In his early adult years, Grover Cleveland became a lawyer and it was not expected he would go much further than that. However, in a short time, he felt the pull of politics. Within fifteen years, Cleveland would become a sheriff, mayor, governor and then President of the United States. In all these positions, he held firm to doing what he told the people he would do and holding himself and others to being honest and act principled toward the people.
As a politician, Cleveland felt government must be limited, yet an economic depression, labor unrest, and the forces of American imperialism would force him to push his presidential powers to the limit. As he did, he alienated many in government, including his own Democratic party. Cleveland would go on to lose his second nomination for the presidency but would capture it in his third. He is the only president to accomplish this.
Cleveland reshaped the civil service in government, turning it from patronage to one that was earned by merit, reshaped monetary policy, regulated the railroad, and attempted to reduce tariffs. The chapters on this are easy to understand and do not bog down the reader in technical words or terms. Overall, the book is enjoyable and can easily be heard or read in a day or less.
