A review by julieirene
Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics by Joe Biden

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, and learned a lot in the process. Biden is at times just what we might expect - a little wordy and a little self-aggrandizing - but he is also direct and often humble. Regardless, he is certainly thoughtful in his reflection on his life and the 6 terms he has spent in the US Senate. He takes the approach of working to educate and inform the reader on his perspective and experiences in US Government, rather than trying too hard to analyze. He makes complicated issues approachable and gives the reader a glimpse into the why's and wherefores of decisions he and his peers have made for this this country over the past 40 years. Biden is not without criticism of some of those decisions, and he seems particularly woeful about the calcification and polarization of the parties, especially in regard to how that has affected the ability of public servants to work together for the common good. The overall message, however, is one of hope and determination - a bird's eye view of very recent history and how, regardless of the ebbs and flows, we in America will make it through. He never fails in his optimism about the nature of the American public and his belief that we can be a force for good in this world.