It’s still better than “beach read”: The New York Times’ Michiko Kakutani proclaims George W. Bush’s upcoming book, Decision Points, “the most casual of presidential memoirs.” She says the former president exhibits a variety of moods, including “frat boy irreverence, religious certainty and almost willful obliviousness.” She also notes his frequent use of the word “blindsided” to describe various crises, from Abu Ghraib to the Justice Department scandal to the economic crisis. Kakutani concludes, “Despite the eagerness of Mr. Bush to portray himself as a forward-leaning, resolute leader, this volume sometimes has the effect of showing the former president as both oddly passive and strangely cavalier.”
Unlock a year of full access to The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First monththen $5.99/month
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime
Annual
$35
First yearthen $59.99/year
Discounted annual rate - Save 47%
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
Best Value
Premium
$79
First yearthen $119.99/year
Discounted annual rate
Full access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*
Premium ad-free reading
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Subscription$0.00
Total$0.00
OR
Loading subscription options
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First monththen $5.99/month
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime
Annual
$35
First yearthen $59.99/year
Discounted annual rate - Save 47%
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
Best Value
Premium
$79
First yearthen $119.99/year
Discounted annual rate
Full access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*
Premium ad-free reading
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.