Book Review: The Good and Bad of Reagan

This new book on Reagan is a must-read. While the subject is foreign policy, Will Inboden goes into great detail on how President Reagan planned and executed the strategy that eventually bankrupted the Soviet Union and ended the Cold War as we knew it then.

But the book is not just for those interested in politics or policy, it is a fascinating description of how Grand Strategy plays out. Understanding strategy is as important for someone in business as well as government.

My big takeaways:

- Diplomacy and compromise require being able to focus on the end goal and accepting short-term losses or delays to get to where you want to go. (RR often allowed horrible dictators to stay in power if they opposed Soviet Communism)

- Difficult negotiation should always start with where there are agreements. Even if little “outside” progress is visible, getting someone to agree on even the smallest point can be critical. (That’s how he started all engagements with Gorbachev)

- The book also covers how much the Soviets and Americans (i.e. all world powers) use media outlets and fake “protest groups” to sway an adversary. Especially by focusing on its people. Sound familiar?

- I walked away with a better understanding of how Reagan was a visionary and a communicator, but not much of a manager. His leadership trait to leave big decisions sometimes vague allowed for confusion and often room for people to interpret his decision in a warped way for their own good. (i.e. Iran-Contra).

Overall a great book and a wonderful read. To better understand where we are in the world today, it’s important to know how the 1980s shaped that path.

It was also praised by The Wall Street Journal as one of the best political books of 2022. Other folks I have long admired praised it including Graham Allison, Sec Robert Gates, and John Lewis Gaddis.

And it includes passages about ADM Bob Inman, now a legend here in Austin, and The LBJ School of Public Affairs.