words written down: Joe Klein Piece on Obama's First 100 Days

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Joe Klein Piece on Obama's First 100 Days

Really insightful cover story from Joe Klein in the May 4 issue of Time Magazine.

The title "Joe Klein on the President's Impressive Performance Thus Far" gives an idea of the bent of the article, but it's simply an interesting read.

2020 booklist

23. The Story of More - Hope Jahren
22. A Very Punchable Face - Colin Jost
21. Squeeze Me - Carl Hiaasen
20. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni
19. Countdown 1945 - Chris Wallace
18. The Impossible First - Colin O'Brady
17. Denali's Howl - Andy Hall
16. Keep Going - Austin Kleon
15. Midnight in Chernobyl - Adam Higginbotham
14. King of the World - David Remnick
13. The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday
12. All That You Leave Behind - Erin Lee Carr
11. Legacy - James Kerr
10. Gridiron Genius - Michael Lombardi
9. This is Chance - Jon Mooallem
8. The Splendid and the Vile - Erik Larson
7. 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell - Paul Smith
6. Becoming - Michelle Obama
5. The Ride of a Lifetime - Robert Iger
4. The Mastermind - Evan Ratliff
3. Consider This - Chuck Palahniuk
2. The Ghosts of Eden Park - Karen Abbott
1. Longitude - Dava Sobel

2019 booklist

26. Working - Robert Caro
25. The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini - Joe Posnanski
24. Unlocking the Customer Value Chain - Thales Teixeira
23. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone - Lori Gottlieb
22. The Secrets We Kept - Lara Prescott
21. Talking to Strangers - Malcolm Gladwell
20. A Woman of No Importance - Sonia Purnell
19. Sea Stories - William McRaven
18. City of Girls - Elizabeth Gilbert
17. The Four - Scott Galloway
16. Born a Crime - Trevor Noah
15. The Last Rhinos - Lawrence Anthony
14. The Elephant Whisperer - Lawrence Anthony
13. Say Nothing - Patrick Radden Keefe
12. Everything is F*cked - Mark Manson
11. The Pioneers - David McCullough
10. The Talent Code - Daniel Coyle
9. Wait Till Next Year - Doris Kearns Goodwin
8. The Elephant in the Room - Tommy Tomlinson
7. The Culture Code - Daniel Coyle
6. The Last Wild Men of Borneo - Carl Hoffman
5. American Kingpin - Nick Bilton
4. Give and Take - Adam Grant
3. Dare to Lead - Brené Brown
2. Grit - Angela Duckworth
1. Disrupted - Dan Lyons

2018 booklist

32. Rising Out of Hatred - Eli Saslow
31. Thirst - Scott Harrison
30. The Sun Does Shine - Anthony Ray Hinton
29. Quiet - Susan Cain
28, The Library Book - Susan Orlean
27. Bad Blood - John Carreyrou
26. On Desperate Ground - Hampton Sides
25. The Dinosaur Artist - Paige Williams
24. Leadership in Turbulent Times - Doris Kearns Goodwin
23. Indianapolis - Lynn Vincent & Sara Vladic
22. Factfulness - Hans Rosling
21. The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
20. Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win - Jo Piazza
19. Tip of the Iceberg - Mark Adams
18. The Soul of America - Jon Meacham
17. A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman
16. Educated - Tara Westover
15. Us Against You - Fredrik Backman
14. The Man Who Caught the Storm - Brantley Hargrove
13. Beartown - Fredrik Backman
12. Calypso - David Sedaris
11. The Feather Thief - Kirk Wallace Johnson
10. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing - Daniel Pink
9. I'll be Gone in the Dark - Michelle McNamara
8. North Toward Home - Willie Morris
7. City of Thieves - David Benioff
6. When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi
5. Bobby Kennedy - Chris Matthews
4. Thinking in Bets - Annie Duke
3. All American Murder - James Patterson, Alex Abramovich, & Mike Harvkey
2. Practice Perfect - Doug Lemov, Erica Woolway, & Katie Yezzi
1. The Great Halifax Explosion - John U. Bacon

2017 booklist

35. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

34. Artemis - Andy Weir

33. Leonardo da Vinci - Walter Isaacson

32. Everybody Lies - Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

31. Braving the Wilderness - Brené Brown

30. Paul and Me - A.E. Hotchner

29. A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson

28. The Woman Who Smashed Codes - Jason Fagone

27. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson

26. Lab Girl - Hope Jahren

25. The Best Team Money Can Buy - Molly Knight

24. The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu - Joshua Hammer

23. Going to Pieces without Falling Apart - Mark Epstein

22. 10% Happier - Dan Harris

21. The Outlaw Sea - William Langewiesche

20. Algorithms to Live By - Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths

19. Make Your Bed - William McRaven

18. Option B - Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

17. Fly by Wire - William Langewiesche

16. Coach Wooden and Me - Kareem Abdul-Jabbbar

15. Anything You Want - Derek Sivers

14. The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg

13. The Power Paradox - Dacher Keltner

12. The Stranger in the Woods - Michael Finkel

11. The Lost City of the Monkey God - Douglas Preston

10. Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann

9. Smarter Faster Better - Charles Duhigg

8. The Cubs Way - Tom Verducci

7. The Only Rule Is It Has to Work - Ben Lindbergh & Sam Miller

6. Exit West - Mohsin Hamid

5. Night School - Lee Child

4. The Upstarts - Brad Stone

3. The Undoing Project - Michael Lewis

2. Tools of Titans - Tim Ferriss

1. Shoe Dog - Phil Knight

2016 booklist

23. Hillbilly Elegy - J.D. Vance
22. The Legends Club - John Feinstein
21. Playing Through the Whistle - S.L. Price
20. Originals - Adam Grant
19. Powerhouse - James Andrew Miller
18. The Inner Game of Tennis - Timothy Gallwey
17. The Hike - Drew Magary
16. Razor Girl - Carl Hiaasen
15. Patient H.M. - Luke Dittrich
14. Astoria - Peter Stark
13. Hellhound On His Trail - Hampton Sides
12. The Golden Spruce - John Vaillant
11. The Lost Carving - David Esterly
10. Not Fade Away - Peter Barton
9. H is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald
8. Tribe - Sebastian Junger
7. The Oregon Trail - Rinker Buck
6. Neither Snow nor Rain - Devin Leonard
5. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk - Ben Fountain
4. The Road to Little Dribbling - Bill Bryson
3. What We Talk About When We Talk About God - Rob Bell
2. The Girl in the Spider's Web - David Lagercrantz
1. Big Magic - Liz Gilbert

2015 booklist

23. Ghost Soliders - Hampton Sides
22. Natural Born Heroes - Christopher McDougall
21. Pitching Around Fidel - S.L. Price
20. The Martian - Andy Weir
19. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest – Stieg Larsson
18. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia - Mohsin Hamid
17. Pirate Hunters - Robert Kurson
16. Voices in the Ocean - Susan Casey
15. In the Kingdom of Ice - Hampton Sides
14. Wild - Cheryl Strayed
13. On the Burning Edge - Kyle Dickman
12. The Tiger - John Vaillant
11. Elon Musk - Ashlee Vance
10. The Wright Brothers - David McCullough
9. The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown
8. Dead Wake - Erik Larson
7. How We Got to Now - Steven Johnson
6. Bold - Peter Diamandis & Steven Kotler
5. The Night of the Gun - David Carr
4. Daily Rituals - Mason Currey
3. Acts of Creation - Walt Harrington
2. A Prayer for the City - Buzz Bissinger
1. The Innovators - Walter Isaacson

2014 booklist

29. "Just Mercy" - Bryan Stevenson
28. "Kitchen Confidential" - Anthony Bourdain
27. "Skink - No Surrender" - Carl Hiaasen
26. "Being Mortal" - Atul Gawande
25. "Boy On Ice" - John Branch
24. "In the Heart of the Sea" - Nathaniel Philbrick
23. "Factory Man" - Beth Macy
22. "American Hippopotamus" - Jon Mooallem
21. "A Sudden Light" - Garth Stein
20. "Deep" - James Nestor
19. "Shadows in the Vineyard" - Maxamillian Potter
18. "Abundance" - Peter Diamandis & Steven Kotler
17. "After Visiting Friends" - Michael Hainey
16. "No Place to Hide" - Glenn Greenwald
15. "The Divide" - Matt Taibbi
14. "The Girl Who Played with Fire" - Stieg Larsson
13. "Pilgrim's Wilderness" - Tom Kizzia
12. "Show Your Work" - Austin Kleon
11. "Flash Boys" - Michael Lewis
10. "Bigger Than the Game" - Dirk Hayhurst
9. "Grandma Gatewood's Walk" - Ben Montgomery
8. "Hatching Twitter" - Nick Bilton
7. "Showtime" - Jeff Pearlman
6. "Young Money" - Kevin Roose
5. "Trapped Under the Sea" - Neil Swidey
4. "The Everything Store" - Brad Stone
3. "Beautiful Ruins" - Jess Walter
2. "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" - Chris Hadfield
1. "One Summer: America, 1927" - Bill Bryson

2013 booklist

21. "Because I Said So!" by Ken Jennings
20. "Crash and Burn" by Artie Lange
19. "The Smartest Kids in the World" by Amanda Ripley
18. "David and Goliath" by Malcolm Gladwell
17. "Vanished" by Wil Hylton
16. "The Signature of All Things" by Elizabeth Gilbert
15. "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" by Haruki Murakami
14. "Outcasts United" by Warren St. John
13. "Ingenious" by Jason Fagone
12. "Sisterland" by Curtis Sittenfeld
11. "The Telling Room" by Michael Paterniti
10. "Bad Monkey" by Carl Hiaasen
9. "Someone Could Get Hurt" by Drew Magary
8. "The Skies Belong to Us" by Brendan Koerner
7. "Wild Ones" by Jon Mooallem
6. "Driving Mr. Albert" by Michael Paterniti
5. "How Children Succeed" by Paul Tough
4. "Plan B" by David Kord Murray
3. "The Lost City of Z" by David Grann
2. "How Will You Measure Your Life" by Clayton Christensen, James Allworth & Karen Dillon
1. "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" by Katherine Boo

2012 booklist

30. "The Signal and the Noise" - Nate Silver
29. "Rise to Greatness" - David Von Drehle
28. "Elsewhere" - Richard Russo
27. "Sutton" - J.R. Moehringer
26. "Triburbia" - Karl Taro Greenfeld
25. "Alaskan Travels" - Edward Hoagland
24. "Mockingjay" - Suzanne Collins
23. "Bird by Bird" - Anne Lamott
22. "Start Something That Matters" - Blake Mycoskie
21. "The Startup of You" - Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha
20. "The Voodoo Wave" - Mark Kriedler
19. "The $100 Startup" - Chris Guillebeau
18. "The Art of Non-Conformity" - Chris Guillebeau
17. "Steal Like An Artist" - Austin Kleon
16. "Catching Fire" - Suzanne Collins
15. "One Shot at Forever" - Chris Ballard
14. "Hunger Games" - Suzanne Collins
13. "I Suck at Girls" - Justin Halpern
12. "The Man Who Quit Money" - Mark Sundeen
11. "The 4-Hour Workweek" - Tim Ferriss
10. "Drop Dead Healthy" - A.J. Jacobs
9. "The Things They Carried" - Ken O'Brien
8. "Maphead" - Ken Jennings
7. "Out of My League" - Dirk Hayhurst
6. "The Bullpen Gospels" - Dirk Hayhurst
5. "Public Parts" - Jeff Jarvis
4. "Pulphead" - John Jeremiah Sullivan
3. "Man Seeks God" - Eric Weiner
2. "The Best American Sports Writing 2011" - Jane Leavy editor
1. "I Was Blind But Now I See" - James Altucher

2011 booklist

21. "Steve Jobs" - Walter Isaacson
20. "The Postmoral" - Drew Magary
19. "Boomerang" - Michael Lewis
18. "Rin Tin Tin: The Life & Legend" - Susan Orlean
17. "Life Itself" - Roger Ebert
16. "Those Guys Have All the Fun" - James Andrew Miller & Tom Shales
15. "Wonder Girl" - Don Van Natta Jr.
14. "Born to Run" - Christopher McDougall
13. "Bossypants" - Tina Fey
12. "The Preacher and the Presidents" - Nancy Gibbs & Michael Duffy
11. "Dig This Gig" - Laura Dodd
10. "Endgame" - Frank Brady
9. "An Accidental Sportswriter" - Robert Lipsyte
8. "Love Wins" - Rob Bell
7. "In the Garden of Beasts" - Erik Larson
6. "Branch Rickey" - Jimmy Breslin
5. "Under the Banner of Heaven" - Jon Krakauer
4. "The Investment Answer" - Daniel Goldie & Gordon Murray
3. "The Orchid Thief" - Susan Orlean
2. "They Call Me Baba Booey" - Gary Dell' Abate
1. "Unbroken" - Laura Hillenbrand

2010 booklist

21. "The War for Late Night" - Bill Carter
20. "How Lucky You Can Be" - Buster Olney
19. "The Wave" - Susan Casey
18. "War" - Sebastian Junger
17. "Star Island" - Carl Hiaasen
16. "Delivering Happiness" - Tony Hsieh
15. "Sh*t My Dad Says" - Justin Halpern
14. "The Tender Bar" - J.R. Moehringer
13. "Swimming to Cambodia" - Spalding Gray
12. "Lost in My Own Backyard" - Tim Cahill
11. "Fire" - Sebastian Junger
10. "The No-Cry Potty Solution" - Elizabeth Pantley
9. "The Big Short" - Michael Lewis
8. "The Checklist Manifesto" - Atul Gawande
7. "Have a Little Faith" - Mitch Albom
6. "White Fang" - Jack London
5. "Planet Google" - Randall Stross
4. "Last Words" - George Carlin
3. "Ford County" - John Grisham
2. "What the Dog Saw" - Malcolm Gladwell
1. "Trust Agents" - Chris Brogan & Julien Smith

2009 booklist

31. "The Lost Symbol" - Dan Brown
30. "Superfreakonomics" - Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner
29. "Open" - Andre Agassi
28. "Borrowing Brilliance" - David Kord Murray
27. "Where Men Win Glory" - Jon Krakauer
26. "Paris to the Moon" - Adam Gopnik
25. "The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work" - Alain de Botton
24. "Reset: How This Crisis Can Restore Our Values and Renew America" - Kurt Andersen
23. "Home Ice" - Jack Falla
22. "'Tis" - Frank McCourt
21. "Say Everything: How Blogging Began, What It's Becoming, and Why It Matters" - Scott Rosenberg
20. "Angela's Ashes" - Frank McCourt
19. "Strokes of Genius" - L. Jon Wertheim
18. "Heart of the Game: Life, Death, and Mercy in the Minor League America" - S.L. Price
17. "Keep it Real: Writing Creative Nonfiction" - Lee Gutkind: editor
16. "American Parent" - Sam Apple
15. "Home Ice: Reflections and Confessions of a Hockey Lifer" - Jack Falla
14. "Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood" - Michael Lewis
13. "Treasure Island" - Robert Louis Stevenson
12. "The Longest Trip Home" - John Grogan
11. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - Mark Twain
10. "Marley & Me" - John Grogan
9. "Eclipse" - Stephenie Meyer
8. "What Would Google Do?" - Jeff Jarvis
7. "Healthy Aging" - Dr. Andrew Weil
6. "Call of the Wild" - Jack London
5. "God Save the Fan" - Will Leitch
4. "Triangle" - David Von Drehle
3. "New Moon" - Stephenie Meyer
2. "Tropic of Hockey" - Dave Bidini
1. "Outliers" - Malcolm Gladwell

2008 booklist

29. "Too Fat to Fish" - Artie Lange
28. "Hero of the Underground" - Jason Peter
27. "The Audacity of Hope" - Barack Obama... halfway
26. "Zero Days" - Barbara Egbert
25. "The Hard Way" - Mark Jenkins
24. "The Last Lecture" - Randy Pausch
23. "Saved" - Jack Falla
22. "Traffic" - Tom Vanderbilt
21. "For Those About to Write" - Dave Bidini
20. "American Wife" - Curtis Sittenfeld
19. "Born Standing Up" - Steve Martin
18. "Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good" - Sarah Lacy
17. "A Few Seconds of Panic" - Stefan Fatsis
16. "When You Are Engulfed in Flame" - David Sedaris
15. "The New New Thing" - Michael Lewis
14. "Twilight" - Stephanie Meyer
13. "The Art of Racing in the Rain" - Garth Stein
12. "Straight Man" - Richard Russo
11. "Mr Sebastian and the Negro Magician" - Daniel Wallace
10. "Alternadad" - Neal Pollack
9. "The Geography of Bliss" - Eric Weiner
8. "The Open Road- 14th Dalai Lama" - Paco Iyer
7. "Journey" - James Michener
6. "The Appeal" - John Grisham
5. "America: An Illustrated History" - Time Inc
4. "The Greatest Hockey Stories Ever Told" - Bryant Urstadt: editor
3. "Far Afield" - S.L. Price
2. "Lucky You" - Carl Hiaasen
1. "A Spot of Bother" - Mark Haddon

2007 booklist

27. "The No Cry Sleep Solution" - Elizabeth Pantley
26. "The Black Swan" - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
25. "Slam" - Nick Hornby
24. "A Walk Across America" - Peter Jenkins
23. "Writing Down the Bones" - Natalie Goldberg
22. "How Tough Could it Be?" - Austin Murphy
21. "Quiet Strength" - Tony Dungy
20. "You Can Run But You Can't Hide" - Duane "Dog" Chapman
19. "The Heart Aroused" - David Whyte
18. "Better" - Atul Gawande
17. "All New Baseball Brainteasers" - Michael Morse
16. "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows" - J.K. Rowling
15. "Strip Tease" - Carl Hiaasen
14. "A Long Way Gone" - Ishmael Beah
13. "A Photographer's Life" - Annie Leibovitz
12. "Born on a Blue Day" - Daniel Tammet
11. "Freedom Writers" - Erin Gruwell
10. "King Dork" - Frank Portman
9."Stormy Weather" - Carl Hiassen
8. "The Game" - Ken Dryden
7. "The Innocent Man" - John Grisham
6. "The Know It All" - A.J. Jacobs
5. "The Man Who Heard Voices (M Night Shymalan) - Michael Bamberger
4. "Thin Ice: A Season in Hell with the NY Rangers" - Larry Sloman
3. "Three Cups of Tea" - Greg Mortenson
2. "Too Far From Home: A Story of Life and Death in Space" - Chris Jones
1. “Teach with Your Heart” – Erin Gruwell

2006 booklist

29. “Thunderstruck” – Erik Larson
28. “A Death in Belmont” – Sebastian Junger
27. “A Long Way Down” – Nick Hornby
26. “A Sense of the World” – Jason Roberts
25. “Apex Hides the Hurt” – Colson Whitehead
24. “Basket Case” – Carl Hiaasen
23. “Cesar’s Way” – Cesar Millan
22. “Company” – Max Barry
21. “Cradle to Cradle” – William McDonough
20. “Isaac’s Storm” – Eric Larson
19. “Jennifer Government” – Max Barry… halfway
18. “Mary Mary” – James Patterson
17. “More Than You Know” – Michael Mauboussin… skimmed
16. “Native Tongue” – Carl Hiaasen
15. “Nature Girl” – Carl Hiaasen
14. “Next Man Up” – John Feinstein… halfway
13. “Politics Lost” – Joe Klein
12. “Prep” – Curtis Sittlefield
11. “Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer” – Warren St John
10. “Silly Puppy” – Carl Hiaasen
9. “Skinny Dip” – Carl Hiaasen
8. “Team of Rivals” – Doris Goodwin
7. “The Adventurist” – Robert Young Pelton
6. “The Beach” – Alex Garland
5. “The Blind Side” – Michael Lewis
4. “The Devil in the White City” – Eric Larson
3. “The Devil’s Teeth” – Susan Casey
2. “The Life & Times of the Thunderbolt Kid” – Bill Bryson
1. “The Tragedy of Vietnam” – Patrick Hearden

2005 booklist

27. “1776” – David McCullough
26. “23 Days In July: Lance Armstrong” – John Wilcockson
25. “Aces” – Mychael Urban
24. “All I Ever Did Was Ask” – Terry Gross
23. “Ballad of the Whiskey Robber” – Julian Rubenstein
22. “Blink” – Malcolm Gladwell
21. “Complications” – Atul Gawande
20. “Don’t Think of an Elephant” – George Lakoff
19. “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” – Lynne Truss
18. “Freakonomics” – Steven Levitt
17. “Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince” – J.K. Rowling
16. “How to be Good” – Nick Hornby
15. “Last Best League” – Jim Collins
14. “On Writing” – Stephen King
13. “Seabiscuit” – Laura Hillenbrand
12. “So You Want to Be a Writer” – Brenda Ueland
11. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” – Barbara Robinson
10. “The Education of a Coach” – David Halberstam
9. “The Killer Angels” – Michael Shaara – halfway…
8. “The Life of Pi” – Yann Martel
7. “The Lovely Bones” – Alice Sebold
6. “The Old Ball Game” – Frank Deford
5. “The Plot Against America” – Phillip Roth
4. “Three Days in August” – Tony LaRussa
3. “Wedding of the Waters: The Erie Canal and …” – Peter Bernstein… halfway
2. “Wicked, the Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” – Gregory Maguire
1. “Working Identity: Strategies for Reinventing Your Career” – Herminia Ibarra