A few weeks ago, there was some hubbub when the President suggested that, if Andrew Jackson had been president later, the Civil War somehow could have been averted. He clearly had little idea, let alone any serious interest, in what he was talking about.
His performance, like many since January, was not fitting for the high office he holds. So, as an educator, I would like to suggest a short reading list that may help him become better at his job.
First: Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Big takeaways here are how Lincoln managed the crushing responsibilities of not only conducting the Civil War but also managing a cabinet of men who believed they were both his intellectual and political superiors. Thick skin is a virtue.
Second: American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, by Jon Meacham. This is where the real Andrew Jackson stands up, not the myth, and much is to be learned about letting personal hatreds govern policy decisions.
Third: Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition, by John Warriner: The skill in constructing an intelligible, logical sentence cannot be overstated.
Fourth: How to Build a Better Vocabulary, by Maxwell Nurnberg. Consistently and only using “sad,” “bad” and “very” are not effective rhetorical devices when discussing complex ideas.
Fifth: Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson. A big lesson on why not to foul the nest we live in with short-sighted policies.
And lastly: All Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum. Some simple rules for civilized behavior: Don’t call people names, don’t mock them, don’t disrespect them, even if their positions are different from your own.
I’m Andrew Nelson, and that’s my perspective.
