Goodwin points to presidential traits in new book

Dr. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a historian, professor at Harvard, and an award-winning author. Her writings have, for the most part, been biographical about several presidents. Perhaps the most famous of her books is "A Team of Rivals" about Lincoln and his cabinet. I have been reading her more recent book about Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. All four served during periods of unrest in the U.S. and the world. Kearns latest book to address, "Leadership: In Turbulent Times."

Goodwin presents little-known facts about Abraham Lincoln. Those facts help to present a more-complete picture of the president. Lincoln grew up dirt poor and largely self-educated with only sporadic attendance when his father needed him for labor on his farm. Lincoln had a phenological memory and retained much of what he learned when listening to adult conversations. He also was reading constantly from a young age and retained that information. He was always more educated than others of the same age.

He learned law as a stepping stone considering it as a route into politics. He developed his style of public speaking and would introduce himself to all he met. He would use humor to keep the attention of those listening with the stories he remembered from his youth. At the conclusion of each story Lincoln would laugh harder than his audience.

Abraham Lincoln was a principled man who idolized George Washington, as he raised his station in life from one of extreme poverty to become the leader and a savior of the country. Goodwin believed Lincoln was endowed with qualities found in many great leaders. Common among these people were intelligence, empathy, ambition, kindness, intelligence, humor and humility.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.