whitmc's review against another edition
5.0
There is so so much going on in our country right now. I have spent nearly 2 years avoiding news, tired by the divide and sensationalism, while craving simple facts without opinion. But I want to look back in this time and tell my kids that I remember it, and I felt strongly about certain issues, and I was engaged in our country’s issues, and most importantly, did my job as a citizen to educate myself fairly on current events. So I have carved out specific news sources that I will dive into everyday, I engage in conversations with an open mind, and I go in depth. Because nothing is as simple as our mainstream media is making it out to be. When I learned at Bob Woodward had written a book on the first 2 years of the presidency, I was so happy. Bob Woodward dives in deep and doesn’t restrict himself to leaning to one side. He wants the facts and information, and his agenda is getting those facts known to the public in a meaningful way.
Woodward met his goals with this book. And I’m so happy he did. I feel so much more educated and less afraid (also more afraid, and disappointed). But I’m armed with information, and this is just the beginning.
Woodward met his goals with this book. And I’m so happy he did. I feel so much more educated and less afraid (also more afraid, and disappointed). But I’m armed with information, and this is just the beginning.
kurtwombat's review against another edition
4.0
This book was like drifting through a party of interesting people most of whom you don’t like and overhearing just parts of their conversation. Then your friend whispers a word or two of educated conjecture to fill in the gaps. You feel like you know what’s going on, and maybe you do, but the bull often piles up high at parties and no one is interrupting the chat to get at the facts. I don’t doubt that much of what I read in this book is true but I am willing to admit that part of the reason for that feeling is based on my personal expectations that the worst about Trump is likely true. There is a heaping helping of insider info here about the first year of the Trump presidency that should make anyone feel anywhere from uneasy to downright fearful about the future. This I suspect if one of the reasons for the title. Most likely the title refers Trump’s campaign strategy of scaring voters rather than appeal to the better angels of their character. The one-word title also stands as a stark demarcation between Trump and the previous administrations message of HOPE. When this book was published, much of the media coverage focused on how staffers working within the White House were guiding Trump away from trouble as best they could by maneuvering around him or taking advantage of his short attention span to simply remove items that might allow him to do harm. The book covers Trump’s first year in office and these activities are very much in evidence. Also, you can see the steady change of the guard around Trump as people are fired, resign or hauled off to the hoosegow. The climate grows more intemperate after these changes and the worst seems to be coming. This simmering angst inspired a nod to Hunter S. Thompson by wondering if the sequel to FEAR might not just be entitled LOATHING. This book reads fast--moving from one scandal to another pulling you along like the Lusitania looking for a torpedo. As often happens in life one is left with the hope of a strong cleansing rain that will eventually come and wash the mud from our faces, out of our eyes and away from us for good. But hold on, it’s going to be a minute.
paulgrostad's review against another edition
5.0
Great and important book, adding a lot of credibility to reports by the "Main Stream Media".
flufficorn's review
4.0
Giving this 4 stars. Great book. One star docked because HAWT DAMN this subject matter.
This was my first Bob Woodward book (and my first ever audio book listen!), and will likely be my last. I guess I am just not a person that needs these political truth books. Besides that, there was nothing said in this book that I didn't already know through the press coverage at the time.
I curse. Like a lot. I am okay with it. I know who I am. With that said, there is so much foul language in this book that it made me uncomfortable. I know why I curse. Cursing is the spice to language. But the way it was used, at least in the context of the conversations within this book, it struck me as nothing more than posturing. It was annoying. It was childish. It was some toxic masculinity bull shit. Moreover, it was a poor editing choice. It added nothing to the "story" or what "characters" there were.
The thing that struck me as most interesting in this book is learning about the downward slope of people around Trump first trying to resist him and how ridiculous he was, to eventually kowtowing to him. This book also confirms what a lot of us already knew in that Trump was learning about the politics and the political system of this country while on the job. He legit knew nothing. I am still not convinced he ever wanted the job in the first place, but that is a conversation for another time.
If you had your head under a rock from 2016-2020 and want to know what you missed in the political sphere of American politics, read this book. If you don't want you base blood pressure to be permanently higher, don't read this book.
This was my first Bob Woodward book (and my first ever audio book listen!), and will likely be my last. I guess I am just not a person that needs these political truth books. Besides that, there was nothing said in this book that I didn't already know through the press coverage at the time.
I curse. Like a lot. I am okay with it. I know who I am. With that said, there is so much foul language in this book that it made me uncomfortable. I know why I curse. Cursing is the spice to language. But the way it was used, at least in the context of the conversations within this book, it struck me as nothing more than posturing. It was annoying. It was childish. It was some toxic masculinity bull shit. Moreover, it was a poor editing choice. It added nothing to the "story" or what "characters" there were.
The thing that struck me as most interesting in this book is learning about the downward slope of people around Trump first trying to resist him and how ridiculous he was, to eventually kowtowing to him. This book also confirms what a lot of us already knew in that Trump was learning about the politics and the political system of this country while on the job. He legit knew nothing. I am still not convinced he ever wanted the job in the first place, but that is a conversation for another time.
If you had your head under a rock from 2016-2020 and want to know what you missed in the political sphere of American politics, read this book. If you don't want you base blood pressure to be permanently higher, don't read this book.
abalvarez's review against another edition
5.0
As usual, Bob Woodward does a great job giving us the inside scoop of the latest inhabitants of the White House with style and grace and as much insider perspective as we can handle.
This is a great book. Everyone from both sides of the aisle should read it.
This is a great book. Everyone from both sides of the aisle should read it.
sfletcher26's review against another edition
4.0
Well where dies one start with this?
Trump has been accused of being a great many things, an egotist, a fantasist, a liar, a narcissist, an ideologue, an idiot, a player thin skinned, quick to anger and grasping. Bob Woodward's book shows him to be all of these things and somehow even more.
There is little that is likeable about either the public or private persona of the 45th President of the United States and while many of the limitations of this administration do stem from his dysfunctionality it is as much a product of the dysfunctionality of the staff he is surrounded by. Woodward describes 3 distinct groups within the White House. The first are those who are true believers, those like Conway, Bannon and Hicks who wholeheartedly support, or at least appear to support, all Trump stands for and believes in. The second group are the opportunists, the likes of Navarro and Ross, who are aware of Trumps limitations and pressure issues and use them to further their own political ends. The third group which seems to include Porter, Priebus and Cohn who were running around trying to prevent Trump from doing anything truly idiotic.
How this will all end is anyone's guess but I for one wouldn't bet on him not securing a second term as the partisan nature of both the Senate and House would appear to preclude impeachment and the socioeconomic issues which brought about his rise remain unchanged.
This is not Woodward's best work but it is certainly up there with his best.
Trump has been accused of being a great many things, an egotist, a fantasist, a liar, a narcissist, an ideologue, an idiot, a player thin skinned, quick to anger and grasping. Bob Woodward's book shows him to be all of these things and somehow even more.
There is little that is likeable about either the public or private persona of the 45th President of the United States and while many of the limitations of this administration do stem from his dysfunctionality it is as much a product of the dysfunctionality of the staff he is surrounded by. Woodward describes 3 distinct groups within the White House. The first are those who are true believers, those like Conway, Bannon and Hicks who wholeheartedly support, or at least appear to support, all Trump stands for and believes in. The second group are the opportunists, the likes of Navarro and Ross, who are aware of Trumps limitations and pressure issues and use them to further their own political ends. The third group which seems to include Porter, Priebus and Cohn who were running around trying to prevent Trump from doing anything truly idiotic.
How this will all end is anyone's guess but I for one wouldn't bet on him not securing a second term as the partisan nature of both the Senate and House would appear to preclude impeachment and the socioeconomic issues which brought about his rise remain unchanged.
This is not Woodward's best work but it is certainly up there with his best.