Book Review: My Life – Bill Clinton
The impeachment of Bill Clinton was forgotten completely in Obama’s second campaign. Of course, the Democrats needed some of his mojo, if you know what I mean.
And they sure got it. Obama profited greatly from it too. It’s probably one of the reasons why he got his second term as the first Black President of the United States.
Can you blame them?
Yet the person who managed to profit from this the most was that blessed intern, Monica Lewinsky, and who by now, has stayed out of the spotlight for obvious reasons by moving to London.
Speaking of his acceptance among Democrats in recent time, it’s fair to assume that a lot of time has passed since ‘Monicagate’, and Clinton, as of 2008, was $30 million richer, thanks to a thousand page book that he wrote and which took almost two years and two months to write.
A book that tried to tell his side of the story, even if the woman he had an affair with, doesn’t believe to be completely true.
A Little Too Much, A Little Too Late
If you haven’t read the book yet, please be advised that it is about a 1000 pages long. That’s a bit long, and if you don’t have the patience, then taking your time with it is advisable.
It’s been the butt of jokes ever since it was released sometime back for this very reason but it doesn’t take away the fact that it earned him an advance of $15 million even before he sat down to pen his life between the covers of a book.
If that’s not enough, he seems a little too preoccupied with himself in the book, as some critics believe, but you’ve got to give him the benefit of doubt as it is an autobiography all the same.
As for the content of the book, he charts his journey from his birth all the way till his final days in office. And one wonders how long the book would have been if he had persuaded his publishers to include everything he thought was important in the book.
It also covers his interest in politics and how that led to him winning the Governorship of Arkansas and the Presidency of the United States as well. A lot of time goes into explaining what he did as a politician, a governor as well as the President of the United States as well – and in such a detailed manner that would only be useful for those who wish to pursue a career in politics.
As for his political stance, he describes himself as a moderate progressive and shows much disdain for the Gingrich, DeLay and Armey of the Republican Party throughout the book.
He also deals with how Americans tend to obsess over trivial political matters while glossing over the issues that are very important. Not surprisingly, it works as a segue to his side of the story when it comes to the affair with Monica Lewinsky.
But most of all, one can’t help but ask the question as to whether this long book was a stiff response to his critics at the time, and who are still around in these unstable times that we live in.
In Closing
It’s really up to you to decide whether Clinton’s is worth a read. Of course, what he did for the United States is still considered to be fantastic, in terms of its number especially.
A fitting comparison against the exploits of his successor, George Bush. But then again, if you’re not one for long books about politics… then this one isn’t really for you!