Professor Woland

Worth a read

Revisado: 10-26-23

Most of what you read you kind of expect, but his willingness to disclose some these things is quite impressive. Truth is he’s a bit of Boy Scout, not because he’s naive but because he genuinely believes that some things matter. I don’t know if I could bring myself to vote for him… but I want 20 Romneys and 20 Manchins in the senate, not because I agree with them even most of the time, but because extremists and social media are ruing this country and making us worthless in each other’s eyes. And, while I think that you need a Barry Goldwater and a Bernie sanders too, there should be people who came to govern not just win or be indignant.
This is about a man who’s life is a testament not to perfection, but to thoughtfulness. It would be a better country if we could be more thoughtful than emotional, with ourselves and even one another.

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esto le resultó útil a 19 personas

Unnecessary book

Revisado: 10-22-22

Self indulgent ramblings. This is a mildly biographic tome which mostly exists for the author to insert his own frankly generic and uninteresting politics while using the names of Churchill and Orwell. A waste of time. Better read Churchill or Orwell….

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Short not that good

Revisado: 09-21-21

Performance was ok
But it seems like a cliff notes version
Wouldn’t recommend at all.

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underwhelming

Revisado: 09-27-20

Mostly newspaper cuttings from the period and conjecture. I was honestly hoping for more, because I really do think its a fascinating period and she was a fascinating personage of her time...

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

As these things go it was pretty good

Revisado: 09-27-20

Standard disclosure I am politically independent, and while I have some extreme views on particular issues, I am a Radical Centrist ideologically. Just to give you an idea American Right and the new "Progressive Left" both scare the proverbial feces out of me, though there are specific instances where I can honestly agree with either side on specific issues. I am interested in Governance and Policy and making the government work for people and realizing the promise of the Constitution for all Americans, not the iceberg of sectarian politics we have have impaled the country on. While I voted for Obama, I think during hist tenure his many foreign policy objectives and achievements have largely been short sighted and detrimental in the long run to American interest in both action and inaction. I think there was a real pattern of first order decision making with some very third order consequences, especially when it came to Russia, Iran and Middle East in particular. And, having said that I still would have voted for him because I always thought he was the best candidate running despite my various policy disagreements and frankly his base scared me less than the people who hated him.
I like Susan Rice, I think she is an earnest down to earth public servant. I have illusions about ambition, or elements of this book that are self serving, and frankly a white wash. But, just like when she speaks she tries to be forthcoming with obvious limitations of what she can say and should say. I think what made her an effective diplomat and civil servant is the same quality of being forthcoming with opinions, facts etc. Just to contrast that with another public servant who's career I admire and namesake, Condi Rice. A woman of great achievement and tremendous credentials who much like Susan Rice has rarely been treated fairly by the opposition. All of Condi's communications and utterances are made behind a wall of discretion, and it is almost impossible to get an idea of her real convictions or views. With Susan I think the one thing you can always get is what he really felt and thought about an issue, whether speaking or writing. So yes I would recommend this book if you are interested in the administration, foreign policy, security issues, decision making, or just what Susan actually thought. I think there is also a lot of unspoken honesty between the lines that illuminating.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

what a douche bag (I mean Bolton)

Revisado: 09-27-20

I have only recently began reading political memoirs and autobiographies. And, not being naive, I understand that most of them are a white wash and launching pads for past mistakes and future ambitions respectively. Even if I am a fan of the author's career or agree with their decisions, I still appreciate that these are not just accounts of history, but biased and tactical moves by the authors. When I read these I don't just listen to them, I look for gaps, compare with reporting and other views and look for shapes of things not discussed... I was never impressed by Bolton, his opinions, or his effectiveness. In fact his main contribution to government service seems to be his ability to rise a level up every republican administration and make a good living during democratic ones. I guess on the left his equivalent would be the paragon of self aggrandizement and undeserved sense of accomplishment that was Richard Holbrooke. But the real challenge to get through this masterpiece of self promotion is to deal with the tone of this book. The overuse of the perpendicular pronoun alone should tell you something... there are chapters where the word "I" is used 3 times every two sentences, and where it is not used, it is implied. "I know everything, anyone who disagrees with me is a moron; Trump is brilliant when he thinks I am brilliant and a useless jerk when he doesn't; Democrats are completely useless, and I am always right; People who try to change policy by stopping Trump are not doing their job, people who stopped me from stopping him from doing what he wants are not doing their job; I only wanted one job, I mean two jobs; Tillerson didn't know what he was doing, Mattis was just an obstructionist bureaucrat, Mnuchin was basically democrat who only cared about impact on American companies (apparently a Treasure Secretary shouldn't care about economic implications of policy)." Now throw in some quotes by Cato the Younger and some other pretentiously pedantic crap; appropriate levels or reverence for republican figures (Bushes, McCain, etc.); general name dropping; and, some minutia of work flow (all done in condescending and self assured tone so the reader properly appreciates how important the author really was) and you get the gist of the book. there is no real insight or information in this tome, and if you want listen to 21 hours of self promotion from one of the least interesting or consequential members of every Republican administration since Reagan go ahead its your time. Also, if you think you are going to find out anything interesting about the Ukraine investigation, you missed your guess, this is just a Cover Letter for Bolton's next job...

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can't wait to read the next one

Revisado: 09-27-20

I am bit biased, if JK Rowling published a phone book I would probably read it. I like the way she writes, I like the stories she tells, I love the characters she makes come alive, this in all honesty is not a genre I often pick up, but whenever a new one comes out its like going on holiday to a familiar place you love, where everything takes your mind off having to go back to real life.

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trump takes over

Revisado: 09-27-20

The thing about Woodward I am still amazed at is the amount of people who are willing to talk to him, he seems to be the true "paper of record" for the myriad of disaffected. It is also somewhat clear that those who talk to him manage to disclose a lot. Fear was probably the most aptly named book ever, because nothing Stephen King ever wrote sent shivers down my back like Fear did. Even with my admittedly limited, but probably above average understanding of policy, law, and implications that follow it was clear that this administration exceeded the most horrific scenarios of what happens in the White House now. Trump famously never gave his views for Fear and strategically decided to do so for Rage. After reading both, Rage was all about Trump. He has successfully overwhelmed this book, and in Woodward's attempts to be fair and give him and his a balanced airing limited the transgressions of this administration to inexperience and incompetence. Flawed and fallible but trying hard, is not how most of us will see this administration and the many decades it will take to undo the damage both domestically and internationally... There is more than just this goofy personality who is over his head in the White House, there is clearly a willful malevolence to the operations of this administration. And, Trump succeeded in giving whatever hours to Woodward in forcing out many voices that could have framed true implications of arrogant stupidity, unmitigated chaos, and criminal conduct as standard operating procedures for running the government of the United States of America. You got too close to him Mr.Woodward, and by trying to be fair to him, completely let him take over your narrative.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Feels a lot of gap

Revisado: 07-30-20

Those of us following Russia this may fill a lot of interesting gaps and raise some questions. Good information and my only complaint is the narrator.... one his pronunciation of names and words was a lot of times just wrong, but this relentless rush to get through it did not help. I would love to listen to this again to make sure I got some things right, but I don’t think I can face 20 some hours of his urgency. These are descriptions of intricate connections over some 40 years with many references they can be spewed out like a breaking news report on fox.... slow the #*%^ down man...

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esto le resultó útil a 11 personas

fan of his stand up, book wasn't worth it

Revisado: 01-12-20

it's just a rehash of his stand up with some autobiographical stuff. I am a fan of his, but can't recommend this book at all. Sorry Lewis, but this was just cashing in, and you can tell you weren't into it.

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