The Truth of Power: Intellectual Affairs in the Clinton White House

By Benjamin R. Barber

Book Overview

In 1994 Benjamin R. Barber was invited by President Clinton to participate in a seminar on the future of democratic ideas and ideals. Following their meeting, Barber became an informal consultant to the Clinton White House, working with a president who proved to be an astonishing listener open to a variety of ideas. Barber's experiences were unexpected and enlightening-the most unpredictable being his interactions with the president himself.

Barber's meditation on Bill Clinton's tenure in office offers a balanced and complex portrait of the Clinton administration, especially in its relationship to America's intellectual and scholarly community. Barber also identifies the true faultlines of power that future candidates must negotiate if they are to win an election. For this edition, Barber has written a new afterword reflecting on Clinton's "vision" problem, his controversial role in shaping today's Democratic Party, and his efforts to confront the challenges of interdependence and terrorism. He concludes with a provocative assessment of Hillary Clinton as a Democratic primary candidate in the battle for the presidency.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0231144393
• ISBN13: 9780231144391
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.2" x 9.2"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

An intellect that atrophied

Unlike the author--who consulted with Clinton on his State of the Union speeches--most of us are too embarrassed to admit we were seduced by Clinton's intellect. Through the vehicle of memoir, Prof. Barber is at once candid about his expectations of the President, his own ambition, his seduction, and his ultimate disappointments. The best parts of this book are Prof. Barber's discussion about the way that language shapes our understanding of civic life; and how Clinton's inability to use language effectively left his legacy empty.