Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy [NOOK Book]

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Overview

“I wrote this book because I love my country and I'm concerned about our future,” writes Bill Clinton. “As I often said when I first ran for President in 1992, America at its core is an idea—the idea that no matter who you are or where you're from, if you work hard and play by the rules, you'll have the freedom and opportunity to pursue your own dreams and leave your kids a country where they can chase theirs.”

In Back to Work, Clinton details how we can get out of the current economic crisis and lay a foundation for long-term prosperity. He offers specific recommendations on how we can put people back to work and create new businesses, increase bank ...
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More About This Book

Overview

“I wrote this book because I love my country and I'm concerned about our future,” writes Bill Clinton. “As I often said when I first ran for President in 1992, America at its core is an idea—the idea that no matter who you are or where you're from, if you work hard and play by the rules, you'll have the freedom and opportunity to pursue your own dreams and leave your kids a country where they can chase theirs.”

In Back to Work, Clinton details how we can get out of the current economic crisis and lay a foundation for long-term prosperity. He offers specific recommendations on how we can put people back to work and create new businesses, increase bank lending and corporate investment, double our exports, and restore our manufacturing base. He supports President Obama’s emphasis on green technology, saying that change in the way we produce and consume energy is the strategy most likely to spark a fast-growing economy and enhance our national security.

Clinton also says that we need both a strong economy and a smart government working together to restore prosperity and progress. He demonstrates that whenever we’ve given in to the temptation to blame government for our problems, we’ve lost our commitment to shared prosperity, balanced growth, financial responsibility, and investment in the future. That has led our nation into trouble because there are some things we have to do together. For example, he says, “Our ability to compete in the twenty-first century is dependent on our willingness to invest in infrastructure: we need faster broadband, a state-of-the-art national electrical grid, modernized water and sewer systems, and the best airports, trains, roads, and bridges.

“There is no evidence that we can succeed in the twenty-first century with an antigovernment strategy,” writes Clinton, “with a philosophy grounded in ‘You’re on your own’ rather than ‘We’re all in this together.’” Clinton believes that conflict between government and the private sector has proved to be remarkably good politics, but it has produced bad policies, giving us a weak economy with few jobs, growing income inequality and poverty, and a decline in our competitive position. In the real world, cooperation works much better than conflict, and “we need victories in the real world.”

Editorial Reviews

Michiko Kakutani
Bill Clinton's new book…is really several books in one slender volume. It's a lucid one-man rebuttal of the Tea Party's anti-government agenda. A series of shrewd talking points for Democrats trying to hold on to the White House and battling for control of Congress in the midst of a sour economy and growing voter discontent. A self-serving reminder of the prosperity the country enjoyed during Mr. Clinton's tenure in the White House…And a practical set of proposals—some borrowed and some new, some innovative and some highly sketchy—for restoring economic growth and creating jobs…Mr. Clinton serves up a succinct common-sense argument for why America needs a strong national government…
—The New York Times
Publishers Weekly
Bill Clinton may be a busier man these days than he was during his time in office. In this compelling ode to all things American, Clinton offers his take on what’s gone wrong in the United States over the past 30 years—everything from the lack of jobs to the mortgage crisis—and how to fix these ills. As the former president so elegantly puts it, “I want American Dream growth.” Clinton’s narrative tone is that of a seasoned orator, and his inherent ability to command an audience is undiminished. His voice bears a certain weight and wisdom that can only develop after a full life spent on the campaign trail and in the White House. Clinton’s America is one that is not as doomed as some would make it out to be, and, as he points out early on, we’re all in this together. A Knopf hardcover. (Nov.)
More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
The former president and bestselling author comes out swinging on the economic front. He does so, it seems, a touch reluctantly. Clinton (Giving, 2007, etc.) writes that he had conceived this book but then shelved it several times "because politics is no longer the center of my working life"--and, he continues, "I don't just want to add another stone to the Democratic side of the partisan scale." An apolitical, nonpartisan Clinton? Fat chance, and here, with considerable appetite, he tears into the antigovernment opposition, the ones who assert, with Ronald Reagan, that government is part of the problem, if not the problem. Nonsense, Clinton argues: Government has many roles, not least an economic one in assuring that the political and social conditions are fitting to a robust economy. Besides, he writes, despite what that opposition is saying, the recent banking meltdown happened because the banks were overleveraged. The government helped avert a full-scale depression, and the stimulus helped "put a floor under the collapse and begin the recovery." The opposition--he keeps returning to it--may appear to be antigovernment, but it's really antitax and antiregulation, two things that simply don't make sense in the current economic climate. In good political form, Clinton begins with generalities about what a good country this could be and what's wrong with it--all those antigovernment talking heads, for one thing, who "already have the answers, and the fact that the evidence doesn't support them is irrelevant." Happily, though, he moves on to pointed specifics, some honed in policy-wonkish detail--on, for example, relaxing mortgage debt, developing a renewable energy regime and getting small businesses into the exporting game ("This is what Germany does"). Vintage Clinton, with provocative if generally evenhanded solutions to the economic crisis and political stalemate plaguing the country.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780307959768
  • Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 11/8/2011
  • Sold by: Random House
  • Format: eBook
  • Pages: 208
  • Sales rank: 6,470
  • File size: 5 MB

Meet the Author

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON was the 42nd president of the United States. Under his leadership, the country enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest economic expansion in United States history. President Clinton's core values of building community, creating opportunity, and demanding responsibility resulted in unprecedented progress for America, including moving the nation from record deficits to record surpluses; the creation of over 22 million jobs--more than any other administration; low levels of unemployment, poverty and crime; and the highest home ownership and college enrollment rates in history.
 
After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. His Clinton Global Initiative brings together global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues.
 
He served as the UN Envoy for Tsunami Recovery and is now the UN Special Envoy to Haiti.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 58 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(25)

4 Star

(11)

3 Star

(10)

2 Star

(3)

1 Star

(9)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 41 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 14, 2011

    I miss Bill.

    I miss Bill.

    6 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 26, 2011

    If you have not read the book don't write a review

    Clearly if you don't like Bill Clintin, you won't want to read about what he has to say. I don' t think the negative reviewers would even buy the book with an open mind. The book has good ideas and workable solutions. It is well written and easy to understand. A good read.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted November 12, 2011

    Politics as usual

    A liberal talking about bowing to the government when a liberal is up for re-election. Geez, what a surprise...

    3 out of 47 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 8, 2011

    Excellent

    As usual President Clinton is on the mark. He was an excellent president and continues to understand the US politics. Mr. Clinton writes likes he speak, clear and informative. As I read the book I kept on saying over and over again, yes, yes, yes to his thoughts and ideas. The man still has it and will always have it.
    all of America should be reading this book. Especially the Tea Party who don't have a clue.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 11, 2011

    Test

    Test

    2 out of 27 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 7, 2012

    Good, not great

    He's definitely brings up some good ideas- specifically cost-effective on increasing energy efficiency- but unfortunately he does not acknowledge some obvious counterarguments several points he makes. Much of the first half of the book is Mr. Clinton patting himself on the back and he regularly oversimplifies conservative alternative to his point of view. With that said, he is an intelligent man and offers some strong ideas on what the role of the government should be in relation to the economy.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 8, 2012

    Great ideas but

    A quick read. More for strategic direction than precise policy design

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 14, 2012

    Nothing new

    Regurgitation of today's political propaganda. I expected something more creative from the president that actually balanced the budget and knew the value of compromise.

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 5, 2012

    Trash

    Not worth a cent didn't deserve one star lies and exaggerations on every page

    0 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 27, 2011

    Best president

    Many great ideas. Too bad none of it will happen due to republican congress

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 10, 2011

    Recommended for community.

    a practical solution to our nation's unemployment problem.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 20, 2011

    Well he got my money

    And that is about all this book will do for the economy. The man sure likes to hear himself talk.

    0 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

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    Posted November 13, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

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    Posted November 8, 2011

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