"Heartbeat" is a collection of excerpts from the speeches and writing of President George H. W. Bush. The compilation delineates those "core" values that defined the policies and personal goals of Bush's presidency. The book is organized into chapters corresponding to his presidential years (1989-1992) with an additional chapter concentrating on his post-presidency. The writings,which characterize the "core" values consistently addressed, are presented in sub-sections in each chapter. These are: Faith, Family, and Friends; The Vision Thing; A Legacy of Service; and In the Arena. This is a convenient organizational tool which allows the reader, should he/she choose, to follow a particular thread through each of the four years of the president's term. Of course one may choose the conventional method of a chapter by chapter reading. I actually did both, occasionally flipping back and forth through the chapters as I read to remind myself of a particular point previously made.

I found the book to be absorbing and entertaining reading. Having visited the Bush Library in College Station, Texas, I was not surprised by the sense of honor, duty and love of country that permeates the text. Nor was I surprised and the wonderful rather self-deprecating sense of humor that pops up in sometime unexpected places.

All-in-all this is an effortless way to get an elementary grasp of the issues and complexities which confronted America at a time when events leading to The World Trade Center atrocity were already continuing to build.

The author, Jim McGrath, has compiled a well-edited look at the life of the former President. Readers who want a "behind the scenes" look of life in the White House without all the needless commentary should purchase this book immediately!! This is a must read for anyone interested in political life.

Excellent book by an excellent pilot. A realistic look at Alaska, aviation, the oil industry, and the government during the mid twentieth century

Very entertaining story about a man and his desire to go in the opposite direction of the trend and experience his life as he wants to. This is a chance for the rest of us to get a taste of what it must be like to step into a life that our fears would otherwise keep us from ever doing. The courage of men like Rudy Billberg, help humankind to push the envelope of the human experience and continue the pushing for new challenges.

Rudy Billberg's experiences from from barnstorming to bush piloting as told to Jim Rearden portray a uniquely rich and exciting era of American history. I felt as though I was riding in the cockpit with Rudy buzzing everything from golden wheat fields in the midwest to brave grizzly bears in the Yukon. Bill Rohovit (bill_rohovit@we.xerox.com

I wish I had read this book years ago. For those who want to be able to effectively deal with the challenges of working in an organization, this book can be a great overview. While it is almost an advertisement for the firm which the authors own which helps troubled firms, it can also serve -- if read and studied very carefully -- as a great way to develop one's own approach to office politics, and the myriad complexities of trying to fit in and advance within a big, competitive business work group. Book repeats things but also mentions that thoughts need to be repeated and repeated to be correctly and fully learned.