Promises to Keep
On Life and Politics
Media:
Hardcover Book, 365 pages
List Price:
$25.95
You Save:
$21.97
(84.66 %)
 |
Marketplace books are used or new books sold and shipped by independent booksellers. They may take longer to arrive than books shipped directly from Better World Books. Eco-Shipping is free in the USA, and $7.97 worldwide. Marketplace copies of a book do not qualify for our "bargain bin" pricing.
Learn more.
|
| Price |
Condition |
Purchase |
| $5.98 |
Used Good (1 Copy). Good Book shows minor use. Cover and Binding have minimal wear and the pages have only minimal creases. A tradition of southern quality and service. All books guaranteed at the Atlanta Book Company.
Ships from Atlanta Book Company, GA, USA
|
|
|
|
| $6.97 |
Used Like New (1 Copy). Fine NEW, has remainder mark.
Ships from Bookbox, pa, USA
|
|
|
|
| $7.74 |
Used Good (18 Copies). Good 1400065364 Recycled library edition, formerly protected with Mylar cover. Newer book quality at a used book price.
Ships from Tartan Books, PA, USA
|
|
|
|
| $14.10 |
New (2 Copies). New 1400065364 *NEW* BARGAIN Hardcover with DJ. Fresh from the distributor with No price tags. May have remainder mark on edge.
Ships from Solomon's Mine Books, PA, USA
|
|
|
|
| $23.73 |
New (2 Copies). Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. -Great Buy! -100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Ships from BargainBookStores, MI, USA
|
|
|
|
| $27.34 |
New (3 Copies). New. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 365 p. Contains: Illustrations.
Ships from Alibris, NV, USA
|
|
|
|
| $28.97 |
New (7 Copies). NEW Hardcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9781400065363.
Ships from MediaCompass LLC, GA, USA
|
|
|
|
| $35.59 |
New (10 Copies). BRAND NEW FROM THE SAINT BOOKSTORE.
Ships from The Saint Bookstore, MERSEYSIDE, GBR
|
|
|
|
| $36.99 |
Used Like New (1 Copy). As New in As New jacket 4to-over 9¾"-12" tall. This is the autobiography of Joe Biden, U.S. Senator since 1973 and now Democratic candidate for the vice presidency. A fascinating look at recent history by one of its makers. 365 pp.
Ships from G.T. Morse, Bookseller, KY, USA
|
|
|
|
| $57.87 |
Used Like New (1 Copy). Like New 2007 hardcover with dj, STATED 1ST EDITION, 1ST PRINTING WITH FULL NUMBER LINE, no marks noted in or on book, All of our products are cleaned with an disinfectant for your protection before shipping.
Ships from books4u31, NC, USA
|
|
|
|
Product Description
“Nearly forty years after I first got involved, I remain captivated by the possibilities of politics and public service. In fact, I believe that my chosen profession is a noble calling. That’s why I wanted to be a part of it.”
–Joe Biden
As a United States senator from Delaware since 1973, Joe Biden has been an intimate witness to the major events of the past four decades and a relentless actor in trying to shape recent American history. He has seen up close the tragic mistake of the Vietnam War, the Watergate and Iran-contra scandals, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, a presidential impeachment, a presidential resignation, and a presidential election decided by the Supreme Court. He’s observed Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and two Bushes wrestling with the presidency; he’s traveled to war zones in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and seen firsthand the devastation of genocide. He played a vital role by standing up to Ronald Reagan’s effort to seat Judge Robert Bork on the Supreme Court, fighting for legislation that protects women against domestic violence, and galvanizing America’s response (and the world’s) to Slobodan Milosevic’s genocidal march in the Balkans. In Promises to Keep, Biden reveals what these experiences taught him about himself, his colleagues, and the institutions of government.
With his customary candor, Biden movingly recounts growing up in a staunchly Catholic multigenerational household in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware; overcoming a demoralizing stutter; marriage, fatherhood, and the tragic death of his wife Neilia and infant daughter Naomi; remarriage and re-forming a family with his second wife, Jill; success and failure in the Senate and on the campaign trail; two life-threatening aneurysms; his relations with fellow lawmakers on both sides of the aisle; and his leadership of powerful Senate committees.
Through these and other recollections, Biden shows us how the guiding principles he learned early in life–the obligation to work to make people’s lives better, to honor family and faith, to get up and do the right thing no matter how hard you’ve been knocked down, to be honest and straightforward, and, above all, to keep your promises–are the foundations on which he has based his life’s work as husband, father, and public servant.
Promises to Keep is the story of a man who faced down personal challenges and tragedy to become one of our most effective leaders. It is also an intimate series of reflections from a public servant who refuses to be cynical about political leadership, and a testament to the promise of the United States.
Product Details
- Subtitle: On Life and Politics
- Media: Hardcover Book, 365 pages
- Publisher: Random House (July 31, 2007)
- ISBN-10: 1400065364
- ISBN-13: 9781400065363
- Dimensions: 6.8 x 9.7 x 1.4 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.4 lbs
- Note: Some of this information came from Amazon.com
You're Getting a Fair Price on the Books You Want
Some customers tell us we're the best bookstore on the Web, but we're not the only
one. We show you other bookstores' prices so you know you're getting a fair price.
Amazon sells this book for $21.12 including shipping. Usually ships in 24 hours.
Customers who bought this item also bought
$3.98 used, $12.98 new
Michelle
Liza Mundy She can be funny and sharp-tongued, warm and blunt, empathic and deman...
|
$5.98 used, $8.48 new
|
$6.98 used, $12.98 new
Dreams from My Father
Barack Obama In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a bl...
|
Customer Reviews
-
What a read! Aug 1, 2007 (64 of 69 found this helpful)
What a read. I'm only half way through the book but I feel like I've gotten one of the best (at least that I have read) eye wittness accounts to the most significant events of the past 35 years. Travelling with Avril Harriman at 36 years old for a tete a tete with Tito! Debating the power of the Soviet Union with Kissinger. The touching personal stories of how Mike Mansfield and Hubert Humphrey and others took the 30 year old widow under their wings in his first days in the Senate. Its a remarkable story if you have even the slightest interest in politics and world affairs. I knew a lot about Biden before this book, but there is something almost Forrest Gumpian about his life. And I mean that in a positive way. He has lived- and almost died- through seven Presidents and gives us his unvarnished, typical Biden-esque, take on them all. Some of the most chilling parts of the book however are his assesment of this administration. Coming from someone who has been a senator for 35 years it holds some great weight with me. But bottom line is that PTK is one of the best political biographies I have ever read. Don't expect some typical Presidential campaign policy book- "why my health plan is the best"- this is a true memoir no holds barred take on our past present and future.
-
Joe Biden--An Outstanding Public Servant Aug 27, 2007 (27 of 32 found this helpful)
Senator Joe Biden of Delaware has led a very interesting life. Dealing with a speech problem as a child he vividly remembers those who helped him with the problem in school and eventually overcoming the problem by facing up to it by handling his publiic speaking requirements like other students. Tragedy lurked shortly after his election to the Senate in 1972 with the death of his wife Neila and young daughter. Remarriage and interacting with his Senate colleagues on the issues confronting America brought renewed interest into his life. President Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court and Biden's efforts to get the nomination blocked is covered in detail. Biden suffered from headaches that were so bad they nauseated him and turned out to be two brain aneurysms that were to prove life threatening. One of Biden's big issues were the genocide taking place in the former Yugoslavia with Slobodan Milosevic meeting with Biden and trying to pull the wool over his eyes by claiming he was not at fault for the suffering taking place. Biden refused to be moved by Milosevic's entreaties. The other big issue Biden wanted to deal with was what he referred to as America's "dirty little secret," the violence against women where American males believed it was okay for a husband to hit his wife. The last part of the book deals with Biden's frustration with President George Bush's inability to work with people who disagree with him and the path America has taken in the last seven years. This is a frustration shared by millions of others in this country who see the future of America threatened for future generations. It remains to be seen what price America will pay for the blunders of the present administration. Whatever part Senator Joe Biden plays in the next administration he will be an asset in helping to redirect America's future.
-
Outstanding! Aug 1, 2007 (20 of 23 found this helpful)
I have to admit I am a huge Joe Biden fan- so you can take that into consideration in reading this review. Nevertheless, I can't tell you how amazed I am by this book. I am a fan but no sycophant. I was expecting a mildly interesting tome- a washington "index page read.". You know the book- you buy it just to flip through the index and see if there's any names you recognize and want to read about. Well this is not that book. This actually grabs you from page one- even before page one- the prologue alone is worth the price of admission. If you read Richard Ben Cramer's "What It Takes" and liked it, you will love this book too. You don't even have to be a Joe Biden fan to enjoy this book- the story of his life so far and the stories that make the man are truly worthy of your time.
-
DELA-WHERE? Sep 5, 2007 (11 of 12 found this helpful)
My sister got me a signed copy of this book at Biden's recent book signing in Rehoboth Beach. I worked on Biden's '78 Senate race, while I was a sophomore at the University of Delaware. And yes, I am a proud NATIVE DELAWAREAN (not many people can say that!), also raised, like Joe, in New Castle County, of working class parents who believed in Joe's same "Get Up" and just do it code. Yes, the book is full of stuff from an Andy Hardy movie; yes, it's feel-good and all-American, with the faint wafting of the stars and stripes in the background, just as in the cover photo. But this is how Joe Biden really is! I worked with him and his sister Val pretty closely in the early senate campaigns, and since then I've known Tommy Vallely and some others close to Joe. And he is really like this! Passionate, committed, slightly arrogant and full of himself, "toothsome", mighty attractive, and focused. If he were from California or Texas he'd have a shot at the Presidency, even with the Kinnock slip-up. As he's from a tiny state, his chances are already greatly reduced. Whatever happens in '08, Joe Biden still makes me proud to be a Delawarean.
-
Joe Biden: From Scranton to the Senate he tells the inspiring story of a feisty political insider Aug 23, 2007 (21 of 26 found this helpful)
Joe Biden was born in 1942 in Scranton Pa. His father was a car salesman and his mother a housewife. Biden comes from a large Roman Catholic family. His world was one of school athletics, church and talking
politics and girls with the guys. Joe graduated from the University of Deleware and Syracuse University's Law School. His grades were mediocre but he had a burning drive to succeed in politics.
Biden married early to a fine lady who was the daughter of a wealthy Repbulican. He became a member of the town council and in a surprising upset defeated a longterm incumbent Republican to became the youngest man in the United States Senate. Biden was only 29 in 1972 when he took his seat in the US Senate Chamber where he still serves with distinction.
Biden has had a difficult private life. His first wife Neilia and their young baby daughter Cora were killed in a horrific traffic accident soon after his election to the Senate. In 1988 Biden suffered from a serious brain aneuryism which almost cost him his life. A second marriage to wife Jill and the birth of a daughter kept Biden from the pit of suicidal despair. He has a strong faith in God and believes in the promise of America as a beacon of democracy and hope for the huddled masses throughout the world.
On the political scene he ran for the presidency in 1988 but had to withdraw from primaries due to the scandal of his plagarizing a speech made by British Labor Leader Neal Kinnock. He was accused of cheating on a law school exam (he was not cheating but the damage in the press had already been done!). Biden is now in a very uphill race to seize the nomination for the Democratic flagbearer in the 2008 race.
Biden has served as the powerful chairman of the Justice Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States Senate. Mr. Biden has won plaudits and suffered from thrown bricks for his advocacy for protection for women of rape/sex crimes and for his opposition to Reagan nominee the controversial Robert Bork to sit on the US Supreme Court. Biden and liberal forces kept Bork off the court.
Biden is a leading critic of George W. Bush's rush to war in Iraq. He has scathing remarks to make about the neocons led by Donald Rumsfeld, Vice-President Dick Cheney and policy wonks in the Defense Department.
Biden did good work in getting aid for the Bosnians in their war against the evil dictator Malosovich. His acumen in foreign policy led John Kerry to consider him for Secretary of State if he had been elected in the 2004 race against incumbent George W. Bush. Biden was a harsh critic of the Reagan Iran-Contra mess and is a brilliant Middle Eastern expert.
It was fascinating to hear Biden tell us his impressions of legends in the Senate such as John Stennis, Ted Kennedy, Ted Stevens and others. These powerful leaders are also human beings with all the problems "all flesh is heir to."
The book's second half deals more with policy issues than personalities but Biden has done a good job in this his first book. Anyone who is politically engaged would gain from a reading of Biden's memoir. What's ahead for the Senior Senator from Delaware? Only time and the voters of America will decide!