© National Journal Group Inc.
Thursday, July 5, 2007

This is the second in a series of reviews on books written by the 2008 presidential contenders. See the Well-Read Wonk archives for more reviews. By Mike Huckabee ISBN 159-99-5704-3 Center Street 196 pp. Purchase This Book

With his 2007 book, "From Hope To Higher Ground: 12 STOPs To Restoring America's Greatness," Mike Huckabee has solidified his role as the Dr. Phil of the 2008 presidential race. It's the GOP presidential candidate's second book modeled as a thinking man's self-help guide, and while it's heavy on platform and policy points, "From Hope To Higher Ground" reads like an attempt to boost America's self-esteem through folksy wisdom and good old-fashioned tough love.

The former Arkansas governor's self-deprecating sense of humor -- a refreshing trait in someone vying for the most important job in the world -- comes through early. "I'm pretty sure this book would have been better had it been ghost-written by someone else," Huckabee starts out in the "Acknowledgements" page. But that point's debatable. By allowing his plain-spoken style to come through in the pages of "From Hope To Higher Ground," the former Baptist preacher lends credence to his image as a feel-good, common-sense conservative.

Borrowing the "12 STOPs" format he used to advocate weight loss and healthy living in his first tome, Huckabee divides "From Hope To Higher Ground" into a dozen chapters based on the 12 things he believes Americans need to stop doing "before new and better choices and habits can be developed." That formula may sound like a negative approach for someone plugging a message of hope, but Huckabee generally spends more time in the book offering solutions than diagnosing problems. Huckabee frames each chapter by describing ways he has employed the "STOPs" in his own life and career and how his experiences have informed his views on everything from education and health care to taxes and trade.

Throughout the book, Huckabee discusses tackling issues with a bridge-building approach that resembles the philosophy often associated with Democratic candidate Barack Obama. (Perhaps it's no coincidence that the two candidates touch on similar themes in their most recent books.) For example, Huckabee devotes an entire chapter to his plea for Americans to "stop the heat and turn on the light for hot issues," such as immigration, gun control and abortion. On each topic, Huckabee respectfully acknowledges the opposition's view (sometimes even agreeing on certain points) while laying out his own position in well-reasoned terms.

Huckabee also exudes an ability to bridge partisan divides when he describes working with the mostly Democratic Legislature as governor of Arkansas just a few years after Bill Clinton vacated the office. Huckabee and Clinton may be worlds apart on the issues, but they share one common bond: roots in the small Arkansas town of Hope, which is echoed in the title (and as a theme) of Huckabee's book.

With the primary debates focused on Iraq, national security, immigration and, often in Huckabee's case, religion, the book offers a useful window into the candidate's down-home prescriptions for domestic issues and for restoring "America's prestige" abroad. While some of his topic choices are predictable for a GOP presidential candidate ("STOP Robbing The Taxpayers"), others are riskier ("STOP Abusing Our Planet" and "STOP The Revenge-Based Criminal Justice System").

But for each problem he describes, Huckabee doesn't spend a lot of time outlining what the government can do to help. Rather, he closes each chapter with 12 steps readers can take on an individual basis to improve America, ranging from civic involvement ("attend a school board meeting") to countering the counterculture ("watch classic films made before 1968"). The result is a kind of grassroots conservative's guide to achieving the American Dream -- one that may resonate well with GOP voters hungry for a return to old-school conservative values.

--Irene Tsikitas, NationalJournal.com