Book Review: The Faith of Ronald Reagan

The Faith of Ronald Reagan by Mary Beth Brown

ISBN: 978-1-5955-5353-9

Retail: $15.99 (buy at Amazon for $11.51)

256 pages

Paperback

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Not everyone will be happy with a President. The President may have a high approval rate at the beginning of their term but have it fall very low by the end of their term. There are good and bad traits in all Presidents. None are perfect.

This book isn't necessarily about the Presidency of Ronald Reagan. It does have a lot of reference to the time when he was President, however, and that is because that was a large part of Ronald Reagan's life. This book is about the man that Ronald Reagan was before he was President, when he was President and afterward. This book takes readers on a different path to understanding Ronald Reagan. Mary Beth Brown strives to show readers the spiritual side of Ronald Reagan; his faith.

The book isn't difficult reading but it does jump around- a lot. If one is not aware of certain aspects of the former President's life, then some parts may not make a lot of sense. Brown doesn't detail them out for those who do not know. I think the book was written for those who know something about Ronald Reagan to start with. For those who are unsure of the man in general, this book will give some information about what he did in his life- but not a lot.

What I enjoyed about the book is the perspective. It doesn't take political sides. Brown is attempting to portray Reagan's faith and how it molded his entire life; his choices, his career, his marriages.  I really appreciated the first hand knowledge and writings we are presented with such as Reagan's own words as well as friends and family members of Reagan. It helps to see Reagan more than just a political, untouchable figure.

Growing up I was taught (and believed) that Reagan was the "Teflon President". It seemed that no matter what policies or actions he enacted/committef while in office never managed to come back to him- when it was a negative outcome, the opposite is true when it was positive. For instance, the Berlin Wall incident will forever be connected positively with Reagan but what about the poverty level and the policies that were enacted under Reagan? Not so much. (Well, of course, if one is predisposed to disliking Reagan in the first place, this might be something they think of first).

Overall, the book was okay. As mentioned, I didn't like the setup of the book but I did like the subject matter. I feel that it helped me learn a bit more about Ronald Reagan; more than simply the secular view. However, the 'feel' of the book, I didn't like. All that was bad or wrong in Reagan's life was fairly sugar-coated by Brown; as if she couldn't or wouldn't allow herself to think anything but good about Reagan. It would be nice if there were nothing bad to say about anyone but that isn't the case and I feel that it makes this book seem almost like a fairy tale, not a real biography.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”