Get Ready for Winter Weather Best Books of 2014 Shop Men's Running Shoes Shop Men's Running Shoes Shop Men's Cloud Drive Photos nav_sap_plcc_6M_fly_beacon Sinclair Amazon Fire Phone, now available unlocked Amazon Fire TV Amazon Wine Shop Top Deals in Pets Digital Week Digital Week Digital Week Fire tablets Year-End Kindle Daily Deals Video Games Accessories Week Shop Yoga Shop Athletic Clothing Shop Exercise & Fitness Kids' Birthdays
Start reading What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama Tweeted on the free Kindle Reading App or on your Kindle in under a minute. Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

Enter a promotion code
or gift card
 
 
 

Try it free

Sample the beginning of this book for free

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 
Listen: Play Sample

What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama Tweeted: 200 Years of Popular Culture in the White House [Kindle Edition]

Tevi Troy
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)

Digital List Price: $12.99 What's this?
Print List Price: $18.95
Kindle Price: $9.48
You Save: $9.47 (50%)

Free Kindle Reading App Anybody can read Kindle books—even without a Kindle device—with the FREE Kindle app for smartphones, tablets and computers.

To get the free app, enter your email address or mobile phone number.

Audible Narration

Switch back and forth between reading the Kindle book and listening to the Audible narration with Whispersync for Voice. Add narration for a reduced price of $3.99 when you buy the Kindle book.

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $9.48  
Paperback $14.71  
Audible Audio Edition, Unabridged $17.95 or Free with Audible 30-day free trial
Hero Quick Promo
Year-End Kindle Daily Deals
Load your library with great books for $2.99 or less each, today only. Learn more

Book Description

From Cicero to Snooki, the cultural influences on our American presidents are powerful and plentiful. Thomas Jefferson famously said "I cannot live without books," and his library backed up the claim, later becoming the backbone of the new Library of Congress. Jimmy Carter watched hundreds of movies in his White House, while Ronald Reagan starred in a few in his own time. Lincoln was a theater-goer, while Obama kicked back at home to a few episodes of HBO's "The Wire."

America is a country built by thinkers on a foundation of ideas. Alongside classic works of philosophy and ethics, however, our presidents have been influenced by the books, movies, TV shows, viral videos, and social media sensations of their day. In Pop Culture and the American Presidents: From Pamphlets to Podcasts, presidential scholar and former White House aide Tevi Troy combines research with witty observation to tell the story of how our presidents have been shaped by popular culture.


Product Details

  • File Size: 834 KB
  • Print Length: 354 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1621570398
  • Publisher: Regnery History (September 2, 2013)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00APDG0VK
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray:
  • Word Wise: Enabled
  • Lending: Not Enabled
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #418,112 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  •  Would you like to give feedback on images or tell us about a lower price?


Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By djb
Format:Paperback
This is an informative and entertaining book about how popular culture has impacted the Presidency and vice-versa. Ten years ago, Tevi Troy wrote a thoughtful book about intellectuals and the modern Presidency, and now has produced a kind of companion piece that examines our highest office from a different perspective. From well researched analysis of the literary interests of the Founding Fathers (Jefferson's correspondence expressing admiration at how many books John Adams had read, while George Washington arranges a performance of the play "Cato" to inspire his troops at Valley Forge) to amusing snapshots of more recent presidents (Eisenhower refused to watch any movies with Robert Mitchum, while LBJ had no interest in films, except for a documentary about himself) "What Jefferson Read . . ." provides insight into both popular and political culture across all of U.S. history.

Full disclosure, I've known Tevi Troy for years. He brings a unique perspective as both a Ph.D. academic and a former White House staffer who has worked at the highest levels of government. As a result, you get not just an exhaustively researched survey of American history and culture, but also a practical understanding of how government and politics really works. All that and a conversational tone that's easy to read. As summer winds down and we put our beach reading aside, here's a great book to bring you back to substance without sacrificing entertainment value.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, Engaging, and Fun! September 9, 2013
Format:Paperback|Verified Purchase
In "What Jefferson Read..." Tevi Troy provides an informative and fun exploration of the ways that literature and pop culture have influenced American presidents since the Founding and how they, in turn, have influenced the culture. Every page is sprinkled with interesting anecdotes that Troy weaves into an enlightening narrative tracking the changing relationship between presidents and the cultural media (literature, theater, radio, film, television, etc.). Washington inspired his troops with the play "Cato," FDR used radio to broaden support for his policies and popularity, JFK cultivated relationships with intellectuals, celebrities, and journalists to create the image of "Camelot," and so on.

Troy also explores the tensions that presidents face when relating to the citizenry. Too little knowledge of the popular culture can make a president appear disconnected and aloof, but engaging with it too much can appear shallow. Likewise, critiquing aspects of the culture can help a president politically (see: Bill Clinton and Sistah Souljah) but it can also backfire (see: Dan Quayle and Murphy Brown).

I highly recommend reading the Appendix first, which provides a series of "rules" and "laws" that serve as lessons to presidents derived from the experience of their predecessors (e.g. - "Murphy (Brown)'s Law: If you criticize artists or celebrities, you empower them to criticize you."). I wish I had read this section before hitting the discussion of the relationship between the president and pop culture in modern times as I am sure that I would have frequently referred back to it.

Full disclosure: Back in grad school, I briefly volunteered as Dr. Troy's part-time research assistant.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow ! A history book thats fun to read. September 11, 2013
Format:Paperback|Verified Purchase
Tevi Troy , the preeminent Presidential historian of our time, has written a fantastic book that is both part history and part sociologic study. In an easy to read engaging format, this book not only explains how Presidents were consumers of books, theater, radio, TV and movies but how their use of these evolving media influenced others and often their own decision making process. Interestingly, we learn culture is often used as a means to portray Presidents' images and public perception.

The book is easy to read but chock full of nuggests of fun facts and trivia. It is a book that is so enjoyable that upon completion makes me want to read again to ensure that I captured all the nuances and detail. How many history books cause that reaction ? Where was this author when I was slogging through all those dull history texts in high school ? I highly recommend this book to anyone even if you have no prior interest in Presidential history.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and entertaining September 26, 2013
Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
The book was well researched, comprehensive, yet written in a very interesting style. The extensive list of presidents covered in the book are brought to life in an informative and entertaining way. This book is a very good read.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT JEFFERSON READ, IKE WAtched, and OBAMA TWEETED August 26, 2013
Format:Paperback
Tevi Troy has written a most interesting,educational, informative, and enjoyable book about our presidents, and how they related to the culture of their time. Besides all of the above,it is a great read, with a number of surprises.

Jack Polinsky
Kew Gaerdens Hills, N.Y
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read book about presidential communications September 8, 2013
Format:Paperback
President Jimmy Carter's public image is largely that of a dour moralizer, even scold. Carter famously upbraided his fellow citizens in a televised speech for a "crisis of confidence" - a move that helped make him a one-term president. But in the privacy of the White House Carter had a lighter side, as a serious movie-watcher. During his single White House term Carter watched an impressive 480 films. That's one of many revelations about the ever-evolving relationship between presidents and popular culture from Tevi Troy in his engaging and comprehensive "What Jefferson Read".

Be it radio, television, online, etc., presidents have regularly used the latest forms of communications and pop culture hits to advance their own political interests. Many White House aspirants fell short because they couldn't readily identify with the masses. Ronald Reagan, a former movie star and corporate spokesman, was particularly comfortable in front of the camera. And while John F. Kennedy's 1960 television debate performances were seen as superior to that of Republican rival Richard Nixon, his younger brother Ted was laid low by the same medium. Nearly two decades later the Massachusetts senator's rambling response to a predictable question about why he wanted to be president helped doom his candidacy.

In the conclusion of "What Jefferson Read" the author offers advice about incorporating pop culture and governing. "Our national politics has become a competition for images or between images. Presidents must therefore understand popular culture, even if they don't endorse it." Troy's book is a must-read for White House occupants, their advisers, future candidates, academics, political junkies and everyone else interested in the American presidency.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
good read
Published 4 months ago by John G. Nobrega
3.0 out of 5 stars This is mostly a pretty good book
The book starts out strong, and is an informative look at how the presidency and presidents were affected by the culture of their day over the past 200ish years. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Bradley McPantsington
1.0 out of 5 stars Boo
I'm a gun toting republican and this book is written for me and my people, but I still found it a terrible read. Read more
Published 7 months ago by black jack
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Waste Your Time Unless You Like Being Fed Revisionist Propanda a...
Laughable, really. "Dubya" as an intellectual giant, St. Ronnie the Reagan the best President ever, and Obama a jive-talking, TV-watching anti-intellectual like most of... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ysabel
1.0 out of 5 stars political screed
What could have been a light entertaining glimpse into the reading/viewing/cultural habits of Presidents instead turns into an excuse for attacking politicians to the left of the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by N Crosby
2.0 out of 5 stars Title a bit mis-leading
The first portion of the title is accurate. The second portion....200 Years of popluar culture in the White House..not so much
Published 9 months ago by Radio Freq
1.0 out of 5 stars An excuse to air a political agenda
Filled with value judgements, snide remarks, backhanded compliments -- this book became more an more annoying as it went on. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars For History Buffs and People Magazine Readers Alike
"What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama Tweeted: 200 years of Popular Culture in the White House," is a collision of everything I love: pop culture and presidents. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Jessica
1.0 out of 5 stars What a waste of money.
I did not expect to be treated to the author's obvious worship of Obama. The book was pure tripe. Save your money.
Published 10 months ago by Paul K. Trommer
5.0 out of 5 stars A FUN TO READ HISTORY BOOK
Tevi Troy has written a delightful book on 200 years of popular culture in the White House. I read it on my Kindle and was impressed by his thoughtful analysis and his detailed... Read more
Published 10 months ago by V. L. Wilson
Search Customer Reviews
Search these reviews only

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Forums


Look for Similar Items by Category