"Given the gravity of the financial crisis of 2008, the worst since the Great Depression, President Obama began his administration even before he was sworn in. Alter's assessment of Obama's first year, traditionally seen as setting the tone of a presidency, begins with cleaning up the legacy of the Bush administration (propping up the financial sector and bailing out the automobile industry) but focuses on the particular challenges facing Obama (dealing with the huge expectations of liberal Democrats and the staunch opposition of conservative Republicans). The urgency of the time compelled a push to staff up quickly, and Alter chronicles the process that led to an overreliance on former Clinton appointees. Alter analyzes Obama's savvy and zenlike calm through escalating crises, from continued conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan through the truculence of some among his own party on the issue of health care reform, Obama's priority despite warnings of its political toxicity. Among the promises kept: initating an end to the military's don't ask–don't tell policy, investment in high-speed rail, and support for national school reform. Among the promises "broken" or not yet realized: immigration reform, financial regulation, and job creation. Alter, a senior editor at Newsweek, offers a fast-paced, penetrating look at the new administration and the president as he struggles to reconcile the promises espoused during the campaign and the realities of governing." (Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews)
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