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    Momente de decizie
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    Momente de decizie
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    Momente de decizie
    Ebook876 pages12 hours

    Momente de decizie

    By Bush George W.

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Momente de decizie adună la un loc mărturisirile extraordinare ale celui de al 43-lea președinte american. Spărgând convențiile autobiografiei politice ca gen, George W. Bush ne prezintă cu o izbitoare onestitate deciziile marcante pe care le-a luat de-a lungul vieții sale.

    După ce și-a încheiat mandatele, la începutul lui 2009, Președintele George W. Bush a condus Centrul Prezidențial George W. Bush din cadrul Southern Methodist University din Dallas, Texas. Centrul include un institut de politici active ce acoperă domenii diverse: încurajarea și sprijinirea inițiativelor de reformă în educație, sănătate la nivel global, creșterea economică și libertatea individuală. Institutul acordă un interes special antreprenorilor din domeniul social, precum și creării de oportunități pentru femeile din lumea întreagă.

    Momente de decizie – o carte care îi va fascina pe admiratorii lui Bush, îi va surprinde pe detractori și le va schimba tuturor perspectiva asupra uneia dintre cele mai controversate epoci din istoria Statelor Unite ale Americii și asupra omului din spatele evenimentelor care au marcat această perioadă.

    Într-o carte palpitantă și plină de amănunte necunoscute publicului, Președintele Bush ne însoțește:

    • în capul mesei, în Sala de Urgențe de la Casa Albă, cu câteva clipe înainte de începerea războiului din Irak;
    • la reședința guvernatorului Texasului, în noaptea mult contestatelor alegeri prezidențiale din 2000;
    • la bordul lui Air Force One, pe 11 septembrie 2001, la câteva ore după cel mai devastator atac asupra Americii de la Pearl Harbour încoace;
    • în Biroul Oval, unde s-au luat hotărâri istorice și extrem de controversate în legătură cu Uraganul Katrina, criza financiară, Afganistan, Iran și alte probleme care au schimbat fața primului deceniu al secolului XXI.

    Sinceritatea unui Președinte: George W. Bush vorbește despre el însuși, despre războiul din Irak, criza financiară și despre alte momente cheie din timpul mandatelor sale.

    LanguageRomână
    PublisherPandora M
    Release dateJun 14, 2016
    ISBN9789731989341
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Momente de decizie

    3.5/5

    387 ratings50 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I read this book years ago when it first came out. Bush was my Commander in Chief. He was elected shortly before I shipped to basic training and the bulk of my military career was under his leadership. I had always given him the benefit of the doubt and I firmly believed him to be doing what he genuinely thought best for the country. This book gives a peek into the backroom conversations and the thought processes which went into the visible actions of his presidency. The stories frequently come across as a defense of his actions, though they never sound like excuses. I was left with a reaffirmed belief in his genuineness and a new appreciation for the depth of his leadership and the frequency with which he took the high road and fell on his sword even when there was plenty of blame to go around. I think this is a good read for anyone who wants some insight into 9/11 and the immediate aftermath, and if you take this work at face value, I think you will have an added appreciation for the challenges faced by whomever is in the highest office in the land.
    • 3/5
      I was not a supporter of President Bush when he was in office, but I never had the hatred towards him that many of my friends did. I always respected the man and just disagreed with his politics and decisions. I wanted to read this book to both get a good look at his thought process when he made the big decisions of his presidency, and to live through the history of my 20s again.

      I came away from the book with a few thoughts. First, I have more respect for Bush the man after reading this book. I thought he was genuine and a man who tried his best to make the right decisions and live of life of faith. Second, I still disagree with his decisions, but I respect that he was fully committed to them. Third, I have more of an impression now that he was more in command of the decisions of his presidency than I thought he was. I could be wrong and simply biased fresh off the read, but that is what I took from it.

      Finally - and the reason I rate this three stars - I felt that the stories told were only skimming the surface. I wanted to go in-depth and behind the scenes through the events he described, and I felt like he consistently gave a simple explanation of what was going on. He rarely (if ever) criticized his advisors, and while I personally don't blame him for that, I was looking for more in a presidential memoir. I felt that he could have been critical without throwing any of his advisors under the bus, but he choice to take the high road every time.
    • 4/5
      An intriguing look at the controversial presidency of George W. Bush. The forty-third president of the United States writes candidly about the high and low points of his presidency, and also of the events that led him to make the decisions he made. Described within its pages are the war in Iraq, the financial crisis, the tragic day of September 11, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Bush speaks honestly about his failings, yet defends his decisions based on information available at the time. It's a good book for any student of US presidential history, Republican AND Democrat.
    • 4/5
      I re-read some of this book (published in 2010) this weekend (Dec 2014), and am reminded of the perspective of President Bush during the time following 9/11. He describes being given the badge of someone who died when the towers fell, and then:"I served 2685 days as President after Arlene gave me that badge. I kept it with me every one of them. As the years passed, most Americans returned to life as usual. That was natural and desirable. It meant the country was healing and felt safer.As I record these thoughts, that day of fire is a distant memory for some of our citizens. The youngest Americans have no firsthand knowledge of that day. Eventually, Sept. 11 will come to feel more like Pearl Harbor Day; an honored date on the calendar and an important moment in history. But not a scar on the heart. Not a reason to fight on.For me, the week of Sept. 11 will always be something more. I still see the Pentagon smoldering, the towers in flames. And that pile of twisted steel.I still hear the voices of the loved ones searching for survivors and the workers yelling "Do not let me down!" and "Whatever it takes!" I still feel the sadness of the children, the agony of the burn victims, and the torment of the broken families. I still marvel at the bravery of the firefighters and the compassion of strangers. And the matchless courage of the passengers who forced down that plane.September 11 redefined sacrifice. It redefined duty. And it redefined my job. The story of that week is the key to understanding my presidency. There were so many decisions that followed, many of them controversial and complex, yet after 9/11 I felt my responsibility was clear. For as long as I held office, I could never forget what happened to America that day. I would pour my heart and soul into protecting the country, whatever it took."That is from the end of Chapter 5. Bush talks in detail about many of those decisions that were made. Also very interesting to me was this in Chapter 6: "Between 9/11 and mid-2003, the CIA reported to me on average of 400 specific threats each month."My Original review from November 2010:I haven't rated much non-fiction on Goodreads, but since I intend to read a whole lot more of it, I should develop some kind of criteria. Still - to slap a star rating on what amounts to an important historical document seems wrong. I see that many people are attaching ratings that correspond with how much they like or dislike the man, and I think that's wrong too.What President Bush has done here is present his life (mostly his life as the President of the United States) as a series of crises that required a decision. Each chapter focuses on a specific moment or event, and the chapters could be read individually without the benefit of the rest of the book. So, if you are interested in 9/11 and the days after, pick it up and read Chapter 5 (Day of Fire). Other chapters include "Katrina", "Surge", and "War Footing". The book is written in a conversational manner that remains compelling if you are interested in what he's talking about. I appreciated the personal details about those around him, like a note passed to the President from Secretary of State Colin Powell about how not to choke up during an emotional speech. I also enjoyed the insider view of how things work when you are the President.It's a book that delivers exactly what it promises, and it's well written. 4 stars.
    • 5/5
      I found this book pleasantly surprisingly. George W. Bush writes very well, and he has an excellent sense of humor that includes an ability to laugh at himself. Rather than doing a straight chronological review of his presidency, he focused on major events that occurred and covered them. This leads to some overlaps in the years covered and also some omissions of events that others might have considered important. It also makes for a much more interesting read than it might have otherwise. I did feel a little bogged down in the chapters about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but I do not really see how the material could have been omitted without lessening the credibility of the book. It's a long book, 481 pages, and what says the most about it is that I read it in five days. I had it on ten-day loan from the library but had no problem reading it in less time. It was just that interesting. Good job, Mr. President!
    • 4/5
      The is George W. Bush's memoir of his time in office. Here he explains what he considers to be some of the most important or dramatic events of his presidency. Bush approaches each situation in a matter of fact way, explaining the information that he had at the time, the steps he took to gain more information and how he came to his decisions whether they be right or wrong.

      I found some of the stories heartbreaking such as Bush's experiences of 9/11, his visits to Ground Zero, and the decisions he had to make after that. I also found many parts enlightening; in particular, more of the story was revealed relating to the Federal government's slow response to Katrina that shows that there is more than one side to every story. Or how the "Mission Accomplished"

      I appreciated Bush's candor in the book in overcoming his own personal demons such as alcohol. I also enjoyed reading about his obvious love and devotion to his wife and family.

      Parts of the book got bogged down with details about the minute decisions in government that would probably bore the most avid political science major. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
    • 4/5
      This one was a tough one for me. In general, I am not a very political person. I do vote, and usually those I vote for belong to a specific party, but I have never been one to be outspoken on political matters. I was not a fan of Government/Economics in school. It's just not a huge interest of mine. So, reading a President's autobiography was somewhat of a stretch for me.

      I'm not really sure why I chose to read this book. It was one given to my husband as a gift. I think he read it several years ago. But it was sitting around, and for some reason, I decided to give it a go. Despite my apathy toward politics, it was interesting getting the "first-hand" account of parts of history from years that I actually remember living through. For coming from a president who had the reputation of not being a man of eloquent speech, I thought the book did quite a good job of expressing his thoughts and feelings in a genuinely articulate manner. And while it was a hard read, most likely because of the content, I did enjoy getting the President's perspective on the reasons why he did what he did. I especially appreciated how he always came back to his faith and how he leaned on his belief system to help make what were sometimes difficult and unpopular decisions.

      A couple of quotes I liked:

      "The patients reaffirmed my conviction that every life has dignity and value, because every person bears the mark of the Almighty God. I saw their suffering as a challenge to the words of the Gospel: 'To whom much is given, much is required.' America has been given a lot, and I resolved that we would answer the call."

      "In one of our first meetings, I explained to President Jiang that faith was a vital part of my life and that I studied the Word every day."

      So, while I wouldn't want to pick it up and read it again any time soon, I am glad that I read this book. I did find it interesting and I gave it 4 of 5 stars on Goodreads.
    • 4/5
      Decision Points reads like any memoir: highlighting the good while opening oneself to criticism for what your memoir doesn't say. It is nice that Bush published this brief memoir so early, he wants to set records straight while events are still somewhat fresh on peoples' minds.

      I have read a few books about life in his administration, particularly in the first term, so I already came into this book with colored lenses.

      Something you don't expect to hear is that Bush read hundreds of books, particularly history, while in office-- including 14 biographies of Lincoln. (Contrast that with FDR who aides never knew to read a single book.) Yet, his breadth of reading didn't make him softer or more open to varying points of view-- he still boils events down to black-and-white values and simple choices. How can a man who reads that widely not think more deeply? Or at least not be able to argue with the press and debate better-- produce more intelligent soundbites? It boggles the mind.

      One problem I had with the book is that it's not chronological, Bush is looking at certain decisions he made and oftentimes context is lost because there's no mention of what was going on that complicated the fallout of that decision. For example, the early decisions and deliberations on invading Iraq were made very close to Afghanistan still being secured. In hindsight, that's a frequent criticism of Bush's decision-- taking his eye off the ball cost us Bin Laden. Bush spends a few sentences defending himself on this point, but largely the context of the massive nation-building Afghanistan was already going to require is lost in his decision.It was as if it were made in a vacuum.

      In some cases, Bush makes strong rebuttals of critics' talking points. For example, he chafes under criticism that No Child Left Behind was an "unfunded mandate," pointing out that he increased federal education spending by 38% and that the program saw the improvements in test scores among minorities and the most vulnerable. He gives a timeline of the Katrina disaster and explains why he praised Mike Brown-- because other aides were praising him-- and gives a detailed list of the federal resources made available before the hurricane hit, and the Constitutional problems he had doing more for the state without the Louisiana Governor's express permission.
      Bush throws few people under the bus in his memoir. Certain "junior congressmen" and "a Senator from New York" go unnamed. But he selectively quotes Harry Reid several times to illustrate what was either hypocritical or ridiculous criticism.

      He does express regrets. He regrets going after Social Security reform after re-election, saying he should have pursued immigration reform first; in the end, he got neither. He regrets not looking at the intelligence on Iraq more closely (but argues that every major nation in the world--including Russia and China, which opposed the war--gave the U.S. intelligence that Iraq had active WMD programs). He points out that his position-- that he'd make the same decision to invade Iraw today with the same information he was given then-- is the same that John Kerry expressed in the 2004 campaign.

      One other weakness of the memoir is on Bush's early life. He's shown as sort of moping through colleges and trying various jobs and experiencing all kinds of things without explaining that he was able to do so because of his parents' money and resources. He loves his parents and the Bush's upbringing of their son is evident, but there seems to be a disconnect between his understanding of his life and what an ordinary mortal would be able to experience.

      So many major events happened in Bush's eight years that I look forward to many future biographies and scholarly research done on his administration.

      On a side note, I listened to this book on my commutes and the reader, when sped to 1.75 normal speed sounds an awful lot like Bush with his mannerisms. So, the publisher made a good choice.

      In all, I give it 3.5 stars out of 5. I enjoyed hearing Bush's defense and his triumphs and failures as a manager.
    • 5/5
      I rushed to buy this book when it came out. Being a conservative, lover of all things politics, fascinated with history and just a fan of G.W., I couldn't read this book fast enough.

      No matter what you want to say, George Bush is a great man. He has lived a life that was blessed and many of us would never know anything about. But, you can't fault a man for his up bringing. I have read both Barbara Bush (mom and wife) bio's. I already knew a lot about the man, but to hear what exactly his thoughts and emotions are at certain moments was priceless.

      Your either going to love G.W., or your going to hate him. No matter how you feel, he did the best he could in a bad situation when we were attacked on 9/11. He was able to unite a country that was totally devestated and torn.

      This was an excellent insight into the life of Mr. Bush. I have the utmost respect for this man. He's a great father, a good husband, and in my opinion, he was a damn good President.
    • 5/5
      This was not a "birth to now" traditional biography. It was however, a very interesting perspective from the man himself regarding numerous major events that occurred during his eight years in office as the president. Regardless of your views regarding Mr. Bush this was a great read and I highly recommend it.
    • 2/5
      Interesting, but not really my kind of book.
    • 5/5
      I found this book pleasantly surprisingly. George W. Bush writes very well, and he has an excellent sense of humor that includes an ability to laugh at himself. Rather than doing a straight chronological review of his presidency, he focused on major events that occurred and covered them. This leads to some overlaps in the years covered and also some omissions of events that others might have considered important. It also makes for a much more interesting read than it might have otherwise. I did feel a little bogged down in the chapters about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but I do not really see how the material could have been omitted without lessening the credibility of the book. It's a long book, 481 pages, and what says the most about it is that I read it in five days. I had it on ten-day loan from the library but had no problem reading it in less time. It was just that interesting. Good job, Mr. President!
    • 4/5
      I imagine fans of President Bush will love this book and those who demonized him will ignore it or blindly attack it. When we consider that any leader, whether in business or government, has great characteristics, significant weaknesses, blind spots, and well-focused vision we can become more understanding of their role in organizations and history. President Bush was not a perfect man and the decisions of his presidency, like all of his successors, has led to good and bad consequences for the present. Personality politics will judge your person a saint and the opposition person a demon. Ultimately, future historians will better judge the impact of the leaders of our day.

      Politics aside, and whether you agree with his decisions or not, the book provides good insights behind President Bush's decisions and his decision-making process. Such analysis is helpful for leaders in complex organizations. He provides deeper analysis of the issues around major decisions of his presidency than the dismissive reports of the often hostile media. I appreciated his admission of weaknesses and faults in some decisions. On a higher level, provides some good general principles about complex decision-making and taking responsibility for the consequences.
    • 5/5
      One of a handful of 5-star books I have read. Every American should read this book, whether you are Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Liberal, Independent, Tea-Party, PETA, whatever. I was riveted to this book.
    • 4/5
      I listened to the abridged version (about 80% of the full book), but the audio book was read by the former President, so it was worth it. I found it to be a thematic and somewhat chronological look at how Bush became the person he did, and how his presidency was shaped by key events and decisions in his life. By the end, I found myself having more respect for who he was and how he led our country.
    • 3/5
      Folksy memoir of a flawed presidency.
    • 5/5
      No matter how you feel about GW Bush this book gives you great insight into what he was thinking and why the choices were made they way they were. Decision Points is more like a CEO's book on how he handled those critical decision that were made as he oversaw a company. It was well done in the fact that is was an easy to read book and was not written to impress but to describe and explain.
    • 4/5
      In one of the debates during the 2004 election, President George W. Bush famously encapsulated his elected position in one short sentence, "I'm the decider." However inelegantly stated, it aptly sums up the modern presidency. As others, including other presidents, have admitted, by the time an issue reaches the Oval Office, all of the easy or noncontroversial decisions have been made by lower level officials. The thorny problems that remain, often seeming to be choices with only bad options, are the ones that demand the president's attention.In his post-White House memoir, "Decision Points," Bush (43) offers his perspective on such significant problems that he faced, including 9/11 and the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the response to Hurricane Katrina, and the 2008 financial crisis. While not a traditional autobiography by an ex-president -- which, it should be noted, his father refused to write after he left the White House -- it offers a clear vision of how the former president believes his administration should be judged.As much as Bush is interested in justifying his decision-making to an American public that overwhelmingly viewed his job performance negatively by the end of his second term, it is clear that this book is largely motivated by an urge to provide thorough "on the record" accounting of his presidency for future historians. In many ways, it seems an attempt to balance out the popular "behind the scenes" books written by Bob Woodward, which grew increasingly critical of Bush's decisions.Unashamedly, it is a careful argument for seeing the president's eight years in office much more sympathetically. Therefore, those with preconceived notions of Bush are unlikely to have those views changed in this favorable self-assessment. Even so, the president comes across, at times, as a much more thoughtful and considered person here as he describes the context within which he governed at key points.Little in this book will surprise most people who pay attention to political news, and much familiar territory is covered about the response to 9/11 and the decisions to go to war. At the outset, Bush also tells, again, of his decision to give up drinking alcohol. The book's high point is likely the discussion around the surge of forces in the Iraq War, where Bush's decision had little popular support and went against the support of key people in his own administration, but which ultimately proved successful. The unexpected decision to significantly increase US funding to fight HIV/AIDS, with many examples of positive consequences, also makes a strong impression.On the other hand, chapters on the response to Hurricane Katrina -- almost certainly the low point of Bush's presidency -- and the worldwide "Freedom Agenda" that was touted in his Second Inaugural Address are disappointing. Despite a shiny gloss on each story, there is ultimately little to commend about either aspect, and Bush seems unwilling and unable to offer a candid assessment of shortcomings in both instances. Frequent pointing to various communication problems does little to explain the problems with the response to Katrina, and repeatedly insisting that the world is freer does not make it so.Most interesting, at least to me, was the final chapter on the economic crisis at the end of Bush's tenure. In contrast to the surge, where the unpopular president made a confident, "Damn the torpedoes!" decision, here the beleaguered president caves to advice contrary to his guiding principles. Perhaps history will show that there were simply no good decisions to be made at the time, only less catastrophic ones, which is Bush's assessment. In any event, this discussion offers a glimpse of the frustrating limitations that all presidents must feel when approaching large problems.If at times too implicitly self-congratulatory, the book is certainly a reasonable presentation and justification of the Bush presidency. Far less over-the-top than Bill Clinton's memoir, the book is ultimately a satisfying read for political junkies, with a conversational tone that is largely successful (but occasionally downright hokey).
    • 4/5
      Let me qualify my review by saying that I was not a George W. Bush fan. But I wavered on my rating between 4 stars and 5 stars. The book is very well written with a narrative style that makes it easy to read. The President doesn't spend a lot of time trying to defend or justify his decisions, but simply offers his own insights into the decision making process that shaped the policies and events of his administration. The writing is both personal and intimate as well as open and honest. He writes about his drinking with candor and he boldly shares his faith and the way it shaped his decision making process.Instead of a chronological offering of the events, the President shares 14 separate events and the decision making process that shaped his response to each, covering the banking crisis, Katrina, and 9/11 as well as one of, in my opinion, his most critical issues: stem cell research. While I am still not a George W. fan, I found the book insightful and was impressed with his candor and with some of his reasons for the decisions he made. I still do not agree with him on everything, but have a much clearer understanding of the ways he made his decisions and how they shaped the America he left us. I recommend this book for anyone interested in history, the presidency, and the political processes of our country. Very well done Mr. President!
    • 5/5
      A well written memoir for those with clarity to contemplate how faith in God took precedence for our selfless president.This memoir brought much clarity for me, not just during the 8 years George W. Bush was our president, but also before and after his presidency. I have always felt in my heart Bush was doing his best for our country during his presidency. I share in his morals, his values and his beliefs on freedom and democracy and most important his faith. I don't believe Bush made promises he couldn't keep before or during his presidency and he was true to his word. When making comparisons to any other president during previous generations and current. I have found George W. Bush to be one of the best presidents America has had the opportunity to ever have. It is to bad many don't see it that way. As the old saying goes, "the grass always looks greener on the other side." This is the way I felt about those blinded by Obama and his false promises before he came into office. There is so much in this memoir it is difficult for me to go over even just one chapter in this review. I truly say the performance of George W. Bush as our president was outstanding given the amount of stress during 9/11 and the war that followed. It comes as no surprise that his critics cannot take into account he is human after all. I didn't expect perfection from Bush and neither should anyone else. My best wishes were that he keep our country safe and that God blessed him with enough dignity, strength and courage to hold down the fort. I believe he has accomplished this plus so much more, that the blinded fail to see. I feel those who don't, really have no clarity or don't understand the true role of the president. Especially when they criticize with some of their disturbing expectations apparently Bush failed to meet. As if Bush were a god or a robot with full-control of every detail that went on during his presidency. Is that what they really want? But why are they not be pleased with a clear headed intelligent president who started his morning with a daily prayer? God blessed America when he allowed George W. Bush to be our president during these turbulent and aggressive years in our history. Bush has set precedents for future leaders, that those with a closed heart may never appreciate, but future generations will look back on him as the selfless human being he was.This is a clear and well written memoir by George W. Bush that I would recommend to anyone who is genuinely looking for a more personal view into the life of the former president. Whether it be his personal thoughts and feelings, his quirks, his love for his country and family, or for more clarification on events that went on during his presidency. This book is not for critics who's minds are set to alternative dimension mode. For those who believe I have some type of stake in this 5 star review. I just would like to clarify right-off-the-bat before the comments fly. I am a Hispanic that was born in Puerto Rico. My parents were dirt poor and worked very hard to raise me and my 6 siblings once we moved to Pennsylvania. My father died from lung cancer after working in a pipe foundry for over 3o years and no we were not compensated nor have we asked to be. I have lived in the state of Pennsylvania since I was a few months old and am proud to be an American. My only regret is not voting during George W. Bush's elections, but I have not been living under a rock. May God continue to bless America now and for future generations to come!
    • 4/5
      I had been interested in reading Decision Points for a while now and finally was able to. I felt that it would be interesting to see George W. Bush's thoughts behind some of his most important and most controversial decisions as president. In regards to that the book did not disappoint. Regardless of how one feels about George W. Bush and one's political views you must judge the book on its content and not on how you feel about him. Therefore I will be rating this book on the content of the book and not my views on George W. Bush himself. Overall it was a good look inside the mind of George W. Bush to find out why he made the choices he did. I was particularly interested in reading his thoughts on 9/11. He does include his thoughts on it in the book and it brought back memories to me of that day and the days immediately following it. I would recommend this book to friends and family.
    • 4/5
      DECISION POINTS by George W. Bush is an interesting Presidents autobiography. It is a candid account of our 43rd President of the United States, from 2001-2009. It is a gripping account with full of facts,pictures,his decisions,his flaws,his mistakes,his challenges,as well as his accomplishments. It offers insight into intimate details on his relationships with his family,friends,is decision to stop drinking, and discovery of his faith.“Decision Points” is a must read for anyone who is interested in American history,presidental memoir(2001-1009),political affairs,and autobiography of a President. A wonderful and engrossing memoir that is compelling and telling of George W. Bush’s personal observation. Details can be found at Broadway Paperbacks,a division of Random House,Inc. and My Book Addiction Reviews. “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”
    • 4/5
      Excellent book on the presidency of George W. Bush! While not agreeing with all of his decisions, he presents a pretty fair assessment of how some of the most important decisions were made. I really wanted to know more about his earlier years but, in retrospect, think he wisely focused on the crucial areas of his administration. Kind treatment of other world leaders - even our sometime enemies.
    • 3/5
      Reading this book made me realize that everyone edits their own history, making themselves look better in their own mine, so I can’t really begrudge President Bush doing the same. Yes, the intellectually curious, mainstream, thoughtful President in this book will be largely unrecognizable to most that paid attention to the Bush Presidency but what is the harm in that. As such an act of self revision this book didn’t shed much light of history but it certifiably did illuminate the Bush psyche, and so far as that it turned out to have been worth reading.
    • 4/5
      I found this book different than most presidential memoirs out there. Bush described fourteen of key decisions of his presidency and how he came about the decisions he made. It also provided a little background on his life prior to becoming president. An interestin read.
    • 3/5
      I put my name on the hold list at the library as soon as I heard this book was coming out and got it days after its release. Rather then a standard memoir, Bush discussed a number of important deisions he made throughout his life, the most important being his decision to quit drinking. Unfortunately I was disappointed in this book. It does provide a somewhat interesting look behind the scenes, but there is nothing shocking here. After I told my wife my thoughts on the book she said, "what did you expect?" Good question, I definately expected more then this. The one conclusion I came to after reading this is that George Bush did what he did because he believed it was best for the country. I can't say I agree with him, but I feel a little better knowing that. A very little.As a side note, I was interested to see they were well over 100 5 star ratings posted on Amazon with two days of the book's release, as well as a good 25 or so one star ratings. From a quick reading it did not appear that many of the raters had read the book. But again, what did I expect.
    • 4/5
      Having never read a presidential autobiography before, I quite enjoyed Bush’s “Decision Points.” I supported much of Bush’s agenda, although there were certainly things I disagreed with. But reading his book helped me better understand the thoughts he went through in making the decisions he did.I’ve read a few other books about our 43rd president, and “Decision Points” confirmed what I’d read previously. He is not the single-minded, unchanging cowboy the media and Democrats loved to portray him as. Bush is thoughtful, seeks multiple and diverse opinions, then makes a decision. He did alter course when necessary, but never seemed to make knee-jerk decisions.I thought the book as a whole was very strong, and maintained my interest up until the near end. The last chapter focused on the recent financial crisis and some of that was admittedly over my head and rather tedious.Clearly the most powerful and poignant topics were those of September 11 and the wars that followed. These pages were ripe with emotion, pain, anger, resolve, and yes, leadership.Regardless of my thoughts of some of his policies, I have a tremendous respect for Bush the man. I think he made his decisions based on what he thought was best for the country.Incidentally, I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator, Ron McLarty, did a wonderful job mimicking Bush’s speech. I got a kick out of hearing “terror” pronounced “terrah.”
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading this book.Could have been more detailed but thats what other books are for,to keep on reading.
    • 3/5
      It was interesting to hear his perspective on the events while he was President. Wether you agree or disagree I still think it is fascinating to hear how he came to the decisions he did and his reasoning behind them.
    • 3/5
      Full disclosure – I have never been a Bush fan. Nevertheless, I wanted to read what this president had to say about his presidency, about the reasons behind his decisions, his decision points. Surprise! I liked this book more than I expected. Unlike some readers, I didn't find it boring; it interested me throughout. Well, maybe a little bored in a couple of places. There was even a bit of humor in it, especially when Bush quoted his acerbic mother.Some of his decision points seemed more to me like hindsight rationalizations and excuses, and I know that is somewhat colored by my political outlook. I don't think I would have liked Bush much if I had been a college student with him. He seemed like the quintessential heavy-drinking, self-absorbed party boy. Fortunately, he did give up drinking and started trying to live by the morality of his religion. Autobiographers generally make themselves shine in the brightest light, and Bush is no exception. However, I like that he did admit to mistakes, especially after Hurricane Katrina. There was plenty of blame to go around, and he did make sure that blame was spread, but he also said he did things wrong, or more importantly, failed to do them when he should have. He was quite hurt by criticism that his reaction to Katrina was racially motivated. I agree with him on that one, even though there are many who don't. I think his reactions would have been just as poor if more whites instead of blacks had been in the worst-hit areas. Ineptitude is not the same as bigotry.He had lots of help writing this book, and the result is an interesting and informative book that I took with a couple of grains of salt. I still disagree with him on many of his political stands but I appreciated this look at why he made them.