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Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward burst into the consciousness of most of the American public during the 1970s when he co-authored a series of articles in the Washington Post about some obscure event in the Watergate complex. His investigation into those events with partner, Carl Bernstein, was later published in the book All the President's Men, later turned into the most talked about movie of the era.Four decades later, Woodward turned his attention to Iraq with his 2004 Plan of Attack.
State of Denial
Bob Woodward's latest book is State of Denial. Even before its release (today, as I write this), it was widely covered on news and news talk programs. It is already being described as the most important book so far on the American involvement in Iraq.
Interestingly, it is being widely paraphrased by Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals. No doubt it will be read by hundreds of thousands of us who are very interested in the topic. But it will be even more widely talked about--by many who will have never read one page of the actual book.
The importance of these sorts of publishing events goes far beyond the actual readership. It has already been determined that this will be an influential book, even though it has only been available to most of us for a few hours.
Those who saw advance copies have been singing the praises of this book. They report attention to detail sometimes missing from contemporary, reportorial publishing.
If you choose to buy, you might consider picking up another book at the same time to get Amazon's free shipping offer for orders over $25. (By the way, Amazon's price is below its major online rival--by $3.00.)
State of Denial Other books by Bob Woodward
Update:
As Bob Woodward makes his way around the national talk shows, much of the public conversation about his books has been muted by the more lurid story of a largely invisible (now, former) member of the House of Representatives. Mark Foley's indescretions do make interesting reading, and they may signify a broader malaise in the House. Unfortunately, they have begun to overshadow a much more important national conversation.
It's natural, I suppose, that those who reach the highest pinnacles of power would be confident. Does that mean that they would also necessarily be arrogant in their certainty of truth? The leaders that I know are on a much lower level than national leadership, but the good ones recognize the importance of listening and considering the views of those around them. Fundamentally, that is the crux of the Woodward book: that Rumsfeld, for one, did not adequately consider the advice of his subordinates.
There is little doubt that the secretary has considerable intelligence--enough to handle his awesome responsibilities. Intelligence without humility (and a recognition of one's own fallability) can be dangerous.
It may never be possible to know in advance whether a prospective leader will behave according to our expectations with regard to his or her sexual behavior. There must be some way, however, for us to get a sense of the managerial character of our leaders. Or...do we simply refuse to act upon our knowledge in the partisan arena of politics?
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