Good Overview Of The Bush Years:Decision Points by George W. Bush[Hardcover]

Decision Points
By George W. Bush

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In this candid and gripping account, President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions that shaped his presidency and personal life.

George W. Bush served as president of the United States during eight of the most consequential years in American history. The decisions that reached his desk impacted people around the world and defined the times in which we live.

Decision Points brings readers inside the Texas governor's mansion on the night of the 2000 election, aboard Air Force One during the harrowing hours after the attacks of September 11, 2001, into the Situation Room moments before the start of the war in Iraq, and behind the scenes at the White House for many other historic presidential decisions.

For the first time, we learn President Bush's perspective and insights on:

• His decision to quit drinking and the journey that led him to his Christian faith
• The selection of the vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of state, Supreme Court justices, and other key officials
• His relationships with his wife, daughters, and parents, including heartfelt letters between the president and his father on the eve of the Iraq War
• His administration's counterterrorism programs, including the CIA's enhanced interrogations and the Terrorist Surveillance Program
• Why the worst moment of the presidency was hearing accusations that race played a role in the federal government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, and a critical assessment of what he would have done differently during the crisis
• His deep concern that Iraq could turn into a defeat costlier than Vietnam, and how he decided to defy public opinion by ordering the troop surge
• His legislative achievements, including tax cuts and reforming education and Medicare, as well as his setbacks, including Social Security and immigration reform
• The relationships he forged with other world leaders, including an honest assessment of those he did and didn’t trust
• Why the failure to bring Osama bin Laden to justice ranks as his biggest disappointment and why his success in denying the terrorists their fondest wish—attacking America again—is among his proudest achievements

A groundbreaking new brand of presidential memoir, Decision Points will captivate supporters, surprise critics, and change perspectives on eight remarkable years in American history—and on the man at the center of events.

Since leaving office, President George W. Bush has led the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. The center includes an active policy institute working to advance initiatives in the fields of education reform, global health, economic growth, and human freedom, with a special emphasis on promoting social entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for women around the world. It will also house an official government archive and a state-of-the-art museum that will open in 2013.

Review

Here's what I took out of reading this book.

First, I got a great overview of world events that occurred during Bush's eight years in office. Regardless of whether you agreed with Bush, your memory will at least be refreshed on the important events of the Bush years, including 9/11, the stem cell controversy, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the financial meltdown. With hindsight being 20/40, it's easy to forget how we felt during some of those events, and this book does a good job of bringing us back to those uncertain times.

Second, it made me sympathize with Bush for some of the decisions he made, including those I disagreed with. I was struck at how influenced he was by the people around him. For example, his advisors basically put him in a
state of constant fear of a potential terrorist strike on him personally, and I was left wondering whether this was the cause of some of his war mentality. Another example is the doomsday scenario he was given during the financial crisis. These "worst case scenarios" always seemed to be the guiding light of his decisions. Also, while I disagreed with his stem cell policy, that chapter at least helped me understand his thinking.

Third, I was reminded of some of the reasons why I was ready for Bush to leave office when he did. The chapter that most reminded me of this was the one called "Freedom Agenda"; this chapter contains his overly-simplistic, black-and-white view of the world that I did not like during his presidency.

So whether you agree with Bush or not, I think this was a worth-while read. The most boring chapter was the one about the African malaria/AIDS initiative. Other than that, it kept my attention. --William E. Liberatore "edcctf"

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