What’s New in the Library?
Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple
Complete with interviews of 17 former White House chiefs of staff dating back to President Richard Nixon, Whipple’s book, The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, takes an in-depth look at the power and responsibility that accompanies this position. Now regarded as an essential position in any presidential administration, the unelected chief of staff controls the flow of information to the commander in chief. They are tasked with coordinating the administration’s personnel, advising the president and briefing him with information, good or bad.
Whipple provides compelling evidence that the right chief of staff can save a president, shown in the slim margins of the election when Jimmy Carter narrowly beat Gerald Ford after the latter’s unpopular pardon of Nixon and botched Vietnam War. Conversely, an incompetent advisor, or complete lack of a chief of staff, can have disastrous consequences, shown in Carter’s failures when dealing with a gas shortage and the Iranian hostage crisis.
A long-time journalist and documentary filmmaker, Chris Whipple shows how much the United States’ leaders depend on their chiefs of staff, and what their personal choices reveal about their ability to govern. Written before Trump’s chief of staff was chosen, the book ends with the Obama administration, and blessedly avoids making judgements on the current presidency. It is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the virtues of a silent right-hand man, and where the true center of influence lies in a United States presidency.
The Givers: Wealth, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age by David Callahan
In a country where the 400 richest Americans have more wealth than the bottom 61 percent, David Callahan takes a critical look at the philanthropic culture of billionaires. The book focuses strictly on the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet and the Waltons, among others, who can ”donate where they want and how much they want with little accountability and as much anonymity as they’d like.”
Callahan takes issue with the positive reputation of these “super citizens,” especially when their charitable donations are ideologically driven. He makes a clear distinction between the Rockefeller and Carnegie philanthropists and the new breed of mega-donors who give with impunity and “actually struggle to give away their fortunes because the money multiplies faster than they can shovel it out the door.” This group of extremely rich people that keep out of the media spotlight conflicts with American democracy, Callahan argues. He contends that everyone should be worried about the incredible and invisible influence the top echelon of society wields.
Callahan also has the sound judgement to stay away from choosing a political side. He sticks to the true issues of new age philanthropy, mainly a lack of accountability and an excess of influence. He views donors of both major political parties with an equally critical eye. That being said, Callahan isn’t denouncing philanthropy in general, just the current loopholes and motivations of these elite members of society.