Listen Up Mr President

Helen Thomas has covered the administrations of ten presidents in a career spanning nearly sixty years. She is known for her famous press conference closing line, "Thank you, Mr. President," but here she trades deference for directness. Thomas and veteran journalist Craig Crawford hold nothing back as they use former occupants of the White House to provide a witty, history-rich lesson plan of what it takes to be a good president. Combining sharp observation and dozens of examples from the fi rst presidency through the forty-fourth, the authors outline the qualities, attitudes, and political and personal choices that make for the most successful leaders, and the least. Calvin Coolidge, who hired the fi rst professional speechwriter in the White House, illuminates the importance of choosing words wisely. William Howard Taft, notorious for being so fat he broke his White House bathtub, shows how not to cultivate a strong public image. John F. Kennedy, who could handle the press corps and their questions with aplomb, shows how to establish a rapport with the press and open oneself up to the public. Ronald Reagan, who acknowledged the Iran-Contra affair in a television address, demonstrates how telling hard truths can earn forgiveness and even public trust. By gleaning lessons from past leaders, Thomas and Crawford not only highlight those that future presidents should follow but also pinpoint what Americans should look for and expect in their president. Part history lesson, part presidential primer, Listen Up, Mr. President is smart, entertaining, and exceedingly edifying.

Learning how to actively listen and absorb what a person is saying, thinking, and feeling can set the stage for dramatically improved relationships and increased personal success. Most people retain only a fraction of what they hear, resulting in miscommunications and lost opportunities. In Listen Up or Lose Out, communications expert Robert Bolton highlights the underestimated and under-utilized tool of active listening and explains how it can be used to gather perspectives, bridge differences, and resolve problems. Bolton teaches you key communication skills by: breaking down listening into a set of learnable skills such as avoiding the urge to criticize, question, or advise; focusing on the speaker’s point of view; asking the right questions, in the right order; and learning how to read people’s feelings and reflect them back Listen Up or Lose Out explains how one can become a skilled listener who experiences fewer conflicts, makes better decisions, and discovers opportunities that others might miss. Whether personally or in business, could you benefit from better communication? Give listening a try!

Dear Mr. President Excuse me, kind sir . . . Yes, its me, way down here. Do you have just a moment to lend me your ear? I may be quite small, and you may think me naive. But please, sir, just grant me a moments reprieve. It has been said that our children are our future, yet we often fail to listen to what they have to say when they are young. We also tend to ask them to do as we say but not as we dowhether we realize it or not. We assume that they dont have anything important to say or that their observations are too immature to bare consideration. In a world swirling with political rhetoric, divisiveness, anger, and fear, Dear Mr. President reminds us just how important common decency, trust, and kindness truly are. It is also a powerful reminder that both words and actions make lasting impressions and that true wisdom often springs from innocence and candid honesty. The worlds children are watching and listening; we would be wise to listen to them too.

Jesus said: Greater Love Hath No Man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Indeed our Lord is speaking a true statement. Christ did die for sinners once and for all. He selflessly lay down His life on the Cross so our spiritual journey could begin. This book is about sacrifices people give so others can live. Sacrifice is the main theme, but there are others, such as the atrocities that political correctness can cause.

"Containing the public messages, speeches, and statements of the President", 1956-1992.

Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States