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Joseph I. Lieberman
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Michael D'Orso
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In Praise of Public Life: The Honor And Purpose Of Political Service Paperback – January 15, 2001

by Joseph I. Lieberman (Author), Michael D'Orso (Contributor)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 15 ratings
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In a vigorous defense of public life, Senator Joseph Lieberman defines the duty, the honor, and the privilege of the public lives of politicians in the face of perennial American cynicism.

Americans have always been suspicious of government and have misunderstood and mistrusted those in public life. This attitude is even more prevalent as the boundaries that once separated public and private have fallen. Lieberman argues that some of the public's mistrust is based on a misconception of what public life is and why we need it. He describes life as he has lived it over three decades in the public eye with all its purpose, privileges, pressures, and pleasures.

Lieberman asks fundamental questions about what standards of behavior should be expected of politicians in the sharply partisan, big-money, search-and-destroy atmosphere of politics today. Who should set these standards? Is there room for a public figure to "be human," to "make mistakes"? Is there a line beyond which the personal behavior of a public official is nobody's business? Do citizens have an obligation to understand and determine the responsibilities of public life?

Drawing widely from his own experience as a politician and his pride in public service, Lieberman makes a passionate, hopeful argument for the value of public life. He believes it plays a place necessary role in our democracy and more Americans need to embrace it if we are to sustain our self-government.
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  1. Print length
    174 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster
  4. Publication date
    January 15, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.44 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0684867753
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0684867755
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joseph I. Lieberman (1942–2024) was a United States senator representing Connecticut. As the 2000 Democratic vice presidential candidate, he made history as the first Jewish American to run for national office on a major-party ticket. He authored several books, including In Praise of Public Life, An Amazing Adventure, and The Gift of Rest.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; First Edition (January 15, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 174 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0684867753
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0684867755
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.44 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

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  1. Joseph I. Lieberman

    Joseph I. Lieberman

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

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  2. Michael D'Orso

    Michael D'Orso

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    Mike D'Orso's work includes sixteen books, all in the form of narrative nonfiction. His subjects range from politics to professional football, from racial conflict to environmental destruction, from inner-city public education to social justice to spinal cord injury. The settings for his books range from Arctic Alaska to the Galapagos Islands to the swamps of rural Florida.

    Honors for Mike's work include the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, the New York Times Notable Book of the Year list, Newsweek Magazine's 2009 list of "50 Books For Our Times," the American Library Association's Alex Award, the Lillian Smith Book Award for writing on social justice, the Christopher Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the American Library Association's Nonfiction Book of the Year, selection among the New York Public Library's "25 Best Books of the Year", and inclusion three times in The Sporting News' annual Best Sports Stories anthology. Eight of Mike's books have been bestsellers. Three have been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. His newspaper work as a feature writer at the Virginian-Pilot was also nominated three times for a Pulitzer.

    Mike's work has been featured or reviewed in The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Forbes, Outside, Cosmopolitan, Audubon, Reader's Digest, Business Week, People, and The Oxford American magazines, as well as in numerous major metropolitan newspapers, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, and USA Today. He has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," C-Span's "Book TV," MSNBC and numerous National Public Radio programs, including Michael Feldman's "Whad'Ya Know?"

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
15 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Stephen Kurtz
5.0 out of 5 stars A Special Story
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2000
Verified Purchase
Joe Lieberman is a unique politician who sets out his vision in this well-written text. The tone of the book is easy to read blending his personal story with the background to the direction and policies that he is promoting.
The integrity of Joe Lieberman is unique and this book demonstrates why he is held in such high regard on both sides of the political debate.
Reading this book makes me know why Joe runs and inspires me to reach for higher public service. The highest praise for "In Praise"!
3 people found this helpful
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Rabbi Yonassan Gershom
5.0 out of 5 stars Bringing positive Jewish values to politics
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2001
This book was written before Senator Lieberman's nomination for Vice President, and it remains a valuable read now that Election 2000 is over. Whether you're a Democrat, Republican, third party member, independent or undecided, this book has a great deal to recommend it. It should be required reading for anyone considering a career in politics, and for citizens who want an accessible account of what the life of a modern politican is like.
Senator Lieberman begins by explaining that "career politician" -- a term so often seen as negative -- does not have to mean someone who is entrenched in graft and dishonesty. Just as professionals in other fields have a responsibility to uphold the very best standards of their professions, so do politicians. Lieberman considers politics to be his chosen career, the same as a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or other professional. He strives to do his job with a strong sense of moral responsibility, fully aware that public life is, well, public. He writes: "I assume that everything I do in my life -- EVERYTHING -- could possibly become public and therefore I should not do anything privately that I could not justify publicly." (p. 51)
The Senator's arguments in favor of politics as a bona fide career also changed my own stance on term limits. Before reading this book, I thought term limits were a good idea, as a way to prevent bad politicians from becoming entrenched. But, as Senator Lieberman eloquently points out, running a country is a big responsibility that takes years of experience. Having a large portion of the Senate turn over every few years would be inefficent, because everybody would be relatively new to the job. Besides, Lieberman points out, we already have ways to remove bad politicians. They're called elections.
As a religious Jew, I also appreciated the Senator's openness about the role that religion plays in his life. There have been other Jewish politicians in high offices, but none, so far as I know, have been as open as Lieberman about their beliefs. All too often, American Jews are reluctant to discuss religion in public, giving the false impression that we don't believe in anything. Senator Lieberman brings some balance to this issue, while educating the public about Judaism in the process. When, for example, he was asked by the press, "How do you relax?" his answer was, "The Sabbath." This book he gives a good picture of how he balances Sabbath observance with carrying out his public duties. During national emergencies such as the Persian Gulf War, he votes on the Sabbath, under the principle of temporarily setting aside the Sabbath prohibitions in order to save lives. (For the benefit of Lieberman critics who ask "How can he be revere life and support abortion rights," let me point out that Jewish law permits and even requires abortion under certain circumstances, and these differ from the Roman Catholic stance. Those who are interested in further details should read David M. Feldman's book, "Marital Relations, Birth Control, and Abortion in Jewish Law," which I have reviewed here on Amazon.)
In conclusion: I heard Senator Lieberman speak at a rally in Duluth during the Presidential campaign, and was very impressed with him, both as an eloquent speaker and a mentsch -- that wonderful Yiddish word that his campaign added to our national vocabulary, meaning "a fine human being". Our government could use a lot more politicians like him -- whatever their party affiliations. This book really deserves ten stars!
8 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars The Positive Side of Public Life
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2000
I am a young student of politics, and I am thinking about a career in public life. But at times I have wondered did that include the possibility of elected office, and if so did I really want to do it. Especially, since our public officials are viewed with a great deal of skepticism. But as I read this book, I found out that public life is still an honorable profession. Senator Lieberman, in many ways reinforced my interest in pursuing a career in politics. In the book, Senator Lieberman points out a lot of the problems that we have in Washington D.C., namely to much partisan bickering. He also offers the solution to this problem, which is that members of the House and the Senate, must put aside this partisanship and work together in a bipartisan way to do the work of the people. I highly recommend this book to all of those people who are interested in public life. But I would also recommend it to those who have little interest in politics, simply because, Senator Lieberman points out that many people who go into politics, do it not for their own benefit, but as Senator McCain put it "To serve a cause greater than oneself." Which is what Senator Lieberman is saying in a different way. I felt that by including examples from his own political career, will help to show to people that public life can be the noble profession that it truely is. I am a young Republican, and I like the fact that Senator Lieberman has crossed Partisan lines to get things done in Washington D.C.
4 people found this helpful
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Menachem Genack
5.0 out of 5 stars In Praise of Public Life
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2000
In the context of the corrosive, angry political environment, with the "gotchya" media, which has bred disaffection in the body politic, Senator Joseph Lieberman's short volume is a refreshing antidote to the prevailing cynicism. "In Praise of Public Life" is an insightful, enjoyable, and at times inspiring book.
40 people found this helpful
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D. A. Williams
1.0 out of 5 stars This book is a Big Lie! Joe is an Insurance Industry Puppet
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2009
Lieberman does not work for the public nor does he do it any service: he is a puppet for the insurance industry. I found this book to be a complete phony representation of the real Joe Lieberman. During the last election cycle, Lieberman accepted over $730,000 from the insurance industry, according for the Center for Responsive Politics. And now he has come out against a public option for health care or extending medicare for people over 55. The people of Connecticut should be ashamed to have this man (another corporate crony) representing them!!!!
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