Complete Idiot’s Guide: The American Presidency Review
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The Complete Idiot’s Guide: The American Presidency
by Alan Axelrod, Ph.D.
“Get inside the minds of the men who have held and shaped our nation’s highest office.”
The Complete Idiot’s Guide series is an amazing collection of how-to and reference books that offer everything from history, computers, languages, games, pets, self-help books, and SO much more! I was offered the opportunity to review The American Presidency book.
I simply cannot remember all of the history of our country and our presidents- there is SO much! That’s why I love The Complete Idiot’s Guide books. The American History book contains everything you would want to know about our presidentcy (notice- it is not presidents!) from our country BEFORE presidents, all the way through to the Obama administration.
Alex Axelrod categorizes our US presidents into different types of presidencies. (uncommon common, progressive, normalcy, imperial, CEO, etc.) Different presidents have had different styles and ideologies of leading our country, and Alex enlightens us to those styles and its effects in history. It is certainly an angle I had never thought of before. Instead of grouping them by who they were- he groups them by how they led our country.
Did you know that before surgery to remove a bullet from his lung President Ronald Reagan joked:
“I hope you’re all Republicans.”
George Washington’s words just after he was commissioned to lead the Continental Army:
“I am embarked on a wide ocean, boundless in its prospect and in which, perhaps, no safe harbor is to be found.”
One neat feature that I enjoyed about this book is that throughout the book there are different quotes from our different presidents separated on the side of the pages. You can also find definitions, comics, and numerical statistics as well. At the end of each chapter there is a “The Least You Need to Know” section which- if you don’t have time to read the whole chapter- will provide extremely useful in brushing up those last minute facts which you are trying to remember.
I this that this is a great book for any student to have on hand. It has a lot of useful information and helps us to see the American Presidency in a new light- past to present.
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this review. I did receive a free book to read. All opinions are mine.
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