John Kennedy

Faced with divided advisers, limited options, contradictory evidence, and the profound global consequences of their choices, how do presidents reach a decision in a time of crisis? As a speechwriter and close adviser to John F. Kennedy, Ted Sorensen, whom the New York Times referred to as Kennedy's "brilliant alter ego," drafted many of the president's key public statements and was a participant in some of the toughest decisions made by an American president. In the shadow of potential nuclear war, John F. Kennedy had to weigh, with extreme, sometimes excruciating delicacy, his options as he responded to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the construction of the Berlin Wall, and other domestic and foreign crises. In these famous lectures, Sorensen draws on his firsthand experiences in the Kennedy White House to analyze the political and personal dimensions of presidential decision-making and the necessary attributes of an effective leader. In particular, Sorensen emphasizes knowing and remaining open to all options; the need to make an informed, prudent, and resolute choice; the importance of avoiding any appearance of deception; and the necessity of understanding decisions made by past presidents and recognizing the limitations of presidential power. This edition includes a new preface by the author, comparing the very different decision-making styles of George W. Bush and John F. Kennedy. Sorensen argues that Bush's failure to seek support from the international community, explore all his options, and fully investigate the facts presented to him have contributed to U. S. difficulties in Iraq. In light of the findings of the 9/11 Commission and the numerous accounts of George W. Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq, Sorensen's observations offer timely insights and analysis as the United States and the American president confront a new set of challenges.

During the 1980s, the use of log-linear statistical models in behavioral and life-science inquiry increased markedly. Concurrently, log-linear theory, developed largely during the previous decade, has been streamlined and refined. An aim of this second edition is to acquaint old and new readers with these refinements. The most significant change that has occurred is the increased availability of user-oriented computer programs for the performance of log-linear analyses. During this period, all major statistical packages (i.e., BMDP, SAS, and SPSS) introduced either new or improved computer programs designed specifically for the specification and fitting of log-linear models. Consequently, the enhanced ability of practicing researchers to perform log-linear analyses has been accompanied by an enhanced need for didactic explanations of this system of analysis--for explanations of log-linear theory and method that can be readily understood by practitioners and graduate students who do not possess recondite backgrounds in mathematical statistics, yet who desire to obtain a level of understanding beyond that which is typically offered by cookbook approaches to statistical topics. Another aim of this second edition is to fulfill this need. As before, this edition has been prepared for readers who have had at least one intermediate-level course in applied statistics in which the basic principles of factorial analysis of variance and multiple regression were discussed. Also as before, to assist readers with modest preparation in the analysis of quantitative/categorical data, this edition will review topics in such relevant areas as basic probability theory, traditional chi-square goodness-of-fit procedures, and the method of maximum-likelihood estimation. Readers with strong backgrounds in statistics can skim over these preparatory discussions, contained largely in Chapters 2 and 3, without prejudice.