Popular Posts
-
The Inkblots: Hermann Rorschach, His Iconic Test, and the Power of Seeing by Damion Searls is part biography, part history of one of the m...
-
The Next Christians: How a New Generation Is Restoring the Faith , by Gabe Lyons, describes the defining characteristics of the “new” type ...
-
The Berenstain Bears God Shows the Way by Stan and Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain has three separate stories involving the Berenstai...
-
D ivided: When the Head and Heart Don't Agree by Bill Delvaux is a book about the divide many Christians experience between what they ...
-
Rudy: My Story by Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger chronicles the life story of a man many people are familiar with – the title character fro...
-
Previously released as Choosing to Cheat , Andy Stanley's When Work & Family Collide: Keeping Your Job from Cheating Your Family is...
-
No Place to Hide: A Brain Surgeon's Long Journey Home from the Iraq War by W. Lee Warren, M.D. is a firsthand account of about four mon...
-
Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis by Stephan Bauman, Matthew Soerens, and Dr. Issam Smeir is a call to Christian...
-
Magic has always been somewhat fascinating to me. As a child I went through a phase where I was going to be a magician. I got a little magic...
-
The Jesus Inquest: The Case For and Against the Resurrection of the Christ by Charles Foster is one barrister's attempt to present all ...
Blogger templates
Blogger news
Blogroll
About
Blog Archive
About Me
Powered by Blogger.
Check out my personal blog!
Thursday, May 25, 2017

Whipple uses mainly primary source material to tell the magnificent tale of the modern chief of staff. He conducted numerous interviews with the chiefs as well as two former presidents. He also had access to previously unpublished material granted him by the individuals involved. How a chief shapes the presidency is the overall theme of this book and the thread that ties each individual story together.
It is the chief of staff's job to protect the president's time. How well he does that plays a significant role in the president's success. He is also to manage the staff and stop anyone trying to go around the proper channels, or trying to execute plans that are just bad ideas such as the Watergate break-in, or the Iran-Contra affair. The chief has to be able to be 100% honest with the president and manage many strong personalities at once.
Whipple tells the story of each chief both from their perspective as well as those who worked with them. At the end of each chapter, I was left wanting to know more about these men and their relationships, as there is only enough space to discuss the high (or very low) points of each chief's time in office. The Gatekeepers is very readable and easy to understand, even for someone who isn't familiar with politics. Part biography, part modern American history, The Gatekeepers is a great read for anyone interested in either.
Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment