Average Customer Review: based on 5 reviews at Amazon.com Enjoyable Reading, Thought Provoking Insights, October 23, 2004 Reviewer: James Wood (El Paso, TX United States) - See all my reviews This charming, entertaining book will appeal to readers with interests in politics, American history, or personality. The authors persuaded numerous historical experts to rate each of the U.S. presidents on personality questionnaires. The ratings were then pooled and used to "profile" each president on such qualities as Character, Assertiveness, and Extraversion. Some of the results are about what one would expect (Abraham Lincoln was tender-hearted and exceptionally concerned about the well-being of less-fortunate people) but others are more thought-provoking (recent U.S. presidents seem to be more extraverted and perhaps less intellectual than their predecessors). The personality profile for each major president is accompanied by a brief and colorful biography. I had difficulty putting the book down, as I learned intriguing new facts about such colorful presidents as Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson. This book is not only a great deal of fun but may also be useful to teachers of U.S. history, as well as instructors who want to introduce their students to modern personality theory and what psychologists call the "Big Five" personality traits. A sampling of the book's findings (and enlightening profiles of the 2004 presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry) can be found on a website established by the book's authors at http://www.personalityinhistory.com (James Wood is a psychology professor at UT, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association’s Division of Measurement and Statistics, and author of What’s Wrong with Rorschach?)

A Groundbreaking Study, September 13, 2004 Reviewer: James J. Maloy - See all my reviews I found Personality, Character, & Leadership in the White House to be a very thoughtful, creative work that clearly has no equal in what it attempts to do. I have 12 years of graduate work in mostly Political Science, Psychology, Statistics and Public Administration and an extensive research library dealing with topics related to study of Presidential Leadership. Given this background I believe I am qualified to say that there is no book like this. A great deal of work went into it and it takes the study of Presidential Leadership to a level no other study has reached. Clearly it is one that should be considered for use in many Political Science courses and perhaps in some other fields as well. It is hoped it will stimulate serious discussion of just how much we can learn about the strengths and limitations of using scientific personality research and questionnaires to evaluate political leadership at the highest level of the U. S. government. It also is a delight to read. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the areas its title mentions. I know it will be a great help in my own research and should be for others too. I also believe the general thoughtful concerned citizen will find much food for thought in it.

Objective Analysis of the Presidents, February 28, 2005 Reviewer: John Duck (Dallas, TX, USA) - See all my reviews In my opinion, this is a landmark book. The first to evaluate the presidents' personalities in a scientific way. I will refer to it again and again. Parts of it are dense, especially the first part where they describe the methods used but it's well worth the read. Each chapter begins with a brief biography of the president profiled. If you have read other books on the presidents you may disagree with some of the things you read in this book. But regardless of that, this is a great book for comparing the presidents with one another and understanding their similarities and differences. It's a good starting point for further reading. I highly recommend it.

Psychological Analysis of American Presidents, September 3, 2004 Reviewer: Eric G. Mart (Manchester, NH United States) - See all my reviews Personality, Character, and Leadership in the White House: Psychologists Assess the Presidents by Steven Rubenzer and Thomas Faschingbauer is unusual in that it combines a number of ingredients (an interesting subject, solid science and a good read) in a way that one seldom sees in a non-fiction book and does it successfully. This is a book that will interest history buffs and mental health professionals equally. In Personality, Character and Leadership in the White House, the authors have used a well know psychological test of normal personality dynamics which can be completed by individuals who know a living or deceased subject well. Rubenzer and Faschingbauer assembled groups of historians who were very familiar with particular presidents and had them complete the test on American presidents based on their knowledge of their personalities and behavior. The results provide insights into the qualities that make a good (or bad) president as well as how these leaders differ from the general population. The book is straightforward and the authors do not inject their personal political beliefs into the mix. In addition, it is well written and jargon/psychobabble free. I highly recommend this book to both professionals and general readers who want to know more about what motivates our presidents, past and present. (Eric Mart, PhD, ABPP is a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology and American Board of Forensic Psychology)