Here Comes the BookMobile!

Dear Mr. President,

I am encouraged to hear you’re reading. I am less encouraged that it is material on what to do after your presidency. Aren’t there any books written about how to run a presidency? Are there no “United States Presidency for Dummies” books out there? It seems you need less help in how to spend time off than you do on how to spend time in the oval office.

It’s reported that you are a history buff. You might want to consider reading books on Harry S. Truman. I found one in particular that might be eye-opening. Talking with Harry: Candid Conversations with President Harry S. Truman The description reads: This book provides a vivid portrait of Truman, "warts and all."

Here’s another book that caught my eye. Presidents Under Fire: Commanders-in-Chief in Victory and Defeat, by James Arnold. It’s a book about how four Presidents lead their nation during wartime: George Washington turned a series of setbacks into a triumph; James K Polk was the first president to direct a war fought on foreign soil; Jefferson Davis was the first American commander in chief to fail in war; Lyndon B. Johnson "lacked the courage to resist starting a war. Later he lacked the courage to cut his losses and withdraw." (Sound familiar?)

In fact, here are a bunch of books that might be more appropriate to read than “How I Spent my Retirement.”

The American Presidency: An Intellectual History by Forrest McDonald

Reassessing the Presidency: The Rise of the Executive State and the Decline of Freedom by John V. Denson

The American Presidency (Essays on all 43 Presidents) edited by Alan Brinkley

Presidential Performance: A Comprehensive Review by Max Skidmore

That should keep you busy for the next three years.

Oh, and since you like Theodore Roosevelt, consider this quote attributed to him: “Public rights come first and private interests second.”