Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership (Hardcover)

~ Madeleine Albright (Author)
Key Phrases: fifty lady sharpshooters, thundering abyss, United States, President Elect, Middle East (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bill Clinton's secretary of state dispenses advice both geostrategic (The first rule for intervening in a civil war is don't) and mundane (Leave time for exercise) in this engaging foreign policy primer for the next White House occupant. Much of her wry wisdom concerns the muddled nuts-and-bolts of policy making, covering such topics as the indecipherability of satellite photos, the near-impossibility of getting the Washington bureaucracy to follow through on presidential initiatives and the importance of sounding out dissenters. The book provides briefings on world regions and hot spots that will likely preoccupy the next administration, with recommendations that are sometimes specific—lift the embargo on Cuba, Albright suggests—but usually noncommittal. (There are no good options in Iraq, the author opines, though she foresees a split into three autonomous regions as the most stable way to proceed.) Between the lines, she articulates a Clintonian approach to the world—moderate and solicitous of allies and world opinion, wary of force but willing to use it. She's anything but diplomatic on the subject of President Bush's foreign policy, especially the invasion of Iraq. Savvy and tart, Albright's is an unusually interesting presentation of centrist thought. (Jan.)
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Product Description

The next president, whether Democrat or Republican, will face the daunting task of repairing America's core relationships and tarnished credibility after the damage caused during the past seven years. In Memo to the President Elect, former secretary of state and bestselling author Madeleine Albright offers provocative ideas about how to confront the striking array of challenges that the next commander-in-chief will face and how to return America to its rightful role as a source of inspiration across the globe.

Much more than a set of policy prescriptions, Secretary Albright's writing blends lessons from the past with forward-looking suggestions about how to assemble a first-rate foreign policy team, anticipate the actions of other key countries, make full use of presidential power without repeating the excesses of the Bush administration, and revive America's commitment to its founding ideals.

Albright's advice is candid—as conveyed in a confidential memo—and seasoned with humor and stories from her years in office. Drawing on her extensive experience as an advisor to two presidents and a key figure in four presidential transitions, she provides an insider's analysis of U.S. options in addressing the decisive issues of our era: terrorism, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rivalries in the Middle East, the potential for nuclear war, and headaches created by such troublesome leaders as Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Russia's Vladimir Putin, Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, and North Korea's Kim Jong-il.

The 2008 election promises to be one of the most dramatic in our nation's history. Memo to the President Elect offers indispensable guidance for the next occupant of the White House—and a wealth of insights for voters to think about before deciding who that person will be.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (January 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061351806
• ISBN-13: 978-0061351808
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #267,025 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Audio Book - Excellent presentation of challenges for the new president, March 4, 2008

By	Stephanie Sullivan (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My review is on the audio book. Audo is often a remarkably different experience from written books for me. Ms. Albright reads the book and is adept at this medium.

Ms. Albright points out in reading the foreward how the book differs from an actual memo to the president elect which would be confidential. She is clearly providing her perspective in a manner accessible to a broad audience. As a huge number of people have trouble with basic world facts and history. Her presentation provides context for the relatively uninitiated so the information and views she is providing may broadly digested and understood.

For people with more knowledge of politics and the world this may seem a unnecessary review of known facts and situations. This has been the point of some more negative reviews. For me these were a welcome presentation of familar territory through the eyes of Ms. Albright and helped set the mental stage for the common-sense and pithy observations and advise she provides throughout the text.

Ms. Albright takes some hits in other reviews for pointing out how our current policies have hurt our standing internationally. It is my opinion those who cheer on the USA like a football team - we are number 1! - without examining and accepting the global realities will not like this book. For me her presentation was refreshing. Recognizing and giving voice to areas of decline can provide the hope and opprotunity to reverse the trend and lead to improvent.

I hope the next president is wise enough to see and use her counsel. The experience and clarity will be invaluable to navigating the international mess we find ourselves left with.

I am not sure this would be a "page turner" for me in the print edition, but it is certainly a "disk changer" in the audio edition. The audio version is unabridged with 8.5h of audio on 8 CD's! I feel Ms. Albright's reading of the text adds appreciably to the book.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Advice diplomatically presented -- with humor, March 12, 2008

By	D. Ellis (Warren, VT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ms. Albright states that her latest book is the product of many minds. Broad themes, opinions about the Bush Administration, and general advice are consistent with her earlier books. In addition, her writers and editors have produced exceptionally clear prose. Muddy concepts are clarified, anecdotes are brief and pithy, and many dots are connected. Some tightly written paragaraphs are quotable gems. Page 150 and the middle of page 237 spring to mind.

Clearly the work of an experienced diplomat, the book is as much about attitude and style as about concrete policy advice. She scorns black and white thinking, rather asking the president-elect to weigh the interests of other parties in any interactions with soverign states.

Finally, it becomes clear by the last chapter, that only one of the 3 potential president-elects has style and views aligned with those expressed by Ms. Albright.

Disclaimer: I am a 70 year old Electrical Engineering Ph.D. nerd, happily married for 45 years with 3 children, 4 grandchildren, and 6 patents in 5 different fields. Partially retired, I am increasingly fascinated by human behavior, especially in the political arena.

47 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly disapointing. Unfortunately, January 16, 2008

By	M. Reid "ExSoldier-HarvardGrad" (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book by a statesman whom I generally respect and like was a PROFOUND disappointment. I had gone into it with the hope that it would contain both an insiders look at the workings of the Clinton Foreign Policy Team as well as insights into how to address any number of thorny issues confronting us around the world. What I found was a basic overview of the cabinet and then several hours of platitudes and generalities about how the world works. She accurately, more or less, described the current situations in various hotspots around the world, less accurately explained how we got there, and then failed to offer any real solutions.

After getting about half way through, I thought that perhaps she was being very nuanced and indirect (she is after all a diplomat) and re read some portions. Alas, she was not being subtle, she just wasn't saying much. Also, it must be noted that her hatred of the Bush administration is not hidden at all. Granted several of her criticisms are spot on target but the bias was annoying. What made it worse was the fact that she never mentioned or analyzed any of Clinton's foreign policy disasters, and there were some that I wanted to hear her take on.

The result is a lot of nothing. There is no real guidance given. There are no great insights that would be beyond anyone who has been reasonably alert for the last ten years. There are no brilliant flashes or insights into history. Finally, there is no unbiased analysis. The result is a waste of time and money.

Particularly disturbing was her complete flight of fantasy at the end of the text where she presents a vision of what the world could look like in four years with an intelligent US foreign policy. Much of it was either totally unrealistic or based on the assumption that factors totally beyond our control will take place (for example that the Palastinians decide to go with Gandhi style non-violence). Put simply this book should only be read by University Freshman who may lack basic recent history or want a basic look at how the cabinet works.

Full disclosure: I am a Clintonian-Democrat with a Hawkish foreign policy.