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45 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Coolidge truly deserved a better biographer, September 26, 2007
This review is from: Calvin Coolidge (Hardcover)
As many small "r" republicans and libertarians have noted, Coolidge is truly underrated. Unfortunately this biography will not do overly much to boost his image or reputation.
Mr. Greenberg's political beliefs get in the way of a non-partisan review of Calvin Coolidge. He does not much like his hands off philosophy nor very obviously, his small government/non intereference beliefs. This gets in the way of real examination of the man and his accomplishments. Though he admits to admiring aspects of the man's personal life, he cannot extend that admiration to Coolidge's lack of ambition or vision as president.
From the begining of his national notice as governor of Taxachusetts, Coolidge is portrayed as a man who dithers from indecision rather than a man who refuses to overstep his potical boundaries (police strike of 1919). Greenberg labels Coolidege's propensity to delegate rather than do things himself as weakness rather than sound executive ability.
He does note Coolidge's accomplishments in the use of radio (the new media then)to actually contact the people in lareg numbers. His ability to use the medium let him avoid the Congress and go direct to the people, something few presidents have forgotten since. With this use of radio and regularly scheduled presss conferences, he was the first 'modern' president.
Greenberg's personal political philosophy gets in the way too many times of the process of looking into Coolidge. From the falsehood of tax cuts "costing the Treasury money better spent on infrastructure" (how about what taxpayers would have done with it?) to his deploring of Coolidge's decision to let the ICC languish rather than up its choking of the American railroads (FDR reversed that quickly enough, look at that result),Greenberg fails to keep his personal views from is often a pleasurable read. He does note very astutely that Coolidge was no true laissez faire man but rather on tariffs at least, a traditional Republican out for big protective tariffs.
He does grudgingly though note that Coolidge was a true believer in the limits of political power. It would be this belief that would cause him to declare that he would not run for reelection. As Coolidge himself said, "the office has lost its attraction for me..."
Perhaps its Coolidge's style, concern for the taxpayer, and overall simplicity that many Americans long for. For sure, many of us would love to see someone in office who did not have to pronounce on every event in the nation like our last few decades of leaders have gotten into the habit of doing...
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28 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Economic Illiteracy, June 17, 2008
This review is from: Calvin Coolidge (Hardcover)
The author is functionally illiterate in economics or at least so blinded by his contemporary liberalism that he ignores the plain reading of US history. While the author considers the prosperity of the 20's the effect of preceeding Wilsonian "investment" (ie deficit spending) he ignores the effect of tax cuts under Harding and Coolidge. Is it just coincident that the economy prospers after the Harding/Coolidge, the Kennedy, the Reagan, and the Bush tax cuts? He also ignores the general productivity enhancements of the automobile, radio, and electricity, all products of private enterprise rather than government intervention
The author is also inconsistent in that he repeatedly notes the broadly rising prosperity of an expanding middle class during the 20's then claims the Great Depression was caused, in part, by income inequalities. Nothing about the huge tax increases of Herbert "Wonder Boy" Hoover and FDR as well as the erroneous policies of the Fed that collapsed the money supply. While the relative stagnation of the farming sector is noted, the author doesn't correlate that with increased yields from tractors, rural electrification, and fertilizer. We just didn't need as many farmers in 1929 as we did in 1919 to feed a growing population.
The stock market bubble is discussed repeatedly too and Coolidge critized for not taking the steps of Federal market intervention that would have surpressed the speculation. Yet the author notes the general opinion that the stock market crash had little to do with the general depression.
The author is on firmer ground covering Coolidge's relationship with and use of mass media, especially radio and photography. Given the author's professorship in media studies at Rutgers, this should not surprise. Unfortunately, he also claims to be a professor of history. If true, woe be our college students!
What saves the book from being a total waste of money is the character sketches of Coolidge and his wife. He does seem a genuinely admirable person. Even the author likes him.
In summary, the book is prime example of the decadence of American academia. So immersed in their own liberal claptrap, how they can cash their taxpayer-funded paychecks is beyond my moral comprehension.
Pstscript: Upon further consideration, I should have given the book two stars instead of just one based on the personality sketches alone. However, I'm not allowed to revise that part of the review.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
.Good characterization of a very private president, December 26, 2010
This review is from: Calvin Coolidge (Hardcover)
This particular entry in The American Presidents Series is fairly well-written and engaging. One of the themes the author continually develops about this popular former president is that he was a reserved and intensely private character and as such, his biography is more difficult to write. In spite of this, the author does a pretty good job of covering President Coolidge's life and his impact. Most readers probably already know that Coolidge was famous for being somewhat of a figure of stability and sparse intervention during a time of economic prosperity and political stability (relatively speaking) at home and abroad. He is seen as having presided over the good times while his successor gets much of the blame for the Great Depression that followed. However, most people are probably unaware that this humble, private man who was dedicated to efficiency and integrity was also a groundbreaking president in his use of the media to connect to average Americans. He was one of the first presidents to make use of radio, motion pictures and media interviews on a regular basis in a way that ushered in more modern practices that we are used to seeing nowadays. This is an additional theme to the book and one that makes Coolidge an interesting study in contrasts. The author suggests that Coolidge, who languished for many years in public thought because his brand of trickle-down laissez faire economics became discredited after the advent of the Great Depression, has become more relevant in the last few decades because of the resurgence in popularity of these ideas. In general, the reader of this biography will find a nice balance between the personal story of the rise of this unlikely but popular president and a characterization of the times in which he lived. Not everything about Coolidge and his time in office is presented as being positive but the final verdict is fair and favorable.
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