White House: Confidential

Author - Jim Morris ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from Cumberland House Publishing was reviewed on 4-Nov-2008.

Search ISBN:1888952687 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. White House: Confidential Reference Book. Classifications : Presidents & Heads of State Leaders & Notable People Biographies & Memoirs Subjects Books General Biographies & Memoirs Subjects Books General AAS Biographies & Memoirs Subjects Books Political Humor . Click the following link to view the cover of White House: Confidential.

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1) Paperback Book White House: Confidential by Cumberland House Publishing. As I think previous reviewers have pointed out, this book is riddled with errors. The first noticed, right at the beginning, is that the President has the right to declare war. When did this happen? Tell the masses! Constitutional checks and balances are put by the wayside! Since the very debates that gave the American President its powers, this has never been the case.

And yes: They brilliantly nailed the presidential term of the third president Thomas Jefferson as starting in 1790. Kudos to the fact finding department! Most interesting, since the Washington started his term in 1789!

I´m very sorry I spent the measly $10 for this book. Most of the information contained in this book, that isn´t incorrect, is simply information that is best suited for today´s supermarket tabloids. I realize that Presidents and presidential associates, past and present alike, were/are far from perfect , but I wasn´t interested in reading about their dirty laundry.

Two stars, one step above bottom, for the very limited quantity of fascinating informational pieces.¤

2) Paperback Book White House: Confidential by Cumberland House Publishing. The glowing reviews for this little hit piece (evidentally published to capitalize on the whole impeachment passion play of a couple of years back) moved me to buy the book. A glance over the contents quickly revealed several ludicrous errors that should never have passed the proofreader, if indeed there was one. (For example, at one point it claims that Andrew Jackson was the first president to be elected after being defeated for the office. In the very next sentence it mentions Thomas Jefferson as one of the other men who share this honor! There are other laughable errors, too.) Had the authors and their editor (was there one) concentrated more on content control than on fancy typography and tedious Clinton-bashing, this book might have been a worthy addition to the bathroom reading shelf.¤

3) Paperback Book White House: Confidential by Cumberland House Publishing. Everyone is looking for some sort of trivia on each president, and everyone is writing a book about it. White House Confidential is no exception. What makes this book different, however, is the way the author put things, in a clear and concise manner, easy to read.

I found the book to very easy to read and quite enjoyable. I was treated to several amazing, yet humorous stories of presidents of the past. You´ll find the writers ability to convey an objective point of view to be refreshing in this day of political bashing books.

White House Confidential takes you into the private lives of the Oval Office and shows you that what we see today could and did happened in administrations of the past. This book was insightful and allowed me to look at the presidency a little differently.

From Washington to Jefferson to FDR and Bill Clinton, you´ll find yourself reading about the lives of those who have held the highest office and those who held a secret place outside the office. The book... would make a great gift for any occasion. Overall a great read!¤

4) Paperback Book White House: Confidential by Cumberland House Publishing. This is one of the best books I´ve ever read on American history and is one I plan on having my children and my parents read. Give it as a gift to your favorite History buff or "Puritanical" room-mate. This book makes Clinton look like a poster boy for All American;-> Too bad I had to wait until I was almost 40 to learn the truth that I suspected all along. Ditch the Myths of our forefathers and teach the Human side of these men... it detracts nothing from them and makes them that much more real. A Great and Fun read!¤

5) Paperback Book White House: Confidential by Cumberland House Publishing. I loved the book. The book is a great synopsis of presidential foibles, follies and forays. The most fascinating part is that everything is true! Thanks Mr. Stebben for the insighful entertainment. Sincerely,

Dr. Richard A. Westbrook¤

6) Paperback Book White House: Confidential by Cumberland House Publishing. A look at the foibles, follies, fibs, and moral failures of American presidents, from the founding of the Republic until now. The lesson of this "little book of weird presidential history" is that all too frequently our presidents have not been as smart, honest, ethical, or wise as the public would wish.¤

7) Paperback Book White House: Confidential by Cumberland House Publishing. In the introduction to this book on presidential sinners and scofflaws, Greg Stebben poses the following questions: "Are we, the people, really this callous? Petty? Shallow? Or easily amused?" Stebben and his coauthor, Jim Morris, are betting that we, the people, are all of the above. This book is packed with trashy tidbits and lighthearted hearsay. Although the authors admit that "this work contains absolutely no groundbreaking or earth-shattering new research on the behavior of presidents past or present," much of this "information" will be new to many readers. Most people probably have an inkling that John F. Kennedy had an extramarital affair or two, but may not know that Richard Nixon once worked as a carnival barker. According to Stebben and Morris, President Calvin Coolidge enjoyed having petroleum jelly slathered on his head while he ate breakfast in bed; Coolidge believed it was good for his health. Some factoids in this book are fun; others are just factoids. For example, it was not astonishing to learn that Ronald Reagan believes that knocking on wood is good luck. The authors devote chapters of the book to presidential scandals, tempers, fatalities, and money problems. A presidential "scorecard" near the middle of the book shows readers at a glance which presidents cheated on their wives and who their mistresses were. Stebben and Morris rank the presidents according to their entertainment value, which makes Warren Harding a winner and George Washington a big loser in their book. Harding had mistresses, scandals, and a corruption-ridden administration; Washington was noble. The authors´ central point is that presidential eccentricity and scandal are not a new development but have been part of the history of the presidency all along. --Jill Marquis¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 2-Dec-2008, 1888952687610529000650, 0X0-471-871-8

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