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jmdaly95's review against another edition
3.0
At times James Comey comes across as the kid in the first grad that you want to punch because of his constant reminder of how much the truth matters. We got it Jim you don't lie.
There is not a lot in here that we don't already know. I still believe that his actions in the email probe were the right thing to do and that his firing was the tipping point of the obstruction case against the President.
The President has obstructed justice I have no doubt about that the only question that remains is what will Mullers conclusion will be and then what will Congress do.
There is not a lot in here that we don't already know. I still believe that his actions in the email probe were the right thing to do and that his firing was the tipping point of the obstruction case against the President.
The President has obstructed justice I have no doubt about that the only question that remains is what will Mullers conclusion will be and then what will Congress do.
nicolef's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
martinlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Before reading this book, I knew nothing about James Comey aside from the fact that he was brutally fired by the Trump administration. This book not only brought more light to why he was, but also the person James Comey - a highly trained, honest and most dedicated person.
lwalker77's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting look at some of the major political events that have taken place over the last few years. I thought the thoughts about the separation of the executive branch from the FBI was especially interesting. I recommend this book!
jeremy_felt's review against another edition
3.0
I started off thinking this book was ridiculous, but my opinion of it improved as it went on.
Comey isn't the greatest writer, which is okay. I think his editor could have told him to skip the many anecdotes that just didn't matter. I get the impression that by including them, Comey thought he was adding to his credibility.
There are a handful of really interesting stories. I think the book does well in its purpose to share what happened from one person's perspective across a a couple administrations. Obama comes across as really likable.
My biggest takeaway from the book is how much politics has become one side vs. the other rather than a bargaining collective. Comey hits home with this by trying to portray a justice department that takes no side. Whether that is true or not, the contrast is interesting.
Comey isn't the greatest writer, which is okay. I think his editor could have told him to skip the many anecdotes that just didn't matter. I get the impression that by including them, Comey thought he was adding to his credibility.
There are a handful of really interesting stories. I think the book does well in its purpose to share what happened from one person's perspective across a a couple administrations. Obama comes across as really likable.
My biggest takeaway from the book is how much politics has become one side vs. the other rather than a bargaining collective. Comey hits home with this by trying to portray a justice department that takes no side. Whether that is true or not, the contrast is interesting.
wessela's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn’t stop reading this. Interesting read about the job of the FBI director and how it isn’t connected to politics. Unsettling details of our current president’s leadership.
paperbookslove's review against another edition
4.0
I don't usually read political books because I am terrible at keeping up with the news and I need to do a lot of my own research to judge what the author says is happening in the book. but this book appealed to me because I love hearing people's stories and experiences. I don't know exactly what I was expecting when I started reading this book but it gave the reader a glimpse into what it is like working in politics. I liked getting a feel for what a day would be like in the FBI or the department of justice. I know that is Comey's perspective of what happened and it is filtered through his lense of experience but I think he made a strong effort to acknowledge his own biases and flaws. I know the media has been saying that this book says terrible things about Trump and really slams him but honestly, very little of the book is about him. to me, it was way more about ethics and leadership and how hard it is to navigate those things in tough situations. overall, I enjoyed this book and I am glad I read it.
gabrielleduvent's review against another edition
5.0
It's odd how James Comey, months after he exited the Washington stage, is now being celebrated as some sort of a moral compass for DC. When Hillary Clinton lost the campaign, many blamed him for the loss, and in an odd twist of irony, Samantha Bee called him a 'turd' - a word that he was once reprimanded for using by a member of the Bush Administration - and nobody seemed to miss him once he left, except, perhaps the members of the FBI.
But political loyalties and the inside workings of DC aren't the reasons why someone should read this book. Although not all of us work at this high level of security clearance - nor in legal, or in Washington - Comey's book leaves the readers to introspect and evaluate both the society and themselves.
I'd first like to start off with a statement that stuck with me during Comey's Senate hearing: one of the senators casually remarked that Comey must have aced his legal writing classes. Having known a lawyer and the details of his workdays, I am well aware that lawyers, like academics, write for a living. Pen and paper are the bread and butter of the work. And to be able to write well is a powerful weapon for any lawyer.
But what about ordinary writing? I automatically assumed that this would be something else; can John Locke write an entertaining expository? Probably not. So what surprised me was that James Comey is a good writer in general, using simple words to break down the problems he faced without using 'legalese'. He gives vivid descriptions of Washington DC and the White House without bogging us down with details; some details are surprising (Obama's situation room), some are not (Trump's curtains).
But what about the content?
When the entire election came crashing down, many of us were left aghast. More than a tear was shed that evening. And many blamed Comey. Let's face it, he's easy to blame. He's an awkward legal nerd with an almost sad expression who outwardly lacks the "I know my stuff" confidence of Robert Mueller. He was a Republican. Etc. Etc.
But we really didn't know the mysterious director of the FBI. We know Bush. We know Cheney. We know Tim Caine. We know Hillary. We know Trump, and we know Pence. But Comey? Do we know what he eats for dinner, where he grew up, his family composition? No. He was just this guy who investigated Hillary's emails, which antagonised the Democrats, and then started investigating Trump, which antagonised the Republicans.
In a tribalistic society called the US today, doing this seems to be fatal. You always have to be on a team (which, by the way, is very prevalent in Japan, and brought down many a companies like Sanyo). And Comey was in a position where the "kid president" from the kids' novel "The Kid Who Became the President" found himself in: "you do one thing, the Democrats hate you, you do the other, the Republicans hate you, and you do nothing, everyone hates you". You are set up to lose. The easy way out is to pick a team and play for it.
But the FBI shouldn't be party to party politics. Or, at least, that was Comey's belief. And so he tried to stay out of it, investigating whatever that he felt should be investigated. It would not have been an easy choice to make; I see this all the time in academia, where truth takes second priority and party politics takes first. But like science, the FBI should be committed to the truth, and truth doesn't care whether your team mascot is a donkey or an elephant. "Lady Justice wears a blindfold", and FBI and DOJ shouldn't be pulling up the blindfold.
And so he made choices, which ended with him knowing that he was fired on television. Because he believed in what he did. He believed in what the FBI did, and he believed that he, as the leader, must take the moral responsibility.
He also details what an ideal leadership appears to him, and details his days of trying to be his best in leading. It was interesting to see that his beliefs in leadership often echoed what I had heard of former Vice President Joe Biden; respecting your subordinates' private lives, trying to create an open, unhierarchical environment (this was also done by former President Obama), an atmosphere of nurturing and trust. As a budding academic, I have to agree that this IS a work environment many should aspire to provide, but it takes effort, emotional openness, and honesty, and too often we neglect it for profit. Which, in the long run, is detrimental.
There is a line from author Craig Schaeffer's book, where two FBI agents are staring up at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. One FBI agent, a former child of abuse, homosexual, and black, tells her partner that
"America isn't perfect. I wasn’t considered a human being until the Thirteenth damn Amendment was ratified. Neither of us could vote until the Nineteenth. We have fought and we have struggled and we have bled for every inch of ground we’ve ever got. But we’re getting there. And now we find out that the director of the FBI is in some demon’s hip pocket. And Alton Roth, that motherfucker—he’s bought and paid for by the powers of hell. And he’s probably gonna be our next president. But that’s nothing compared to the cherry on top. Vigilant Lock, the organization that’s supposed to stop all this from happening, my organization, was nothing but a con game all along. Not having this, Harmony. I’m not having it. Maybe our country isn’t perfect, but we’re trying, and it’s ours. The American experiment isn’t gonna end like this. Our freedom isn’t gonna end like this."
What many appear to have forgotten - or perhaps were never aware of - is the fact that the president isn't just the head of the executive branch. He is a role model, a father to the country, a brother to its soldiers. And in this day and age, when the man sitting at the desk in the Oval Office makes a terrible role model, an abusive father, and a brother that normal people would denounce, this man's vision, no matter what party the reader is in, is something to be heeded, and recreated in our own minds. Because a country like the US can turn into a dogmatic villain or a leader, and it feels like we are at the cusp of that fork in the road.
But political loyalties and the inside workings of DC aren't the reasons why someone should read this book. Although not all of us work at this high level of security clearance - nor in legal, or in Washington - Comey's book leaves the readers to introspect and evaluate both the society and themselves.
I'd first like to start off with a statement that stuck with me during Comey's Senate hearing: one of the senators casually remarked that Comey must have aced his legal writing classes. Having known a lawyer and the details of his workdays, I am well aware that lawyers, like academics, write for a living. Pen and paper are the bread and butter of the work. And to be able to write well is a powerful weapon for any lawyer.
But what about ordinary writing? I automatically assumed that this would be something else; can John Locke write an entertaining expository? Probably not. So what surprised me was that James Comey is a good writer in general, using simple words to break down the problems he faced without using 'legalese'. He gives vivid descriptions of Washington DC and the White House without bogging us down with details; some details are surprising (Obama's situation room), some are not (Trump's curtains).
But what about the content?
When the entire election came crashing down, many of us were left aghast. More than a tear was shed that evening. And many blamed Comey. Let's face it, he's easy to blame. He's an awkward legal nerd with an almost sad expression who outwardly lacks the "I know my stuff" confidence of Robert Mueller. He was a Republican. Etc. Etc.
But we really didn't know the mysterious director of the FBI. We know Bush. We know Cheney. We know Tim Caine. We know Hillary. We know Trump, and we know Pence. But Comey? Do we know what he eats for dinner, where he grew up, his family composition? No. He was just this guy who investigated Hillary's emails, which antagonised the Democrats, and then started investigating Trump, which antagonised the Republicans.
In a tribalistic society called the US today, doing this seems to be fatal. You always have to be on a team (which, by the way, is very prevalent in Japan, and brought down many a companies like Sanyo). And Comey was in a position where the "kid president" from the kids' novel "The Kid Who Became the President" found himself in: "you do one thing, the Democrats hate you, you do the other, the Republicans hate you, and you do nothing, everyone hates you". You are set up to lose. The easy way out is to pick a team and play for it.
But the FBI shouldn't be party to party politics. Or, at least, that was Comey's belief. And so he tried to stay out of it, investigating whatever that he felt should be investigated. It would not have been an easy choice to make; I see this all the time in academia, where truth takes second priority and party politics takes first. But like science, the FBI should be committed to the truth, and truth doesn't care whether your team mascot is a donkey or an elephant. "Lady Justice wears a blindfold", and FBI and DOJ shouldn't be pulling up the blindfold.
And so he made choices, which ended with him knowing that he was fired on television. Because he believed in what he did. He believed in what the FBI did, and he believed that he, as the leader, must take the moral responsibility.
He also details what an ideal leadership appears to him, and details his days of trying to be his best in leading. It was interesting to see that his beliefs in leadership often echoed what I had heard of former Vice President Joe Biden; respecting your subordinates' private lives, trying to create an open, unhierarchical environment (this was also done by former President Obama), an atmosphere of nurturing and trust. As a budding academic, I have to agree that this IS a work environment many should aspire to provide, but it takes effort, emotional openness, and honesty, and too often we neglect it for profit. Which, in the long run, is detrimental.
There is a line from author Craig Schaeffer's book, where two FBI agents are staring up at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. One FBI agent, a former child of abuse, homosexual, and black, tells her partner that
"America isn't perfect. I wasn’t considered a human being until the Thirteenth damn Amendment was ratified. Neither of us could vote until the Nineteenth. We have fought and we have struggled and we have bled for every inch of ground we’ve ever got. But we’re getting there. And now we find out that the director of the FBI is in some demon’s hip pocket. And Alton Roth, that motherfucker—he’s bought and paid for by the powers of hell. And he’s probably gonna be our next president. But that’s nothing compared to the cherry on top. Vigilant Lock, the organization that’s supposed to stop all this from happening, my organization, was nothing but a con game all along. Not having this, Harmony. I’m not having it. Maybe our country isn’t perfect, but we’re trying, and it’s ours. The American experiment isn’t gonna end like this. Our freedom isn’t gonna end like this."
What many appear to have forgotten - or perhaps were never aware of - is the fact that the president isn't just the head of the executive branch. He is a role model, a father to the country, a brother to its soldiers. And in this day and age, when the man sitting at the desk in the Oval Office makes a terrible role model, an abusive father, and a brother that normal people would denounce, this man's vision, no matter what party the reader is in, is something to be heeded, and recreated in our own minds. Because a country like the US can turn into a dogmatic villain or a leader, and it feels like we are at the cusp of that fork in the road.
lesserjoke's review against another edition
4.0
Former FBI Director Jim Comey is a polarizing public figure, and it's nearly impossible for a contemporary reader to set aside their preconceptions of him in reading this book. (He's also a fellow graduate of my alma mater and someone with whom I have mutual acquaintances, and although we've never met personally ourselves, these connections do further shade my objectivity.)
Nevertheless, the author acquits himself well in laying out the conflicted thought process behind some of his more controversial actions during the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath. We may still find some of his decisions to be obtuse, but overall his reasoning seems clear, defensible, and non-partisan. And while his insights into the personal character of Donald Trump -- or lack thereof -- are not quite revelatory, they still represent an important perspective of someone who has interacted with him closely.
If you take Comey at his word, this book is intended less as a personal critique of President Trump and more as a handbook of lessons the Director has learned for leading with integrity. Drawing on his personal experience serving under three presidents and beyond, Comey has a lot to say on loyalty to an ideal larger than one person or political party. It's sometimes hard to see that in neutral terms, or to trust that this author is being truly neutral himself, but it's still a valuable lesson for our current political moment.
Nevertheless, the author acquits himself well in laying out the conflicted thought process behind some of his more controversial actions during the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath. We may still find some of his decisions to be obtuse, but overall his reasoning seems clear, defensible, and non-partisan. And while his insights into the personal character of Donald Trump -- or lack thereof -- are not quite revelatory, they still represent an important perspective of someone who has interacted with him closely.
If you take Comey at his word, this book is intended less as a personal critique of President Trump and more as a handbook of lessons the Director has learned for leading with integrity. Drawing on his personal experience serving under three presidents and beyond, Comey has a lot to say on loyalty to an ideal larger than one person or political party. It's sometimes hard to see that in neutral terms, or to trust that this author is being truly neutral himself, but it's still a valuable lesson for our current political moment.