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Promises to Keep: on life and politics by…
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Promises to Keep: on life and politics (edition 2021)

by Joe Biden (Author)

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2791095,252 (3.8)5
Biography & Autobiography. Politics. Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • President Joe Biden, the author of Promise Me, Dad, tells the story of his extraordinary life and career prior to his emergence as Barack Obama’s beloved, influential vice president.
 
“I remain captivated by the possibilities of politics and public service. In fact, I believe that my chosen profession is a noble calling.”—Joe Biden 

Joe Biden has both witnessed and participated in a momentous epoch of American history. In Promises to Keep, Joe Biden reveals what these experiences taught him about himself, his colleagues, and the institutions of government.

With his customary candor and wit, Biden movingly recounts growing up in a staunchly Catholic multigenerational household in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware; overcoming personal tragedy, life-threatening illness, and career setbacks; his relationships with presidents, with world leaders, and with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle; and his leadership of powerful Senate committees.

Through these and other recollections, Biden shows us how the guiding principles he learned early in life—to work to make people’s lives better; to honor family and faith; to value persistence, candor, and honesty—are the foundation on which he has based his life’s work as husband, father, and public servant.

Promises to Keep is an intimate series of reflections from a public servant who surmounted numerous challenges to become one of our most effective leaders and who refuses to be cynical about politics. It is also a stirring testament to the promise of the United States.

Praise for Promises to Keep

“A ripping good read . . . Biden is a master storyteller and has stories worth telling.”The Christian Science Monitor

“A compelling personal story.”The New York Times

“Moving . . . [Biden’s] response to tragedy and near death [is] both admirable and likable.”—Salon.
… (more)
Member:haydin
Title:Promises to Keep: on life and politics
Authors:Joe Biden (Author)
Info:Scribe UK (2021), Edition: 01, 400 pages
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Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics by Joe Biden

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» See also 5 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
My teenaged daughter raved about this book, the autobiography of former Vice President Joe Biden up to the point of his 2008 run for the presidency. She urged me to read it and I'm happy I did. Politically, I line up pretty well with Mr. Biden, so I didn't find a great deal to argue with in that area. And Biden tells his affecting and often moving life story with grace, self-deprecation, and, at times, courage. The tragedies and triumphs of his life are quite engaging stories, but I found most fascinating the details of his work on the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, the Balkan conflict of the 1990s, and his conflict with the Bush White House on the Iraq war. It's a fascinating story from any perspective. ( )
  jumblejim | Aug 26, 2023 |
Its traditional for political figures to release autobiographies in the run-up to or post-elections to humanize their campaigns while also presenting a more personalized view of themselves to the world. On par with the latter, Biden provides an intriguing self-portrait of himself which is (for a political memoir at least) surprisingly shorn of any political commentary. The impression one receives is that either politics is only one manifestation of his personality in his eyes, or either he has carefully cultivated his image in this book to provide a more balanced account of himself.

Overall, 'Promises To Keep' focuses more on Life and less on Politics which by some degree is fine as Biden is an oxymoron in the fact that he is well-known as a politician but less familiar as an individual. But while his narrative is comprehensive and economical, it is somewhat of a bore and fails to provide any crucial insights into the events which altered his life. The only riveting part is his opposition to the appointment of Judge Bork to the Supreme Court.

This book neither detracts from Biden nor gives to him. It is a quasi-memoir of little substance where politics is concerned. However, it does establish a precedent for politicians in providing a more humane image of themselves to the world. Will it hold? Only time will tell. ( )
  Amarj33t_5ingh | Jul 8, 2022 |
I love policy, but this was a bit much, even for me. So, as a public service, here's the bottom line takeaway from Promises to Keep: Joe Biden is a good man and a good public servant. ( )
  joyblue | Sep 13, 2020 |
I read this in the hopes of learning more about the candidate in his own words. It actually made me like him less. He comes across as very privileged and frequently condescending. His personal tragedies are horrible, but his political career was built through steam room introductions and private lunches. He tries to make it sound like he worked so hard to get himself where he is, but at the same time jokes about people saying he wasn’t a hard worker and he just knew how to charm people. He also spends a ton of time justifying past behavior, like a plagiarism scandal that ruined his presidential campaign in the ‘80s, and sounds so defensive. It left me feeling cold. ( )
  bookworm12 | Jun 27, 2020 |
An autobiography about Joe's life including the tragic loss of his first wife and daughter, her lucky treatment of a brain aneurysm and his marriage to Jill. A very hopeful man who seems to have his heart in the right place when it comes to the citizens of the United States. The book ends before his bid for the presidency in 2008. He is now our Vice President. ( )
  camplakejewel | Sep 21, 2017 |
Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
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Joe Bidenprimary authorall editionscalculated
Deakins, MarkNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
~Robert Frost
Dedication
For Mom and Dad, who kept their promises
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Wikipedia in English (1)

Biography & Autobiography. Politics. Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • President Joe Biden, the author of Promise Me, Dad, tells the story of his extraordinary life and career prior to his emergence as Barack Obama’s beloved, influential vice president.
 
“I remain captivated by the possibilities of politics and public service. In fact, I believe that my chosen profession is a noble calling.”—Joe Biden 

Joe Biden has both witnessed and participated in a momentous epoch of American history. In Promises to Keep, Joe Biden reveals what these experiences taught him about himself, his colleagues, and the institutions of government.

With his customary candor and wit, Biden movingly recounts growing up in a staunchly Catholic multigenerational household in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware; overcoming personal tragedy, life-threatening illness, and career setbacks; his relationships with presidents, with world leaders, and with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle; and his leadership of powerful Senate committees.

Through these and other recollections, Biden shows us how the guiding principles he learned early in life—to work to make people’s lives better; to honor family and faith; to value persistence, candor, and honesty—are the foundation on which he has based his life’s work as husband, father, and public servant.

Promises to Keep is an intimate series of reflections from a public servant who surmounted numerous challenges to become one of our most effective leaders and who refuses to be cynical about politics. It is also a stirring testament to the promise of the United States.

Praise for Promises to Keep

“A ripping good read . . . Biden is a master storyteller and has stories worth telling.”The Christian Science Monitor

“A compelling personal story.”The New York Times

“Moving . . . [Biden’s] response to tragedy and near death [is] both admirable and likable.”—Salon.

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