Presidential Temperament: The Unfolding of Character in the Forty Presidents of the United States/With Supplement

by Ray Choiniere, David W Keirsey, Stephen E Montgomery (Editor)

Twenty of the American Presidents were Guardians, fourteen were Artisans, eight were Rationalists, and none were Idealists. Half of them did what was sanctioned by law, the rest did what would get the job done, with or without legal authority. Their inborn temperament and acquired methods for getting results pre-determined their results before, during, and after their presidency. The authors say temperament dominates circumstances in determining presidential behaviour, in war and peace, in prosperity and depression, in domestic and foreign politics.

Genres: History, Politics, Psychology

609 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1992

Reviews

[Riq Hoelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the combination of psychology and history. If you find both interesting, you should definitely get this book. And you can contact the publisher to get an update that includes Bill Clinton. Other errors not mentioned by the previous reviewers include that the pictures for W.H. Harrison and J. Buchanan are actually swapped, that it has W.H. Harrison born in 1793 and married in 1775 and that John Quincy Adams's middle name is once spelled "Qunicy". Another curious thing: it appears that the book was written as if the presidents were to be discussed in chronological order, then later changed to group them by types. I think the latter was a better idea, but some references were left which seem to indicate the prior ordering.

[Joshua Authement · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was very insightful and gave me a better understanding of each president. The only qualm I have with the book is that at times the pages on certain presidents felt drawn out and lengthy while others were quick and simple, otherwise I'd give this book a five-star rating. I think many should read it if they wish to both understand the presidents better and to learn more about the four personality temperaments.