Think Big: My Life in Politics

An interesting perspective on Canadian politics in the latter part of the twentieth century. Preston Manning's bitingly honest take on Canadian politics, the Reform Party, his own leadership and the lack thereof in the Liberal Party provide food for thought. And I'm still chewing. It will make you think, make you reexamine what you thought you knew. It is not what I expected - a rant against the Liberals - but rather is an insightful and thought provoking treatsie on Canadian politics, our responsibilities to democracy and his own experiences. It's fresh and disarming. I highly recommend it to even the staunchest Liberal.

Preston Manning was one of Canada's most important politicians is the late twentieth century. The movement he started emphasizing admirable ideals such as direct democracy and greatly improved ethics legislation was necessary for Canada at a time when cronyism, political patronage and constant conflicts of interest were the order of the day. Also, he pushed for more fiscal accountability after the Mulroney\Trudeau era of careless government spending. Moreover, Manning represented the interests of Western Canada, which was feeling increasingly alienated under the contemptible watch of Pierre Trudeau and later on Brian Mulroney.All of his admirable initiatives are chronicled in his intriguing autobiography. He discusses what his initiatives were and what brought them about. He also tries to justify his controversial votes in the House of Commons, like when he voted against hate-crime legislation. I really enjoyed reading a book that discussed the life of a man who so greatly changed the Canadian political landscape. I hope you read this book and enjoy it!All of his admirable initiatives are chronicled in his intruiging autobigraphy.

Preston Manning writes an open, honest, and mostly unguarded retrospective and prospective look at his political life and Canada's political landscape. I read "The New Canada" many years ago, and it was an obvious vehicle for the Reform Party's advancement, whose purpose seemed to be dispelling rumours and giving people a more honest look at Prairie Populism and gives a brief autobiography. This tome, however, is written by a man without ambitions for votes, or realizing that what he writes could hold himself responsible for the political futures of hundreds of candidates, staff, etc.I think when he got his haircut in '97, he trimmed the geekiness too, although he maintains that he was never a geek. (He actually says, "geek". Priceless.) He refers to Ron Jeremy as a burned out NHL hockey star who agreed with every point he made on "Off the Record". (I watched that OTR performance. You could just see Manning's uneasiness sitting beside him, although he was very gracious. Even shook his hand. Yekh.) He had a suggested conference for Liberal ethics, in which lunchtime entertainment would be "Jean Chretien sing[ing] an ethical rendition of "I Did it My Way" with Bill Clinton accompaning on saxophone." (Earlier in the conference, Bill Clinton was a guest ethical lecturer with a special seminar for parliamentary interns.)I appreciate his unguardedness, as he is even quite blunt in describing Stephen Harper. He tears what's left of Stockwell Day apart, blasting him for using his Christianity as a weapon against non-evangelicals. I thought he also developed a good theology of Christian political action in this book. In the past, he would used extended Arminian analogies about Jesus not forcing his will upon anyone, and the cleansing of the Temple narratives as examples of Christian intermingling with politics, etc. In this book he is more detailed and builds more of a solid case of proper Christian political activism, based on Christians influencing politics as salt and light on an individual basis as opposed to organized corporate bases. He challenges Christians to act out their faith seriously, but not to allow the churches to be dragged down to the level of political action groups, or political parties become tools of churches. I would actually like to have him write a strictly theological work developing a theology of holiness, that is, how we are to be not of this world, but separate from it for the purpose of calling the world to reconciliation to God through Christ. I think he could do much damage to the idea that we are Christians in church on Sunday, but our Christianity should get left at the door when we leave. He could also do much damage to bumper-sticker Christianity, and call for a deeper and more genuine life. (He's CM & A, I'm sure he's read Tozer.)Anyhow, I read this book in one sitting. It's more honest, and thus engaging work than the New Canada. I would recommend it as a book to friend or foe of Preston Manning