Taking Heat

The President, The Press, and My Years in the White House

De: Ari Fleischer

Narrado por: Ari Fleischer

For two and a half years, Ari Fleischer served as the official liaison between the White House and members of the press, acting as the voice of President George W. Bush.

In Taking Heat, Fleischer goes behind the scenes in the West Wing, giving his perspectives on:

• September 11, 2001, its aftermath, and the anthrax scare
• The pressure-filled buildup to the war in Iraq and the President's thoughts as the war began
• The White House press corps, who they are, and how they report the news

Fleischer believes that the press has a bias in Washington. It's not a question of partisanship or press driven ideology. It's a focus on conflict they can attach to the President. The White House press corps are masters of the devil's advocate. Fleischer's job was to calmly field their questions, no matter how pointed. He calls the press a tough, sharp, skeptical group. They call him tight-lipped and secretive. But at the end of the day, they had a bond.

Taking Heat is an introspective and analytical exploration of the major political events in the first half of the Bush administration, as well as the candid observations of a professional who stood in the bright lights of the world stage.

©2005 Ari Fleischer (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Too much, too little.

I would have preferred less philosophy and more insights and details related to President Bush's key advisors. President Bush couldn't have been the front-guy without them.

Ice Cold

I know that my politics differ from Fleicher but I thought I would enjoy the close up view of the President in action. Most of the book was complaining about bias of the press. It was not worth the listen!

I liked it BUT

I have always, and still respected & admired Ari, having said that I found this book a bit self serving. I was most disappointed by the fact that the book spoke in a sophomoric political tone. People who want to hear his story have a greater political mind then he addrssed. The content was fine but the delivery was a bit of a insult. I don't regret buying it at all....Best of Luck Ari...

An awful book

This book is a complete waste of time and money.

One of the best press secretaries ever!!

I so appreciate that Ari Fleischer wrote this book. I read all of the presidential and staff autobiographies that I can, and I loved this inside look at the world of The White House.