FIRST DADS Parenting and Politics From George Washington to Barack Obama

What kind of record would James Garfield have had as president if he hadn't been assassinated? Joshua Kendall thinks it might have been a good one, judging from the way he played croquet with his kids and read to them. Kendall considers the parenting style of presidents, in categories such as playful, permissive, or authoritative. Johnny Heller's voice suggests a sharing of scoops, which can make serious Woodrow Wilson's warmer side at home seem more interesting. There's plenty of discussion of topics such as Grover Cleveland's infidelities, which can seem gossipy in Heller's voice. But overall, listeners will most likely feel admiration, not only for the presidents themselves but also for their families, whose lives were also forever altered by the job. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2016]