No Apology: The Case for American Greatness

by Mitt Romney

On his first presidential visit to address the European nations, President Obama felt it necessary to apologize for America’s international power. He repeated that apology when visiting Latin America, and again to Muslims worldwide in an interview broadcast on Al-Arabiya television. In No Apology , Mitt Romney asserts that American strength is essential—not just for our own well-being, but for the world’s. Governments such as China and a newly-robust Russia threaten to overtake us on many fronts, and radical Islam continues its dangerous rise. Drawing on history for lessons on how great powers collapse, Romney shows how and why our national advantages have eroded. From the long-term decline of our manufacturing base, our laggard educational system that has left us without enough engineers, scientists, and other skilled professionals, our corrupted financial practices that led to the current crisis, and the crushing impact of entitlements on our future obligations, America is in debt, overtaxed, and unprepared for the challenges it must face. We need fresh ideas to cut through complicated problems and restore our strength. Creative and bold, Romney proposes simple solutions to rebuild industry, create good jobs, reduce out of control spending on entitlements and healthcare, dramatically improve education, and restore a military battered by eight years of war. Most important, he calls for a new commitment to citizenship, a common cause we all share, rather than a laundry list of individual demands. Many of his solutions oppose President Obama’s policies, many also run counter to Republican thinking, but all have one strategic to move America back to political and economic strength. Personal and dynamically-argued, No Apology is a call to action by a man who cares deeply about America’s history, its promise, and its future.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Audiobook, Business, History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Mitt Romney is an American businessman and Republican party politician, who served as the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007. He is also the son of George W Romney (former Governor of Michigan) and Lenore Romney.

Romney earned an undergraduate degree at Stanford University and BYU where he was Valedictorian. He then earned a joint MBA/J.D. from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School, graduating cum laude from law school and in the top 5% of his MBA class. Romney shortly began working for Bain & Company where he rose to become the CEO. He then co-founded Bain Capitol, a private equity investment firm, which became one of the largest such firms in the nation during his time there.

Romney organized and steered the 2002 Winter Olympics as President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, and helped turn the troubled games into a financial success.

He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for the 2008 United States presidential election and later the Republican nominee for the 2012 United States presidential election.

Romney has received honorary degrees from the University of Utah (1999), Bentley College (2002), Suffolk University Law School (2004), and Hillsdale College (2007).

In 2008, he shared with his wife Ann the Canterbury Medal from The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, for "refus[ing] to compromise their principles and faith" during the Presidential campaign."

Romney is married to Ann Romney and has five sons, five daughters in law and 15 grandkids.

For further details, see the author's Wikipedia page.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/mittro...

Reviews

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no doubt that Mitt Romney is a controversial figure in America today. Democrats attack him, Republicans are divided. Unlike so many other politicians, however, Romney has articulated his positions here in clear English. Politicians tend to be experts on what others think, yet amazingly vague on their own positions. Like him or not, Mitt has the courage to say what he thinks.

Romney applies the title “No Apology” throughout the book. While superficially a critique of Obama's Apology tour through Europe, Mitt applies the spirit of the title to all of his positions. He is an unapologetic American, and believes in American greatness. He sees the greatness in America, and whether talking about defense, healthcare, or anything else he shows true American pride.

Romney is at his best on fiscal issues. No prominent politician today approaches his credibility as a capitalist and financial analyst. His views on current entitlements, government debt, and taxation are clearly presented, and frightening as a result. The math doesn't work, and Romney walks the reader through the accounting tricks used by Congress and the GAO to hide the true costs of these programs. His call for a governmental “balance sheet” in unique among those seeking high office.

Candidly, I expected Romney to be great on fiscal issues. The surprise was his strength on social and environmental issues. He applies the same analytical approach to these issues, and reaches candid conclusions. He supports alternative fuel research, not so much for fear of global warming but for purely practical reasons. His concern for American families is genuine, and his contempt of governmental programs that destroy it obvious. Romney is a hawk, something I wasn't expecting. His reasoning around the threats to America and the their implications on our military are enlightening.

Having read the book, I found Mitt more of a centrist that I expected. He frequently quotes (and agrees with) Thomas Friedman and other moderates. His epilogue, where he recaps the specific ideas of the book, is alone worth the price I paid.

It is truly unfortunate that the spin, mud-slinging, and attacks in American politics completely drown out any discussion of ideas. Candidates talk far more about their challengers than about their own positions. In this book, Romney paints a clear picture of what he thinks needs to be done. Read it, then laugh out loud for the next several years and everyone else tries to tell you what the man really thinks.

[Mimi V · Rating 1 out of 5]

all right, all right. i give! uncle! i can't read it anymore! make it stop!

i got about halfway through this and i just couldn't force myself to continue. in the very first chapter there's obvious obfuscation about his family. 'they fled to Mexico because of religious persecution.' (i'm paraphrasing.) that's all he said about it. doesn't mention that the persecution was because his great-grandfather was a polygamist, and the persecution they suffered was that completely unreasonable one woman-one man type of marriage that Willard now champions as "God's plan for us." if he was more forthcoming about his family's history, i'd be more accepting of his current bullshit about "traditional" marriage. but he doesn't tell the whole truth about this well-known fact.

this is not the last lie in this book. it's full of outright lies. and the things that aren't lies aren't any easier to swallow. "Creative destruction" is a favorite. Willard believes is allowing businesses to fail (or be forced to failure, by, say, a venture capitalist (leveraged buy-out agent) loading a company up with debt, siphoning off all the cash they can, and then letting the company fail.) he thinks that 'creative destruction' is perfectly acceptable and will make businesses more innovative.

he also brought out that old "apology tour" bull that has been shown again and again to be a big fat lie. http://www.factcheck.org/2012/08/romn... he won't let this bit of fiction die.

and what is this 'greatness' that he wants to preserve? as far as i can figure out, it's mostly about the military. he thinks that we don't spend enough on the military and wants to greatly increase military spending. (maybe he wants to buy horses and bayonets. and by the way, does he (or one of his good buddies) own a ship-building company?) he's entitled to that opinion, but i don't agree. we already spend too much on the military and increasing that spending while giving more tax breaks to the super-wealthy will put the rest of us into poverty. for what? to support defense contractors and the military industrial complex?

it's really sad to think that today, election day, may end with this completely greedy, selfish, superficial ass as our president. i sure hope not.

[John Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Political TV ads can be fun. And annoying.

Debates can be fun. And maddening.

You can indeed learn things about the candidates from watching the ads and debates. But fifteen and thirty second snippets of information really don’t give you the full picture. And sometimes they actually hide the facts, producing nothing more than informational smog.

Recently, I decided I wanted to really know what Mitt Romney thought. What he was about. What he hopes to accomplish if he wins the presidency. If Mitt was someone in my neighborhood, I’d go visit the man, and we’d have a chat.

I’d ask him about his ideas and past. I’d ask him to give me examples. Because of the nature of the issues at stake and the number of them, I imagine our chat would probably last a few hours. It might stretch over a number of evenings.

Of course, I’d want time to consider our chat and determine where I did and didn’t agree with him. I’d want to hear what others thought. And I’d want to look into his history, his successes and failures.

But the first step would be to go to the man himself and hear him out.

I hate it when people put words in my mouth. I’m sure Romney, or anyone else running, hates that same thing. If I were running, I’d would hope folks would take the time to hear me out. They may ultimately disagree with me on many or a few things. But I’d hope, as they are gathering information, that they would take the time to actually go to the source and listen to what I myself had to say.

Unfortunately, I can’t walk around the corner and knock on Mitt’s door. But he did write a book that was published in 2010, and it’s probably the next best thing to talking to Romney at his kitchen table. The book is called No Apology: The Case for American Greatness.

I’ll admit I thought it was going to be a dry guide book explaining his position on every hot political issue. It’s not a guide book. In fact, he leaves a number of topics out. Nor was it dry.

I also suspected it might be a scathing attack piece on the Obama administration. It’s not that either. Not even close. He does criticize some things where he and Obama differ, but he also commends him on a few things. Either way, Obama is a very small part of the book.

So what IS this book?

Romney states its purpose in the introduction: it’s “about what I believe should be our primary national objective: to keep America strong and to preserve its place as the world’s leading nation” and “the course I believe we must take to strengthen the nation in order to remain prosperous, secure, and free” (2). It’s about his ideas on how to make sure America does not falter as so many nations have, but remains wealthy, happy, and productive.

I finished the book yesterday. I found it interesting, personable, sometimes surprising, and insightful.

I found Mitt Romney to be a man self-deprecating humor. He’s also a thinking man, one who likes to look at data to see what it shows. It’s clear he’s a man who does NOT think he knows everything or has a monopoly on every good idea, but he’s also a man who demands evidence. I also saw a man who is kind. He doesn’t talk much about his 14 years of service as a lay minister in his church in this book, but you can see how those years changed him as he discusses helping the unemployed, out-of-wedlock births, and single-parent families. Finally, I saw a man who loves, LOVES, America and is convinced she can remain the hope of the earth, but only if we do things that foster our strength.

This book outlines what he thinks those things are.

The book is written in a conversational and easy style with many examples from his personal experience, studies, and history. Romney’s record of accomplishments demonstrates his skills and hard work ethic. This book explains to what end he would apply that skill and work.

If you’re planning on voting this November for the president of the United States, I think you’ll find this book very useful. You may end up agreeing with many things he says. You may end up disagreeing with him on many points. But before you can do either, you need to understand what Romney’s position actually is. And the first step in doing so is to fully hear the man out, in his own words, from his own lips.

As a result, whether you end up deciding he’s your candidate or not, you WILL come away with important insights into the issues discussed.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not likely to vote for Romney (assuming he becomes the Republican nominee), but I give him credit for writing a readable, interesting book. Yes, it's self-promoting and not particularly daring, as books of this genre tend to be, but his intelligence and penchant for data-driven problem-solving are apparent throughout. The man understands public policy and argues his side effectively. All in all I liked "No Apology" about as much as "The Audacity of Hope"; in some ways I liked it more.

I disagree with Romney on several specific policy matters, yet what I found least compelling is the ra-ra American triumphalism/exceptionalism that undergirds the whole volume. Romney insists that America's rightful place is at the head of the class and that he has a vision for making it "strong" again—an "imperium sine fine," apparently. I also believe that America has played a special role in history and that it will yet do great things for the world. Yet after some of the misadventures of the past decade, I'd like to see a vision for America's future that includes humility rather than just more brawn.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Really LIKED/LOVED this book. It isn't a barn burner, but a really educational read. I laughed and cried and more importantly, did lots of thinking during this book. Romney does a terrific job of providing and explaining data and translating that into proposed action. I really liked that he spent his time explaining the issues and then giving detailed information about his position rather than just attacking others. A very informative and powerful book. I didn't read every word, but scanned some that had a little more detail than I wanted to read. I learned more from this book that we do a lot of times when we hear their platforms. I SOOOO badly wanted him to be our next President. I am absolutely terrified what another four year under our next president will do.

[Josh Steimle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've written my more in-depth review at http://www.libertyqa.org/people/no-apology-mitt-romney-review.html, but to sum things up, I found the book horrifying. Yes, there are some things I agree with, but I find Romney's views on foreign policy uninformed and dangerous, his attitude toward other countries and peoples condescending, his apparent ignorance of natural law and individual rights frightening, and his trust in smart people being able to wield the power of government effectively....well, horrifying.

Romney, like Obama, Bush, Clinton, and most other US Presidents, believes the key to solving our problems is merely to get good, smart people into power. People who can come up with plans to help the rest of us. He virtually ignores the idea that perhaps, to paraphrase Reagan, government isn't the solution but is, in fact, the problem. He puts too much confidence in people, rather than the restrictions of the Constitution, and as such is in direct opposition to Thomas Jefferson's statement “In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”

If Romney becomes President I don't see any reason why things will change substantially. I would like to be wrong, but I don't see fundamental differences between his philosophy of the role of government and Obama's. They both want to use government to force the rest of us to do what they think is "right", they just have different ideas about what is right. Neither wants to allow us to use our freedom to make decisions for ourselves.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

If anyone ever has a doubt as to Mitt Romney's presidential qualifications, experience, knowledge, intentions, and principles, s/he should read this book. I have never read such an insightful and inspiring book about America and the issues we face today. I wish it was required reading for every high schooler in America.

We've become jaded as a nation regarding America and politics in this country. Politicians who promise the world but fail to deliver has become the status quo. We accept that as a given. We know that when we vote, we are choosing the lesser of two evils. Not so with Mitt Romney. After reading this book, I trust him implicitly to make the right decisions for this country and for the world.

Romney knows what he is talking about when it comes to domestic and foreign policy. He puts forth solutions to our most devastating problems in this country—-solutions based on his extensive experience, research, collaboration with specialists, and bipartisan thinking. Romney doesn't accept the popular ignorant assumptions that are so pervasive in this country. He doesn't bow to special interests. And he doesn't accept the status quo.

I hope Romney's bipartisan vision for this country is something for which we all strive. I wish many Americans weren't so full of hate toward opposing views that they are unwilling to even listen. Instead they demonize and drown out opposing views with a cacophony of libelous attacks. In contrast, the Romney way of working together to get things done is a model for this country and for individuals. He believes in America. So should we all.

[Allisonavandenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning: politics ahead!

I'm trying to read all of the major candidates' books before I vote next year and I started with Romney. I was impressed by the detailed level of his plans to improve the nation on several levels although it was a struggle to get through the first several chapters of the book on national security and defense - I'm more interested in social issues but appreciate his knowledge and detail and could trust him as an international leader. He really believes in America as the world's greatest hope, and while sometimes it's hard to agree, I think I do want a president who *does* believe our country is the greatest in the world.

This book convincingly made me despise teachers' unions and the power they have to prevent incentives for motivated teachers, but I couldn't stand the way he skirted around immigration without really addressing it. Another low point of the book was when he transitioned from the educational achievement gap right to the high numbers of single-parent families in the US, as if family situation alone can explain the gap. It seemed very narrow-minded and I disagree. Overall, I'm glad I read it and can be a more educated voter next year and I really appreciated his specific plans. Obama's book is next!

[Clyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting as it educated me on many things in the world of government politics in which I felt my knowledge was lacking. Clearly this book is written from a Republican view, but it is not a democrat bashing work. In the book, Romney criticizes both parties, as well as the media, and other forces at currently work to weaken America and diminish productivity and thus economic growth. Instead of just exaggerating problems and telling his readers who is to blame, Romney proposes real solutions to the problems and discusses obstacles to those solutions. Though I can't say I agree with everything he says, I can say that I am impressed with his method of problem solving, and was impressed with many of his ideas. It also gives the reader a sense of just how complex the problem solving process in government is, and how so often good ideas are ruined by those who would put themselves above others, be it politicians, labor unions, teacher unions, or those benefiting from the dole. I now feel like I know what Romney stands for and how he would approach governing if elected someday.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one intelligent guy. I mostly agree with all of his ideas for the direction our country should (must, really) go. I wish he was a little more imaginative as far as fixing the education system goes. I loved Glenn Beck's books, probably because he's not actually running for office and can say whatever he wants. Romney takes a more moderate, practical approach, which makes sense. He says the school voucher program, which Beck and many others tout, is "politically infeasible," for example. Too bad. I wish it could be done. I also wish that teachers unions could be kicked in the rear end and then disbanded ...

[Sabra Ann Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best political books i have read and eye opening on some issues i did not know a lot about. would love to read it again!!

[Jack Jowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gained a greater understanding of and appreciation for 2000s era neo-Conservative thought and policy. It was jarring to compare with the key tenets of the GOP today, which feels largely foreign to a platform like Mitt's 10 years ago. He presented compelling strategies for improving healthcare and education, combining ideas of government and free-market solutions. I was less sold on his zeal for American military interventionism. Not a thrilling read by any means, but an interesting political time capsule from a decade ago.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mitt Romney's 2010 book "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness" was primarily written as a response to the first year of Barack Obama's Presidency, in which President Obama visited several nations to, as Romney puts it, "apologize for so many American misdeeds, both real and imagined." This so-called American Apology Tour is viewed by Romney as a serious mistake and one that can only hurt America's image. That Republicans such as Romney view President Obama's attempt at diplomacy and putting out the fires of vicious anti-Americanism caused by former President George W. Bush's war in Iraq as a sign of weakness displays the fundamental difference in mentality between Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals. Until Bush's war, our country prided itself on the fact that we had never made a pre-emptive first strike against another country. That it was initiated upon flimsy evidence, using erroneous intelligence, and for reasons that were never quite clear (WMDs or democracy-building? Which is it?) made it all the more upsetting and embarrassing for those of us who did not like to see our country being made out to look like a schoolyard bully. Romney makes the point that had he been president, he would surely never apologize for the actions of the previous president. Not surprisingly, it was revealed in May 2012 that Romney himself was a schoolyard bully. (He apologized.) To be honest, Romney was treated somewhat unfairly by the media for that story. After all, kids will be kids, and, besides, he admits that he didn't know that the two kids he bullied were ACTUALLY gay at the time... which makes it alright, I suppose. Sarcasm aside, I don't think Romney is a bad guy. I think that he is a good, morally upstanding man (albeit somewhat stiff and uptight) who has a sharp intellect (something sadly missing in the Republican party nowadays) and a strong desire to restore this country's greatness. Unfortunately, I don't totally agree with HOW that restoration is to take place. Romney believes in a strong military. I'm okay with that. I would agree that maintaining a strong defense should be the primary focus of anyone assuming the presidency, especially in this global climate (although, let's be honest, every generation previous to ours could rationally make the case that theirs was the most dangerous time to be alive...). What I don't like is the assumption that America's greatness is predicated on our display of aggression and how much fear we can strike in the hearts and minds of weaker nations. That we even have to use terms like "weaker nations" is upsetting, but it is what it is. Romney clearly believes that showing aggression is the right way to restore greatness and that admitting that we have made mistakes and bad calls in the recent past is the wrong way; indeed, it is, according to him, dangerous. I hate to say it, but I think that's the bully in him talking. While I don't agree with everything in the book, I will admit that some of his ideas are sound, and, whether he is elected or not in the fall, I would hope that he continues to work hard for his constituents and the American people. I may not agree with him on many issues, but after reading "No Apology" I have to say that I admire and respect him more and I at least can understand where he is coming from.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book not knowing what to expect, given some conservative rhetoric is sometimes just about bashing the liberals (although sometimes deservedly so but it doesn’t solve any problems). This book actually backed up some views with data and studies instead of just being a “feel good” book with meaningless chants or special slogans to disillusion the reader or tricking them into thinking that they are accomplishing something meaningful or positive. He has some real answers that would work for the long-term instead of the 10-year score that congress votes on; answers that some will unrelentingly attack, but at least some real answers nevertheless. Lately, it seems to me that politicians spend too much time calculating what will let them appeal the most to some special interest group instead of looking at the whole picture and doing what’s best for everyone as a whole for the long run.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rate half of this book at two stars and half at four. The worst half is the half where I got the sense that Mitt was writing what he wanted the reader to read. The politician in him was on display, and the rhetoric abounded. He seemed to dumb himself down, reciting silly slogans with which no one can disagree ("pursue the difficult" and "the case for American greatness" come to mine).

The other half, however, was quite good. What seems to be the real Mitt surfaced as he used his intellectual ability that typically lies dormant. Particularly on the issues of education and the economy. He cited studies, and he relied upon old fashioned logic in making a compelling case.

The average of the halves explains my three-star rating. If he could just be himself always, he might actually have a shot at the presidency some day. At the very least he could earn a four-star rating from me.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. It isn't a thrilling page turner but a really educational read. I laughed and cried and more importantly, did lots of thinking during this book. Romney does a terrific job of providing and explaining data and translating that into proposed action. I really liked that he spent his time explaining the issues and then giving detailed information about his position rather than just attacking others. A very informative and powerful book.

[Jenny-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you plan to vote in this election than you ought to read this book. This book is an insightful look into who Mitt Romney really is as an American leader and shows how his life experiences have influenced his views. He's well read, thoughtful, an experienced leader/role model and strategic thinker. Mitt brings new ideas and solutions to the table for readers to think about.

[Ben Coes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book by a fantastic guy. He calls it as he sees it, very straightforward.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! I still want this guy to be president!

Romney explained it best for why he wrote this book. You are only given 30 seconds in the average debate to try and get your point / opinion across. There is no opportunity to get your ideas out there and then explain how / why your ideas will work. Romney attempts to do that in this book.

Throughout this book, he talks about the pursuit of the difficult, why nations decline, the pursuit of power, pathways of American power, a free and productive economy, the worst generation (this one will surprise you), healing health care, an American education, running low, the culture of citizenship and finally, America the beautiful.

Throughout his discussions, Romney pulls no punches -- he believes the American people need (deserve) to hear the truth and he gives it to you. He quotes democrats and republicans, alike and offers "no apologies" for his words.

For example, Dwight Eisenhower consolidated and reinforced the institutions founded by Truman and the principles he championed. The most stirring description of these principles was offered by John F. Kennedy in proclaiming America's determination to "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, and oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty." At the end of the Cold War there was Ronald Reagan citing the word of John Winthrop and Thomas Paine and promising to begin the world anew in vanquishing an evil empire and leading the world to a new era of freedom.

America's next three post-Cold War presidents, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush -- continued in that tradition by championing free trade and freedom by using American military to thwart the ambitions of evil regimes, to expand NATO, and to make Europe "whole and free."

President Obama is well on his way toward engineering a dramatic shift in this American foreign policy, based on his own underlying attitudes.

The first of these envisions America as a nation whose purpose is to arbitrate disputes rather than advocate ideals, a country consciously seeking equidistance between allies and adversaries. We have never seen anything quite like it. And in positioning the US in the way he has, President Obama has positioned himself as a figure transcending America instead of defending America.

This sentiment manifests itself in several different ways, including President Obama's American Apology Tour. Never before in American history has its president gone before so many foreign audiences to apologize for so many American misdeeds, both real and imagined. It is his way of signaling to foreign countries and their leaders that he understands their dislike for America. There are anti-American fires burning all across the globe and Obama's words are like kindling to them.

President Obama, always the skilled politician, will throw in compliments about America here and there. But what makes his speeches jump out at his audience are the steady stream of criticisms, put-downs, and jabs directed at the nation he was elected to represent and defend.

Some other interesting tidbits:

If citizens in a democracy foster short-term self-interest rather than promoting the long-term interests of the nation -- placing themselves above their desendants -- there is little likelihood that they will vote for visionary, transformative leaders who advocate difficult change and sacrifice. When popular opinion places self above nation and the present above the future, nations slide from power to weakness. The self-interest of the common citizen can be just as hazardous to national strength as that of the rich and powerful.

The pursuit of military power by China, Russia, and the jihadists is advancing, not retreating. Among the four contestants for world leadership, only the US and the West are reducing their financial commitment to national defense. Given the consequences of falling behind, continued complacency could prove calamitous. We must strengthen the safeguards to our security, even as we face broad domestic challenges. And we must prioritize those sources of power that will be the most effective in providing an enduring defense. Remember, the best defense is a STRONG OFFENSE!

"Control of the Commons" means that our military is able to move freely on the seas, in the air, and in space -- allowing us to protect trade, respond to humanitarian crises, provide essential support to our ground forces, enhance our credibility as an ally, and project the power necessary to restrain the ambitions of tyrants. This freedom of movement is the direct result of the superiority of our navy and air force, and of our alliances around the world. Problem: We reduced our navy and air force flight squadrons dramatically following the Cold War. And yet, despite these cuts (also to our intelligence capabilities) and the growing ambition of China, Russia, and others, our lead in military power remains substantial. Our lead will endure only if we remain committed to this cause.

Remember, the number one responsibility of a nation's military is to defend its country. Continue to decrease our forces? I don't even want to imagine what will happen.

Next on the agenda is our economy. Americans can only be as secure over the long term as our economy is strong.

As virtually every American discovered beginning in fall of 2008, a strong economy is also the foundation of our citizens' prosperity. Americans have experienced the impact of a weakened economy. But beyond the low of recession and the highs of expansion, the sustained wealth of our families and communities is also driven by workforce productivity.

The key to increasing national prosperity is to promote good ideas and create the conditions that can lead them to be fully exploited -- in existing businesses as well as new ones. GOVERNMENT is generally not the source of new ideas, although innovations from NASA and the military have provided frequent exceptions.

The most important thing government can do to promote innovation and productivity is not to block it, as by preventing creative destruction. Likewise, if government prevents or impedes foreign competition it depresses productivity.

The whole discussion regarding health care was very informative. I appreciate Romney's ability to talk about the big 3 -- Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in layman's terms without getting too technical. My grandma thinks her doctor is the greatest ... he really cares about her health -- she's always having a test to check for this or something to look for that. Well ... while her doctor may care about her health, he (and other doctors) also get big bucks from Medicare for all of the various tests that he orders.

Education was another interesting discussion. Words cannot do this justice -- you'll just have to read the book!

The Culture of Citizenship ... if this doesn't bring tears to your eyes, I don't know what will. At the completion of the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in 2002, former vice president, Dick Cheney attended the Closing Ceremonies. He asked Romney to choose one American athlete to join him in the president's box, someone who would represent all our athletes. Romney chose Derek Para.

Derek is a Hispanic American, born and raised in Los Angeles. There is a history here, but the long and short of it is that he competed as a speed skater in the most unlikely of sports (for him) and medalled (sp?). If you want the whole history, read the book.

Anyways, as Derek walked into the box at Closing Ceremonies, Romney asked him what had been the most memorable part of his Olympics. "What I will never forget was carrying the American flag that had flown above the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, into the Opening Ceremonies."

Derek explained that when the flag was introduced -- "Ladies and gentlemen, the flag that flew above the World Trade Center on September 11 is now entering the stadium" -- he expected the audience to erupt in cheers. Instead, total silence. Complete reverence. They carried the flag to a position in front of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which then sang our national anthem. "It was hard holding on to my emotions as they sang that song as I was holding that flag," Derek said. "But then, the choir did something I hadn't expected. They sand a reprise of the last line -- 'O, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave / O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave' -- and just as they did, a gust of wind filled the flag, and lifted it in our hands. For me, it was as if all those who had died for America's liberty had just blown into the flag ..."

There are stories about other heroes in this book. I especially liked the story about how Romney spent one Memorial Day with 63 families, but not all at the same time.

America the Beautiful -- When you think of America, what are some of the things that come to mind?

After reading this book, I have some pictures (in my mind) of some "new" heroes ... Lt. Tom Kelley, Ann Romney's brother, Jim, a group of Boy Scouts from Weston, Mass. and the astronauts and 1 special teacher who paid the ultimate price on January 28, 1986.

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!

... And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee ...

[Joe Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is a great book. I’m glad I read it. It had five star ideas but because the book was so densely written I give it four stars (really, it should be 3.5).

I liked how the book caused me to question beliefs my liberal arts education instilled in me - for instance, the equality of all cultures. Mitt unapologetically states, “There are superior cultures and ours is one of them” (p. 264). At first, I thought, “You can’t say that. Everyone’s culture is worthy of commendation and we can learn from them all.” The reality is though that some cultures are superior to others. For instance, can you honestly say Nazi culture is as commendable or desirable as the culture of freedom established by our founding fathers? A superiority of culture doesn’t mean that culture should subject all other cultures to it, or that one is justified in belittling or ignoring other cultures. As Jesus taught, “Let he that is greatest among you be the servant of all.” Mitt Romney clearly shares this belief in that he suggests our superior culture of freedom, sacrifice, and love give us the obligation to promote peace, freedom, and goodness throughout the world.

It is for this reason that Mitt makes the claim, “What is good for America is good for the world.” Although America is imperfect and has made mistakes and continues to make mistakes, no other nation in the history of the world has advanced the cause of freedom more or lifted the standard of living higher for the average person. “The best ally world peace has ever known is a strong America.”

While it is important and good to learn about (and from) our past failings as a nation it is just as, if not more important, to learn about the triumphs. America is unique among world powers in the amount of unselfish good we have done for the world and that good should be acknowledged or else it cannot continue. “The self-loathing of Western intellectuals should not hinder out sturdy defense of all that should make us the most admired and respected of nations” (p. 76).

I really liked Mitt’s suggestion for how we can stay strong and powerful as a nation. Rather than artificially bolster the economy with tariffs and regulations on trade, Mitt promoted the allowance of creative destruction - the principle that as creativity and innovation take away jobs and opportunities in some sectors, the same creativity and innovation will create jobs and opportunities in others. He said, “Personally, I don't like to see America lose any good jobs. But when I see an American company challenged by a foreign competitor, I don't look for protectionist policies as an answer to the company's problems. Instead, I look to see how that company can become competitive one more, drive of is foreign foe, and propel it's own products into foreign markets” (p. 116). Too build muscle you have to tear the existing muscle apart through working out. The muscle rebuilds itself though stronger than before. To coddle our economy, protect it from fair foreign or domestic competition would be a mistake because it ultimately damns the ability to adapt, progress, and become stronger.

Mitt also had a chapter on the vital importance of families to America’s strength as a nation. While many politicians would shy away from suggestion policies that would strengthen families, Mitt understands that we must support and encourage the family. Take away the incentives for out of wedlock births (for instance, by requiring fathers to pay child support regardless of marital status). Children raised in two-parent homes are far more likely to succeed. He is very clear that many single parents do an incredible job raising kids, but he is clear about the facts - the majority struggle. While we should help those in that situation, we should also help people avoid finding themselves as single parents.

Finally, he affirms the importance of hard work. We all, regardless of our circumstances, have a need to work hard in some capacity. Mitt recognized this when he said, “Welfare without work erodes the spirit and the sense of self-worth of the recipient” (p. 251).

Do I agree with everything he said? No. But I do think he is on the right track and that we need more politicians like Mitt, men and women that place American interests above their own or that of their party. Mitt’s a republican but he’s an American first. I’ll vote for him in any election.

[Jordan Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Senator Romney breaks down his platform chapter by chapter. He makes logical arguments for his points. Even the things I don’t agree with he articulates clearly and I can see point of view. Our country would be in a better position if more citizens understood what he explained and if we had more politicians willing to stand up for the USA.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this a few years ago and recall liking it.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow read. Full of statistics and history, but not much emotion. I actually think I liked Romney more before I read this (as opposed to Sarah or Meghan, whom I liked better after reading their books).

Some quotes:

"Obama sends a signal that he is eager to negotiate at any time, any place, without conditions; the effect of this is to cede all of the power and leverage to our enemies." [Overdramatic...c'mon.]

"[Obama] replied, 'I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.' Which is another way of saying he doesn't believe it at all." [This, too, rubs me the wrong way. Romney's inability to understand that other countries have national pride, as well, bothers me. But he's consistent with the title, and seems surprised that anyone could disagree or want to live any place else.]

"His job is to remind nations of the importance of 'mutual respect' because of our 'mutual interests.' And only by 'breaking old patterns' can we become more interconnected. President Obama envisions himself as the world's great bridge builder and synthesizer." [Got me. I am a fan of trying to get along with other countries, instead of just intimidating them.]

"The objective of the United States of America is strength, not popularity."

"Others will insist that dialogue and diplomacy can free the world of grave threats, but history proves otherwise, and an honest threat assessment augurs for the opposite outcome..."

"...in addition to the focus on illegal immigration, we should also concentrate on expanding legal immigration for students and individuals with advanced education and critically important skills." [Finally, something I agree with.]

"My powers of persuasion were unable to dissuade him, but when I announced that I would enforce powers given the governor...and cut off all state education aid to his school district...he came around to my point of view." [Persuasion without threats doesn't seem to be his thing. This scares me.]

"In order for parents in these districts to enroll their children in public school, the parents would have been required to attend classes themselves, where they would learn about the value of education as well as ways in which they could support their children's educational experience." [I like the concept of educating parents on education, but he points out that those who struggle most are often single moms who don't have time to support homework/extracurricular time. How would they have time for these classes? The solution is much more complicated...]

"Some of the battles of the sixties still linger, however, as with the current push to legalize marijuana, which reflects the passion and zeal of those members of the pleasure-seeking generation that never grew up. Their arguments are elaborate but empty -- a great nation has never been built on hedonism." [Not sure how I fit into this...since I support legalization on grounds that it's a big waste of money to prosecute something I don't think is more dangerous than alcohol. I guess I'm a pleasure-seeking hippie, despite never having used it myself. Huh.]

"Despite my affiliation with the Republican Party, I don't think of myself as highly partisan. Neither party can claim 100 percent of the good ideas. As governor, I worked with a number of thoughtful and capable Democrats..."

"just a few days ago, I sat down with a good friend who happens to be a Democrat. He's highly educated, reasonably well informed, and financially secure." [Because if he was truly well-informed, he'd be a Republican, right?]

"I ran through the undeniable litany of Democratic mistakes since sweeping to power in the elections of 2008." [About that "not partisan" comment above...right.]

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book a fair go and read it all the way through but after skipping most of the first few chapters about Foreign Policy and getting irritated with the chapters on Economy, I decided to just stop reading. Politics between the two major parties, I'm convinced, comes down to differing philosophies. It's not that one's right and the other's wrong so much that it's each envisions a different successful society.
Not everyone measures success in dollar signs.
Mitt Romney spends much of the first part of the book making a case for increasing military spending. Not something I agree with. We already spend huge amounts of money on defense. His reasoning is that "The world is a safer place when America is strong." Yeah, American's are safer but does the rest of the world feel safer? I don't know. He also criticized Obama for apologizing to other countries which, he says, makes us appear weaker. He seems to go by the rather old fashioned concept that fear = respect.
Other points I disagreed with on his views on the economy is that productivity makes the nation more profitable. He makes the example of innovation in agriculture and that while many small farmers lost out on jobs, large corporation farmers are able to crank out more product. True, but to what expense? Overuse of antibiotics, inhumane conditions for animals, e-coli outbreaks, poor quality products that affect consumer health. But, like many conservatives seem to think, that doesn't seem to matter. It's the dollar signs that determine the health of the nation.
He also mentions how the government suppresses things like cross-training in the work force so employees can cover different jobs for the betterment of consumer satisfaction. When in fact the employees end up doing the job of 3 people for the same wage and that's why consumers end up standing in line or holding on the phone for hours for customer service. But, it saves the CEO money and, once again, that's all that matters.
He also demonizes the media like other Republicans and conservatives seem to do. He just seems to have such a narrow view of the world - as long as my world is okay, then the world's just fine.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Any book about political issues written by a politician will have a hard time pulling above two stars, whatever their party affiliation. If nothing else, this book proves that Romney is a skillful politician, equal in demagoguery and equivocation to anyone, Republican or Democrat. He starts off wasting no time and gets right in to showering American readers with praise for how great and noble they are, what he refers to as ‘American Exceptionalism,” and then goes on to call out what’s wrong with everybody else in the world. Throughout this dissertation, he makes good use of this kind of tribalism, and other techniques such as the false dilemma, the black and white fallacy, and the straw man. However, he makes an earnest effort at using the results of studies, particularly ones that were conducted by Bain & Company (where he worked), and as a result, his opinions on healthcare and education are ones with which he appears to have wrestled hard to gain some level of mastery over the talking points, if not the real evidence. So he is capable of working with facts and may not be driven entirely by ideology in every regard. But he gave me no such confidence that he is well versed in economics or foreign policy beyond standard ideological rhetoric. He attempts to cover all bases, trying to appear tolerant of “well-meaning” liberals, stroking moderates by making gestures that he’s a bastion of balance and reasonableness, and pandering to conservatives by indicating he’s just as extreme as any teabagger around when it comes to being strong on military, weak on regulation, despising of unions, and that the only thing he hates more than Islam is taxes. He then closes by tearfully wrapping himself in family values and the flag. For people who feel unsure about who Mitt really is, this book will not assuage their fears. For people who think he’s really just a right-leaning moderate, this book will have them rethinking. For people hoping for a second term Obama presidency, this book will have them scared.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to hand off the book to the next book club person to read, it made me wish I had bought it so I could write down all of my favorite quotes out of it. I really liked this book!

I like it for a number of reasons: one, main stream media and fox news just don't report what is going on and what the best options are to fix it. I wish political leaders weren't made heroes and villains all the time, it make us as a whole over look what is going on and how many opinions there are on how to fix it. That is the first reason I liked the book. Mitt Romney clearly spells out what is wrong, what others think should be done and then what he thinks needs to be done; on everything from global warming to education to foreign policy to families.

Second, he is not a career politician, he made his living, very successfully doing something else, and has the experience to apply it to US problems today.

Third, I feel like I am much better informed about all the various things happening while I am at home raising my kids. I think I should care more about politics because people have very different ideas on how this country should be run, and I should have an informed say by how I vote.

Specifically I liked what he had to say on education, families, entitlements, immigration, the military, and foreign policy. I have heard reported in he news that mitt has no plan, I very much doubt that.

I read Obama's book 4 years ago, he had really great things to say too. I don't think he is a villian, i do believe he is doing what he thinks is right for America. There is a difference in saying really great things to get elected and then being able to follow through. I hope Mitt gets elected and I hope is is able to follow through, not because i think he is a hero but because i have the audacity to hope and believe that things can and should be better not only now but in the near and far future for America.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Mitt Romney at his book signing in May and finally finished his book. The first couple of chapters or so focus on lessons from history, past nations that have flourished and then failed, and how we as Americans can and should learn from their mistakes so that we can continue to be a strong, leading nation. His viewpoint that American strength is essential, not just for Americans but for freedom-loving countries all over the world, resonated with me. He points out that there are four strategies for world leadership that are in competition today to become the world leader/influence (China, Russia, North America, and violent jihad-ism). He goes into great depth about each strategy; their viewpoints, current economic status, what actions they are taking, etc. And out of the four, only one is founded on freedom--economic freedom and political freedom. In his words, "Think of what that means." "A strong America is good for peace, and it is essential for the spread of freedom." He warns, however, that the other strategies are aggressively trying to surpass us and even suppress us and what we stand for.
No Apology seems to be an extension to his political campaign from 2008, because he also addresses several of the problems that (he feels) America faces today; namely, health care, education, the economy, the family, national security, etc. He explains his thoughts on why the problems exist, offers in-depth solutions and why he feels that those solutions will work. I found it very interesting and informative; it gave me a better understanding of who Mitt Romney is and where he stands on each issue.
I highly recommend his book.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book, because even though I liked Mitt, I didn't know enough about him. This book, written by himself, is an overview of his main policy opinions. Ironically, I had just emailed the White House a few weeks earlier to show my distaste of Obama apologizing to Afganistan for the mishap with our troops. Obama has apologized in shame on many differenct occasions even though Americans have lost countess lives and paid a high monetary price to help democracy reign at home and abroad. Mitt calls his book "No Apology" because, while he recognizes mistakes do happen, he his proud of America. He's proud of our intentions globally and historically.
He has a good understanding of history as well as current global politics. For example, why do we support free trade with China, when China does nothing to back the US pollitically? This is a good question that I had not considered. China supports the US in word only. The don't do anything to support us. Because I was in the middle of this book, I paid attention to what happened just a couple weeks ago. The US asked China to support us in trying to get North Korea not to do their "shuttle lauch" which was feared to be a "nuclear launch." China refused. North Korea sent their lauch against our wishes.
As a former economics major, I can say that I love his economic policy ideas and I believe he is the one who can pull our economy out of it's current 16 trillion dollar debt load. Mitt is pragmatic. He is conservative.
This book is current and well thought out. Mitt loves America. He loves the Founding Fathers. He loves the Consitution. He loves freedom. After reading this book, I love Mitt.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love him, hate him, or something in between, you can usually count on Mitt Romney giving a straight answer - in interviews, in debates, and in his new book. Mitt is an analytical guy, a competence that serves him well as he describes the vital issues facing America today and how we as a nation should deal with them. In the course of the book, we also learn the highlights of his past and personal life and how his experiences have shaped his beliefs.

Sometimes the book isn't real exciting, as a number of other reviewers have mentioned, but that somewhat is the nature of a book like this. There are a number of nuggets, however, and he surprises us with the occasional self-deprecating quip. In talking about demographics he says that "sixty is the new fifty - at least that's what I keep telling myself."

I think it is pretty obvious that No Apology is part of Mitt's Presidential resume for 2012, and as such, I think it succeeds pretty well. Most other similar books are much less substantial. Recommended for those who are engaged in civic affairs and for those who want to know about our aspiring national leaders.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know now who i wish was our current President. Mitt Romney is a true American Patriot, who not only is informed of our nation's great history, but also a capable and trained buisiness man. His concern is for America to remain the leading nation in the world in respect to the economy, military, and the freedom a true democracy allows it's people. I gained an enormous amount of insight to the world of politics from reading this book. It is sad to see government officials in office who are not there to serve the people, but rather to serve their own popularity contest.

After finishing this book I have made a new resolve to stay informed of our nation's current situations and past historical data. One of the ways Mitt Romney believes we can maintain our status as a world leader is by keeping the young generations informed and proactive. I know, as a young teenager, I was not in the slightest interested in the political agendas during that time, and did not reap the benefits that could have been mine by staying informed.