Personality, Character, and Leadership in the White House: Psychologists Assess the Presidents

Rating:
Summary: A Groundbreaking Study
Review: I found Personality, Character, & Leadership in the White Housse to be a very thoughtful, creative work that clearly has no equal in what it attempts to do. I have 12 years of graduate work in mostly Political Science, Psychology, Statistics and Public Administration and an extensive research library dealing with topics related to to study of Presidential Leadership. Given this background I believe I am qualified to say that there is no book like this. A great deal of work went into it and it takes the study of Presidential Leadership to a level no other study has reached. Clearly it is one that should be considered for use in many Political Science courses and perhaps in some other fields as well. It is hoped it will stimulate serious discussion of just how much we can learn about the strengths and limitations of using scientific personality research and quesstionnaires to evaluate political leadership at the highest level of the U. S. government. It also is a delight to read. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the areas its title mentions. I know it will be a great help in my own research and should be for others too. I also beliieve the general thoughtful concerned citizen will find much food for thought in it.

Rating:
Summary: Psychological Analysis of American Presidents
Review: Personality, Character, and Leadership in the White House: Psychologists Assess the Presidents by Steven Rubenzer and Thomas Faschingbauer is unusual in that it combines a number of ingredients (an interesting subject, solid science and a good read) in a way that one seldom sees in a non-fiction book and does it successfully. This is a book that will interest history buffs and mental health professionals equally. In Personality, Character and Leadership in the White House, the authors have used a well know psychological test of normal personality dynamics which can be completed by individuals who know a living or deceased subject well. Rubenzer and Faschingbauer assembled groups of historians who were very familiar with particular presidents and had them complete the test on American presidents based on their knowledge of their personalities and behavior. The results provide insights into the qualities that make a good (or bad) president as well as how these leaders differ from the general population. The book is straightforwardand the authors do not inject their personal political beliefs into the mix. In addition, it is well written and jargon/psychobabble free. I highly recommend this book to both professionals and general readers who want to know more about what motivates our presidents, past and present

Rating:
Summary: subjective opinions converted to scietific objectivity
Review: The author's purpose was to reduce to a minimum individual opinions by a statistical approach that converted differing ideas on the part of so-called experts to a decimal conclusion. These results were compared with other presidents examined in an attempt to determine who among them were best qualified for the highest position of the land. They were also compared to the average American. My rating of just four stars is based on the description of the method used that took up a considerable part of the first part of the book. As essential as it probably was, I found myself bored by what to me is less than an interesting discipline. At the same time I agreed with their conclusions, although I do not believe that a single discipline standing alone is sufficient adequately to assign qualities to particular presidents. I was truly enlightened by what I discovered from the method used, and must admit that the characterization formed by the connection of the dots, so to speak, concurred with many of my own opinions based upon the discipline of History alone. I question whether the technique can actually foretell how well a candidtate will perform if elected as president. It would be helpful, I think, if the test were applied to Vice Presidential hopefuls because there are several significant instances where a Vice President assumed the office of President without being elected. In the most recent election, I felt those chosen to perform as Vice President was vital to my decision, and honestly placed my vote in jeopardy. By the same token, after seeing the performance results as indicated by the author's technique, I am of the conclusion that whoever is elected, or who assumes the presidency, will not necessarily result detrimentally to our nation. Nevertheless, the evidence drawn from the author's endeavor might give the electorate the means to better decide who should be selected based on more than emotion alone. There is no doubt that the work, audacious as it seems, will be of interest to all who read it. It would be well worth the time.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable Reading, Thought Provoking Insights
Review: This charming, entertaining book will appeal to readers with interests in politics, American history, or personality. The authors persuaded numerous historical experts to rate each of the U.S. presidents on personality questionnaires. The ratings were then pooled and used to "profile" each president on such qualities as Character, Assertiveness, and Extraversion. Some of the results are about what one would expect (Abraham Lincoln was tender-hearted and exceptionally concerned about the well-being of less-fortunate people) but others are more thought-provoking (recent U.S. presidents seem to be more extraverted and perhaps less intellectual than their predecessors). The personality profile for each major president is accompanied by a brief and colorful biography. I had difficulty putting the book down, as I learned intriguing new facts about such colorful presidents as Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson. This book is not only a great deal of fun but may also be useful to teachers of U.S. history, as well as instructors who want to introduce their students to modern personality theory and what psychologists call the "Big Five" personality traits. A sampling of the book's findings (and enlightening profiles of the 2004 presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry) can be found on a website established by the book's authors at http://www.personalityinhistory.com/Default.asp