Customer Reviews

My Life

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I read this book 5 years ago, in 2004 when it was first released. It was a book I had been waiting for many years to come out, and I had the pleasure of meeting the man himself during his book tour after the book was eventually published. The book is heavy. More than 957 pages.I hardly used to read non-fiction biographies during those years. The only one I had read by that time was Nelson Mandela's The Long Walk to Freedom, and I was able to get through that book because it was the story of a life of wonderful leader, and the book was very well written. But I was not to be let down by Bill Clinton either....

Just a background- I have read a number of presidential biographies and autobiographies of other US Presidents since 2004, but I must say that Bill Clinton's memoirs ranks amongst my most favourite so far. The book is told chronologically, from the time he was born, till the time he leaves the presidency. A lot of other US Presidential autobiographies are told by division of chapters that discuss certain specific issues in each chapter. But Clinton decides to tell it as it happenned. As he himself indicates in the book, when you are president, issues occur all at once, not waiting for the other. There is Clinton, sleeping in the sofa, in exile from his bed by Hillary, and at the same time knowing he would be bombing Osama Bin Laden's bases in Afganistan the next day and making sure the plan is solid.

The other thing I like about this book is that it is pretty simple to read as well. You can fly through the book. It is engrossing, and it doesn't get stuck in places because of some sections being too boring or some sections being too difficult to understand. After all, Bill Clinton is the master of explaining complex subjects in very simple language.Even if one is interested only in foreign policy, his discussions on domestic public policy or economic policy won't bore you. Even if one is interested in his political life, his description of his personal life won't bore you. The other good thing about this book is that it is not ghost written. It is Bill Clinton all the way. It is long. But once has the patience to listen to what Clinton has to say.

When the book first came out, everyone wanted to know what he had to say about the Monica Lewinsky affair. During interviews right after the book's release, Clinton indicates he did it because 'he could'. I thought that it was a great answer. Yes, he did it, because it was there, and he could. He couldn't restrain himself. It also happened under mutual consent. Not that Clinton excuses himself. He just explains what happenned and why he did it. You won't obviously get the sordid details in this book. (For that you'll have to read the Starr Report!). Only 17 pages are dedicated for the issue - an issue for which Clinton will likely be forever remembered. In fact, in the book, Clinton doesnt even explain the issue. He starts off by surmising that everyone knows what he is talking about. He also starts to explain that he did it because he was leading a 'parallel life', as explained to him by his shrink (I can't remember the official word he uses in the book), that because he grew up in a family where there was domestic violence, he would often retreat to another life, where he is reckless. In all honesty, I think that's nonsense. I believe in his initial statement. He did it coz he could! It had nothing to do with the fact that Newt Gingrich and the Republicans were threating to shut down the government.

When Bill Clinton became President, the Cold War was over. There were few hot spots in the world, but nothing as substantial as the Cold War, or Desert Storm, or 9/11. He became president through his campaign to end the recession of the early 90s. Bill Clinton succeeded in bringing prosperity to the nation, but he was helped by the recession ending even before George HW Bush's term was over. Bill Clinton never had a big crisis like 9/11. Presidents are often remembered if they are a war president or if they succeed in resolving a big crisis. But there never was one under Clinton's presidency. (I'm sure sometimes he asks himself how Obama was able to be president under such circumstances with crisis just left and right of him). So in the narrative, there really isn't anything that would be considered a major crisis under Bill Clinton, simply because they never occured! But it is wrong to judge a president just by the way he conducts himself in a crisis. I think Bill Clinton did a great job. His handling of the presidency led not just to prosperity in the country, but overall peace in the world. Yes, his first year in office went badly in foreign policy - Somalia, Bosnia, even Haiti and N. Korea. But he grew and learnt the job as he went along. It is interesting to read about his dealings during the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement and the Israeli-Palestian Peace Process. There are a number of examples where the reader will be able to read the book and learn about the events that occured. For instance, at the end of his presidency, Yasser Arafat tells Clinton that he is a 'great man', and Clinton tells him 'no, I am a failure. And you made me one.' Such kind of revelationss with other world leaders are discussed throughout the book. I absolutely loved it! Clinton deserves credit for keeping overall peace in the world, and for the great economic book not just in the US, but for saving failing economies around the world. I think he played a good role in the handling of the Asian Economic Crisis of the mid-90s.

Bill Clinton's journey to the most powerful post in the world is worth reading about. After all, Clinton was born to power or wealth. He was a product of a single mom, at times a product of living with a step dad who would often be violent because he was an alcoholic. He was the youngest governor and one of the youngest presidents. The book is aptly titled 'My Life' with a portrait of his handsome face. This is the story of a man who loved his job, who would bounce back after every fall. The story of the comeback kid. One can read about his many comebacks here. After all, this was a guy who was impeached, whose troubled marriage was there for all to see, and yet - he leaves the presidency with one of the highest popularity ratings, and whose wife would go on to become Senator of the Empire State, and a future candidate for the job that he so loves. This book is thorough and it isn't divided into 2 books. Some presidents, like Eisenhower and Truman, have divided their memoirs into 2 volumes, which sometimes can be painstaking to read. But Clinton tells it all in 1 volume, and the book is never painstaking to read. Clinton also reflects on what he wishes he had done, e.g., done more to stop the genocide in Rwanda.

I certainly believe that this is the best book written by a president about his life and his presidency. Critics indicate that the best memoirs written by a US President is by Ullyses Grant, but those memoirs are about the Civil War, not really about the presidency. Also, there are rumours that the books were actually written by Mark Twain. My Life by Bill Clinton gets 5 stars. It is an inspirational book. Go Clinton...

Being a fatherless child, I can understand the depth of Clinton's feeling now. He has touched a lot in this limited room. I wish, I could get more where I wanted while reading. This is an excellent autobiography. He proved himself to be one of us rather than some elite class. It was a delight reading this book.

It does not matter if you think he was a great president or a bad president, or the fact that many people say that his book is fabricated. This book is a must read!!! Not only does Bill Clinton give insight to his own life and political career, he creates an interesting tale of self-help and history that will inspire anyone who reads it.

William Jefferson Clinton is my first president. Well, not really, I was born on July 3, 1981 so my first president was actually Ronald Reagan. The first presidential election that I remember is the 1988 election of George H.W. Bush. However, in many ways, Clinton is my first president. The presidential election of 1992 was the first national election I ever cared about. Coming from a family of Democrats excited for the first chance in sixteen years to capture the White House, Clinton was very much a favorite that year. I was one of only two kids in 5th grade class the wanted to see Clinton elected. I was excited because on our state reports for class that year, I was the student who randomly picked Arkansas much to the shock of my friend. President Clinton was president when I first became interested in the history of our nation and the presidency itself. It was interesting to have someone in the White House who was also a major presidential history buff.

Born William Jefferson Blythe III, his father William Jefferson Blythe, Jr. was a con artist who had multiple families at the same time. However, the elder William would not know the son who shared his name, because he died in a car accident before Clinton was born. His mother, Virginia, would later remarry this time to a man named Roger Clinton. The Clintons would have another son together, Roger C. Clinton, and the future president would legally change his name to match the rest of his family. Nevertheless, his family life was terrible, the elder Roger Clinton was a drunk and abuser; Clinton often would have to defend his mother and little brother.

Despite (or maybe, because of) his horrible family life, Clinton excelled both academically in school and socially with peers. Clinton would ultimately become a Rhodes scholar and with that travel abroad. He would during this point of his life have his famous `I didn't inhale' episode, and he would, although legally, dodge the draft. When he was a student at Yale, he would meet and later marry a young law student named Hillary Rodham. Ultimately, he would end up becoming a lawyer and end up as a professor at the University of Arkansas.

The most fascinating elements of the book are the way he discusses the ups and downs of his own political career. His frustrating loss at a run for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 1974, when it seemed like every other Democrat won big in the wake of Watergate. Later, he becomes Arkansas' Attorney General, which would act as a stepping-stone for the Governor's seat in 1978. At the age of thirty-two, he was the youngest governor in the nation. Unfortunately, for him, the same year his daughter Chelsea was born, 1980, he was turned out of office. He would joke that he became as he called it `the youngest ex-governor in the nation's history.

"These problems were aggravated by my own lack of experience and my youth. I looked even younger then my thirty-two years. When I became attorney general, George Fisher, the talented cartoonist for the Arkansas Gazette, drew me in a baby carriage. When I became governor he promoted my to a tricycle. It wasn't until I became President that he took me off the tricycle and put me in pick up truck. And he was a supporter. It should have set off an alarm bell, but it didn't." p.267

His biggest mistake as governor had been to increase the people of Arkansas' car tags. Alternatively, as we call them in Maine `excise tax'. It made him many enemies but after awhile he was able to rebuild his popularity and mount a comeback. In time, his political career recovered and skyrocketed all the way the top. He regained the governorship in 1982 and would hold it for the next ten years. From that platform in 19998, he would mount his campaign for the presidency.

"As I walked back to my car, I ran into an elderly man in overalls. He said, `Aren't you Bill Clinton?' When I said I was and shook his hand, he couldn't wait to tell me he had voted against me. `I'm one of those who helped beat you. I cost you eleven votes--me, my wife, my two boys, and their wives, and my five friends. We just leveled you.' I asked him why and I got the predictable reply: `I had to. You raised my car tags.' I pointed to a spot on the highway not far from where we were standing and said, `Remember that ice storm we had when I took office? That piece of road over there buckled and cars were stuck in a ditch. I had to get the National Guard to pull them out. There were pictures of it in all the papers. Those roads had to be fixed.' He replied, `I don't care. I still didn't want to pay it.' For some reason, after all he said, I blurted out, `Let me ask you something. If I ran for governor again, would you consider voting for me?' He smiled and said, `Sure I would. We're even now.' I went right to the payphone, called Hillary, told her the story, and said I thought we could win." p.291

One most interesting things about Clinton's book is how he discusses how all the political and historical events that had occurred in his own life. Meeting President John F. Kennedy when he was 17, and commenting on that famous photo. He talks about his feeling on President Johnson and how shocked he was when Johnson decided not to run for president in 1968. The president comments on the disastrous 1972 Democratic Convention that left the party weakened and crushed in that year's election. He often compares what goes on to his own life and career.

"In the summer, I led the Arkansas delegation to the Democratic convention in San Francisco to see Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro nominated and to give a five-minute tribute to Harry Truman. We were in trouble to start with, and it was all over when Mondale said he would purpose a hefty tax increase to reduce the budget deficit. It was a remarkable act of candor, but he might as well have purposed a federal car-tag fee." p.316

When discussing his presidency, he mentions that his brutal upbringing allowed him to compartmentalize. As president, he was able to focus on doing his job despite the immense assault on him and the very institution of the presidency. As one can imagine he tires to gloss over his martial indiscretions. He calls his affair with Monica Lewinsky `disgusting' and that he did it for the `worst possible of reasons' and that is: he could. However, one cannot fail to be impressed with the way he tries to keep working for the American people both on the domestic and foreign fronts despite being assailed from all sides. However his political enemies keep trying to bring him down, not simple by the legitimate methods of congressional gridlock and elections but by tearing down some of the basic institutions of government in order to get him. It did not matter how hypocritical their methods were, they were going full stop.

"Starr admitted he had talked to the press, on background, a violation of the grand jury secrecy rules. Finally, he dined under oath that his office had tried to get Monica Lewinsky to wear a wire to record our conversations with Vernon Jordan, me, or other people. When confronted with the FBI form proving that he had, he was evasive. The Washington Post reported that `Starr's denials...were shattered by his own FBI reports.

The fact that Starr admitted violating the law on grand jury secrecy and had given false testimony under oath didn't slow him or the committee down a bit. They thought different rules applied to the home team." p.829

Although, far from a perfect human being I feel he was probably the best president we had since Dwight D. Eisenhower left office in 1961. His writing, although a long book (over nine hundred pages), follows smoothly and is an easy read. Anyone interested in modern American politics would enjoy this book.

I love Bill Clinton ... and I was really looking forward to learn about the behind the scenes of Bill as a person.
This book talks about his growing up without a father and how that built his personality, it takes you through the young Governors rise to power and the political gambits that make DC.
Many of the details are long (like his speeches :-)) and sometimes too much to endure - but overall it is a slice of history (a big slice) from Bill Clintons perspective.
*SPOILER* What i did miss was the lack of details around the Monica Lewinsky scandal and what did he do to survive Hillary's wrath ;-) (my wife would have given me permanent black and blues).
But hey it's his book, who am i to complain ;-)
Overall : nice, informative, inspiring and enjoyable. Since I listened to the audio book read by him - the experience was enhanced.

I am a huge fan of Bill Clinton and was quite impressed with what he did in the White House as well as his path that led him to become a Rhodes Scholar. I appreciate his command of the English language and his passion for service. I saw him debate on TV and was glad he brought the same intensity to this production. The platitudes I have for this book are long.

I only have one critique of the Cds: the volume wasn't consistent and I found myself having to adjust it too often. The start of the a track would be okay, but during the track the volume would escalate and I'd be throwing my hand to the volume knob in my Jeep to find a comfortable level. It was jarring that the volume didn't remain consistent.

A minor issue that seemed to distract from the quality of the book.

Bill Clinton in his own autobiography, MY LIFE, tells his story in a very straight forward way. I appreciate his honestly.

Carefully, he details his childhood and the experiences that shaped his life. From his mother he learned never to give up. When the chips are down, you use them for stepping stones. His grandfather in his little country store in Arkansas, taught him the value of every human being regardless of position or color.

All through his political career, his major concerns were the betterment of the disadvantaged, the outcasts of society. The power of his presidency he used to benefit others whether individuals or nations. He was a consumate peacemaker, who lived the golden rule. In spite of this, he was the target of those who used power indiscriminately, simply because they could. But the venom and lies his enemies battered him with he chose to forgive and look always for the best in others.

Yes, he slipped and fell from grace, but I believe he truly repented. It's apparent that his wife and daughter accept his repentence. It seems to me that too many people love to capitolize on the evil in others lives. What a gross focus! Do they blow out another's candle to make their own glow brighter?

Bill Clinton's accomplishments produced a refreshing breeze after the disasters created by the previous administrations!

After reading MY LIFE, I have a deeper appreciation of the factors that impact the individuals who accept the presidency of our country. Bill's positive attitude, his devotional prayer life, and his perserverance in spite of seeming failure are an inspiration to me personally. May God give our nation more statesmen like him!

Betty L. Sheldon, author of OMNIPIECE