrepresents some of TR's progressive leanings), it does reveal some facts about Roosevelt's religious convictions and church activities - something that is absolutely ignored in most modern biographies of historic figures. The book is less a chronological account than a look by turns at each facet of the multi-talented and constantly moving President.
Rating: 
Summary: "Grand" Leadership!
Review: Few books are as tightly written for their clarity of thought and purpose in conveying what is required to rise above the level of mediocrity. The examples given of his life and accomplishments are very inspiring and sobering at the same time. I cannot imagine for one moment that any potential reader of this book would come away unaffected by one's lack of accomplishments and yet at the same time be wanting to make a concerted effort mentally and physically to make a difference. If more men and women knew the potential within themselves to accomplish things as Roosevelt did, there is little doubt that this world would be different.
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Summary: My, wasn't that just bully!
Review: George Grant has written a delightful book about a delightful man.
Rating: 
Summary: Errors galore in this Conservative Christian propaganda!
Review: I've read 40+ plus books by or about TR and this is the worst, one-sided view of this complex, multi-facted man. This is as bad as the radical-left "Howard Zinn-ism" revisionist history of TR's foreign policies. There are too many "blatant" errors to list in this mini-review, but just for starters: 1). TR did not, as the author claims, visit his mother's Georgia plantation "10 or more times". It is well documented that TR only visited Bulloch Hall twice -once as president and once post-White House. He did not have a very high opinion of most Southerners, despite the author's claims to the contrary. His wife abhorred most Southerners. 2). TR did not force his children, particulary Alice, to attend church every Sunday. Edith was the religious task master of the family and in her quiet manner usually rounded up all kids, except for Alice. Alice was a well-known, open atheist from her teen years until she died. TR and Edith had accepted the teenager's refusal to be confirmed in the Episcopal church or any other church. Their son Archie also grew up to be an agnostic. 3). TR most certainly did NOT shower Edith with flowers and jewels. He never even remembered her birthday (though he never forgot the date of their engagement and wedding anniversay). Edith hated receiving extravagent gifts from anyone, especially her husband. They did have a very happy marriage and home life but he also known for taking off on 3-month hunting trips soon after Edith would deliver another baby. 4). TR most certainly did like to attend parties and was a professional social butterfly because he knew he would probably end up as the main attraction - just what his ego needed. The author paints TR as a man who shunned social gatherings to be with his family 24/7. Definitely not true. He LOVED being around people of all and any type, though his wife certainly like to stoke the home fires more than making the social rounds. 5). TR never made any speeches about abortion. Abortion was not on the radar screen in his time. The author uses quotes that TR said about women not wanting to get married and raise families to make it seem as though TR were speaking direcly on the subject of abortion. 6). TR believed in and preached on the separation of Church and State. He wanted to remove "In God We Trust" from the US coinnage and even pushed one of the leading artists of that time, Grant LaFarge, to create a new design. The "religious right" of his time went ballistic over this decision and he later backed down. He made many speeches proclaiming that the Church stay out of the affairs of the State. Indeed, he was a strong, "old school" Christian who did preach to the citizens the value of religion, a happy home life, and following the morals one teaches to his/her children. However, he also thought a country would head down the dangerous path if a certain religion or belief were forced upon its citizens. I would not recommend this book on TR to ANYONE.
Rating:
Summary: A mixed review
Review: In some ways, this is a very good book. It does a great job of bringing to light the many virtues of a most interesting and complex man. It sorts out the various aspects of Roosevelt's life and personality very nicely and does so in an engaging manner. TR was a fascinating man, and I really enjoyed learning more about him. But "Carry a Big Stick" also has some serious problems. For one thing, TR's blind spots and political mistakes are not even touched on, much less discussed in any depth. This makes the narrative somewhat facile and simple-minded, not the thorough, intelligent treatment that I would like in a biography. In some ways, the hagiographic nature of the book did not bother me overly much because I bought the book for my bright 5th grader. She was supposed to read a presidential biography for a school project. Having a treatment that deals only with the most admirable aspects of the person seems appropriate for this circumstance. Unfortunately, the vocabulary in this book is too advanced for someone in the 5th-7th grades, even if the level of discourse is not. In the end, my daughter and I read the book together, stopping every few sentences so that I could provide a synonym for a difficult word. Now you might think this is not so bad, but if an author is going to write a simplistic biography, why not make it accessible to the most likely audience? In most cases, the esoteric words were not necessary, and I could easily come up with synonyms that my daughter knew. What finally made me decide that I really didn't like the book was that toward the end it took on a political tone, very preachy and heavy-handed. It showed that the author had a very conservative political agenda that had little to do with Theodore Roosevelt. Until the last 50 pages or so, I enjoyed the book, but the end really ruined it for me. I was VERY glad that I was reading it along with my daughter because I was able to provide some perspective to counteract the political propaganda.
Rating:
Summary: Carry A Big Stick
Review: This is an incredible book, that truly gives you the insight of one of the greatest men that ever lived. Filled with many incredible principles to live by, you WILL enjoy this book and the excitement it brings to your life!
Rating:
Summary: Carry A Big Stick
Review: This is an incredible book, that truly gives you the insight of one of the greatest men that ever lived. Filled with many incredible principles to live by, you WILL enjoy this book and the excitement it brings to your life!
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring¿a ¿scout manual¿ for accomplishment
Review: When _Carry a Big Stick_ came across my desk, I was attracted to its small physical size and quick introduction to the hero rather than the usual ritual recapitulation of the rigors of writing. I kept reading because George Grant choreographed words with a modest glamour seldom seen on the 90s litterary stage-such as "standardless pragmatism and cunning latitudinarianism," and "orthodoxy invariably begets orthopraxy." Teddy Roosevelt is inspiring in both drive and humility in Grant's tale, intentionally the essence of TR, with a bias for Grant's view of character. Not "just another biography," because it shows what might have been Roosevelt's better side, _Stick_ could itself become a guidebook of measured success. TR did not sip life; he gulped it. He did not nibble at knowledge; he gorged on it. He did not stroll; he charged! His style-as much as any accomplishment-is his legacy. The chronology and the differentiation between TR, his father, and FDR are helpful to the non-historian. Near its end, the book becomes repetitious-whether because the author circles again to moralize or has finally gotten the hang of cut and paste. Overlooking that, if you could use an infusion of passion, want to rethink what you're doing, or just want to do more or better, you might make this little volume your "scout manual" for a week!
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