QUOTE (gwasser @ Nov 18 2010, 11:00 AM) Just bought `Decision Points` by George W. Bush one of the most controversial U.S. Presidents in recent U.S.
history (other than Nixon?). Anyway, you may hate his policies, but the book is easy to read and quite enjoyable (up to now - page 85). I have read other autobiographies like the one of Bill Clinton which I was unable to finish so bogged down in detail it was. Green Span`s Autobiography was tough but I made it to the end. But apart of Warren Buffett`s biography by Alice Schroeder, this is the most enjoyable I have read for a long time in this genre.
Today I finished George Bush` book. It took me a while. The book was refreshing in the way it was written. Rather than the usual litany of names and humble starts, this book focused on the important issues George W. Bush encountered and why he made the decisions he made.
Not only did he present these issues in a relatively objective matter, George W. Bush has definitely the talent to boil down a complex problem in a few easily understandable sentences. He has a wry sense of humor that shines through many parts of the text and, I must admit, some remarks had me roll over for laughter.
I suspect that Mr. Bush`s talent to explain difficult issues in simple word was used by critics and adversaries to paint a picture of a `simple minded man` who`s intellectual capacities were somewhat limited; that he was the puppet of his Dad`s old clique. Nothing, in my mind, is further from the truth.
I stay with my opinion that this was one of the most enjoyable `memoir` type of books I have read. It is in many ways revealing (although not of state secrets). If you think that Wikileaks was revealing about diplomacies, Mr. Bush is not afraid to be candid about the statesman he has worked with while still keeping the discussion civilized.
As a follow-up, I have Tony Blair`s "A Journey; My Political Life" lined up to compare some notes. I hope it will be just as informative. As an investor reading these books will give you a chance to compare your views of the world with those that are close to the fire. It will provide you the skills that are so critical for an investor: to look behind the curtain.