Funk Rating: 10 out 10
I strongly suspect you bring a bias to a book like this. You go in with your mind made up on Bush and then commit an act of cognitive bias.
So, with that said, I went in prepared to like this book (I thoroughly enjoyed his dad's book All The Best).
I came out loving it, with even more respect and admiration for a President that I think we will come to judge as a very good one.
So, with all that out of the way, here's why this is a great read, regardless of your political stripes:
1) the way he writes this book is by "theme" of major decisions he faced and made. It's not a chronology of 8 years; each "decision" comes with its own backdrop and storyline. And he owns up to mistakes and things he'd change if he could. That model of narrative works very, very well.
2) I got a lot more context around the soundbites and the way in which issues surface, are debated, and decisions made. If you think any President is a lone island of success or failure, this book highlights how many stakeholders, sides, and factors really affect every single aspect of being President.
3) you get a real sense of Bush as a person. What's important to him, and what guides him. Love him or hate him, he is internally consistent and driven by some macro ideals and values that are anchorpoints in his life.
I would recommend you read this book, for sure!
