I found this to be a difficult read. I resorted to picking out chapters of particular interest, i.e. his stand on health care. I felt it was solidly objective and a good way to get a clear and true picture of the person.

In a journalistic-like manner, Kranish and Helman deliver a well-written report on the family background, business career, church leader experiences, term as Olympics chief and the political career of Mitt Romney. The authors succeed at providing a relatively balanced and fair accounting of Romney's decisions and actions in all of these different parts of his life. Perhaps because of this straight-forward reporting without pushing the reader one way or the other, it occurs to me that the book will sustain whatever opinion the reader holds prior to picking it up. Those who are already in favor of Romney will find this book supportive of him, praising him as it does for his apparent talents and achievements, and those who are opposed to him will find this book delivers the proof of his perceived inadequacies and politically incompetent traits. In my view, that is good reporting. For the informed reader who has paid attention to presidential politics over the past six years, there will be very few revelations in this book. Proponents and opponents alike will both enjoy this book. The uninformed will gain good insights into Romney's life that go well beyond the normal mass media nonsense. Kudos to Kranish and Helman.

This is the Boston Globe's biography of Mitt Romney. Since the Globe is owned by the same parent as the New York Times, the orientation is not surprising. However, it is a mediocre effort because it often presents a one-sided view of the man and makes no effort to present the other side of stories that are obviously invented or perverted. To that extent, it is poor journalism. Romney's own book, No Apology, gives better insight into his thinking. Hugh Hewitt's book is a better independent view.

This book was useful and interesting, insofar as it put together a chronology of the life of the presidential candidate. The writing is poor at times and pedestrian at best. There is no overarching theme, other than perhaps that Romney will calculate what needs doing to achieve his goals. That said, one does get the sense, reading this book, that Romney might be a more interesting figure, if he didn't care what right wing types thought of him.

Mitt is not the most interesting man to read over 300 pages about, but the authors do a good job of showing his complexity. Romney's cold, clinical mind and near-constant shifting of priorities is both a strength and a weakness, and I'm glad this book let me see that. I'm still voting for Obama, but I feel more informed than I was a few days ago.