The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric ... (ISBN 0231138601)

Watching a President Develop:
We have a tendency in this country to assume that when a president is thinking your way he is a genius. When he is presenting a position opposed to you; first he is an idiot, and second all his thoughts are really those of his handlers. Then the presidential advisors start leaving and writing books about how brilliant they are and the president just doesn't listen. It's only when the books come out much later that we really begin to learn what was going on. In this book, the author concentrates on the magical speech that Reagan made in 1964 in support of Barry Goldwater at the Republican National Convention. 'The Speech' was a turning point in American politics. And of course the sarcastic will say that Reagan didn't write it but his handlers .... This book goes back many, many years and reviews speeches that Reagan gave. From them comes a line here, a line there and in the end we get 'The Speech.' It's an interesting way to look at how Reagan changed from union president heading the Democrats for Truman to fundamentally changing the country's direction. Along the way we learn, Reagan was no dummy. And I think that as history continues to develop, his reputation will continue to go up.

Chasm in Reagan:
The book is just what the doctor ordered for someone, like me, who searches to understand how people and their politics evolve. How did an oily haired actor get to be president? Why is the United States in such dire straits? This book gives many answers; but, does not tell why RR and his cohorts showed no compassion for the mentally slow, the ill, the incompetent, the frightened, and all who just can't get a handle on how to 'get it.' Perhaps the reps and cons plan to take care of the problem the way the Nazis did. Great Book.

A 'must' for any college-level collection:
The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years and the Untold Story of His Conversion to Conservatism is a far different portrait of Reagan than typical biographies have covered. For one thing, the focus is much narrower and more specific: for another, it's based on a newly discovered collection of private papers, interviews and corporate documents, and provides fresh revelations on Reagan's ideological development. From mentors and influences on his development to the ideals of modern American conservatism, THE EDUCATION OF RONALD REAGAN is a 'must' for any college-level collection strong in not only Presidential analysis or Reagan in particular, but for those strong in American political debates. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Why You Should Read This Book:
The more years that pass by, the greater in historical stature Ronald Reagan becomes. He effectively brought down the Soviet Union and Communism (though maybe the problems with Russia itself are not over yet); he gave America a whole generation of prosperity. He renewed us as a people. Historians are even now saying that he was one of the greatest presidents in American history. How did he do this? His opponents, essentially the leftist media, the columnists, the pundits, and of course many in the universities, have said that he really didn't do anything, that he "sleepwalked through history", that he played "the greatest role of a lifetime", that he left his duties to his staff and they made these things miraculously happen. Another approach of his critics is to say that the Soviets were going to collapse anyway, and that he had little to do with it, also, that the American economy would have recovered from its stagflation, anyway from ongoing recession, in spite of Ronald Reagan. Or maybe he was just lucky: all those achievements seemed so effortless. These assertions are all silly. No great leader in all of human history has ever "sleepwalked" from smashing success to smashing success. Other critics say he was lucky, and, yes, he was lucky: great leaders, like great generals, need luck and usually are blessed by it. That is just how it works in history. Churchill was a lucky man. In his early years, he fought in many battles, bullets and artillery and swords were everywhere threatening his life moment to moment, and he was never wounded. But throughout a life of incredible achievement he worked long, hard hours. So did Reagan. Many leaders have demonstrated outstanding acting ability: Roosevelt, Churchill, and Andrew Jackson; even Bill Clinton is a great actor; Obama is not far behind. Reagan was merely an actor who traveled the reverse route. Rather than becoming the politician, then learning to become a good actor, he was the actor who learned and studied and grew and evolved into a politician/statesman of gravitas. How did this happen? That is what The Education of Ronald Reagan explains in detail. This book is my favorite type of history: dry and factual, non-polemic. It lays out in detail many of the formative years that Ronald Reagan spent in learning to be a leader. It shows the foundation of his greatness. Ronald Reagan went back to school. For eight years he studied conservative ideas and philosophies in a virtual postgraduate seminar. In those years he must have read a thousand books. He gradually became a conservative. When he went to work for General Electric Co. as a public spokesman, he was attracted to several deeply conservative mentors. They led him to book after book, numerous writings and pamphlets, and he read them all, often on long train rides across the country, where he had plenty of time to do so. He studied Jefferson, he studied Madison and the Federalist Papers, he studied the Constitution, and he never stopped reading. He studied communism and socialism; he read many books on economics, and mastered the "dismal science" more profoundly than possibly any other president; he learned how government functions, especially in its dysfunctional parts; and he loved to read biographies. He learned how to work with and project himself to millions over that new medium called television, which was just coming into its own at that time (1954-1962). Eight years of study, of growth and learning. What happened to him from this experience? He developed a vast intellect, often obscured by his charm, friendliness, and charisma, but it was always observing, evolving. He developed a conservative mindset, a philosophy that goes back for hundreds of years, which emphasizes the rights of man, a connection to God, a right to create prosperity (pursue happiness), and which generally affirms the vast creativity that evolves out of human freedom. All of his mentors in the GE years were effective executives, and they taught him a lot about that too, namely, how to make things happen, get results. That is part of his GE years. The GE years were where he learned talk over the talking heads directly to the American people. With his natural talent--then polished by this training--he became the best, the most powerful communicator in America. This book shows part of how Ronald Reagan developed into one of the best presidents ever to serve the American people. Would recommend it highly for anyone interested in the real history of this great man. The conservative movement has collapsed in the last election (2008); it has collapsed before; it is in need of rebirth. This book lays out many principles, offers many ideas, as to how this can take place. Read it for that alone.

Highly recommended:
This book is more a history about General Electric and its battles with unionized workers in the late 1940's and 50's. Included in the narrative is how Ronald Reagan gained an invaluable education in big business, employee relations and collective bargaining.