Back to Work

Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy

By: Bill Clinton

Narrated by: Bill Clinton

Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

President Bill Clinton gives us his views on the challenges facing the United States today and why government matters - presenting his ideas on restoring economic growth, energy, job creation, resolving the mortgage crisis, and financial responsibility, and offering a plan to get us "back in the future business". He explains how we got into an economic crisis, and lays down a plan for long-term prosperity. He also offers specific recommendations on how we can put people back to work, increase bank lending and corporate investment, double our exports, restore our manufacturing base, and create new businesses. He supports President Obama's emphasis on green technology, saying that changing the way we produce and consume energy is the strategy most likely to spark a fast-growing economy while enhancing our national security.

Clinton also stresses that we need a strong private sector and a smart government working together to restore prosperity and progress, demonstrating that whenever we've given in to the temptation to blame government for all of our problems, we've lost our ability to produce sustained economic growth and shared prosperity. He believes our ability to compete in the 21st 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 simply no evidence that we can succeed in the 21st century with an anti-government strategy", writes Clinton, based on "a philosophy grounded in 'you're on your own' rather than 'we're all in this together.'" He believes that conflict between government and the private sector has proved to be good politics but has produced bad policies, giving us a weak economy with not enough jobs, growing income inequality and poverty, and a decline in our competitive position. In the real world, cooperation works much better than conflict, and "Americans need victories in real life."

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2011 Bill Clinton (P)2011 Random House

What a waste!

What would have made Back to Work better?

Probably couldn't. It is dripping with libralism as I suppose the author would have it.

What was most disappointing about Bill Clinton’s story?

I was hoping for some engaging antecdotes of President Clinton's career. Instead, I got a dose of libralism; not with a spoon but, with a shovel.

What about Bill Clinton’s performance did you like?

I think he is well spoken and has a great voice delivery.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Back to Work?

I suppose from page one to the last page.

Any additional comments?

This is one of the very few dissapointments that I have had listening to a book. It is also one of the few that I just could not listen to in it's entirety.

Hoping for new ideas not old rhetoric

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Nothing new, recapping what he did during his presidency and what should be done based Democrats philosophies. The book was also too one sided, but what do you expect with an election coming up.

Sadly this is an excuse for services rendered

I’m not a US citizen, so I’m not republican, nor am I a Democrat. But still, this book smells like a cover for things not done or accomplished.