Locked in the Cabinet

In 1992 Robert B. Reich joined his friend Governor Bill Clinton's Presidential election campaign. Dr. Reich intended to explore a new territory -- a nation where Government subsidized the training of young and displaced workers for modern *better* jobs. Upon President Clinton's election Dr. Reich was appointed Secretary of Labor, a Cabinet post that Dr. Reich held until after President Clinton's successful re-election. "Locked In The Cabinet" chronicles Dr. Reich's workers' advocacy.Dr. Reich was an able Labor Secretary with tangible accomplishments (e.g., a minimum wage increase and enactment of the Family and Medical Leave Act). He supported NAFTA while *strongly* advocating Federal subsidies to train new and displaced United States' workers -- ***better jobs for all Americans***."Locked ..." chronicles idealism, hard work, personal sacrifice, salesmanship, compromise and frustration. Dr. Reich brought his workers' agenda to Washington at a time when the poor and middle class had lost employment and real income for two decades. During his four years as Labor Secretary, Dr. Reich increasingly saw his workers' agenda tabled as other, more powerful constituencies (e.g., Wall Street and the military) got priority. Dr. Reich did not achieve his workers' agenda -- his agenda remains tabled today.Dr. Reich is an *extremely* intelligent man and an able author. "Locked ..." is his story told with a sharp and depreciating wit. Dr. Reich's strong wit occasionally obscures his message: Continuity of Government is each Administration's goal and everybody must support the Administration, yet politics hinders 'team play' by dissecting, analyzing and criticizing *every utterance*. One day you are 'locked in'. If something happens the next day you are 'locked out'.I believe that after his resignation Dr. Reich wrote "Locked In The Cabinet" to place his experiences in perspective. I highly recommend this serious book both for its wit and also for its important message.

This facinating book, by a man who really cares, tells it just how it is to try to get meaningful things done in the whorehouse which is Washington, D.C. The book is written in a humorous, self-deprecating style, but at it's heart it is a cry for help.The book is more than easy reading, it is very hard to put down.Anyone who aspires to a politcal position should read this book, and then decide whether he/she will be able to stand the process.It is a primer for those who wish to understand the Washington sceene and how things are done (or not done.) His description of the confirmation process is pure tragi-comedy.Reich is a thinking man's liberal. He went to Washington with the hope that under Clinton some of the things he believed in could be accomplished. In the end he was largely frustrated.He is a man I would like to invite to dinner. I can't say that about many others who have worked in government.

I am a student of Robert Reich's at Brandeis Univeristy and have found him to be one of the most honest, kind, and insightful people I've met. Locked in the Cabinet is a well-crafted, honest, and humorous book by a brilliant man. I happen to hold Reich's views, but even students here at Brandeis who completely disagree with him still read his books and take his courses because they respect the intelligence behind his writing and teaching style, the candidness with which he sets his ideas forth, and the respect he shows for those who disagree with his ideas. (He's also very funny, frank, and charming--attributes which come accross in this and all of his works.)Reich talks about the world as it is, and isn't afraid to say how he thinks it should be.

I had to read Mr. Reich's book for my college Politics class. From the moment I picked it up I knew it was interesting and humorous. His inside tales of the political system are astonishing. He truly makes the Government feel so close, yet so far away from us. Although some may not like his ideas about how to govern, everyone that reads this will agree that his point of view is strongly stated and supported by numorous facts and real-life situations. Of the eight political science books I had to read for my class, this one was truly my favorite. Best of all it's an easy read.

This is one of the finest personal accounts of the daily struggles of being a Washington insider. Mr. Reich is equally critical of himself and those around him and tells a compelling story of the divergence of classes in society and his efforts to actualize change in a self-interested Washington. While I do not agree with many of Mr. Reich's economic theories, he does have a seemingly endless passion for ideas and argues from the heart. The book is a brilliant commentary on how the powerful stay powerful in Washington, while demonstrating who really influences the direction of the White House. This is a thoughtful read even for those not interested in politics and really is a page-turner, despite being a memoir of one man's four year stint in Washington.