by Mark Silva
Everyone takes books to the beach in the summer.
And President Barack Obama, who has started a weeklong vacation on Martha's Vineyard -- working out this morning, playing tennis with First Lady Michelle Obama and planning a round of golf with House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina and others on the island retreat -- has brought some books along, too.
A couple of novels, a tome about global warming and a biography of one of his earliest predecessors in the White House.
According to the Vineyard White House -- with spokesman Bill Burton reporting in at "Martha's Filing Center'' at the Oak Bluffs School today -- the president is packing:
The Way Home, by George Pelecanos.
(From Publisher's Weekly: " Bestseller Pelecanos (The Turnaround) probes the volatile and fragile relationship between a father, Thomas Flynn, and his son, Chris, in this less than satisfying effort. As a rebellious teen into drugs, Chris had minor brushes with the law and did a stint in juvenile prison. Now 26, he's working for his father's D.C.-area carpet installation business and staying clean
Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman.
(From Amazon.com: "Friedman explains how global warming, rapidly growing populations, and the astonishing expansion of the world's middle class through globalization have produced a planet that is "hot, flat, and crowded." Already the earth is being affected in ways that threaten to make it dangerously unstable. In just a few years, it will be too late to fix things--unless the United States steps up now and takes the lead in a worldwide effort to replace our wasteful, inefficient energy practices with a strategy for clean energy, energy efficiency, and conservation that Friedman calls Code Green.'')
Lush Life by Richard Price
(From Publisher's Weekly: "Master of the Bronx and Jersey projects, Price (Clockers) turns his unrelenting eye on Manhattan's Lower East Side in this manic crescendo of a novel that explores the repercussions of a seemingly random shooting. When bartender Ike Marcus is shot to death after barhopping with friends, NYPD Det. Matty Clark and his team first focus on restaurant manager and struggling writer Eric Cash, who claims the group was accosted by would-be muggers, despite eyewitnesses saying otherwise.'')
John Adams by David McCullough.
(From Publisher's Weekly: "Here a preeminent master of narrative history takes on the most fascinating of our founders to create a benchmark for all Adams biographers. With a keen eye for telling detail and a master storyteller's instinct for human interest, McCullough resurrects the great Federalist (1735-1826), revealing in particular his restrained, sometimes off-putting disposition, as well as his political guile. '')
Comments
Maybe BO can read up on this before it gets any bigger
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE51P54920090226
Posted by: Terry | August 24, 2009 1:58 PM
When does he start cutting brush at his fake ranch?
Oh, wait a minute, that was that other guy.....nevermind.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhDcr6uR8bU
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Posted by: former Republican | August 24, 2009 2:01 PM
He should try reading the constitution. It would serve him well...
Posted by: kevin sechowski | August 24, 2009 2:13 PM
How about him reading some of his own party's health care bills? Maybe then he'll understand why his numbers are plummeting. Or better yet...how about he read The Constitution!
Posted by: T.K. | August 24, 2009 2:20 PM
To those who think he ought to read the Constitution: Which version -- before or after the Bush presidency finished stomping on it?
I thoroughly appreciate having a president who can read and understand intelligent books. Not like the last guy and "My Pet Goat."
Posted by: Emmy in Evanston IL | August 24, 2009 2:57 PM
I think this President knows the Constitution very well. Certainly much better than the previous president.
His #s are plummeting by the right wing lies that are being pushed by the republican party and the insurance companies. If you hear only lies, then of course, you are not going to like the health care bills.
Posted by: Ben | August 24, 2009 3:10 PM
How about him reading some of his own party's health care bills?
Posted by: T.K. | August 24, 2009 2:20 PM
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What makes you think he hasn't?
Obama isn't that Village idiot know nothing (Bush) that you lock stepped with the last eight years.
Unlike the fantasy world that you Teabagger clowns live in, Bush and Cheney actually did ignore the Constitution many times, and you nuts stood up on your hind legs and cheered for them the entire time.
Posted by: Jimi Jagger | August 24, 2009 3:18 PM
Who are these readers who think Obama has not read the Constitution? Are they aware he was a Con Law professor? I guess they don't read, themselves.
Posted by: Marsha | August 24, 2009 3:22 PM
I hope he reads this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/opinion/24krugman.html
Posted by: Bubba ✔ | August 24, 2009 3:28 PM
He should read Atlas Shrugged. A well articulated rebuttal of the nanny state might help him see just how much of a communist he is..
Posted by: Cullen Bailey | August 24, 2009 3:47 PM
He should read Atlas Shrugged. A well articulated rebuttal of the nanny state might help him see just how much of a communist he is..
Posted by: Cullen Bailey | August 24, 2009 3:47 PM
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Yes, 'Atlas Shrugged', a complete work of Wingnutter fiction that the Repug ideologues hold up as "proof" that their nutty warmongering and tax cuts for the richest 1%, big oil and big corporations, actually works......ha ha ha!
What's left of the GOPer base are a bunch of dumber than a bag of rocks cretins who have the IQ of an empty tin can.
Posted by: RiffRaff | August 24, 2009 4:07 PM
For all those who suggest the read the Constitution, I wonder if any of them have a J.D. in, or have taught classes on, constitutional law, as our the president has.
Give me a break.
As for "Atlas Shrugged," that's a terrible, whiny book, written by a selfish hack, and worshipped by a bunch of paranoid, "don't-tread-on-me" know-nothings.
Posted by: Scarzo | August 24, 2009 4:19 PM
For all those who suggest the read the Constitution, I wonder if any of them have a J.D. in, or have taught classes on, constitutional law, as our president has.
Give me a break.
As for "Atlas Shrugged," that's a terrible, whiny book, written by a selfish hack, and worshipped by a bunch of paranoid, "don't-tread-on-me" know-nothings.
Posted by: Scarzo | August 24, 2009 4:19 PM
He's just now reading about John Adams? Did he ever bother reading about our founding fathers or the revolution before this?
Posted by: Denny Crane | August 24, 2009 5:06 PM
He should try some good Economics texts since he has destroyed any chance of quick recovery and saddled us with high unemployment and even higher debt.
Posted by: Den C | August 24, 2009 5:06 PM
Atlas Shrugged. He may learn something.
Posted by: Joe | August 24, 2009 5:25 PM
John Adams is a great choice but is he reading it on paper or from the Teleprompter?
But no Stalin, Lenin, Noam Chomsky or Al Gore? The lunatic left of our party is not happy with the boy wonder or his reading list!
Posted by: NorthSideTaxPayer | August 24, 2009 5:30 PM
He should read Economics 101. His stimulus package has been a bust. It did help lazy labor unions and the liberal lobby though. Hooray for them.
Posted by: Tom | August 24, 2009 5:48 PM
The lefties are resorting to name-calling again, e.g., cretins, clowns, wingnuts just to name a few. No substantial rebuttals from the left, just name-calling...
Posted by: TCrawford | August 24, 2009 5:54 PM
He should try some good Economics texts since he has destroyed any chance of quick recovery and saddled us with high unemployment and even higher debt.
Posted by: Den C | August 24, 2009 5:06 PM
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Yes, let's all be good little drooling Rushbo dittoheads. Just repeat the talking points and pretend that Bush had absoultely NOTHING to do with destroying our economy the last eight years and then handing off his "handywork" to Pres Obama, all the while pretending that it was Obama who caused the economic mess after only seven months in office. It's the only way we can sleep.
"Bush's policy of cutting taxes for the rich while increasing spending—of simultaneously pursuing big government and small government—dramatically swelled the deficit. He inherited a projected ten-year surplus of $5.6 trillion and bequeaths a ten-year deficit of $6 trillion, assuming his tax cuts remain in place. Hardly the makings of a positive judgment from future historians".
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12931660
Posted by: dittohead | August 24, 2009 5:54 PM
"Hot, Flat, and Crowded" is a good choice. We should all be preached to by a guy who lives in a 12,000 square foot mansion, but urges the rest of us to do away with our "wasteful" habits.
Posted by: TheDopeFromHope | August 24, 2009 5:55 PM
Atlas Shrugged is a great book, but not for the libertarianism but as a warning about the power of special interests to ruin the world. It applies as much to Dem trial lawyer contributors as the insurance lobby.
Posted by: Rusty | August 24, 2009 6:05 PM
Dittohead,
Bush also inherited a terrorist problem that would lead to a war and the creation of a gov't bureacracy. Get rid of Clinton's punting of any terrorist issue dowwn the road and we would have tiny deficits, if not budget surpluses. Anyway, President Bush never came close to a $900 billion average deficit per year for ten years.
Posted by: Terry | August 24, 2009 6:51 PM
My list for President Obama: Facing A World In Crisis by Jiddu Krishnamurti
and Think on These Things by Jiddu Krishnamurti
Posted by: rain | August 24, 2009 8:09 PM
I notice that the word of God "The Bible" isn't one of his choices. That is too bad.
Posted by: pam | August 24, 2009 8:13 PM
Bush also inherited a terrorist problem that would lead to a war and the creation of a gov't bureacracy
Posted by: Terry | August 24, 2009 6:51 PM
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Yeah, and Bush proceeded to go on vacation and ignore a memo that said: "BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO STRIKE INSIDE THE US!"
Quit drinking, Terri
Posted by: anti terry | August 24, 2009 8:28 PM
Maybe he should read the unemployment outlook for Chicago contained in another Tribune story. Chicago employment is ls until 2014. That's alright we can eat soy and wrestle illegal aliens for jobs until then. I'm sure glad the recession is over. You just enjoy that $35,000 a week vacation retreat Mr. President.
Anyone have a piece of cake?
Hopium Dopium
Posted by: Mavis | August 24, 2009 9:25 PM
Where was Obama a profeesor at?
Posted by: FishFry | August 24, 2009 9:26 PM
One book he missed: "Screwing Up An Amercian Economy 101 -Unrepentent Dreams of Lost Hope That Never Was The Plan In The First Place; The Day Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge". At your newstands today!
Posted by: Banderman | August 24, 2009 10:34 PM
Trickled On Anti JOhn E,
While BO is on vacation this week, have all of his tasks come to a halt? No. He has his staff with him and I am sure he is working. As Silva pointed out,President Bush had to pay money and transport his security and staff down to Crawford so the work kept getting done.
Now back to mummy and daddy's basement
Posted by: Terry | August 24, 2009 10:39 PM
Bush had to pay money and transport his security and staff down to Crawford so the work kept getting done.
Posted by: Terry | August 24, 2009 10:39 PM
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Trickledown Terri,
I don't consider clearing fake brush on a pretend ranch to be "working". And if you're dumb enough to believe that taxpayers didn't end up getting stuck with the bill for Shrubs hired help flying down to Crawford then I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you.
Bush ignores memo stating "Bin Laden Determined to strike inside US".
http://theworstpresidentever.blogspot.com/2009/05/bush-ignored-911-warnings.html
Quit drinking the mouth wash Terri, you're losing touch with reality again.
Posted by: anti terry | August 24, 2009 10:53 PM
Hot Flat & Crowded is required reading at my son's school. They also showed them An Inconvenient Truth. Next up, One Dad Two Dads for all Kindergartners.
Liberalism has pervaded (and perverted) our public schools. Send your kids to private school if you can.
Posted by: MINDFREAK | August 25, 2009 12:44 AM
Anti Trickled-On John E,
Presdeint Bush's administration, not Presdient Bush himself, had to pay for the security and staff to be flown to crawford, just as BO's administration will have to pay for the trip of his ecurity and staff.
As far as Clinton and punting terrorism - Khobar Towers - Clinton does nothing, African Embassy bombings - Clinton does nothing, USS Cole bombing - Clinton does nothing. He had years to get bin Laden as he was walking in the desert and did nothing. He was like the Detroit Lions on 4th down - he PUNTED.
You need to step away from the computer and go back to your old way of getting carpel tunnel injuries. I'm sure the magazine is still where you hid it.
Posted by: Terry | August 25, 2009 7:22 AM
Who cares what he brought along as reading material. Unless each book is 5 pages long this sounds more like a publicity stunt than a real reading list. I mean who brings so many books for a week long vacation? Which one is he reading first, or will he Superman scan all at once? He sure likes to keep a full plate in rotation, from inside the Oval office to his vacation. Interesting picks, too.
Posted by: black sheep in a Republican family | August 25, 2009 8:31 AM
Maybe start at the beginning with Murray Rothbard's - Man, Economy & State
Posted by: Joe | August 25, 2009 12:09 PM
Yes, he certainly should read Atlas Shrugged. I'm glad that it's being read more. Either Ayn Rand's ideas will become more widespread, or America will continue its descent into totalitarianism.
Posted by: RS | August 25, 2009 7:28 PM