President Bill Clinton’s My Life is the strikingly candid portrait of a global leader who decided early in life to devote his intellec...
read full description
reviews
Aug 28, 2007
Kelly (happyklamb10)
rated it: 
Make sure you are interested in politics if you're going to read this. Don't just read it for the Lewinsky scandal because it's barely mentioned! Clinton is a brilliant political mind and it shows in this book. I learned a lot about the events of his administration, which was interesting for me as I was only ages 9-17 while he was in office. Gave a good perspective to things (though, admittedly, one sided).
2 comments
like
(6 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Joshua
rated it: 
Okay, first, I have to confess I listened to the abridged audio edition of this book, and that's what I'm basing my review on. I listened to the whole thing on the drive from my home to seminary (6 hours).
That having been said, I am coming to understand that way more of "The West Wing" was based on actual events than I realized. I feel like I just experienced the entire series - the book even ends with the same word on which the series concluded: "Tomorrow."
More...
That having been said, I am coming to understand that way more of "The West Wing" was based on actual events than I realized. I feel like I just experienced the entire series - the book even ends with the same word on which the series concluded: "Tomorrow."
More...
0 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
Dec 16, 2009
Billy
rated it: 
I put this book under the fiction bookshelf for a reason. I read this book for a class on Bill Clinton's foreign policy (ok, most of the book. I skipped over all the personal stuff because frankly, I don't care about Monica Lewinsky). Anyway, due to the class and the fact that I lived through his presidency, I was fully aware of what his foreign policy actually was during his time in office (for a better, and more accurate understanding of his foreign policy read David Halberstam's War in a Time of Peace
More...
2 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Oct 26, 2008
Will
rated it: 
There is much that is good about the book. There is much that is annoying. I most enjoyed his descriptions of dealings with foreign leaders. We get the skinny on who was really in favor of what, who was willing to make serious concessions, who was not. Good stuff. The part of the book about his early life was interesting as well, showing family background and how he got the connections that helped him move up. Interesting. I found it annoying that every person he mentions he seems to feel it ne
More...
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Sep 04, 2007
Melissa
rated it:
I listened to this abridged audio but I liked it so much, I'm thinking of reading the much longer unabridged book! Bill Clinton was awesome, despite his brushing over his welfare reform, which was the worst thing he did while in office. Also, I'm all about Hilary now, I'd totally vote for her. People who just hate Bill Clinton for some reason or other should really read this book. I think it really humanizes him and shows just how many powerful people were working against him, going to any l
More...
Apr 06, 2007
In his first chapter, Clinton mentions that he once departed from his reading material of choice, fiction, and picked up a sort of self-help book on making goals for the future. As instructed by the book, the college-age Clinton made up a list of short and long term goals, with the top few being to have a family, a successful political career, and to write a great book.
If this was his great book, I'm disappointed. It reads like a long-spinning political yarn with Southern-gentility r More...
If this was his great book, I'm disappointed. It reads like a long-spinning political yarn with Southern-gentility r More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Nov 11, 2007
Becky
rated it:
At nearly 1000 pages, this book is not for the faint of heart. The beginning is slow, as it seems that Clinton is mentioning every single person that passed through his childhood and adolescence. The book finally gets interesting when Clinton enters politics. As someone who lived through the Clinton years, I enjoyed reading Clinton's perspective on events during that time. His views on the Middle East talks were particularly interesting and enlightening. His insider's view of politics during tha
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 14, 2007
Emilia
rated it:
I was already a Bill Clinton fan, but his memoir just solidified my reasons. Very moving account of his life, especially his childhood/young adulthood. He is such an intelligent, self-made man. His detractors would do well to read this, too. Granted it is looooong. I initially purchased the book for my husband who enjoyed reading it, but I had trouble getting through all 900-plus pages and bought the audio CD instead. Listened to it on a long vacation drive. (Made my then 12-year-old son listen
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 26, 2012
Ariadna73
rated it:
Yo debo ser una de las dos nicas personas del mundo que se ha ledo este libro de cabo a rabo. Es un libro eterno, largusimo, donde Clinton nos cuenta la hora a la que se levant, qu desayun, con quin convers, etc... Es una descripcin muy minuciosa de un milln de hechos sin importancia, y por supuesto, del escndalo con la nia Lengisky o como se llame, que casi le cuesta la cabeza y el matrimonio. Es un libro fascinante, porque al leerlo uno se da cuenta del poder tan grande que tiene la palabra,
More...
Sep 16, 2011
Jeremy
rated it:
William Jefferson Clinton is my first president. Well, not really, I was born on July 3, 1981 so my first president was actually Ronald Reagan. The first presidential election that I remember is the 1988 election of George H.W. Bush. However, in many ways, Clinton is my first president. The presidential election of 1992 was the first national election I ever cared about. Coming from a family of Democrats excited for the first chance in sixteen years to capture the White House, Clinton was very m
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 15, 2011
Sarah
rated it: 
A 1,000 page doorstop. That's the best I can do with this one.
I lived through the Clinton years, I remember a lot of what he discusses in this book. I agreed with some of his policies and disagreed with others, and I was interested to hear his take on his presidency.
I could not stand the number of times that, one way or another, he said, "Well, I would have done XYZ, but I couldn't because of the Republicans." Or, "I tried to, or wanted to, do ABC, but I More...
I lived through the Clinton years, I remember a lot of what he discusses in this book. I agreed with some of his policies and disagreed with others, and I was interested to hear his take on his presidency.
I could not stand the number of times that, one way or another, he said, "Well, I would have done XYZ, but I couldn't because of the Republicans." Or, "I tried to, or wanted to, do ABC, but I More...
Nov 06, 2011
Brian
rated it:
I bought President Bill Clinton's book when it came out in 2004. I started reading it right away, but after a few chapters, it was put back on the shelf. Curiosity made me pick it back up. I didn't expect to read the entire book, but I became fascinated. I learned a lot about him: his accomplishments, his pain, his optimism, his mistakes...
Besides the obvious, (Whitewater, Monica), there were a bunch of things about his life I found interesting, such as his studies in Oxford and t More...
Besides the obvious, (Whitewater, Monica), there were a bunch of things about his life I found interesting, such as his studies in Oxford and t More...
May 12, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
Bill Clinton wrote about his life from about college age up to Hillary's election to the Senate in this best seller from years ago. As I am deep into spring gardening, I have been searching for all audiobooks that can keep my mind occupied while I work. As a conservative, I wasn't sure I would like this book, but Bill tells his story in an interesting and warm way. He manages to spin things his way, but that is to be expected.
Bill tells how he met Hillary and it is funny to think of More...
Bill tells how he met Hillary and it is funny to think of More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Nov 10, 2011
I don't feel qualified to rate this book because I only listened to the abridged audio version, which had obviously undergone some severe cuts (how do your reduce a 1000-page book to less-than 8 hours of audio?). So I feel like I missed out on too much of the book to offer a decent rating. What I heard, I thought was well-written and interesting. I probably would give it 4 stars.
Clinton was president when I was going through high school. The town where I grew up is largely conservative, so pret More...
Clinton was president when I was going through high school. The town where I grew up is largely conservative, so pret More...
Jun 08, 2011
If you're determined to hate Clinton, I'm sure there are things one can find to criticize on every single page--and considering the number of reviews of this, I'm sure more than a few people have done it.
But, while I can't agree with everything Clinton did as a person, I do think pretty highly of what he did as president. I miss the days of charisma and leadership and being FOR something rather than the constant barrage of fear mongering and hate that seems to have gripped our cou More...
But, while I can't agree with everything Clinton did as a person, I do think pretty highly of what he did as president. I miss the days of charisma and leadership and being FOR something rather than the constant barrage of fear mongering and hate that seems to have gripped our cou More...
Apr 25, 2010
Darth
rated it:
I wasnt sure about this one going into it.
When Clinton was elected I was just out of High School, and politics couldnt be further from my mind.
My memories of the time were the relentless clips in the news about the Lewinsky business and the Whitewater land deal.
That said I thought this was a pretty well conceived book.
It was in turns funny, informative and at times touching.
I thought by the end it had taken a turn in which the tone of the author was dang More...
When Clinton was elected I was just out of High School, and politics couldnt be further from my mind.
My memories of the time were the relentless clips in the news about the Lewinsky business and the Whitewater land deal.
That said I thought this was a pretty well conceived book.
It was in turns funny, informative and at times touching.
I thought by the end it had taken a turn in which the tone of the author was dang More...
Jan 25, 2012
Sophie
rated it:
President Clinton is a good writer. His writing style captures the nature of his speech - one can almost hear the twang of the words on the page. He is deeply reflective and exposes many events of his life. He examines them, however, with a political spin. The book is sincere to a point. When President Clinton becomes too honest, however, he delves into his public persona and speaks with political purpose. The book therefore has awkward moments that are too preachy rather than reflective. The to
More...
Feb 05, 2009
"It sure is a good story," Clinton writes in his prologue. Really, it is. You just need to wade through the myriad names, dates, and details of this "big puffy plum cake of an autobiography" to make sense of his panoramic story (New York Times Book Review). As The New York Times points out, My Life is "part policy primer, part 12-step confessional, part stump speech and part presidential archive." Despite his serious lack of focus, Clinton is characteristically char
More...
Nov 29, 2009
Katrin
rated it:
Well, what can you expect from a politician??? Yes, an autobiography complete, I don't think so. That said, I found the book interesting in the sense that I read HIS side of the autobiography which I think revealed more about him in a way that I don't believe he nor his editors may have realized. You know, things left out SUCH AS...affairs (of course he would not want to incriminate himself further), albeit that is not of any interest to me nor was Monica Lewinsky. I enjoyed reading about hi
More...
Sep 09, 2011
Crystal
rated it:
I listened to this on audio CD, read by President Clinton himself. It was nice, hearing the story in his words fully. I didn't pay a lot of attention to politics when he was president--I was young and didn't really care. Plus I grew up in a community of conservatives, so I was told from the time he ran for president that he was evil. Hearing this, reacquainting myself with the historical facts, I was blown away what a difference of years and perspectives makes--and how much of what Clinton faced
More...
Jul 20, 2010
Ed
rated it:
I am listening to this audio book autobiography of President Bill Clinton. It is medium interesting and brings back political memories from the 1990's. It of course leans politically to the left (what did you expect), but not as far as I thought it would. Bill's childhood and young adult is very interesting and amazingly more difficult than I expected, his recollections of his time as president is spent talking about his many ups and downs, and how hard it is to be president, and how many of
More...
Apr 07, 2009
Declan
rated it:
Extremely interesting insight into one of the modern world's fairest, most balanced and democratic leaders. The book charts Clinton's life from his early southern days, born to a widow, up to his leaving of the White House.
If you have an interest in any of American life/politics, the civil right's struggles, the history of modern American presidencies, the process of presidential and gubernatorial elections and the politics of their offices as well as a variety of world affairs from More...
If you have an interest in any of American life/politics, the civil right's struggles, the history of modern American presidencies, the process of presidential and gubernatorial elections and the politics of their offices as well as a variety of world affairs from More...
Jan 03, 2011
John
rated it:
Since discovering that large print editions make for easier reading while nursing a baby in the semi dark, I have been able to burn through books much faster than ever. This large print version however is nearly 1,700 page and though I very much enjoyed its first 100 pages, couldn't commit to making such a long story part of my life for soooo long. I really like Bill Clinton, I always have. I like his way of story telling, I like the story of his early life. He takes several (of course) occasion
More...
Mar 03, 2011
Jeanne
rated it:
this is a very long book filled with facts and personal memories. i read certain sections and skimmed a lot but it was interesting and informative. i think if you are young and want a career in politics this is a must read. he shows how important friends and alliances are to the process and how your message needs to stay on track.
in the epilogue bill states 'I wrote this book to tell my story and to tell the story of america in the last half of the twentieth century.' i found this to be a More...
in the epilogue bill states 'I wrote this book to tell my story and to tell the story of america in the last half of the twentieth century.' i found this to be a More...
Nov 16, 2010
Odai
rated it:
استغرقني من الوقت الكثير حتى اكمل هذه السيرة الروائية الذاتية لحاكم اكبر دولة في العالم ..الكتاب ممل في معظم اوقاته والسيرة تتضمن امور تافهة لا تهمنا في شيئ وان كان لا بد منها فهي خلت من عنصر التشويق كما انني لم اجد في اسلوب الترجمة اي اشادة تذكر...حياة بيل كلنتون رتيبة ومملة كما أن شخصيته تشعرك بانه لو إمتهن اي مهنة غير السياسة لكان افضل له ...لم يمتعني الكتاب واخذ من وقتي الكثير وقد قرات الكتاب علي فترات متقطعة غير مشدود له .
More...
More...
Nov 15, 2008
Marrick
rated it:
This is a poorly written series of justifications. An annoying characteristic of his writing in this 1000-page diary is Pres. Clinton's insistence on classifying every non-white person he has encountered by their ethnic background. My advice: avoid it.
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Dec 10, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
I appreciate that it takes substantial ego and confidence to become President, but this guy has surfeit of both. Combine that with a lack of self-knowledge and insight, and a lackluster writing style ("we looked out over the grounds where we had shared many memorable moments...") and you have a recipe for disappointment. His treatment of the events of his presidency, both foreign and domestic, are really just explanations of how those events affected him, what he thought about them, wh
More...
Nov 25, 2011
Masheeee
rated it:
عرفت أشياء كثيرة من هذا الكتاب بينها أن الامير تركي الفيصل كان زميل كلينتون وكان متفوقا في الفلسفة - عرفت أيضاً أن الاهتمام المضاعف ب العلم في أمريكا جاء في عهد كينيدي وبعد إطلاق الاتحاد السوفيتي مركبة الفضاء سبوتنيك وأن المفكر المعروف هشام شرابي كان مدرسهم في الجامعة والذي أنفعل ذات يوم على أحد الطلبة وقال لو كان معي مسدس لأطلقت عليك النار - والحقيقة أنني توقفت عن قراءتة لكن سأعود له
More...
May 26, 2010
Hoangkim
rated it:
"I want to become a good person, have a happy marriage, having children, have good friends, success on the field, and wrote a book to life" - Bill Clinton.
I agree with Douglas Brinkley, Financial Times, "My life is definitely the book of greatest American presidents of all time" - Hoang Kim
"Tôi muốn trở thành một người tốt, có một cuộc hôn nhân hạnh phúc, có con cái, có bạn tốt, thành đạt trên chính trường, và viết một cuốn sách để đời" - Bil More...
I agree with Douglas Brinkley, Financial Times, "My life is definitely the book of greatest American presidents of all time" - Hoang Kim
"Tôi muốn trở thành một người tốt, có một cuộc hôn nhân hạnh phúc, có con cái, có bạn tốt, thành đạt trên chính trường, và viết một cuốn sách để đời" - Bil More...
Dec 14, 2008
Alma
rated it:
Clinton's autobiography is long but well worth the read if you want to get the slightest clue about the dirty tricks he faced in D.C. while trying to keep his campaign promises.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
