Robert Kennedy or On The Wealth of Nations

Robert Kennedy: His Life

Author: Evan Thomas

Robert Kennedy has been viewed as hero and villain -- as the "Good Bobby" who, as his brother Ted eulogized him, "saw wrong and tried to right it,...saw suffering and tried to heal it" -- or as the "Bad Bobby" of countless conspiracy theories, the ruthless and manipulative bully who plotted with the Mafia to kill Castro and lusted after Marilyn Monroe. Evan Thomas's achievement is to realize RFK as a human being, to bring to life an extraordinarily complex man who was at once kind and cruel, devious and honest, fearful and brave.

Thomas had unusual access to his subject's life. He is the first biographer since Arthur Schlesinger to see RFK's private papers, and he interviewed all of Kennedy's closest aides and advisers, many of whom were forthcoming in ways that they had not been before.

The portrait that emerges is unvarnished but sympathetic, fair-minded and always readable. It is packed with new detail about Kennedy's early life and his behind-the-scenes machinations: his involvement in a cheating incident in prep school; his first attempt at romance; and his many back-channel political operations -- with new revelations about the 1960 and 1968 presidential campaigns, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and his long struggles with J. Edgar Hoover and Lyndon Johnson, both of whom were subtly and not-so-subtly trying to blackmail the Kennedys.

In a clear and fast-paced narrative, Thomas cuts through the mythology to reveal a character who, though he died young just as he was reaching for ultimate power, remains one of the century's most fascinating men.

Book Magazine

Thomas has succeeded in writing the first full-fledged biography of Robert Kennedy since Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.'s Robert Kennedy and His Times. Thomas had access to some of RFK's personal papers that Schlesinger did not see, and the result is one of the most readable and compelling political biographies in years. Here the author addresses the complexities surrounding RFK's life and legacy and delves into his struggles for recognition while growing up among the competitive Kennedy clan. Not surprisingly, Thomas concentrates on RFK's relationship with his brother, President John F. Kennedy, and explains how RFK evolved from kid brother to the most important confidant in the administration. The author traces the drama of RFK's integral involvement in the Cuban missile crisis and the civil rights movement, as well as his personal life. After his brother's assassination, RFK's life was clouded by the tragedy, and he became haunted by a sense of his own mortality. In the closing chapter, Thomas writes a moving account of RFK's ill-fated 1968 campaign for the presidency. One can only ruminate on the might-have-beens had RFK lived, but Thomas, to his credit, does not sentimentalize this biography. Instead, he delivers an even-handed, temperate account of a complex man who would be president.
—Glenn Speer

Publishers Weekly

Thomas has made a career writing about Washington insiders (he was co-author, with Walter Isaacson, of The Wise Men). A high-ranking editor at Newsweek, Thomas (an insider himself) has now written a nuanced biography of one of the 20th century's most iconic insiders. Although there are no startling revelations in this capably written, thick book, there is a lot of new information, thanks to the increasing openness of Kennedy's surviving colleagues and the new availability of oral histories, RFK's personal files, declassified national security documents and other sources. As a result, Thomas offers an illumination of the man's failings as well as his strengths, and unravels the complex knot of relationships within the Kennedy family. Portraying RFK as a man whose "house had many mansions," Thomas calls him "the lucky one"--he was raised in the shadow of his brothers, and his passion-filled life shined a light into "the family cave" of secrets. Throughout, Thomas highlights the contradictions of Kennedy's persona--he was an extraordinarily wealthy individual who could act spoiled one day, then express empathy with the have-nots on the next; he was a devoted, sometimes around-the-clock protector of his often wayward older brother, John, but still established his own career; he was shy but sought out publicity; and he was an enthusiastic family man who ran for the presidency despite its obvious risks. Though primarily a tribute to a man whose potential for greatness was cut short, Thomas's book sheds new light on a man--and an era, and a family--about whom Americans will probably never know the whole truth. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Since 1996, a number of fine books have investigated aspects of the life and legacy of this enigmatic political idol. If the Kennedys are America's royal family, then Robert F. Kennedy was the tribune of the poor. He is well served by this gracefully written, thoroughly researched, and accessible popular biography by Thomas, the assistant managing editor of Newsweek. This study is not as detailed as Arthur Schlesinger Jr.'s uncritical Robert Kennedy and His Times (LJ 8/78) or James Hilty's Robert Kennedy: Brother Protector (LJ 4/15/98), which is the first of two volumes. But Thomas's narrative, skillfully woven from numerous interviews, vividly reveals a very human Kennedy struggling to come to terms with his brother's assassination, his role in wiretapping Martin Luther King Jr., and his fatal decision to take on Eugene McCarthy and Hubert Humphrey in the 1968 Democratic primary. Thomas's chilling account of the Cuban Missile Crisis shows Kennedy at his best, while his portrayal of his feuds with FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and Cuban president Fidel Castro reveal him at his worst. Thomas convincingly debunks a number of the myths that envelop Kennedy. Highly recommended for public libraries.--Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

New York Observer - Terry Golway

With subtle foreshadowing and an objective eye, Evan Thomas makes the case that Bobby Kennedy's transformation came from within. Even the worldly and the cynical will take away from this biography a greater appreciation of the Kennedys in general and Robert Kennedy in particular. And it is always good to remember, in such times as ours, that Bobby, like his brothers Jack and Joe, was a young man who died for his country.

The New York Times Book Review - Michael Lind

[T]his judicious and thorough book is likely to be the most comprehensive and balanced study of the life and career of Robert F. Kennedy for a long time to come.

Time Magazine - Lance Morrow

Thomas' telling of the story is clear eyed, richly detailed and riveting, mainly because of his shrewd feelings for the nuances of Kennedy's character and internal conflicts.

Kirkus Reviews

Newsweek assistant managing editor Thomas (The Very Best Men, 1995, etc.) enlivens his engrossing RFK biography with fresh interviews and the use of previously restricted sources.

Table of Contents:

	Prologue	17
Chapter 1	Runt	29
Chapter 2	Tough	47
Chapter 3	Moralist	67
Chapter 4	Manipulator	90
Chapter 5	Protector	109
Chapter 6	Testing	126
Chapter 7	Goad	141
Chapter 8	Intrigue	153
Chapter 9	Play	175
Chapter 10	Crisis	195
Chapter 11	Brink	209
Chapter 12	Causes	230
Chapter 13	Threats	240
Chapter 14	Worn	262
Chapter 15	Mourner	276
Chapter 16	Searcher	297
Chapter 17	Conscience	311
Chapter 18	Ghosts	327
Chapter 19	Courage	343
Chapter 20	Quest	362
Chapter 21	Legend	383
	Source Notes	395
	Bibliography	479
	Index	489

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On The Wealth of Nations

Author: P J ORourk

As one of the first titles in Atlantic Monthly Press' "Books That Changed the World" series, America's most provocative satirist, P. J. O'Rourke, reads Adam Smith's revolutionary The Wealth of Nations so you don't have to. Recognized almost instantly on its publication in 1776 as the fundamental work of economics, The Wealth of Nations was also recognized as really long: the original edition totaled over nine hundred pages in two volumes--including the blockbuster sixty-seven-page "digression concerning the variations in the value of silver during the course of the last four centuries," which, "to those uninterested in the historiography of currency supply, is like reading Modern Maturity in Urdu." Although daunting, Smith's tome is still essential to understanding such current hot-topics as outsourcing, trade imbalances, and Angelina Jolie. In this hilarious, approachable, and insightful examination of Smith and his groundbreaking work, P. J. puts his trademark wit to good use, and shows us why Smith is still relevant, why what seems obvious now was once revolutionary, and why the pursuit of self-interest is so important.

The New York Times - Allan Sloan

Think of it as a hardcover blog, in which O'Rourke cites Smith's essential points, and riffs while preaching Smithian doctrine … this book is well worth reading. You'll pick up a few good lines, you'll see a primo stylist at work. And you'll see why Adam Smith is so often quoted but so rarely read.

The Washington Post - Daniel Gross

It's an incongruous pairing. Smith embarked on a systematic, lengthy, earnest examination of the economic world. "My job is to make quips, jests, and waggish comments," O'Rourke states. But like chocolate and salt, this unlikely combination works well together. In this book, O'Rourke is a charming, highly literate blogger -- one who thinks before actually writing -- elucidating Smith's arguments and making insightful comments along the way. It's a safe bet the words "Talmud" and "P.J. O'Rourke" have never been used in the same sentence. Yet there is something slightly Talmudic to the approach..

Publishers Weekly

The famous satirist headlines a new series of Books That Changed the World," in which well-known authors read great books "so you don't have to." While irreverently dissecting Adam Smith's 18th-century antimercantilist classic, The Wealth of Nations, O'Rourke continues the dogged advocacy of free-market economics of his own books, such as Eat the Rich. His analysis renders Smith's opus more accessible, while providing the perfect launching pad for O'Rourke's opinions on contemporary subjects like the World Bank, defense spending and Bill Moyers's intelligence (or lack thereof, according to O'Rourke). Readers only vaguely familiar with Smith's tenets may be surprised to learn how little he continues to be understood today. As O'Rourke observes, "there are many theories in [The Wealth of Nations], but no theoretical system that Smith wanted to put in place, except `the obvious and simple system of natural liberty [that] establishes itself of its own accord." Libertarian that he is, O'Rourke would probably agree that one shouldn't take only his word on Smith. Still, the book reads like a witty Cliffs Notes, with plenty of challenges for the armchair economist to wrap his head around. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Best-selling political satirist O'Rourke (Peace Kills) brings his satirical style to bear on 18th-century moral philosopher Adam Smith's life, works, and especially Smith's pioneering economics treatise, The Wealth of Nations. O'Rourke criticizes it as being overly long and, in many places, dull and contradictory. Going beyond merely explaining Smith's ideas, he throws in numerous satirical quips and asides-this is where his attempt to make Smith less tedious becomes tedious itself. For example, during his explanation of Smith's views on government, O'Rourke digresses to remark about political pundits on Fox News. O'Rourke's satire falls flat because when it comes to Smith, he must first explain what he is satirizing. While he seems to have a good grasp of Smith, and this could have been a fine introductory work, in the end it fails. Its audience seems limited to historians of economics who happen to be O'Rourke fans. A better recent title for academic libraries is James Buchan's The Authentic Adam Smith.-Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

The opus magnum of the Scottish philosopher who defined free-market economics, usurped by O'Rourke as a matrix for social commentary and humor. Willing in the past to skewer policy disasters on both sides of the Congressional aisle (Peace Kills, 2004, etc.), the conservative satirist displays his softer side in this laudatory consideration of The Wealth of Nations. Adam Smith's 18th-century dilation on the French proto-economic theme of laissez-faire, which advocates a free market self-regulated by self-interest, is still right on the money as far as O'Rourke is concerned. "What Smith wanted us to do," he asserts, "was to use our mental and physical capabilities to render the rulers of mankind as unnecessary and inconsequential as possible." O'Rourke does have a few criticisms of Wealth: Slogging through a 67-page digression on fluctuations in the value of silver over four centuries, he flatly states, is "like reading Modern Maturity in Urdu." He stresses that full appreciation of the Scotsman's thinking requires delving into Theory of Moral Sentiments as a counterpart to Wealth. (O'Rourke doesn't feel that full appreciation includes familiarity with Smith the man, or with his life, about which he admits a paucity of knowledge.) The author credits Smith with proving that the world economy is not a zero-sum game; only "leftists and everybody's little brother," he states, believe that somebody's gain always has to be somebody else's loss. An entertaining alternative to the heavy lifting required in confronting Adam Smith firsthand. First printing of 75,000; $75,000 ad/promo