Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:
• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)
Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for Decision Points:
1. Why do you think former President Bush wrote Decision Points?
- To shape his legacy?
- To defend his presidency against critics on both left and right?
- To contribute to historical knowledge?
- To offer leadership advice on decision-making?
- To acknowledge his mistakes?
- To explain and provide insights into controversial decisions?
- Another reason?
2. Does this book matter? Given the astonishing events that occurred during the Bush presidency, events that required far reaching decisions, will this memoir survive? Do you think it will be read 50 years from now?
3. Mr. Bush says that "decades from now, I hope people will view me as a president who recognized the central challenge of our time and kept our vow to keep the country safe." Do you think his hope will be fulfilled—that people will acknowledge that he kept the U.S. safe?
4. Mr. Bush admits that he drew inspiration from 14 biographies of Abraham Lincoln. Why does he feel such an affinity with Lincoln?
5. After reading his memoir, what do you think was the toughest decision Mr. Bush had to make during his presidency?
6. After reading his memoir, what do you feel was Mr. Bush's most successful policy decision as President?
7. After reading his memoir, what do you think was Mr. Bush's most controversial decision—vis-a-vis national or international opinion—during his tenure in the White House?
8. What are some of the mistakes Mr. Bush acknowledges during his presidency. In his acknowledgment, does he accept blame or attempt to absolve himself of responsibility? What's your opinion?
9. Mr. Bush says that in terms of polarizing the nation, some Democrats never got over the 2000 election and were determined not to cooperate with me." But he also says that "no doubt I bear some of the responsibility as well." What are your views about those two statements?
10. How does Bush defend himself against charges of racism leveled at him after Hurricane Katrina? What does he say about his response to Katrina?
11. Why does Mr. Bush say that it was the Louisiana state officials—rather than Michael Brown, the head of FEMA—who hampered the federal response to Katrina? How did Louisiana interfere with Washington's efforts?
12. How does Mr. Bush defend the waterboarding, a practice that stimulates drowning during interrogation of suspected terrorists? What are your views?
13. Why does Bush remain adamant that his bailout "spared the American people from an economic disaster of historic proportions"? How does he describe the efforts of those who worked on the bailout? What are your views?
14. Talk about how Mr. Bush eventually abandoned the course of action in Iraq that was pushed by Donald Rumsfeld and Generals George Casey and John Abizaid. How did he arrive at the new solution—the "surge" with Generals David Petraeus and Ray Odierno in charge? Why does he say he waited for three years to make the changes?
15. Why didn't Mr. Bush pardon Scooter Libby after he was convicted of obstruction of justice in the Valerie Plame case? What are your views?
16. What reason does Mr.Bush give for not firing Donald Rumsfeld after Abu Ghraib? What are your views?
17. At one point, Mr. Bush says, by the end of 2005, much of my political capital was gone." What does he mean and why did he write that statement?
18. What surprised you most about the Bush Presidency, or any of the events—national and international—that occurred during those eight years
19. What have you learned from reading Mr. Bush's memoirs? For instance...
- Have you gained insight into the different forces that influence decision-making?
- Have you learned something new about the personalities of the White House staff or about Mr. Bush himself?
- Do you have a greater understanding of various (unsexy) issues such as foreign trade, immigration, or social security?
- Anything else?
20. After reading his memoirs, have your views toward Mr. Bush and his years in office been altered...or left unchanged? Do you admire Mr. Bush more...or less?
21. How would you describe the personality of Mr. Bush after reading his memoir? Would you call him affable, calm, determined, candid, defensive, deceptive, open to other views, narrow-minded, strong-willed...how does he come across
22. Talk about Mr. Bush's conversion to Christianity and the role faith played in both his personal and political life.
23. Mr. Bush's memoirs are remarkably gracious to his political opponents. He does, however, indulge in a few barbs directed at the press, academia, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. Fair...unfair? Justified... unjustified? Agree...disagree?
24. Mr. Bush says he learned from Theordore Roosevelt and Ronald Regan how important it is to "lead the public, not chase the opinion polls.... As I told my advisers, 'I didn't take this job to play small ball.'" Talk about where in his memoirs he leads the country, ignoring public opinion, and taking what he believes is the correct path for the country. But also then, how does one explain the prominence of Karl Rove as a friend and adviser?
25. How does Mr. Bush describe himself during his bout with alcoholism. To what does he attribute his ultimate decision to quit drinking? Do you admire his candor?
26. Much was made in the press about Mr. Bush's desire to "out-do" his father. How does Mr. Bush describe his relationship with his father, the former President George Herbert Walker Bush? How would you describe the relationship? Talk about the letter he wrote to his father before the Iraq War.
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)