I found this book a few years ago, in the bargain section at Barnes & Noble, where it was marked down to a startling $7.99 if my memory serves me correctly. In school, I had just finished studying the period of time between WWI and the Great Depression, and had been fascinated by the brief introduction to Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, his under-appreciated administration sandwiched between those of Warren Harding and the equally infamous Herbert Hoover. When I saw a cheap copy of a commanding-looking biography of his life, I picked it up. Since then, it's sat with my other unread books until I used a credit on the Audible version and listened to it while I mowed this summer. Today, I want to talk about this stunning biography of a little-known and little-lauded president who deserves more recognition and respect, not least because so many of his qualities reveal the poverty of today's politicians and government leaders (ahem).

Perhaps the greatest thing I took away from this book, apart from the story of a brilliant man, is the example of someone who persevered in doing right regardless of the consequences. I wish Calvin Coolidge was better known for so many reasons: his brilliance and diligence in managing the federal budget with scrupulous attention, his refusal to back down on his principles or goals, his silence and reticence to speak he is most well known for (and wow, would that be a breath of fresh air today!), and the faithfulness to his family and his marriage. I was impressed by this biography and Shlaes' execution because this book did what I think all good biographies do – it revealed Coolidge in his complexity and begged that I respect him and appreciate him for who he is. I totally fell in love with Coolidge and the end of this book made me cry. Am I the biggest nerd or what?
Quick note on the audiobook: it was excellent and I highly recommend this mode of reading/absorbing. The version I listened to is narrated by Terence Aselford. Find it here.
Reading this book made me want to pick up these titles as well:
– The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes
– Herbert Hoover In The White House: The Ordeal of the Presidency by Charles Rappleye
– Herbert Hoover: A Life by Glen Jeansonne
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