In our first day back in class we compared and contrasted the Gergen book and the Greenstein book called The Presidential Difference. I like Gergen’s perspective because he was in the White House during four presidencies thus providing a lot of insight. Greenstein’s book is very readable because it is well organized and each section is so short. Ultimately, they were both informative on some of our recent Presidents.
We also got our outlines back with comments and notes from Dr. Z. While I am on the right track I know that I still have a long way to go before I can be satisfied with my work. Time to hit the books!
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like first hand observations such as what David Gergen presented in his book.
Often you have to take such observations with a grain of salt to make sure that what they're writing isn't really just revisionist history (as ALL of Nixon's books were). Often these people have their own agenda to push so the reader needs to go in with his eyes wide open.
Gergen has a great reputation, though, of being forthright and honest. That's one of the reasons why President Clinton brought him into the White House.