Applebee's America: How Successful Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community [Hardcover]

Ron Fournier (Author), Douglas B. Sosnik (Author), Matthew J. Dowd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2006

A unique team of authors -- Douglas B. Sosnik, a strategist in the Clinton White House; Matthew J. Dowd, a strategist for President Bush's two campaigns who has recently broken publicly with the president over the direction of the administration; and award-winning political journalist Ron Fournier -- took their exclusive insiders' knowledge far outside Washington's Beltway in search of keys to winning leadership.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Anyone wondering what that "values" buzz after the 2004 election was about, and what it means for business, religion and politics, will find solid answers in this analysis by a former Clinton aide, one of the masterminds behind the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign and a senior Associated Press political correspondent. In a unified, third-person voice, the three declare their intention to "help twenty-first-century American leaders think anew about the people they serve—a people that, despite an increasingly multiracial society, "seem to be seeking more homogeneity in their lifestyle choices." Since the 1990s, they argue, the key to winning the hearts, dollars and votes of the American public and its leaders is appealing to "the three C's, connections, community, and civic engagement." Drawing on interviews with the middle class "exurb" residents who eat at Applebee's restaurants, as well as their own inside knowledge, the authors declare that the pattern holds across the greater part of the American spectrum. Though their narrow interview sample is a weakness, they draw conclusions about the political arena, where lifelong Democrats voted for Bush in 2004 on "gut instinct"; the business world, where customers at the more than 1,700 Applebee's restaurants deem it "a second home"; and in megachurches, which fulfill Americans "need for belonging and purpose in a new century." Illus. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Sosnik, a former advisor to President Clinton; Matthew Dowd, a Republican strategist and advisor to President Bush; and Ron Fournier, a nonpartisan political writer, bring their diverse perspectives to an analysis of successful people who have adapted to a fast-changing American culture. They focus primarily on Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush; Lloyd Hill, founder of Applebee's restaurant chain; and Rick Warren, founder of a mega church in California and author of The Purpose Driven Church (1995). All of the success stories have in common the elements of desire to help community, make connections with clients, and find a higher purpose in life. The second part of the book looks at broad social changes that are compelling leaders in all areas to "adapt or perish." Interviews with regular Americans are interspersed with success profiles to offer a consensus that "gut values" are more compelling than strategies and tactics. The final chapter, looking toward the future, profiles "Generation 9-11," young people who were in high school or college when the terrorist attack on the U.S. occurred and are more optimistic, civic-minded, and politically active than most Americans, offering a decidedly optimistic prospect. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743287185
• ISBN-13: 978-0743287180
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #787,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Where Community Connects, January 15, 2007

By 

Jonathan P. Vela (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Applebee's America: How Successful Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book overall. The Navigators were an especially compelling article included. It reminded me of DuBois and The Talented Tenth and that a few people often make decisions for the entire community. I especially liked the section on Generation 9/11. As a grad student I intend to study this generation and this gives me a great starting point. One of the things I disliked was the linking of church, community, restaurants and many other points that were not covered enough or should be covered with additional books. Each topic deserved more coverage but I understand why he was trying to link them all. It seemed a little cluttered. Overall it is a well written book and I am sure it will be assigned to participation classes in the future. I give a grade of B.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Applebee's America might be the "new" America, May 15, 2008

By 

Steve (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Applebee's America: How Successful Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community (Hardcover)

I bought Applebee's America when it came out in 2006 but I just now got around to reading it. I'm sorry I waited so long, but the book took me less than a week to read and I do feel that it was worth it.

The authors took liberty in creating terms like Gut Values and Navigators. However, I don't know that they created these terms as much as they used new, quirky words to say the same thing. The authors referred to a book called The Influentials many times throughout. I wonder if I should have read that book first. The Influentials is also a good example of what I mean when I say that the authors didn't really create terms, as they basically called previously known Influentials, Navigators.

There was some overkill with some of the concepts, especially the concept of community and the phrase "people want to belong to a community".

Some of the chapters were fascinating and that made them very quick to read. As others have said here on amazon, the "history" of the megachurches was incredily interesting. The authors did do some serious work to write AA. While they did use a lot of prevously published sources and they document them well, they also did a good number of interviews. If you're looking for a lot of answers or a place to go for them, this book will guide you to a plethora of sources.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Applebee's America, December 5, 2007

By 

G. H. Telfer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Applebee's America: How Successful Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community (Paperback)

Fast read, easy to understand the concepts being presented, good examoples of gaining a following and how it was done in each case.