Listen Up, Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Thomas, the doyenne of the White House press corps for over 30 years, stops asking questions and starts giving answers in this how-to guide to the American presidency. Having covered every president since Kennedy, Thomas offers up a lesson plan drawn from the foibles and successes of presidents past, with praise and admonition meted out in equal measure. While Carter gets high marks for his honesty (his poor political gamesmanship is served up as a warning), Nixon takes a predictable beating for his paranoia and combative stance toward the press while Kennedy alone slips through unscathed, described as our best president of the later twentieth century. While the book sometimes devolves into platitudes (Telling hard truths makes great leaders) accounts of Thomas sparring with press secretaries like George Stephanopoulos (who infamously compared her voice to the Wicked Witch of the West's) and Ari Fleischer are entertaining. Her incessant questioning of power also drives home the underlying message of the book: it's a primer not, at heart, for those who would be president but for those who would elect one. (Oct.)
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Product Description

Helen Thomas has covered the administrations of ten presidents in a career spanning nearly sixty years. She is known for her famous press conference closing line, "Thank you, Mr. President," but here she trades deference for directness. Thomas and veteran journalist Craig Crawford hold nothing back as they use former occupants of the White House to provide a witty, history-rich lesson plan of what it takes to be a good president.

Combining sharp observation and dozens of examples from the fi rst presidency through the forty-fourth, the authors outline the qualities, attitudes, and political and personal choices that make for the most successful leaders, and the least. Calvin Coolidge, who hired the fi rst professional speechwriter in the White House, illuminates the importance of choosing words wisely. William Howard Taft, notorious for being so fat he broke his White House bathtub, shows how not to cultivate a strong public image. John F. Kennedy, who could handle the press corps and their questions with aplomb, shows how to establish a rapport with the press and open oneself up to the public. Ronald Reagan, who acknowledged the Iran-Contra affair in a television address, demonstrates how telling hard truths can earn forgiveness and even public trust.

By gleaning lessons from past leaders, Thomas and Crawford not only highlight those that future presidents should follow but also pinpoint what Americans should look for and expect in their president. Part history lesson, part presidential primer, Listen Up, Mr. President is smart, entertaining, and exceedingly edifying.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439148155
• ISBN-13: 978-1439148150
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,607 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read--Excellent, Insightful, Fair., October 12, 2009

By	A. Lee "RollTide" (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I bought this book thinking that I would read a chapter or two a week and learn some previously unknown nuggets of information and insights about our past presidents. Without giving away spoilers or free samples, I read the first chapter. It was so good I then read chapter two. Then chapter three. The next thing I know, I'm done with the book in one sitting. Though I didn't agree with some of their assessments of some Presidents (I'm a conservative and these are mainstream media types so it's safe to say they are a bit to the left of myself), the book was never lacking in original insights and lessons. Moreover, there were no cheap shots taken under the belt, even in the sections that I may have disagreed with. It's very fair. Chapter one is definitely worth the price of the book for those interested in the Presidency and anyone looking to get into T.R.'s proverbial Arena of politics. I personally found that the parts of the book that dealt with how the Presidency is covered and the give and take between the President/Executive Branch and the fourth estate, particularly the fourth chapter, came to life, for obvious reasons--Thomas and Crawford are journalists! A surprisingly wonderful and insightful read--and that's coming from a conservative who isn't too fond of most in the mainstream media. Go buy a copy, you won't regret it.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Self Helf Manual, October 13, 2009

By	Janet White "History & Movie Nut" (Washington) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Someone should place a copy of this book on every table in the White House where all Presidents could have it handy for quick reference. Anyone hoping to be President, should read it immediately to find out how to be a good one. Helen Thomas has been an up close, frontline observer of the breed for sixty years and knows the requirements for the job. She can draw on decades of examples from successful presidents and those who disappointed. Craig Crawford, her cowriter, is one of the few pundits able to discuss political issues with sanity and humor. The combination makes for a great insiders book of "how to" for the hardest job on the planet.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential primer for both presidents and citizens., October 6, 2009

By	Flatus Ohlfahrt "Flatus" (Columbia SC) - See all my reviews

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This book is written so well and clearly that every president in my (long) lifetime could have learned from it while enjoying the experience. And citizens should read it too, gaining perspective on what presidents realistically can and can't do.

The authors' qualifications to write this primer have been documented time and time again. And their concise, clear writing style gets to the point. It's an excellent read.