Coolidge by {author}: summary and why it matters

What it argues

Shlaes follows Coolidge from his boyhood in Vermont through Amherst, local politics in Massachusetts and the governorship, where his firm handling of the 1919 Boston police strike made him famous. As vice president he succeeded Harding in 1923 and cleaned up the scandals of that administration.

His presidency, she says, was marked by thrift: he worked to cut federal spending and taxes, reduced the national debt and vetoed bills for farm subsidies. The economy grew rapidly in the twenties, and she credits his policies in part. She also tells of his marriage to Grace, the death of his son Calvin Jr. in 1924 and his reserved personality.

Critics argue she overstates the role of policy in the boom and underplays the weaknesses that emerged in 1929.

Why it matters

The biography rehabilitated a president many had written off as a do-nothing, and it presents restraint as a virtue in an age of activist government. Conservatives who admire fiscal discipline often cite it.

About the author

Coolidge, published in 2013, followed Shlaes's The Forgotten Man, in which Coolidge appears as a precursor. Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) was the thirtieth president and served from 1923 to 1929. He was known as Silent Cal, and was famous for few words. His Autobiography, written in 1929, is short and plain, and is worth reading beside Shlaes's book.

Who should read it

Readers interested in presidents and in the case for small government.