“September 11 redefined sacrifice. It redefined duty. And it redefined my job. The story of that week is the key to understanding my presidency.” – George W. Bush
Every leader has a story. George W. Bush does an excellent job telling his story in his memoir Decision Points. This book had been on my reading list for a while but it wasn’t until last summer when I lived in Central America that I finally got around to reading it. There, in a concrete block room with a single light over head, I read Bush’s account of his presidency as the daily rainstorms prevented me from going outside.
Simply hearing the name George W. Bush provokes a wide range of sentiments in the hearts of Americans — particularly in the hearts of Central Americans whom I was surrounded by as I read the book.
Even so, love him or hate him, we can all learn from him.
If you follow me on twitter, you know that I love quotes. And I know that people would get tired of me tweeting out Bush quotes four years after his presidency is over. So, below, I’ve shared some of the quotes I highlighted throughout the book as I read it. The chapter titles the quotes come from are in bold.
They offer unique insights into what I would argue is the most difficult job in the world. The ones I’ve included here largely center around leadership, but I’ve also included some that stuck out to me as a lover of political science and as a pastor. After all, George W. Bush is one of the most famous members of the United Methodist Church in the world today.
If these quotes spark your interest, I’d highly recommend this book. For as my friend Kate Hofler writes in her review of the book, “It will offer incredible insight into what the leader of our country was thinking for eight years of your life.”
