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Stand For Something: The Battle for America's Soul
I don't know about you, but I'm troubled by a lot of what I see and hear in America's heartland...John Kasich calls it like he sees it. A former longtime U.S. congressman, a respected author and popular television host, Kasich has been around the neighborhood a few times. In his first book, Courage Is Contagious, he celebrated the under-the-radar accomplishments of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to change America. Now, in Stand for Something , he tackles-head-on-the erosion of long-standing, hard-earned values upon which our nation is built.
"Honesty, integrity, personal responsibility, faith, humility, accountability, compassion, forgiveness...These are our American values, our common denominators..." Drawing on his childhood growing up in blue-collar McKees Rocks, PA, his college years, his Washington career, and his most recent turn in the private sector, Kasich reminds us of the fundamental principles that are our American legacy.
In blunt, straight-shooting tones, he reveals new ways to hold our government officials accountable for their actions, and how to pressure sports figures to start living up to their role model status. He encourages us to have the gumption to be morally responsible business leaders who look beyond the bottom line, and shows us how courageous people of faith have helped transform their communities. He inspires parents to improve their children's schools, reminding us that our educational institutions need dollars and sense to compete on a global scale.
And, saving the "best" for last, he takes on American popular culture, including the media, and asks us to use our wallets, the free press, and our own good judgment to protest all that is offensive in the current American way of life.Leadership starts with you, Kasich tells us. "We all share the power to grow and change and reimagine the world," he writes. "If you see something happening that sets you off, rise up and do something about it."John Kasich's book is a rallying cry for all Americans that will make us think and-most important-make us get out of our easy chairs and Stand for Something .
"Honesty, integrity, personal responsibility, faith, humility, accountability, compassion, forgiveness...These are our American values, our common denominators..." Drawing on his childhood growing up in blue-collar McKees Rocks, PA, his college years, his Washington career, and his most recent turn in the private sector, Kasich reminds us of the fundamental principles that are our American legacy.
In blunt, straight-shooting tones, he reveals new ways to hold our government officials accountable for their actions, and how to pressure sports figures to start living up to their role model status. He encourages us to have the gumption to be morally responsible business leaders who look beyond the bottom line, and shows us how courageous people of faith have helped transform their communities. He inspires parents to improve their children's schools, reminding us that our educational institutions need dollars and sense to compete on a global scale.
And, saving the "best" for last, he takes on American popular culture, including the media, and asks us to use our wallets, the free press, and our own good judgment to protest all that is offensive in the current American way of life.Leadership starts with you, Kasich tells us. "We all share the power to grow and change and reimagine the world," he writes. "If you see something happening that sets you off, rise up and do something about it."John Kasich's book is a rallying cry for all Americans that will make us think and-most important-make us get out of our easy chairs and Stand for Something .
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2006
30 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
John Kasich
13 books46 followersJohn Richard Kasich Jr. is an American politician and author who was the 69th governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001, and a Republican candidate for the presidential nomination in 2000 and 2016.
Kasich was born and grew up in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and moved to Ohio in 1970 to attend college. After a single term in the Ohio Senate, he served nine terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's 12th congressional district. His tenure in the House included 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee and six years as chair of the House Budget Committee. Kasich was a key figure in the passage of both 1996 welfare reform legislation and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Kasich decided not to run for re-election in 2000 and ran for president instead. He withdrew from the race before the Republican primaries.
After leaving Congress, Kasich hosted Heartland with John Kasich on Fox News from 2001 to 2007 and served as managing director of the Lehman Brothers office in Columbus, Ohio. He ran for governor of Ohio in 2010, defeating Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland. He was re-elected in 2014, defeating Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald by 30 percentage points. Kasich was term-limited and could not seek a third gubernatorial term in 2018; he was succeeded by fellow Republican Mike DeWine.
Kasich ran for president again in 2016, finishing in fourth place in the Republican primaries behind Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. He won the primary in his home state of Ohio and finished second in New Hampshire. Kasich declined to support Trump as the Republican presidential nominee and did not attend the 2016 Republican National Convention, which was held in Ohio. From 2019 to 2023, Kasich was a CNN contributor. Since March 2023, he has been an analyst on NBC News. Kasich is known as one of Trump's most prominent critics within the Republican Party, and endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for president in a speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Kasich was born and grew up in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and moved to Ohio in 1970 to attend college. After a single term in the Ohio Senate, he served nine terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's 12th congressional district. His tenure in the House included 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee and six years as chair of the House Budget Committee. Kasich was a key figure in the passage of both 1996 welfare reform legislation and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Kasich decided not to run for re-election in 2000 and ran for president instead. He withdrew from the race before the Republican primaries.
After leaving Congress, Kasich hosted Heartland with John Kasich on Fox News from 2001 to 2007 and served as managing director of the Lehman Brothers office in Columbus, Ohio. He ran for governor of Ohio in 2010, defeating Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland. He was re-elected in 2014, defeating Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald by 30 percentage points. Kasich was term-limited and could not seek a third gubernatorial term in 2018; he was succeeded by fellow Republican Mike DeWine.
Kasich ran for president again in 2016, finishing in fourth place in the Republican primaries behind Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. He won the primary in his home state of Ohio and finished second in New Hampshire. Kasich declined to support Trump as the Republican presidential nominee and did not attend the 2016 Republican National Convention, which was held in Ohio. From 2019 to 2023, Kasich was a CNN contributor. Since March 2023, he has been an analyst on NBC News. Kasich is known as one of Trump's most prominent critics within the Republican Party, and endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for president in a speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 31, 2015
Living in an area that is a democratic strong-hold here in Ohio, it's not the most popular thing to do by voting republican, but I did so twice. Use to watch his Fox News show 'Heartland' and discovered I pretty much agreed with his ideology and his conservatism. I would listen to Bono from U2 speak about Kasich, getting his help with convincing congress to drop the debt for African countries, cause it was the right thing to do. Bought into the whole; 'Do something for your country," rah rah crap. Right up until his latest budget proposal for 2016/2017 when he decided to throw individuals out of their homes in modern developmental centers. These are folks who are diagnosed with severe and profound intellectual disabilities, IQ's of 30 and below and are not going to hold jobs in the community or are going to be healthier living in community housing. Many of these individuals are medically fragile or have violent behavioral patterns. By placing Medicaid waivers over their heads, Ohio is selling humans to make budget cuts. It makes me wonder if everything Kasich wrote in this books was a bunch of bunk, in order to get more money out of our pockets. Stand For Something John, where is your soul?
November 10, 2014
I really enjoyed this book . I especially liked the anecdotes the first one about the shoeshine man who took $100 out of his savings to give to a hospital for charity care and then was asked by the hospital administrators to do the shooting in the hospital and he saved all the tips and gave them to the hospital which resulted in over $100,000 per year do the charity care fun. Jon's personal story is an inspirational one. I appreciated that the book was about things that we as individuals can do to make things better.
May 23, 2017
Got a little preachy and seemed to extend itself. Would have rather heard an autobiography.
September 15, 2010
I finished reading this book the day after the Stickland/Kasich debate for Governor of Ohio--- Sept 14, 2010. As one of the few politicians in recent history that not only talks fiscal conservatism, but walks it, Kasich presents a decided political advantage over Mr. Strickland, and has the potential turn Ohio around in the right direction. His direction of the house budget committee, creating our last balanced Federal budget in 1998 gives him excellent credentials.
But the book, is not really about his political stances. It's about a moral stance.... about taking responsibility and standing for something on topics such as education, sports, business, politics, & religion. In this respect, it is something of a "safe" book, because one could hardly imagine many people, conservative or liberal taking a stand against his generally mainstream views. He even says/implies that its not the stand you take, but taking a stand that is important. I couldn't disagree more. Sure, if you've done your homework, run through the logic, looked at the evidence and have a vision and strategy, by all means take a stand. But if you work on impulse, intuition, and feelings, please stand down. We need much less of that. WHAT you stand for is as important, or even more important than taking a stand.
I was also disturbed by Kasich's repeated admiration of FDR and his actions during the Great Depression.... actions which are now echoed in Bush's TARP and Obama's several Stimulus' and Health Care legislation which have only cemented our poor economic status to the ground floor. I would have thought, given his budget-cutting reputation, that he'd have a sounder grasp of basic economics.
Still, even though the book broke no real new ground, it presented common-sense attitudes that have long represented American mainstream views, and rightly sounds the alarm regarding our people's straying from them.
But the book, is not really about his political stances. It's about a moral stance.... about taking responsibility and standing for something on topics such as education, sports, business, politics, & religion. In this respect, it is something of a "safe" book, because one could hardly imagine many people, conservative or liberal taking a stand against his generally mainstream views. He even says/implies that its not the stand you take, but taking a stand that is important. I couldn't disagree more. Sure, if you've done your homework, run through the logic, looked at the evidence and have a vision and strategy, by all means take a stand. But if you work on impulse, intuition, and feelings, please stand down. We need much less of that. WHAT you stand for is as important, or even more important than taking a stand.
I was also disturbed by Kasich's repeated admiration of FDR and his actions during the Great Depression.... actions which are now echoed in Bush's TARP and Obama's several Stimulus' and Health Care legislation which have only cemented our poor economic status to the ground floor. I would have thought, given his budget-cutting reputation, that he'd have a sounder grasp of basic economics.
Still, even though the book broke no real new ground, it presented common-sense attitudes that have long represented American mainstream views, and rightly sounds the alarm regarding our people's straying from them.
May 27, 2016
Among all the candidates for President this year, John Kasich was the closest thing to a real deal in the group of 20 or more. Earlier in the year I read his book on his prayer group (Every other Monday). This book was actually written before Every Other Monday.
In a series of chapters he explains his view of where we are politically and where we should go. The book sounds like Kasich - based on values including the value of appreciating differing points of view (which would be so welcome in DC right now). The tone is conversational (indeed there is an abridged version on Audible where the author reads the book).
There were a couple of references in the book which were outdated. For example, he did a longish discussion about Bill Cosby's speech to the NAACP about Black Families - which still seems correct but a bit off base in light of the charges that Cosby is facing. But on the whole this is a good summary of what kind of President Kasich would have been.
In a series of chapters he explains his view of where we are politically and where we should go. The book sounds like Kasich - based on values including the value of appreciating differing points of view (which would be so welcome in DC right now). The tone is conversational (indeed there is an abridged version on Audible where the author reads the book).
There were a couple of references in the book which were outdated. For example, he did a longish discussion about Bill Cosby's speech to the NAACP about Black Families - which still seems correct but a bit off base in light of the charges that Cosby is facing. But on the whole this is a good summary of what kind of President Kasich would have been.
November 22, 2017
John Kasich writes about how we live, work, and think. He stresses accountability in our actions. Also, by bridging the gulf between one another, we can get more accomplished and create a better world.
John Kasich is governor of Ohio, and he is a former member of congress. In this book, he expresses concern over the deterioration of morality in our country. Among other issues, he speaks about religious intolerance, the lack of ethics in businesses, and poor leadership in elected officials.
He fears that if we don't start turning this trend around, our country will become more fractured than it already is. He describes a "heat and haste" to American life that disregards basic values of decency and emphasizes instant gratification and winning at all costs.
He stresses that we need to advocate for integrity and doing the right thing. This was published back in 2006; however, the topics are still relevant to our culture today.
John Kasich is governor of Ohio, and he is a former member of congress. In this book, he expresses concern over the deterioration of morality in our country. Among other issues, he speaks about religious intolerance, the lack of ethics in businesses, and poor leadership in elected officials.
He fears that if we don't start turning this trend around, our country will become more fractured than it already is. He describes a "heat and haste" to American life that disregards basic values of decency and emphasizes instant gratification and winning at all costs.
He stresses that we need to advocate for integrity and doing the right thing. This was published back in 2006; however, the topics are still relevant to our culture today.
September 19, 2010
Kasich reviews how all the insanity in this world comes back to everybody's actions or lack thereof. Crooks and no-talent, no-integrity hacks gaining all kinds of success comes back to our very acceptance and attentiveness to their so called 15 minutes of fame.
It comes down to just a few characteristics which Kasich suggests we spend some more time on: Honesty, Integrity, Accountability, Faith, & Responsibility. Take a stand for what is right, no matter how unpopular it may become. Live these values daily as if that camera is on. While we're in the presence of impressionable youngsters... that is indeed a camera watching.
What some people won't like is a few name dropping pages, or maybe Kasich's consistent example of himself living all these important values. Still for me this was a good message worth the while.
It comes down to just a few characteristics which Kasich suggests we spend some more time on: Honesty, Integrity, Accountability, Faith, & Responsibility. Take a stand for what is right, no matter how unpopular it may become. Live these values daily as if that camera is on. While we're in the presence of impressionable youngsters... that is indeed a camera watching.
What some people won't like is a few name dropping pages, or maybe Kasich's consistent example of himself living all these important values. Still for me this was a good message worth the while.
June 29, 2009
Kasich describes himself as a conservative, and while he is certainly not aa liberal as most politicians, my assessment is that he is a conservative liberal. He appears to be a genuinely good guy for a politician, just a bit confused -- particularly about religion. He appears to be a non-affiliated Unitarian.
The title pretty much sums it up, "Stand for Something." He doesn't really care what you stand for, as long as you stand up for what you believe. And as long as a person believes the right things, this will be okay. But standing up for the wrong things is... well, it's just plain wrong.
The title pretty much sums it up, "Stand for Something." He doesn't really care what you stand for, as long as you stand up for what you believe. And as long as a person believes the right things, this will be okay. But standing up for the wrong things is... well, it's just plain wrong.
February 16, 2008
Great book especially for those interested in politics. I got this on tape from the library and thought it was an inspiring read (or listen in my case), whether or not you agree with what he believes or not.
July 15, 2008
Kasich's arguments are well-balanced. He is not judgemental nor preachy. The reader will appreciate his personal anecdotes and the real-life examples he provides of people who have "taken a stand" or taken the easy way out.
October 4, 2008
John Kasich points out a number of disturbing trends in our society and suggests that we can help reverse these trends by being true to what is know inside is true. It is a call to be better--always a good message.
August 8, 2010
John Kasich actually seems like one of the last few politicians with morals and religious values. His enthusiasm and hope for the country is heartening in today's gloomy malaise that Obama has put us in.
February 24, 2009
It's good for a right-wing, conservative, "I'm just one more famous guy trying to get my point across" book.
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April 9, 2013Opening epigraph is something brilliant from Vaclav Havel. Not much could live up to that, but the book is so heartfelt, it doesn't matter. DFbW2
December 14, 2015
There is a lot of truth in this book. Wake up America!
March 20, 2016
John Kasich for president
This was a good book to get to know John Kasich. Having read it I am sure he is my candidate for president.
This was a good book to get to know John Kasich. Having read it I am sure he is my candidate for president.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews