Nixon

Almost finished with an interesting book: Leaders: Profiles and Reminiscences of Men Who Have Shaped the Modern World, by Richard Nixon.

Nixon had a nice, clear writing style; and he was certainly one of the most well-traveled American presidents, well-schooled in diplomacy, and familiar at a personal level with many of the last century's greatest figures.

His chapters on Churchill, Adenauer, DeGaulle, MacArthur, and Yoshida of Japan were quite captivating, and he provided a fascinating look at Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek, and several others.

Incredible read. Interesting how my respect for Nixon has grown over the years. It may be that his efforts at creating ties between China and the U.S. ultimately spelled doom for the Soviet Union; his accomplishments in Asia might result in historians seeing as him as one of the greatest U.S. presidents ever. I hope that Mr. Obama reads this book.