Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics

I have been active in politics for many years and I had already decided to support Joe Biden for President because of his record and his honesty. I read this book because the reviews on this site were so refreshing. I'm a fairly demanding reader, but this autobiography did not disappoint. Biden is honest, warm, enthusiastic, and committed. All this comes through in the book. It is as if you were meeting him in person. I couldn't put the book down: this man has so much experience in foreign affairs, in judicial policy, in constitutional law, as well as in personal loss and tribulation. He has come through it all and still approaches serving the public with the same enthusiasm and dedication he had 34 years ago. He is still the committed family man he has always been. Biden was offered the Secretary of State job three years ago, had the Democrats won. Today he would not accept that position, though pundits and several reviewers here suggest he should be Secretary of State. Biden almost always asks his audiences: Would you want anyone to be President who isn't qualified to be Secretary of State? I know my answer --- and that makes Biden my Number One Choice for President and everyone else a distant second. I hope he makes it through Iowa and New Hampshire so I can actually cast my vote for him. He is a great Senator and he would be a great President. If you read this book you will learn a lot about politics, statecraft and how one gentleman played by the rules and accomplished a great deal for this country and the world. My only faulting of the book is that it doesn't have an index; I found I really needed one to go back and find stories I wanted to relate to other people.

I really enjoyed learning that there is much more to Joe Biden than his contagious smile. For years I've been aware of his persona, but this very readable autobiography reveals his depth of thinking, textured personal history, and approachability as a human being. There is no outsized ego at work, though the timing of publication corresponds rather nicely with Biden's bid for the presidency.

Senator Biden is well known as a bipartisan statesman and an expert on foreign affairs and crime, but his memoirs reveal him as much more than that. He has a clear set of values and princples, knows what they are, and follows them in all he does. Biden is a devout Catholic who often remembers the advice of his parents; nothing is more important to him than family. He fights for the underdog, believes in courtesy and decency in politics, and considers writing the Violence Against Women Act and helping to end genocide in the Balkans his finest accomplishments. This book chronicles those values and achivements, along with his path from childhood to city councilman to tragic widower to '88 presidential candidate to his mistake of voting for the war in Iraq. Also some great nuggets about other Senators, including Mansfield, Harriman, and Kennedy. A compelling read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I just finished this book, which is remarkable for Joe's vivid account of what its like to be a young man learning to be a part of the Senate (I always wondered what it would be like for me, though Joe's family tragedy made it an especially tough start in the Senate for him). I was most touched by the way Joe found, though a fighter for Civl Rights, to be considerate and courteous to his opponent Senator Stennis of Missisippi and how, when Senator Stennis retired, he told Joe that his own heart was freed when Civil Rights legislation passed despite his opposition.

The book is also remarkable for Joe's raw honesty about his past mistakes.

I did not know about Joe's critical advocacy for America's standing up to the war criminal Milosovich and his genocide by advocating a bombing campaign in the Balkans, or about his important assessment on the ground of urgent problems of needed reconstruction in Afghanistan (My wife and I lived in Jalalabad, Afghanistan for a year during the reign of Zahir Shah and know first hand that Joe's perceptions and instincts on the situation there were right on).

A balanced book about a man of impressive insticts and commitment.

A bit dry but I enjoyed the entertaining personal takes on several presidents and administrations. A great historical account of Senator Biden's experiences and dedication.