A Book Review of Herbert Hoover's, "The Cabinet and the Presidency"
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Date Published: August 8, 2025
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A Review of Herbert Hoover's Memoir: "The Cabinet and the Presidency"
- Reviews of the Day: 1952 & 2015
- Selected Insights from Hoover's “The Cabinet and the Presidency”
- This Author’s Thoughts on Hoover's “The Cabinet and the Presidency"
Reviews of the Day: 1952 & 2015
In 1952, George Rothwell Brown of The San Francisco Examiner wrote a review of Herbert Hoover's "The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover: The Cabinet and the Presidency." In this review Mr. Brown wrote:
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“Herbert Hoover is doing what no other President of the United States has ever done, the writing of an exact and comprehensive compilation of the constructive accomplishments of his entire career as an official of the Government and a statesman.
“A number of other Presidents, and an even greater number of gentlemen who aimed at but missed the Presidency, have left to posterity stories of achievements—largely political in character. Mr. Hoover, in the second volume of his memoirs, which has just been published, has done a great deal more than this. Political intrigue, kitchen cabinet gossip, and historical sidelights have little place in the former President’s notable addition. …
“Here is the plain, unvarnished tale of an able and conscientious American citizen who took up in turn as they were presented innumerable problems, devoted himself to them with unflagging zeal and ability, and now is leaving this record for the student and historian. … “The thing which strikes one most strongly in reading these pages is the deep rooted sense of public service which has characterized Herbert Hoover since the first assignments were allotted to him. His practical genius was the development over a long period of years which reached its height perhaps during the time he was Secretary of Commerce.” |
Herbert Hoover as the
U.S. Commerce Secretary. |
Herbert Hoover with King Albert, Queen Elizabeth and Crown Prince Leopold.
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In 1952, Leon F. Sensabaugh of The Binghamton News wrote a review of Herbert Hoover's "The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover: The Cabinet and the Presidency" entitled “Hoover Continues the Story.” In this review Mr. Sensabaugh wrote:
“This work, subtitled ‘The Cabinet and the Presidency,’ is the second volume of the reminiscences of former President Herbert Hoover. The book covers: (1) Hoover’s return to the United States after his magnificent relief work in Europe, (2) the fight for the ratification of the Versailles treaty, (3) the campaign of 1920, (4) his services as a member of the Harding and Coolidge cabinets, and (5) most of the phases of his presidential term. “Hoover relates his story in a matter-of-fact manner. … While an objective treatment is usually desirable, a certain amount of ‘color’ can add to the value and interest of any memoirs. "Hoover moved among the political giants and pygmies of the 1920’s and yet the former president rarely attracts the interest of the reader with moving descriptions of these post-war characters. There are a few exceptions but not many.” |
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In 2015, Bruce Kauffmann of The Lebanon Daily News wrote a review of Herbert Hoover's "The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover: The Cabinet and the Presidency" entitled simply “Herbert Hoover.” In this review Mr. Kauffmann wrote:
“History’s most unfair treatment of Hoover is its inattention to his life before he was president. “An engineer who parlayed his talents into immense wealth, Hoover was an organizational genius, which is why, after World War I, Hoover was tasked – actually, he volunteered – with caring for the millions of Europeans left homeless and starving in that war’s wake “Hoover’s Commission for Relief in Belgium, and his later American Relief Commission, helped ensure the recovery and reconstruction of war-ravaged nations across the European continent, earning Hoover the nickname ‘The Great Humanitarian.’ “It also earned him The New York Times’ designation as one of the ‘Ten Most Important Living Americans.’ ” [see note just following this statement] |
Front dust cover of "The Cabinet and the Presidency."
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As a footnote to the above statement, this author was unable to find any New York Times "Ten Most Important Living Americans" listing in its archives. A. W. Shaw, though, did a survey in 1926 in which Herbert Hoover was rated second: [here].
Selected Insights from Hoover's “The Cabinet and the Presidency"
- Providing Information to Adjust Your Opinion of the Early Herbert Hoover
One of the best sections of this book to “adjust your perceptions” of Herbert Hoover is “Chapter 6: Postwar Need of the United States for Reconstruction.” This is a section of only ten pages but is a wonderful reminder of how detailed our former President was and the concern he carried for his fellow man—American, European and worldwide, by elaborating on the “issues” he saw that needed correcting after World War I.
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“I insisted that we must push machines and not men and provide every safeguard of health and proper leisure. I listed the great wastes: (1) failure to conserve properly our national resources; (2) strikes and lockouts; (3) failure to keep machines up to date; (4) the undue intermittent employment in seasonal trades; (5) the trade-union limitation on effort by workers under the illusion that it would provide more jobs; (6) waste in transportation; (7) waste in unnecessary variety of articles used in manufacture; (8) lack of standard in commodities; (9) lack of cooperation between employers and labor; (10) failure to develop our water resources; and a dozen other factors.
“I insisted that these improvements could be effected without governmental control, but that the government should cooperate by research, intellectual leadership, and prohibitions upon the abuse of power.” It is absolutely amazing what Herbert Hoover accomplished in his four-year tenure as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Coolidge. A picture of President Coolidge's cabinet follows in the next section.
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This Author’s Thoughts on Hoover's “The Cabinet and the Presidency”
One review above commented that “History’s most unfair treatment of Hoover is its inattention to his life before he was president.” After finishing Volume I and, now, Volume II of his memoirs, I wholeheartedly agree with this statement.
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Although history hangs The Great Depression like a ball-and-chain around Herbert Hoover’s Presidency, it is completely unremembered that he carried the relief efforts of Europe through and after World War I as the head of the Belgian Relief, and after that carried our country as the United States Secretary of Commerce through the Recession of 1920–21 (some refer to it as The Depression of 1920–21).
In order to understand this statement and start off with an understanding of Herbert Hoover’s contributions to international societies around the world before and during World War I, I highly recommended “Volume I: Years of Adventure.” [Link to the Volume I review] I recommend “Volume II: The Cabinet and the Presidency” of Herbert Hoover’s memoirs because it covers his time as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and offers insights into his contributions to our country during very difficult times after World War I. |
Herbert Hoover as U.S. Secretary of Commerce in President Coolidge’s Cabinet circa 1920–23. Standing far left.
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Both volumes are well written and full of very detailed information told in a sincere, almost humble way. One reviewer above says this work needs more “color.” I do not agree as too much color detracts from the details and inserts too much personal opinion of the author or his subject. This is an amazing record that Herbert Hoover puts forth for all Americans to understand what he accomplished as an American citizen representing the country.
In a major section entitled, “Reconstruction and Development of the United States,” Hoover outlines his contributions in short, concise individual sections that are highly informative. This is a great place to start with short reads … and then be pulled further into the work [A link to the chapter on "Better Children" is provided below]:
In a major section entitled, “Reconstruction and Development of the United States,” Hoover outlines his contributions in short, concise individual sections that are highly informative. This is a great place to start with short reads … and then be pulled further into the work [A link to the chapter on "Better Children" is provided below]:
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Pick one of these short chapters on your particular topic of interest and get pulled into the work! I highly recommend “Better Homes” and “Better Children” to understand his views on humanity and the relationship of government with business. Select “Better Children” from the list above to read this short section.
Another of Herbert Hoover’s memoirs I highly recommend. Good reading, and … Cheers, - Peter E. |
Herbert Hoover's "The Child's Bill of Rights"
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