Back to Work (book)
Preceded by | Giving |
---|
Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy is a
Contents
Clinton writes that the American government faces considerable challenges that it is fundamentally struggling to deal with, problems affecting culture and society as well as the
He describes various areas such as high-school graduations where the U.S. has fallen behind compared to other countries. Clinton concludes, "Over the last three decades, whenever we’ve given in to blame the government for all our problems, we’ve lost our commitment to shared prosperity, balanced growth, financial responsibility, and investment in the future." He criticizes both American parties for not being up to the task of fighting the
In terms of specific policies, Clinton advocates changes such as raising the
Reviews and response
The Guardian published a mixed review, with author Erik Tarloff arguing that "the book is almost devoid of human interest or any hint of the man's vivid, outsize personality" but also that Clinton had sounded "informed, high-minded, intelligent and persuasive" in making policy recommendations. He viewed parts of the book as "deadly dull" with others "shrewd and convincing", and he claimed that only "in a country whose notionally conservative party has gone so far off the rails would anyone even have bothered to write it." Tarloff also wrote, "Everything in it is worthy, but only a wonk (or a reviewer) would want to read it to the end."[4]
Financial journalist Andrew Rosenbaum praised the work for the New York Journal of Books. He wrote, "President Clinton offers straightforward policy options, supported by statistics and documentation— and what a welcome bit of refreshment this is". He also lauded the book's "extremely detailed" points of policy advice.[3]
The Los Angeles Times also published a supportive review. Reporter Carolyn Kellogg wrote that Clinton had authored "a book with the chutzpah that the Democrats have been missing." She also remarked,
The most interesting thing about this book is not the economic arguments themselves, but that they're being made in one place, in plain language, by Clinton. The former president has blossomed as an elder statesman, standing side by side with both Bush presidents to support emergency relief, forming his nonpartisan foundation and friendships with powerful players of all stripes... close political watchers may take issue with parts of the book— the characterizations are broad, he omits his own administration's healthcare efforts and underplays its role in financial deregulation, his hopes for green technology are rosier than others predict, and very real political influences like money and lobbyists don't factor into his analysis or prescriptions. But Clinton himself seems convinced he's put together a coherent economic picture that is honest, persuasive and necessary.[2]
Award nomination
The
See also
- Presidency of Bill Clinton
- Simpson-Bowles Commission
- Clintonomics
- Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World
References
- ^ The Politico. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Kellogg, Carolyn (November 8, 2011). "Book review: 'Back to Work' by Bill Clinton". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Rosenbaum, Andrew. "Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy". New York Journal of Books. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
- ^ a b Tarloff, Erik (November 19, 2011). "Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government For a Strong Economy by Bill Clinton – review". The Guardian. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
- ^ "Bill Clinton". GRAMMY.com. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
External links