Customer Reviews

Life's a Campaign: What Politics Has Taught Me About Friendship, Rivalry, Reputation, and Success

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I am of two minds about 'Life's A Campaign' and the man who wrote it Chris Matthews. This is the same man who is known for non-stop, very loud talking. Yet, here he is giving advice on how to succeed in life. His advice he gleaned from the politicians he has met. Does Chris Matthews take his own advice? Well, he says he does.

He says " To get ahead in life you can learn a lot from those who get along for a living. The people who make the biggest impression on me and who've really taught me the tricks of getting ahead in life are the politicians. I know that goes against the grain, but so does the shrewdest advice I've grabbed."

The book is well written and the personal stories that Chris Matthews shares are some of the best I have heard. We can gain wisdom from these people as we see how they operate on a daily basis. Some of this wisdom is sound. At the end of each chapter, Chris Matthews summarizes the chapter with the 'Bottom Line'. On chapter 3 he says in the Bottom Line " Loyalty, Friendship, Investment, Reward. Never underestimate these factors." All good and sound. Yet, do we want to live our lives like politicians?

Jon Stewart skewered Chris Matthews on his show. Jon Stewart has the view that no politician has the values he wants to follow. That is legitimate, but what about the politicians SOME may admire, Teddy Roosevelt, John F Kennedy, Franklin D Roosevelt or Harry Truman. What is it the qualities that are admired? Is Chris Matthew pushing his point of view on us? Yes, of course, he is. He has one point of view, and we can learn from it as well as take it with a grain of salt. Politicians are real people much as we hate to admit it with foibles and assets.

Chris Matthew was interviewed on NPR's 'Talk of the Nation'. It was one of the best interviews I have heard. In fact Chris Matthew came across so well I bought his book. He was charming, full of stories and ideas, information that was helpful, funny and poignant. As I started reading his book I realized, as he had stated, that what he had to say was a lot of common sense. "People would rather be listened to than listen. Not every one's going to like you, accept it and move on. Optimism beats the alternative. Grin When You Fight. Keep Good Company" and on and on. A fast read and entertaining. Each chapter begins with a quote from someone, one of my favorites:

"They say you can't do it, but remember they aren't always right" Casey Stengel.

Chris Matthews tells us about his first job, the people he met,the people he helped, the losses he felt, how he responded and what he has learned. I have a different view of Chris Matthews than the one that appears nightly on MSNBC. He has a family he loves, his boss Tip O'Neill made the biggest impression upon him, and from Tip he learned how the political world should work. He observed the relationships that mattered and the ones that worked well. He gives us insight into Hillary Clinton, lots of political savvy but she does not inspire. Ronald Regan, Obama, George W Bush and his father the first President Bush. All in all a book that has a lot to say. The critique I would give is that all of this advice is given in a cavalier manner. This could be and in a sense it is, an important political book. It may be that the format of the book takes away from the serious side. I enjoyed the message and met the messenger, up close and personal, as they say.

Recommended. prisrob 10-18-07

Hardball : How Politics Is Played Told By One Who Knows The Game

This book is a quick read, but does have some practical advice for anyone who interacts with people which would include most of us. Chris Matthews passes on wisdom that others have passed on to him which can be of benefit to young people trying to get started in a career. Matthews quotes Winston Churchill, Bill Clinton, and others who have provided wisdom in dealing with other people. Clinton on the importance of being a good listener. Most people can't wait until the other person finishes speaking so they can spout their own thoughts. Each chapter begins with catchy lines that teach a lesson such as Harvey Mackay stating, "Dig your well before you're thirsty." Each chapter is summed up to reiterate what Matthews wants to emphasize to you. Reading biographies, Matthews asserts, are beneficial to show us how others got where they wanted to go, and to study the routes others have taken. Of special importance, I feel, is the chapter on counting to ten, one hundred if you are really angry, before spouting a snappy or clever response at someone because all your hard work can be undone in a nanosecond. I rate the book three stars which isn't bad, and I'm sure Chris Matthews doesn't expect it to be rated five stars on the same level as some classic works, but the book does provide pracical advice for people. My copy is going to our local high school where I hope students will benefit from the wisdom Chris Matthews has provided.

I found this book to be very enjoyable. It is a short collection of political anecdotes and 'life lessons.' It really isn't about being manipulative - I hate to say it, but having read the negative reviews here - those people really didn't read the book. Ok, so you associate 'politics' with being manipulative and then assume that a book that talks about lessons from politics must advocate a selfish sort of manipulativeness. Or else you watch Hardball and don't like it, so you then, by necessity, hate the book.

So here's an example: "Don't just call when you need something." Manipulative? Uh. How about just good manners and an appropriate way of building relationships? "Keep good company." Confucious pointed that one out. Perhaps by stating these more obvious examples, I may give the impression that the book is a bit bland. The advice might not be totally revelatory or new, but the book is written in an engaging manner and the anecdotes are enjoyable. And truthfully, organizing them around the 'what I've learned' or 'advice' premise makes it all the more entertaining.

I watch Chris Matthews almost every evening and have come to respect him a great deal even if I don't always agree with him. The thing that I most respect about the man is that he asks the tough questions of both sides of the political aisle. Many conservative Republicans are upset with him now because he is so tough on the Bush administration but a scant eight years ago liberal Democrats were upset with him over his treatment of the Clinton administration. Basically Matthews seems to ask the tough questions of whoever is in power despite the fact that in his political career he always worked for Democrats.

The reader will find out a lot about the author in this book including the fact that Matthews' father was a Republican and that the first President Bush took great delight in reminding Matthews of that fact. Matthews has in fact come into fairly close contact with almost every major American leader in the last thirty years and has gleaned several worthwhile insights from these successful people. It is those very insights that this book is meant to share. Matthews has zoomed in on several traits that seem to be shared by most of the people who have reached the top of the political ladder and it is his contention that many of these traits can be applied to almost any field with the same positive results.

As Matthews passes along his hints for a successful career he shares some wonderful stories some of which are amusing and some of which are very moving. The story of Tip O'Neill's visit to the still sedated Ronald Reagan shortly the failed attempt on the president's life for example is a very moving story and Matthews does an excellent job of telling it. Matthews in fact does an excellent job of telling all of the stories in this book and even though this is the first of his books that I have read it is obvious to me that he is a very gifted writer. This book flows well, is easy to read and is interesting from cover to cover. Whether one agrees with the author's assertions or not his argument is presented clearly and in a very positive manner. Readers can decide for themselves if following Mr. Matthews' advice is the right choice for them but this book is well worth reading even if one decides to completely ignore the advice. The rare glimpses offered here into the lives of some of America's most notable leaders is priceless with or without the advice.

What happens when one attempts to write about creating a winning life strategy using political stories? Well, judging by the diversity of the other reviews of this book, like politics in America, one ends up pleasing - at best - only half the people.

Probably because I set aside my political views in reading this book, I just plain enjoyed Chris Mathew's latest book. Sure, there are more informative books on achieving better personal results in life. And, there are better books on politics. But, I found the combination to be innovative and entertaining. Simply, a good read for a medium length plane ride or an evening by a nice fire.

Few readers are likely to discover great new insights into life in the pages of this book. But, I dare say that many of us can benefit by reading entertaining reminders of the basics.

An example of one of these basics, that I have already used in some of my classes on relationship building is this Chapter "bottom line" from the author, "Don't just call when you need something. If you plan to someday make withdrawals, it is good policy to start putting something in the bank." Surely, not an innovative thought. But, a reminder that is helpful.

Mere mortals who can benefit from such reminders, presented with quick illustrations from the world of politics, will enjoy this book. Political aficionados will probably be better served elsewhere.

Having read Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" a few years back, I felt Matthews' book does nothing more than rehash the same exact points. The advantage of the current book is that it uses some up-to-date examples as opposed to some of the quaint, dated examples from Carnegie, but if you've read one of these books, you've read them both.

i like chris matthews. while his voice can be somewhat grating on TV, he asks super questions and has excellent insight. he's someone for whom i have great admiration. the book, as its title suggests, is about stories (his own and famous politicians), how they dealt with difficult circumstances, in-fighting, obstacles to progress ... matthews offers within each chapter (e.g., listen) a number of stories, usually success although some failures, that demonstrate the given principle. the points that he discusses are based on, it would seem, his own values as opposed to something like precedent or scientific findings ... there's no discussion of scientific background. matthews talks about political stories, the thing for which he has become a master. in that regard, the book is excellent. coherence, valid conclusions based on material he presents, completeness of suggestions, and provision of recommendations on how to attain the chapter's objective were lacking. in my opinion, if you're looking for a self-help or self-actualization book, there are 300 books better than this one. if you're interested in stories about successful politicians (and matthews), then this is one of the more mezmerizing reads!

Thirty-two Amazon reviewers have preceded me, so I'll blame Chris Matthews himself. The reader-friendliness of this book allowed me to pick it up for a few pages at a time, then put it down for a week or more and then return for another enjoyable reading experience. This book works fine on that schedule, and I'm sure it would be just as enjoyable if you spent a day or two reading it from cover to cover. As he writes, Matthews comes across as a nicer, smarter and more congenial person than he sometimes appears to be on TV. I've held countywide elective office, managed campaigns for congressional and statewide candidates and participated in elections simply as a voter. This book is both entertaining and useful for any of those three roles. It's also a book to give to a friend who's considering running for office. Some of the early casualties in the presidential selection process should have taken the time to read it. I can think of one or two who would have done much better if they had. And since most of us aren't candidates this year but are watching, listening to and reading about them, this is a good read for us before we vote for or against them.

Easy to read and great ideas on bottom line ways of increasing ones chances for a successful career and also a happier life in general.

This book is one of Matthews' better books, in my opinion. It's a good, fast paced read - even if you are not involved into politics. It's somewhat autobiographical and somewhat observational in its prose. The book is Matthews' take on how successful people (primarily politicians) became true leaders and what it takes to play well with others. In some ways this book reads like a more condensed and engaging version of the older publication "How to Make Friends and Influence People".