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“You’re not a real candidate, Pinocchio, if you haven’t written your own book,” Mark Halperin, political director of ABC News, once said. Indeed, these days the one – perhaps only – condition all serious presidential candidates seem to satisfy is publishing their own book, whether it’s a rags-to-riches memoir, a political manifesto, or a motivational manual. While plenty of political lit is ghost-written pabulum, some titles pop with personality, authenticity, or just plain good writing. Here’s our pick of the five best books by 2012 presidential hopefuls.
2. Newt Gingrich’s “Winning the Future” is the most erudite
Newt Gingrich’s Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract with America is the most erudite. A history professor by training, Gingrich is the GOP’s intellectual powerhouse, its unofficial “philosopher king,” and the author of 23 books. The original “Contract with America,” which Gingrich cowrote, was one of the most popular of modern political manifestos. Gingrich, unafraid to take on the big issues, packs plenty of vision into this latest book as well.
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