Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power | Jon Meacham | Talks at Google

Comments · 85

• RO

  @rockstarr9000 · 13 years ago

  I went to college with Jon.  He is as brilliant now as he was then.

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• HE

  @Heraclitean · 13 years ago

  I envy people like Meacham, who can answer the question, "Does there need to be yet another book about Jefferson?" with an unproblematic, unhesitating "Yes, and I shall write it."

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• SA

  @saturnstongue · 13 years ago

  I read the remainder of the book this week while having a cough/fever. Absolutely displayed accuratemy to the mind and long life. It researched heavily into numerous Jeffersonian images that I couldn't believe we're found, especially his fascination in balloons under his administration.

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• WI

  @wildbudda · 8 years ago

  He's great. Wow, what a tough crowd though! No one is laughing at his jokes which are pretty funny!

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• GL

  @gls600 · 9 years ago

  What I love about Jefferson is the willingness he showed to set aside dogma in order to accomplish the purchase French Louisiana. Today it seems that politicians would rather see the country fall apart rather than compromise on positions that stem from their world view.

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• US

  @USCPSC-uz6yl · 10 years ago

  I got the book yesterday and it's very informative and interesting. Jefferson is probably one of my favorite Presidents.

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• MA

  @margotadair1007 · 3 years ago

  Someone with JM’s knowledge of the past (of past presidents’ lives) should be an adviser to any sitting president. His knowledge of how past presidents dealt with issues is so on point. I like his commentary on Jefferson’s belief that civic engagement in politics should be met with compromise is important for the continuation of our republic. Meacham’s mention of G Washington’s letter to both Hamilton and Jefferson about their cutthroat dealings with each other endangered the new republic’s survival and making the country vulnerable to foreign enemies is so applicable to todays’ politics. Of how some elected leaders now see enemies of decades ago as not an enemy (i.e. Russia, North Kore, Nazism) and how Congress is at an impasse regarding governance for the entire country and focusing on partisan politics and the politization of government agencies is so scary and discouraging.

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• SA

  @Satyr_Art_Studio · 13 years ago

  49:15 This is a valuable point made here, and it touches on an important aspect of Google's current attempts at tuning and revising it's services; Google is currently practicing customizing search results, both in Google Search as well as in Youtube. Consequently individuals are being presented with self-reinforcing query results and denied alternate POV to evaluate. My wife & I already experience VASTLY different search results. We surprise each other with them daily. It's VERY disturbing.

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• WR

  @writethisthat3613 · 5 years ago

  fantastic, I really enjoyed this

• DE

  @dejure9178 · 8 years ago

  Here is a non-fringe commentary on this book.  Well-written, insightful biography that belongs in the recent pantheon of excellent biographies written on a number of Founders:  Adams and Hamilton come to mind.

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• JU

  @JustinUrban1 · 8 years ago

  What we are missing now is more intellectuals like Jon. Now people only listen to YouTube Political and Conspiracy theorists.

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• EA

  @earthman824 · 9 years ago

  "We did it for SEO"

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