Truman was one of our most interesting and, I believe, courageous presidents. He faced some very tough decisions (well, I guess all presidents do) but he was decisive and made his decisions from the perspective of the folks that looked up to him for leadership and not for political gain. McCullough's research was, as always, extensive and thorough. His review of Truman's life, from his days on the farm in Independence, Missouri through his days in the White House and after brought to light many interesting facts that I was not aware of and did a tremendous job of placing the important events in Truman's life in perspective to the larger world surrounding his life. This was not only an enjoyable book but an excellent reference source.
This was a bit different than many of the Robin Cook books I've read. While the supposed subject matter of the book was an illness suffered by Jack and Laurie Stapleton's newborn son, JJ, the book seemed to really be about a non-medical subject: A partial history of Christianity. While the plot was somewhat interesting, the basis of the novel was not something Cook's readers would normally search out. I'm not sure why he wrote it other than the fact that he was interested in the subject matter (which, of course, is OK).
 (Dover Giant Thrift Editions) - John Henry Newman)
