‘DECISION POINTS’- A REVIEW

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It’s just six days after the nineteenth anniversary of the 9/11 bombings. We continue to honor the memory of all those who lost their lives. It’s for this reason that reading the recollections of the man charged with responding to those events is a natural choice. 

Decision Points is President George W. Bush’s (43) memoirs. He embarked on writing it shortly after he left office. Unlike most presidential memoirs he focused on his time at the White House. Herein he discusses some of the major decisions he made as President of the United States. 

In typical Bush (43) fashion, this book is both humorous and informative. He touches on the 9/11 terrorist bombings and how they redefined the world; America’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan; fighting the AIDS and Malaria pandemics in Africa; Hurricane Katrina; and the financial crisis, among many others.

Other than politics he aptly uses flashbacks to touch on his drinking addiction, struggle with English, difficulty to conceive and death of his brother from cancer.  He passionately writes of how his faith saw him through his most difficult periods. 

It’s an honest and reflective account of the 43rd President of the United States. He gives the reader a front row seat to the exclusive high stakes, high risk position of being the leader of the free world. He elucidates the options he weighed and principles he followed to arrive at many of his decisions. 

It’s a resourceful document for anyone keen on studying that period in American history and leadership insights. 

Decision Points is book of challenges, successes, failures and lessons learned. It’s the outcome of years of reflection and introspection. 

In his own words;

“Perceptions are shaped by the clarity of hindsight. In the moment of decision, you don’t have that advantage.”

Dig in!