Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Politics and Presidents are touchy subjects, never more so then they currently are. So while I don't want to cross the line into the contentious, I have to be perfectly honest and say I never would have expected myself purchasing one of President Bush's books. But I watched an interview with him from Jimmy Kimmel's show while he was promoting this book, and when he mentioned that all the proceeds to to supporting causes for veterans, I said “I'm in”. Because I think supporting our vets and our troops is something that needs to cross party lines. In this book, former President Bush gives a brief narrative for why he took up painting and why he chose to focus so many on veterans in particular. The main body of the book contains the paintings and then brief vignettes about the individuals in each painting. He closes the book with some ideas that everyone can do to educate themselves about challenges veterans face when they come home and ways the we can stand by them as they navigate those challenges. I bought the kindle book, and it was super well linked. Each individual service member has their own link to their section. Reading the way President Bush writes about these service men actually gave me a new and expanded perspective on him, it is very evident in the way he writes that he does care about their causes and is touched by them personally and as individuals. He mentions in the book that he's a novice, and he's not sure how people will receive his works. I read a piece a couple years back by some artists and critics who weren't very flattering in their assessments, so I imagine he's already been exposed to some of that. Look, it's hard to put yourself out there with artwork, it's so subjective and based on personal tastes and preferences. What one person loves another loathes. I took a drawing class in college and got a B on a project...the professor's only reason was she hated my subject matter, thought it wasn't mature enough, the thrust of her criticism was not about my technique. That's how the world of art goes. Highly opinionated. I think it's true that President Bush's former occupation has given him a platform for public success in his artistic endeavors that many artists don't have, so he has not had to rely strictly on how appealing his works are to others. And yet, while the style he uses isn't my personal favorite, I do think his portraits convey emotion and give a sense of the personalities of the individuals he's painting, and in my mind, that's what makes a work successful...if it can evoke or convey emotion and expression. So overall, I think this is a well done, well written book that promotes a good cause and I find it to be an interesting and worthwhile read.