How to Be President: What to Do and Where to Go Once You're in Office

This is a perfect behind the scenes book for that child who wants to know more about the office of the Presidency

Presented in a notebook like form that would suggest a book passed from president to president, this book is filled with interesting information that will urge young readers (and old) to read more about the White House and the presidency. Laid out in an accessible format, it gives an overview on a wide variety of topics related to the presidency from the point of view of helping a president-elect transition from regular citizen to their new job. Big questions about how the secret service works, the interior of Air Force One, and what all those vehicles in the presidential motorcade are for to little ones about who does your laundry fill this book. This book should be in every elementary school library and on every shelf of a kid who's had questions about what it's like to be President. It would make a great gift to a child who is heading to Washington D.C. on a field trip or family vacation.

Very funy and informative. Makes you get a real feel for the perks, and hassles, of being president. Makes a great 35th birthday present.

This is an interesting overview of the responsibilities and perks of being the president of the United States. I don't think it's something Sam Donaldson is going to wish he'd had when he was skulking around the White House. And if anyone actually elected chief executive needs a book like this to find his (obligatory: "or her") way around, well, we're in worse shape than I thought. But for a general audience, it's not a bad, or time-consuming, way to get a better picture of what being president actually entails.I'm not entirely clear on whether this book was explicitly written for a juvenile audience (the cataloguing info doesn't seem to indicate that), but it sort of reads that way. Some of the questions it addresses are childish (Do I have to make my own bed? Who walks my dog?) or else things the president probably need not concern himself (obligatory: "or herself") about, like how do I order a new desk chair, or do I get to keep the pens. Other sections, though, like the discussion of the president's daily schedule, the interaction with the Secret Service, and the layout and functions of various White House spaces, were pretty interesting. But does the Secret Service really refer to the "First Spouse," or "FS"?"How to be President" is a quick and easy read that many people may find entertaining and broadly illuminating. I would categorize it as best suited for young adults for whom "So You Want to Be President" by Judith St. George (2000) is a little too lightweight. Adults looking for something with more depth, but not heavily weighted by politics, might want to check out a title mentioned in this book's bibliography, "Real Life at the White House" by Claire and John Whitcomb (2002).

I would recommend this book for anyone entering public service, it is extremely informative.