New book includes 150 essays on the life and faith of George HW Bush – Baptist News Global

For 25 years Jean Becker sat in the front row into the life of former President George HW Bush as his Chief of Staff. For her, her work was a calling that she enjoyed, not just a job serving one of the most famous people in the world.

From this long-standing experience, Becker wrote Character Matters: And Other Life Lessons from George HW Bush.

The book features stories from 150 friends and influential leaders, from former Vice President Dan Quayle to former President Bill Clinton, describing what they experienced from the former president.

Jean-Becker

“I wrote to his friends, his colleagues, former employees, family members, of course, and I said, “Can you tell me a story? Can you write an essay that describes either President Bush’s character or something you learned from him?” And I think I ended up having 156 different contributors to this book.

“It includes everyone from some of his counterparts, men like John Major from Great Britain, to former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, to Secretary James Baker, who wrote the foreword. Dan Quayle wrote the afterword. There were Democrats there too, from former President Clinton to Nancy Pelosi to the young man who mowed the lawn at Walker’s Point.”

Becker wanted the book to not only reflect the former president’s character but also celebrate his ability to build good relationships with others, particularly by telling stories that reflect his desire to include women and people of color, including people like Condoleezza Rice, who also contributed to the book.

“One of the things I learned and it starts with Condi Rice’s story in the very first chapter, … he was way ahead of his time when it came to the treatment of women in the workplace. He came of age in the 1950s when, let’s face it, the workplace was reserved for white men.

“Condi tells an amazing story in the very first chapter. She was a young black woman who was asked to join his national security team because she was a Sovietologist. She was an expert on everything related to the Soviet Union, and he chose her and introduced her to Mikhail Gorbachev when they first met at the summit in Malta. Condi points out that the former president said this in a very loud voice, he wanted everyone on the American and Soviet sides to hear him. He said to Mikhail Gorbachev, ‘I listened to him, Mikhail, on all matters related to the Soviet Union.'”

According to Becker, he was also ahead of his time when it came to identifying people with leadership qualities.

Becker’s own connection Her career with the Bush family began with a career in journalism. She became press secretary to First Lady Barbara Bush and editor for her book projects. After President Bush left the White House, Becker served as his chief of staff.

This was an interim position, perhaps for a year, to sort things out after the re-election defeat in 1992.

“I didn’t know him at all in the White House,” she said. “I was way too low-ranking to know him. I didn’t know him at all. He called me in. He said, ‘Jean, Barbara thinks you could help, maybe just to fill in the gaps. I have to figure out who to hire as my next chief of staff. But could you? Barbara thinks you could maybe just make sure the trains run on time.'”

She became more than just a place filler, He served the former president for 25 years until his death.

“His faith was incredible,” she said. “This won’t surprise you, but it was very touching. He wasn’t afraid of death. I called the last chapter ‘A New Beginning.’ And this is the chapter subtitled ‘Faith.’ I called it ‘A New Beginning’ because that’s really how the Bushes both viewed dying. They had such a deep faith in God and a deep faith in heaven. Towards the end they were both ready to go and they talked about it very openly.”

When Becker began researching and writing the book, she initially thought the former president was not an advisor like his wife. However, he was someone whose actions spoke louder than his words. This enhanced his character in Becker’s eyes.

“He was not a great counselor. Unlike his wife, you rarely heard him say, ‘Let me give you some advice.’ President Bush led by example. His favorite quote is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: ‘Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.'”

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