17 Great Books About American Presidents for Presidents' Day Weekend [The New York Times] "There's nothing like a big juicy presidential biography when you're looking for guidance about history's long and hard lessons. We've selected some of our favorites by and about presidents from the past few decades — and including one that reaches back into the 19th century. Here's to an inspiring Presidents' Day weekend."
• 10 Books About U.S. History To Make You Laugh, Cry, And Think This Presidents Day Weekend [Bustle]
"So, Presidents Day is kind of a vague celebration. The federal holiday is officially called "Washington's Birthday," so... are we just celebrating George Washington? Washington and Lincoln? All of the presidents we've ever had, or just the ones we like (how are they all going to agree on a cake)? A lot of us probably feel like screaming into the void or spontaneously bursting into flames at the thought of having to celebrate our current president. So, rather than worshiping our elected officials, let's spend Presidents' Day doing what appears to be our current president's least favorite activity: reading. Here are a few books on U.S. history to read this Presidents' Day weekend."
• The Fix's List of Best Presidential Biographies [The Washington Post]
"Last week, we renewed our call out to Fix readers to help us identify the best presidential biographies for each of the nation's 43 presidents. Fix readers delivered, helping us compile a comprehensive list, with plenty of time left in the holiday shopping season! Below is our complete list, culled from reader input via Twitter and the comments section on The Fix. We've included more choices for some presidents than others, because in some cases, there are just too many good reads to chose from."
• 44 Presidents, 43 Biographies, One Surprising Take-Away [The Washington Post]
"It started innocently: I saw a TV show, then read the book it was based on. The book, David McCullough's "John Adams," wasn't exactly a page turner. But to understand John Adams, it seemed I would have to read a book about George Washington. So I did. And, to understand the first two presidents, it seemed I would also have to read a book about the third: Thomas Jefferson. So I did. After that, it seemed I'd developed a new habit. I blew through biographies on the big names — James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson — then plunged into a presidential dead zone. I'm talking about the forgotten occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. who crowd dusty histories of America before the Civil War. No one makes Oscar-winning movies starring Daniel Day-Lewis about Martin Van Buren, Zachary Taylor or Millard Fillmore. Few know what they look like — even when they have cool sideburns. After reaching the president everybody loves to love — Abraham Lincoln — I kept going."
• Every Book Barack Obama Has Recommended During His Presidency [Entertainment Weekly]
"Whether he's reading to kids at the White House, hitting up local bookstores on Black Friday, or giving recommendations to his daughters, President Barack Obama may as well be known as the Commander in Books. POTUS is an avid reader and recently spoke to the New York Times about the significant, informative and inspirational role literature has played in his presidency, crediting books for allowing him to "slow down and get perspective." With his presidency coming to an end this Friday, EW looked back at Obama's lit picks over the years — because it can't hurt to read like a great leader. #ObamaForBookClubPresident2017, anyone?"
• Recommended Reading for President Trump [The Guardian]
"There are many things to be said about Donald Trump, who is sworn in as US president on Friday. But none of them have much to do with books. In fact, one suspects, he has no appetite for books – apart from his own biography, The Art of the Deal, which he frequently plugs as his favourite reading, alongside the Bible. It is one of many ways in which he contrasts with his predecessor Barack Obama, who this week gave an interview to the New York Times in which he revealed the debt he owes to reading. Not only had it helped him "slow down and get perspective", he said, it also helped him "get inside somebody else's shoes". Obama cites literary influences that range from Shakespeare to Nelson Mandela through to Chinese author Liu Cixin's post-apocalyptic The Three-Body Problem. "My day-to-day problems with Congress seem fairly petty," he said, in comparison with invasion by aliens. Perspective is everything."
• Books for Future Presidents [UC Berkeley]
"Welcome to Berkeley. We're sending you something that you don't need to figure out, fill out, or even respond to. Every summer, we send new UC Berkeley freshmen a list of books suggested by various people on campus. This is not an "official" list, or even a list of required reading. It's just for you to enjoy as you wish. Borrowing from Professor Richard Muller's popular course, "Physics for Future Presidents," this year we have chosen the topic "Books for Future Presidents." We have asked faculty from all over campus to recommend books that future leaders of any group—countries, cities, companies, organizations, community groups—should be sure to read. You'll see that the suggestions range widely: history, poetry, fiction, hints for travelers, to name a few."
• The Favorite Books of All 44 Presidents of the United States [Buzzfeed]
• What three books would you make required reading for US Presidents, if you could? Why? [Reddit]