Touching Woodward and Bernstein

                                            

Books can't convey more than what is written between the covers. The author’s voice ends once the last page is read.  What you read in the book is what you get. But what makes a novel influential is when a book ignores the status quo of the above statements and trail blazes its own story, one that can reach the reader. Most books can’t do that, which helps explain why a majority of the people that read them put them down half way through or finish reading the book with a sour taste in their mouth.  

All the President’s Men is one of those books that does more than tell a story in print, it is a book that reaches the excellence of what this country is about, the idea of free will. Although to most people it might be a perforating novel that only touches base on the Watergate scandal of 1972, it actually is a book that you have to open up to. And sure the book isn’t going to play a game of basketball or hang out with you on the weekends but it’s more than that. It’s the “book that changed America,” or at least the back cover can take credit for that. Behind the real life account of the two men who brought the Watergate scandal into to the mainstream, -- and in doing do, shook up the entire wellbeing of the very Democracy we live in—the book doesn’t just tell you how it happened, it shows you through the minds of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

“Woodstein” (the conglomeration of both names) are two dysfunctional, young journalists with the Washington Post that are just trying to survive through their intense job of metro reporters. You’ll feel that part for sure; these guys show the meaning of rancor, almost better than two five year olds refusing to get along.

But eventually these two figure it out and grow fond of each other by the end, and with good reason. How cute huh? An encyclopedia or a textbook could teach you about the Watergate scandal, sure. It can give you all the important dates, information and documents. But what separates the encyclopedias and textbooks from All the President’s Men is the voice of Woodward and Bernstein.

A textbook can’t tell you that both reporters were scared as you know what of the Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee. A textbook can’t show you the hard work and hundreds of hours that these guys put in to uncover this wonderful scandal. No, all it can say is Woodward and Bernstein found out about illegal activity being performed out of the White House and that’s about it. Sure, Woodward and Bernstein found Howard Hunt, one of the five buglers of the Watergate building, making phone calls to the White House when he wasn’t supposed to, but how? Who did he make the call? Who was it to?

A textbook can’t answer those questions but with Woodward and Bernstein telling you first hand, you’ll get those questions confirmed. This book might not be for everybody, surely it isn’t, but if someone is brave enough to give it a try, they will learn something new for sure but more importantly they will feel Woodward and Bernstein first hand. Maybe they won’t get to touch their hand literally but it would come pretty close. Some books, even award winning novels, can’t provide that, they are only as much as what’s written on the page. But All the President’s Men proves that it can, just look at this article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/articles/080974-3.htm) and you’ll know why.