Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant and important analysis, the must-read book of 2004
Review: As a psychotherapist, trained in psychodynamic theory, I was initially skeptical that Justin Frank could successfully write a convincing analysis of Bush when he hadn't met or treated him. But many of us - with psychodynamic knowledge or not - who have watched him numerous times on television and read about his personal and political history, have been all-too-aware of:- Bush's dissociation, revealed in the disconnection and often overt contradiction between his words and actions;
- the incoherence, simplicity and polarizations evident in his thinking and communications;
- his inability to acknowledge and take responsibility for his mistakes;
- his tendency to project all evil outside himself;
- his paranoid and persecutory behavior, focused on an obsessive desire to "get the enemy" and glee in his and his administration's ability to flaunt its power and unmask and punish "evildoers";
- his blind aggression often masked by sarcasm and rationalization;
- his certainty that he is chosen by God and that his actions are blessed by God and beyond questioning;
- his tendency to seek solace in rigid beliefs even in the face of contrary evidence;
- his "outlaw" mentality that leads him to believe he is above the law;
- his determination to stifle dissent and inclination to view all those who disagree with him as unpatriotic enemies;
- his obvious contempt for the weak and vulnerable, including those who are victims of his policies, and those fighting and paying the price for his war. Frank very effectively addresses all of the above and more - exploring the roots of Bush's psychodynamics in his childhood history, and clearly explaining the psychological theory that helps even readers not trained in developmental psychology understanding exactly how and why Bush developed his pathology, and how it manifests. Of particular interest also is how Frank characterizes much of the American public - and media - as enablers, responding as many children might who have a destructive alcoholic parent. Anxious and insecure in these highly troubled times, seeking to suppress fears that the Bush administration and media continually inflame, we may have too easily sought to protect ourselves from the truth so that we might believe we have a competent leader (father figure) who can protect us from the evils we fear will infringe upon our personal lives. This is an important book, probably the most important book of many revealing political books published so far in 2004. Americans need to understand more fully exactly how serious Bush's pathology is, and how destructive his actions are and are likely to continue to be, with ramifications for many years to come. Psychological understanding often leads to empathy, but an empathic understanding of G.W. Bush is no excuse for supporting him in his quest to continually wreak havoc in the U.S. and abroad. Frank concludes by emphasizing how it is essential that we vote Bush out of the White House. Although Bush supporters might believe that Frank skews his interpretations in order to pathologize Bush - Frank's psychological theory, analysis and interpretation are sound, accurate ... and extremely important. This book is enlightening, frightening, disturbing, indeed chilling. Hopefully it will motivate readers not only to vote Democrat in November, but to become politically active to make sure that Bush will not be re-elected and not able to continue with policies which are so profoundly hurting our nation, international relations, and the planet.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Man For The Job?
Review: bamacharm,
Please reveiw you constitutional history and see if you cannot discriminate between demogoguery and leadership.
In January George Bush is going to swear to "support and defend" the Constitution. He is actively working to destroy Amendments I, V, and VIII. He was elected by a populace no longer keen on understanding or defending the Constitution. Most of us are just too busy to look behind the drivel that is sold to us as "news" in the mass media. Most of us are too busy to refute the constant assertions (by placing "9/11" and "Iraq" in the same speech or even the same sentence) by the Bush administration that there is some connection between 9/11 and Iraq. There is none. There is no connection between Osama Bin Laden and Iraq. There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. There is no longer any Saddam Hussein in power. What are we doing still killing Iraqi citizens? It should be obvious to all that you cannot force democracy at the point of a gun. If you succeed, you haven't brought freedom at all. You've forced something on someone against their will. This is not freedom in spite of George Bush's constant assertions that it is.
Meanwhile, more young Iraqi men will continue to sign up to work with American forces because it is the only way they can earn enough to support a wife and family in their decimated country. And they will continue to be cut down and blown apart by thugs and terrorists (as was the newspaper headline yet again today), and yes, sometimes regular citizens driven to desperation by the brutal occupation of their country.
(...)
There is probably not much that any of us can do. All I am asking is that you use your voice while it is still legal to do so. Just Words. Nothing more. We need to be better than the people we fight against or our struggle has no meaning. Just one evil force against another.
If you think I am crying wolf, please ask yourself this: Would you have said the same thing had I warned you, prior to the fact, that the "Justice Department" of the United States of America would legalize torture? Will you also say the same thing when criticizing the Bush administration becomes a crime against national security? Where do you draw the line and refuse to stand silent any more?
Rating: 
Summary: WOW since the DR never met GW is he also a psycic?
Review: First all, i do own and this book - fortunately got it for a buck at
the salvation army. you can buy from me for $13.50 here at amazon but let me point out some errors first.(parenthesis mine)
"""Bush's false sense of omnipotence, instilled within him during childhood and emboldened by his deep investment in fundamentalist religion""""
(Read any of the several books on GW and religion, books whose intent is to expose his religiosity and he anything but a deeply invested fundamentalist. he is simply a run of the mill
christian who simply believes in his faith.)
(why does this scare you? why didn't kerry scare you every sunday when he was quoting the bible from genises to revelation during his presidential run?)
"""The president's history of untreated alcohol abuse, and the questions it raises about denial, impairment, and the enabling streak in our culture""""
(cheap shot......)
""""The growing anecdotal evidence that Bush may suffer from dyslexia, ADHD, and other thought disorders""""
(other thought disorders????? this author has just labeled (3) of the most common learning disabilities and called them
"THOUGHT DISORDERS" how does that make you feel?)
"""""His comfort living outside the law, defying international law in his presidency as boldly as he once defied DUI statutes and military reporting requirements"""""""
"""""His love-hate relationship with his father, and how it triggered a complex and dangerous mix of feelings including yearning, rivalry, anger, and sadism"""""
(THIS IS FREUDIAN BULL SH%$, and i hope you lefty's know it)
""""""Bush's rigid and simplistic thought patterns, paranoia, and megalomania -- and how they have driven him to invent adversaries so that he can destroy them """""""
(try inventing 9-11, try inventing the taliban, try inventing the countless beheadings of innocent people in IRAQ, 1 Million Iranians killed in the 90s, try publishing your book in a preliberated IRAQ about Sadam? how long would the author have lived? wait..... why is it that you lefty's believe that liberty is something only americans deserve?)
oh well, please buy my book!
Rating:
Summary: Superb Book Overall
Review: I started reading this book with an open mind. Frankly, even if I don't agree with our President's views, I tend to sleep better at night knowing he is sane. Well, I haven't been sleeping as well lately.
The author does a tremendous job is analyzing Bush based on his actions and correllating those with his childhood. For the most part, his conclusions make sense based on my own knowledge of psychology and plain common sense. The parts I found most interesting were the details and analysis of his childhood where the George Bush we see today was formed.
My only issue was that the book became progressively more tedious to read. The psychological links and theories made my brain work harder than I would have liked for leisure reading. The information could have been condensed a bit better and flowed more smoothly.
Overall though, this is a grounbreaking book in the sense that you feel as though you intimately know our President after reading it.
Rating:
Summary: applied psychology
Review: If you are entertained by theoretical attempts to improve our understanding of human beings, and if you enjoy a well-written book by a highly intelligent professional with a great deal of experience in his field, you will enjoy this thought-provoking book. You may, of course, take or leave the conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: An example of an intelligent insight into habits of the mind
Review: It might be said Dr. Justin Frank's book is super analytical coming from a man who was taught to view and to judge, as well as to conclude based on years of experience. I tend to agree with his conclusions, but I approach my evaluation from another point of view. It is generally accepted that when a child is born, it arrives with a "fundamental mass of life tendendcies" that represent the potential of his being. If one is born into a vital situation inconsistent with those tendencies that cannot be overcome so as to prepare the child to become a faithful contributing member of the society into which it just happened to have been born, there will likely be problems. I gather that Geo. W. Bush was delivered into a vital situation not entirely compatible with his potential or desires. One might expect a degree of unhappiness to be the result, at least at first, with all the quirks attendant to the growth process, followed by a search for a crutch upon which to lean, and on which to rely. He seems to have found it in religion that turned him into George the Evangle.
It is our misfortune that now he has accepted the role of the Active Voice with the infalibility it implies that prevents him from recognizing his errors. He has become reclusive and admant while relying on the advice and support of others to whom he has become close, and in whom he has faith they will not disappoint him. They have become the filter leading to his throne through which important people must pass to gain entry to the inner sanctum. Perhaps this is a defense against having to deal with an inferior reality. Whatever the cause, he has failed the nation by his dogma, and by avoidance may have missed the chance to react before the horror of 9/11.
He demonstrates his hypocrisy by pretending to be God-fearing for the protection of life and nation while he seems not to have any remorse toward the deaths of more than 1000 troops, or the wounds of another 9000 plus who, because of his misguided belief, may lack the benefit that could derive from stem cell research if aggressively pursued. Perhaps it is because our military is all volunteer, and ought to expect the consequences.
I doubt I am doing Dr. Frank any disservice by offering my opinion in my own words as I conceived them as I read his book. My greatest hope is that the Office will make the man rather than vice versa.
Kenneth Ramey, Paso Robles, CA
Rating:
Summary: It explains so much!
Review: Like it or not, the psycho-biography is a well established scientific procedure. The first large scale attempt was done on Adolph Hitler for the State Department prior to WWII, and it was remarkably accurate, right down to the prediction that Hitler would commit suicide if his plans didn't work.
The most extraordinary element of this book was how well it explained President Bush's otherwise completely inexplicable behavior. For years now I have wondered how he could ignore reality, gloss over his policy failures, and decide that he didn't have to be right, he simply had to be unwavering. If you've ever had your mind boggled by the present administration's policy decisions, Dr. Frank Explains It All!
Some people, I am sure, scoff at the whole concept of psychology and self-knowledge. However, they are wrong.
For insights into our country, our leaders, and ourselves, I cannot recommend this book too highly.
Rating:
Summary: Inside the Mind of George W. Bush
Review: On the author's clinical diagnosis of Bush as megalomaniac: "Our sole treatment option - for his benefit as for ours - is to remove President Bush from office. It is up to all of us - Congress, the media, and voters - to do it before it is too late." That sounds like impeachment to me. Bush is mentally unfit for office, according this medical diagnostician..... chilling.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Whacko, Leftist, Psycho-babble, Garbage!
Review: Perhaps the ones who really need to be "on the couch" are the leftists who write and actually believe this baloney. The author has never met President Bush much less conduct any sessions with him. He engages in wild speculation/diagnosis based on unsubstantiated rumor and second/third hand information. Without the common motivation of intense hatred for the President that the author and his fans share, most would give him no credibility whatsoever. The American Medical Association has severely criticized Frank's methods and analysis as being completely bogus. Even his collegues think he's a "goober".
Doesn't really matter. The right man for the job won by a majority of American's votes. That's reality so deal with it! Of course if you can't, you can always schedule an appointment with this author and engage in a mutual whining session.
Rating:
Summary: Ruthlessly Chilling
Review: Since the 1940's, in the name of American national defence, the CIA has used the discipline of psychoanalysis, in an effort to better understand their enemies. A good example was Adolf Hitler, when the Office of Strategic Services was commissioned to conduct an "at-a-distance leader personality assessment in support of policy", in which two studies were made, to better understand this dangerous political leader. This particular analysis was so successful that applied psychoanalysis has now become an integral part of America's arsenal in the name of national defence. In this compelling and at times frightening and ultimately sad text, Dr. Frank, in the spirit of these studies, has compiled an in-depth psychological profile, using applied psychoanalysis, on President George W. Bush.
What Dr. Frank has unearthed about GWB, should cause great alarm for anyone familiar with human behaviour and what motivates it. This analysis reveals a man with deep-seated problems dating back to his childhood. These unresolved childhood traumas have developed into a dangerous psychic split in his personality, forming a reductionist world view, in terms of infantile binary thinking: us vs. them, good and evil - this reveals a total lack of critical thinking that is so necessary for someone holding the office of president of the United States.
An alcoholic turned born-again Christian, here is a man who is a proud semi-literate (he never reads but has his aides explain the contents of newspaper articles and policy documents); here is a deeply conflicted individual who tortured animals for fun as a child; here is a man who allegedly is deeply religious, yet mercilessly bombs Iraq, maiming and killing innocent women and children, and then openly expresses gleeful joy. Bush is a man who cannot answer a direct question, and when out rightly caught in a lie (Iraq possessing WMD) shrugs his shoulders, mumbles something incoherent and adeptly changes the subject. This is a man who is incapable of linear thought, whose "minders" will not permit him to speak in public for too long without being closely scripted. As most semi-literates do, he struggles with the English language, and is more often confused than not: "Is our children learning?" "I know how hard it is to put food on your family." "Our nation must come together to unite." As Dr. Frank points out, these "slips" may be funny on face value, but these seeming innocent blunders, consistent blunders, are a symptom of something very serious.
If GWB was not the president of the United States, and we cared for this individual, a good friend, at least, would gently guide him to receive some kind of treatment. But he is the president, and by all accounts, we have recognized the symptoms, yet we have voted the man in for a second term. Why? In the chapter "He's Our Man", Dr. Frank gives a compelling explanation, and why Bush appeals to so many voters. The space provided here does not permit an adequate summary, but it makes sense, and is ruthlessly chilling.
I've read many current event books this year, and this one has been the most informative, in terms of understanding the cause of the madness that has been manifesting around us. This is a necessary book and one every concerned individual should read.
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