Book description
"We are not the sum of our possessions. They are not the measures
of our lives. In our hearts, we know what matters. We cannot hope only
to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. We must hope
to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend; a loving
parent; a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood, and town better
than he found it."
-- from President George H. W. Bush's Inaugural Address, January 21,
1989
A charming collection of excerpts from the former president's
speeches and other writings, Heartbeat reveals the basic ideals
and beliefs that have served George H. W. Bush throughout his public
and private life. He speaks often of what he calls
"heartbeat." It is a simple word -- a code word -- referring
to personal bedrock values concerning service, duty, honor, friends,
faith, and particularly family.
As the Bushes prove themselves to be one of the most important
political families in U. S. history, this warm and revealing look into
the former president's guiding principles could not come at a more
important time. Culled from Mr. Bush's speeches over the course of his
presidency and beyond, Heartbeat discloses a surprising
personal side to the forty-first president -- a warm, witty, and
expressive man.
In chapters such as "1989: A New Breeze" and
"1993-2001: Did It with Honor," the book features
entertaining, eloquent, and emotional excerpts from the former
president's words...
"Sure we must change, but some values are timeless. I believe
in families that stick together, and fathers who stick around. I
happen to believe very deeply in the worth of each individual human
being, born or unborn. I believe in teaching our kids the difference
between what's wrong and what's right, teaching them respect for hard
work and to love their neighbors. I believe that America will always
have a special place in God's heart, as long as He has a special place
in ours...."
"Being president does have its advantages. And this is true: I
have a TV set there in the White House with five screens, one big one
in the middle, four small ones around it. Now I don't have to miss the
nightly news when I watch Wheel of Fortune."
In this single, remarkable collection, Mr. Bush's speeches,
interviews, and other statements paint a poig-nant portrait not just
of the former president but of a man and a family.
Jim McGrath studied journalism and government at the
University of Maryland before joining the White House as a writer and
editor in 1991. He is a partner at CEO Communications and lives in
Houston, Texas.
