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WORK TITLE: JFK: A Vision for America
WORK NOTES: with Douglas Brinkley
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: New York
STATE: NY
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://www.harpercollins.com/cr-124665/stephen-kennedy-smith * http://www.icvgroup.org/advisor/stephen-kennedy-smith/ * http://www.harpercollinsspeakersbureau.com/speaker/stephen-kennedy-smith/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Son of Stephen Edward and Jean Kennedy Smith.
EDUCATION:Harvard University, B.A., 1979; Columbia University, J.D., 1984; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Ed.M., 1991.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author, investor, and entrepreneur. Principal, Park Agency–Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, New York, NY; member of board, John F. Kennedy Library and Joseph P Kennedy Foundation; partner, Kennedy Smith Sammaweera; partner, Emlink; US CEO, Valcent Technology. Co-founder and vice president, World Leadership Alliance. Former staff member, Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations committees; deputy campaign manager, Senator Edward Kennedy presidential and senatorial campaigns; youth coordinator, campaign of Mario Cuomo; member of New England steering committee, Obama presidential campaign. Lecturer, Sloan School of Management; fellow, Connection Science Group, MIT; member of advisory board, INCAE Business School. Consultant, Conflict Management Group, Organization of African Unity, World Bank, IDB, and others.
AWARDS:Received Danforth Award for excellence in teaching, Harvard University (three times).
POLITICS: DemocratWRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Stephen Kennedy Smith is the older son of Jean Kennedy Smith, the youngest sibling of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and Senator Ted Kennedy. Smith’s father, Stephen Edward Smith, was part of President Kennedy’s staff and served as the business manager of the Kennedy fortune—a tradition that the younger Smith continues as a principal with the Park Agency—Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises. “He has also served on the board of the John F. Kennedy Library, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, and the Congress on New Urbanism and the Northeastern University School of Public Policy,” reported a contributor to the Abana web site. “He has served on the staff of the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees,” declared a writer for the HarperCollins Speakers Bureau Website, who added that “Smith was Deputy Campaign Manager for Senator Edward Kennedy during his Presidential and Senatorial campaigns, Youth Coordinator for the campaign of Mario Cuomo, served on the New England Steering Committee for the Obama presidential campaign, and continues to be active in Democratic politics.” Currently, said a contributor to the ICV Group Website, “Stephen is … a lecturer at the Sloan School of Management in the visionary investing program, as well as a fellow at the Connection Science Group.”
Smith is the coeditor, along with Rice University professor of history Douglas Brinkley, of JFK: A Vision for America in Words and Pictures—a profusely illustrated collection of President Kennedy’s speeches, combined with essays about his impact and his legacy from contemporary world leaders, released to commemorate the centennial of his birth. Kennedy, whose term in office was cut short by his assassination in November 1963, became a symbol of an expansive postwar America, in which the ideals of the founders of the republic could finally be realized. “JFK, with his expansive intellect and charm,” stated Dan Kaplan in Booklist, “captured Americas imagination and portended the possibilities of a new era.” His idealism and skill as a negotiator, expressed in diplomatic successes like end of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and the 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty that followed, helped reduce tensions during one of the most dangerous stages of the Cold War. “Ultimately, the collection illustrates Kennedy’s wide-ranging knowledge and curiosity, sense of the importance of public service and international cooperation, belief in religious diversity, commitment to deliberate action and negotiation, respect for the position of the presidency, love of the country, and rich understanding and appreciation of its history,” concluded Lily Geismer in the Washington Post Book World. “Thus, if anything, JFK reminds us to heed Kennedy’s warning that `if we don’t know anything about our past, then we don’t really have any base from which to move in the days ahead.'”
In some ways, critics stated, JFK serves as a celebration of Kennedy’s life and work, which were cut short by his assassination. The “celebratory volume,” wrote William D. Pederson in Library Journal, “is … a useful compendium and reference tool for anyone interested in learning more about his presidency.” Smith and Brinkley’s work “is a book to spend quality time digesting,” said a reviewer for Bluejayblog. “For those of us who lived during the time of Kennedy, the book is more than a nostalgia trip; it’s an important record of the times. For people born after the Kennedy years, JFK provides an in-depth history of the nation in the middle of the 20th century. This is a book to be treasured.” “Amid the stream of JFK books,” declared a Kirkus Reviews contributor, “… this work should emerge as one of the most complete and useful.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2017, Dan Kaplan, review of JFK: A Vision for America in Words and Pictures, p. 10.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2017, review of JFK.
Library Journal, April 1, 2017, “JFK in Memory: Revisiting the 35th U.S. President, in Time for the Centennial of His Birth.” p. 99.
Washington Post Book World, May 8, 2017, Lily Geismer, “Assessing the Substance of Kennedy’s Presidency.”
ONLINE
Abana, https://www.abana.co/ (February 21, 2018), author profile.
Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/ (February 21, 2018), “Company Overview of K.S.S. Realty Partners, Inc.”
Bluejayblog, https://bluejayblog.wordpress.com/ (June 3, 2017), review of JFK.
HarperCollins Speakers Bureau Website, http://www.harpercollinsspeakersbureau.com/ (February 21, 2018), author profile.
ICV Group Website, http://www.icvgroup.org/ (February 21, 2018), author profile.
Stephen Kennedy Smith is a lecturer at the Sloan School of Management as well as a fellow at the Connection Science Group at MIT. He received his BA from Harvard University, JD from Columbia University, and EdM from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has served on the staff of the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations committees and is a three-time recipient of the Danforth Award for Excellence in Teaching at Harvard University. He continues to be active in Democratic politics and lives in New York City.
Stephen Kennedy Smith
Investor, Entrepreneur & Editor of JFK: A Vision for America
SPEAKING TOPICS
JFK ‘s Vision for America
Emerging Developments in Neuroscience – The Brain
Impact Investing
TRAVELS FROM
Massachusetts
More Media
Stephen Kennedy Smith is a principal at the Park Agency - Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, the Kennedy family office, and an investor and entrepreneur. In May 2017, JFK: A Vision for America (Harper) debuts, in which Smith, President John F. Kennedy’s nephew, and renowned historian Douglas Brinkley edited.
Published in commemoration of the centennial of President John F. Kennedy’s birth, JFK brings together in one volume John F. Kennedy’s greatest speeches alongside essays by America’s top historians, analysis from leading political thinkers, and personal insights from preeminent writers and artists. Here is JFK at his best—thought-provoking, inspiring, eloquent, and wise—on a number of wide-ranging topics, including civil rights, the race to the moon, the environment, immigration, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and much more. JFK demonstrates the deep relevance of his words today and his lasting power and influence as an outstanding American leader and orator. The august list of contributors includes Secretary John Kerry, Ambassador Samantha Power, Congressman John Lewis, Senator John McCain, Senator Elizabeth Warren, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Robert Redford, Conan O’Brien, Dave Eggers, Gloria Steinem, Don DeLillo, David McCullough, George Packer, Colum McCann, Michael Beschloss, Robert Dallek, David Kennedy, Ted Widmer, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Drew Faust, Tariq Ramadan, Pastor Rick Warren, Jonathan Alter, E. J. Dionne, Ron Suskind, Paul Krugman, Kofi Annan, Governor Jerry Brown, Paul Theroux, Jorge Domínguez, and many others.
Smith is currently a lecturer at the Sloan school of Management in the visionary investing program, as well as a fellow at the Connection Science Group at MIT. He currently involved as a board member, advisory board member or partner in a number of health care and technology businesses, including, Locomobi transportation, The Marwood Group- a healthcare-focused strategic advisory firm; Pear Therapeutics, a digital health care company Resolute Bio, and New Frontier Bio. His current investment and business focus is scaling innovative healthcare, and neuroscience companies. Smith is a board member of the John F. Kennedy Library, and The Joseph P Kennedy Foundation. He also serves on the advisory board at INCAE Business School. He is cofounder and vice president of the World Leadership Alliance, an organization of business and political leaders that promotes, democracy, international understanding and trade. Smith received his BA from Harvard University, J.D. from Columbia University, and MA Ed from Harvard University School of Education. He has served on the staff of the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees. Smith has taught in the advanced negotiation program at Harvard Law School and is a three-time recipient of the Danforth Award for excellence in teaching at Harvard University. He is also a recipient of the Lyndehurst Foundation Prize for social and artistic achievement.
Smith was Deputy Campaign Manager for Senator Edward Kennedy during his Presidential and Senatorial campaigns, Youth Coordinator for the campaign of Mario Cuomo, served on the New England Steering Committee for the Obama presidential campaign, and continues to be active in Democratic politics.
Praise for Stephen Kennedy Smith:
“Stephen’s highly personal, inspirational style of speaking engages audiences with a humanistic, inclusive, and relevant call to action for positive change.”
--David Shrier, Visionary Investing Workshop, MIT Sloan
“Stephen gave a compelling and interesting talk on the creative commitment of the Kennedy family to making an impact with their investments.”
--Usha Bhate - Executive Director, Institutional Investor
“Stephen is an experienced presenter and facilitator in the field of conflict and negotiation.”
--Douglas Stone, Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School
Stephen Kennedy Smith
Board Member and Principal, Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises
Stephen is a principal at Park Agency – Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, the Kennedy family office, and an investor and entrepreneur. He has served as a director or advisor to several companies, including Gridline Communications Holdings, Pear Therapeutics, Owl Biomedical, and LocoMobi. His current investment and business focus is scaling innovative healthcare, and neuroscience companies.
Stephen is a board member of the John F. Kennedy Library and The Joseph P Kennedy Foundation. He also serves on the advisory board at INCAE Business School. He is cofounder and vice president of the World Leadership Alliance, an organization of business and political leaders that promotes, democracy, international understanding and trade.
Stephen is currently a lecturer at the Sloan school of Management in the visionary investing program, as well as a fellow at the Connection Science Group at MIT. He holds an M.A. from Harvard University, a J.D. from Columbia University, and an M.A. Ed. from Harvard’s School for Education. He has served on the staff of the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees. He has taught in the advanced negotiation program at Harvard Law School and is a three-time recipient of the Danforth Award for excellence in teaching at Harvard University. He is also a recipient of the Lyndehurst Foundation Prize for social and artistic achievement.
Stephen was Deputy Campaign Manager for Senator Edward Kennedy during his Presidential and Senatorial campaigns, Youth Coordinator for the campaign of Mario Cuomo, served on the New England Steering Committee for the Obama presidential campaign, and continues to be active in Democratic politics.
Smith, Stephen Kennedy: JFK
(Mar. 15, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Smith, Stephen Kennedy JFK Harper/HarperCollins (Adult Nonfiction) $45.00 5, 2 ISBN: 978-0-06-266884-4
Smith (Sloan School of Management/MIT), John F. Kennedy's nephew, and Brinkley (History/Rice Univ.; Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America, 2016, etc.) assemble a large collection of material by and about the late president.Coinciding with the centennial of JFK's birth, May 29, this volume presents speeches and accompanying commentaries from a wide range of public figures. The book is organized chronologically, briefly covering JFK's early years, the senatorial period, 1960 presidential campaign, each of the three years in the White House, and finally his legacy. The famous speeches are included: the inaugural address, the televised update on the Cuban missile crisis, the vision for space exploration set forth at Rice University, the Ich bin ein Berliner speech, and the civil rights report of 1963. Less-well-known speeches also are here, including JFK's address to the New York Liberal Party, entitled "Definition of a Liberal," and the role of the artist in American society, delivered at Amherst College shortly before his death. The speeches are well-written, often elegant. They usually exuded optimism and provided a tutorial on the issues and offered solutions on the most important national challenges. Many are as timely today as they were more than a half-century ago. Enhancing these primary sources are analyses from such diverse analysts as presidential historians Robert Dallek and Michael Beschloss, politicians Elizabeth Warren and John McCain, and entertainers Dick Cavett and Robert Redford. The book is an unabashed celebration of JFK, but the speeches stand alone, and the commentary is insightful. The editors have assembled hundreds of complementary photos, most of them uncommon, enhancing the overall presentation, and the book is packed with other notable contributors, including George Packer, Norman Mailer, Dave Eggers, Joseph Ellis, Samantha Power, and Gloria Steinem. Amid the stream of JFK books to be released for the centennial, this work should emerge as one of the most complete and useful.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Smith, Stephen Kennedy: JFK." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A485105222/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e8a877dc. Accessed 13 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A485105222
JFK: A Vision for America in Words and Pictures
Dan Kaplan
113.16 (Apr. 15, 2017): p10+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
* JFK: A Vision for America in Words and Pictures. Ed. by Stephen Kennedy Smith and Douglas Brinkley. May 2017.496p. illus. Harper, $45 (9780062668844). 973.922.
Reading this collection of President John F. Kennedys speeches, published to mark the centennial of his birth, one can set aside his tragic fate and instead marvel over his vision of an equitable and interdependent future. Ascending to the presidency just 15 years after WWII and at the height of the Cold War, JFK, with his expansive intellect and charm, captured Americas imagination and portended the possibilities of a new era. Accompanying the speeches are essays by a veritable who's who of writers and luminaries, including the Dalai Lama, John Lewis, Kofi Annan, John Kerry, Elizabeth Warren, Jimmy Carter, Gloria Steinern, John McCain, and Henry Kissinger, who bring JFK's words and actions freshly to life. Coeditors Smith, JFK's nephew, and historian Brinkley (Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America, 2016) provide background chapters on JFK's personal and public life. The result is an extraordinary commemorative history filled with hundreds of formal and candid photos, along with notes, marginalia, letters, and artifacts highlighting JFK's and the Kennedy family's important role in shaping the twentieth century. This is an important addition to American-history and political-science collections.--Dan Kaplan
YA: A valuable resource for YAs. DK.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Kaplan, Dan. "JFK: A Vision for America in Words and Pictures." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2017, p. 10+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A492536081/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f52b4f3a. Accessed 13 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A492536081
JFK in memory: revisiting the 35th U.S. president, in time for the centennial of his birth
142.6 (Apr. 1, 2017): p99.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
* JFK: AVision for America. Harper. May 2017. 496p. ed. by Stephen Kennedy Smith & Douglas Brinkley. iIIus. bibliog. ISBN 9780062668844. $45; ebk. ISBN 9780062668851. HIST
For the centennial of President John F. Kennedy's birth on May 29, 1917, his nephew Smith (MIT Sloan Sch. of Management) collaborates with author and historian Brinkley (history, Rice Univ.; Rightful Heritage) to create this collection, complete with chapter narratives and time lines, dedicated to the leader's life and legacy. Included are more than 700 photographs covering Kennedy's birth to his death in 1963; over 30 of his best speeches; and more than 40 brief essays by contributors such as Congressman John Lewis, historian David McCullough, and the Dalai Lama. Seven chapters look at Kennedy's prepolitical experience, congressional career in the U.S. Senate, the 1960 presidential campaign, the New Frontier program in 1961, his focus as a "Goodwill Warrior" in 1963, and his enduring legacy. Although Kennedy served in the Oval Office for only three years, he set a positive agenda for the nation and the world and had the ability to inspire. VERDICT This celebratory volume is more than just a coffee-table book for Kennedy fans; it is also a useful compendium and reference tool for anyone interested in learning more about his presidency. [See Prepub Alert, 1l/14/16.]--William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport
Levingston, Steve. Kennedy and King: The President, the Pastor, and the Battle over Civil Rights. Hachette. Jun. 2017. 528p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780316267397.$28; ebk. ISBN 9780316267403. BlDG
In June 1960, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy (1917-63) met secretly with civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-68), seeking his endorsement. King demurred. He was wary of Kennedy's ambition and equivocal record on civil rights. Conversely, the privileged future president failed to grasp the moral exigency of the civil rights question. Kennedy and King spent the early 1960s building pressure on each other--King leading mass civil disobedience to awaken the conscience and moral courage of the president and America, Kennedy trying to protect protestors from white mobs as well as to contain the political tumult produced by King's protests. Hardheaded and ambitious, but also keen to grow into his office, Kennedy distilled the essence of his relationship with King into one simple sentence: "It helps me to be pushed." Three years into his presidency, Kennedy finally went all-in on civil rights, denouncing brutal police crackdowns on peaceful marchers and introducing new laws in Congress. VERDICT Biographers struggle to say anything new about Kennedy or King, but in this bracing dual biography, Levingston (little Demon in the City of light) adds an upbeat, humanistic flavor to the intersecting lives of his subjects. This book will hold wide appeal. [See Prepub Alert, 111l4/16.]--Michael Rodriguez, Univ. of Connecticut
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Oliphant, Thomas & Curtis Wilkie. The Road to Camelot: Inside JFK's Five-Year Campaign. S.& S. May 2017. 448p. iIIus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781501105562. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781501105586. HIST
After his unsuccessful attempt to earn the vice presidency in 1956, John F. Kennedy arguably served as a principal strategist, constructing a winning coalition of young campaigners, union members, party bosses, and fellow Catholics, among others. Included in this group of followers was Lou Harris, the first on staff presidential pollster. Boston Globe journalists Oliphant (Utter Incompetents) and Wilkie (The Fall of the House of Zeus) provide an in-depth narrative based on oral histories, personal interviews, and secondary sources. After campaigning on the Cold War missile gap and a lackluster economy, Kennedy, an inexperienced but persuasive senator from Massachusetts, become U.S. president in 1960. This analytical rather than celebratory work suggests Kennedy's win offers a replicable template of preparing early, securing print bylines and TV advertisements, serving as an agent for change, and quickly responding to verbal attacks. The authors add a new perspective to literature on Kennedy by focusing on his electioneering efforts rather than his persona and policy outcomes. VERDICT This book will interest everyone from history buffs to those nostalgic for the days of favorite-son candidates to readers interested in contested conventions. [See Prepub Alert, 11114/16.]--Frederick J. Augustyn Jr., Lib. of Congress, Washington, DC
Sandford, Christopher. Union Jack: JFK's Special Relationship with Great Britain. Univ. Pro of New England. Jun. 2017. 272p. iIIus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781611688528. $29.95; ebk. ISBN 9781512600933. HIST
Sandford (Harold and Jack) sets out to show how John F. Kennedy's formative experiences in Britain influenced his thinking as U.S. president and allowed him to strengthen the "special relationship" with the UK. From his early reading habits to his frequent experiences traveling to London with his father Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (U.S. ambassador to the UK), Kennedy developed a deep affinity for British art, theater, music, political traditions, and rhetoric. In person, he observed the effects of Britain's appeasement of Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler, World WarII's devastation, and Europe's reconstruction. Still in his early 20s, he befriended British aristocracy, who would continue as close friends for the rest of his life, including politician David Ormsby-Gore and socialite Deborah Mitford. This network of friends aided his decision-making on the signal issues of his presidency: the Suez Crisis, Cuban Missile Crisis, Berlin Wall, and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sandford records a number of Kennedy's sexual adventures and his endnotes contain unnamed private sources as well as archival and secondary ones. VERDICT A lively, well-researched book for readers whose interest in the era has been piqued by the 2016 film Jackie, Barbara Leaming's Kick Kennedy, and the TV series The Crown.-Paul A. D'Alessandro, Brunswick, ME
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"JFK in memory: revisiting the 35th U.S. president, in time for the centennial of his birth." Library Journal, 1 Apr. 2017, p. 99. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A488260016/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=23ebe628. Accessed 13 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A488260016
Book World: Assessing the substance of Kennedy's presidency
Lily Geismer
(May 8, 2017): News:
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Byline: Lily Geismer
JFK: A Vision for America
Edited by Stephen Kennedy Smith and Douglas Brinkley
Harper. 494 pp. $45
---
Writing on the 20th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's death, historian William Leuchtenburg in 1983 predicted, "Like the fair youth on Keats' Grecian urn, Kennedy will be ... 'for ever young,' beyond the power of time and the words of historians." "JFK: A Vision for America" commemorates the centennial of Kennedy's birth, and it is jarring to imagine that he might have been that old. The compilation of speeches, essays and remembrances, however, shows that Leuchtenburg's observation has not been entirely borne out. The book successfully opens Kennedy up to the assessment of present-day commentators and reveals both his historical significance and the relevance of his messages for our time.
Co-edited by Kennedy's nephew Stephen Kennedy Smith and historian Douglas Brinkley, "JFK" brings together truly impressive contributors from a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives and partisan affiliations. From Elizabeth Warren, Samantha Power, John McCain, Henry Kissinger and Paul Krugman to Gloria Steinem, Conan O'Brien, Dave Eggers and Robert Redford, the contributors offer compelling commentary on Kennedy's speeches.
It is clear that substantial time and thought went into the assembly and organization of this volume. In addition to the speeches and essays, the collection includes hundreds of formal and informal photographs of Kennedy, reproductions of personal ephemera such as report cards and annotated drafts of speeches, as well as timelines of key events in the history of the United States and the Kennedy family. The design at times makes "JFK" more closely resemble a scrapbook than an academic monograph. Still, the speeches and essays are filled with serious insights. Topics range from international development, globalization and fiscal policy to civil rights, art, religion and the environment, which together show the breadth of Kennedy's ideas and the extent of their impact.
Despite the array of pictures capturing Kennedy and his family's signature glamour and charisma, the structure of the book draws more attention to Kennedy's substance than to his style. By emphasizing his speeches, editors especially underscore Kennedy's love of language and ideas. The book's approach shines light on some of JFK's lesser-known remarks, such as his Senate speeches denouncing Western imperialism and as president calling for a more liberal immigration policy.
The book also invites new consideration of some of Kennedy's better-known speeches, such as his 1960 campaign address on religion. This plea for religious tolerance encompassed Kennedy's personal narrative, his grounding and knowledge of American history, and his utmost faith in the nation's fundamental principles. Corresponding essays by Tariq Ramadan, Rick Warren and the Dalai Llama illustrate the range of groups for which this speech continues to have resonance. Its warning that "today I may be the victim - but tomorrow it may be you" is particularly timely.
The collection emphasizes that Kennedy's "vision for America" was undeniably internationalist. The speeches and commentary reveal the ways in which his view of the United States' place in the world took shape against the backdrop of the Cold War. It combined the seemingly contradictory impulses of idealism and realism, humanitarianism and staunch anticommunism, international cooperation and tough-minded militarism.
The book only gingerly addresses Kennedy's role in the Vietnam War and the Cuban missile crisis, perhaps the two most controversial events and legacies surrounding his presidency. Readers will ultimately have to look elsewhere for more critical accounts of these topics (as well as Kennedy's somewhat checkered record on civil rights). "JFK" narrates the events of the Cuban missile crisis through McCain's participation in military blockades. It does not dwell on the internal dynamics of the Kennedy administration and which of its decisions contributed to bringing the nation to the brink of nuclear war. Instead, the book focuses on the lessons Kennedy learned from the crisis and how he turned toward advocating peace in the last year of his presidency. The powerful contribution by former secretary of state John Kerry shows how the crisis and its aftermath demonstrated Kennedy's keen understanding of the power and importance of diplomacy. Kerry contends that Kennedy's recognition that diplomacy is an "art, not a science," "hard work" and an act of "courage" ultimately makes his untimely death especially tragic.
Several of the contributors similarly focus on the sense of promise Kennedy embodied and his ability to kindle that promise in others, especially young people. A range of contributions show how his calls for action had a personal impact and shaped the career trajectories of not just public servants but authors, including David McCullough, Don DeLillo and Paul Theroux, who offers a particularly eloquent account of his experience as an early Peace Corps volunteer.
While the editors and contributors are careful to avoid wading into nostalgic celebration, a wistful tone pervades almost every essay, demonstrating how the volume itself is a product of the current moment in history. The majority of contributors remark on how Kennedy's ideas continue to resonate. At the same time, many stress how his positions on several issues - from respect for the media and academia to his understanding of the responsibility demanded by public service - contrast with those of our contemporary politicians. Warren forcefully suggests that we should continue to judge our public servants and their administrations by the yardstick Kennedy laid out in 1961, just before taking the oath of office, which stressed courage, judgment, integrity and dedication.
Ultimately, the collection illustrates Kennedy's wide-ranging knowledge and curiosity, sense of the importance of public service and international cooperation, belief in religious diversity, commitment to deliberate action and negotiation, respect for the position of the presidency, love of the country, and rich understanding and appreciation of its history. The book inevitably conjures up a stark contrast to the president who currently sits at the desk under which John F. Kennedy Jr. famously played. Thus, if anything, "JFK" reminds us to heed Kennedy's warning that "if we don't know anything about our past, then we don't really have any base from which to move in the days ahead."
---
Geismer is a professor of U.S. history at Claremont McKenna College and the author of "Don't Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party."
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Geismer, Lily. "Book World: Assessing the substance of Kennedy's presidency." Washington Post, 8 May 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491263643/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=fe79cb04. Accessed 13 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491263643
Real Estate Management and Development Company Overview of K.S.S. Realty Partners, Inc. Snapshot People Overview Board Members Committees Executive Profile Stephen E. Kennedy-Smith Jr. Partner, K.S.S. Realty Partners, Inc. Age Total Calculated Compensation This person is connected to 4 Board Members in 4 organization across 5 different industries. See Board Relationships 59 -- Background Mr. Stephen E. Kennedy-Smith, Jr. is a Founding Partner of K.S.S. Realty Partners, Inc. Mr. Kennedy-Smith served as Deputy Campaign Manager for Senator Edward Kennedy during his presidential and senatorial campaigns. He also served on the Staff of the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees. He founded and chairs the Social Media company and Kennedy Smith Sammaweera, a real estate investment and development business. He serves as a Member of the Technology ... Read Full Background Corporate Headquarters 300 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116 United States Phone: 617-670-2551 Fax: -- Board Members Memberships There is no Board Members Memberships data available. Education MA Harvard University JD Columbia University MA Harvard Graduate School of Education Other Affiliations Harvard University The Med-Design Corporation Columbia University Harvard Graduate School of Education Gridline Communications Holdings, Inc. Mainland Resources Inc. Rapid Pharmaceuticals AG OrbHealth, Inc. Annual Compensation There is no Annual Compensation data available. Stocks Options There is no Stock Options data available. Total Compensation There is no Total Compensation data available. Request Profile UpdateRequest Profile Update
Partner
Kennedy Smith Sammaweera
Stephen Smith is the son of Stephen Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith. Stephen’s father worked in the White House staff of President Kennedy, managed the political campaigns and ran the business affairs of the Kennedy family. Jean Kennedy Smith is the sister of President Kennedy and served as US ambassador to Ireland under President Clinton.
Stephen Kennedy Smith received his MA from Harvard University, his J.D. from Columbia University, and his MA Ed from Harvard University School of Education. He served as Deputy campaign manager for Senator Edward Kennedy during his Presidential and Senatorial campaigns. For the past twenty years Mr. Smith has been involved in the Kennedy family financial investment and real estate development business. Aside from his business activities, Mr. Smith also served on the staff of the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees. After leaving the Senate, Mr. Smith taught in the program on negotiation at Harvard University Law School. During that time, he also served as a consultant at Conflict Management Group and worked in the Irish peace process and with the organization of African Unity, the World Bank, the IDB and other clients. Mr. Smith is a partner of Kennedy Smith Sammaweera, a real estate investment and development company specializing in smart growth and sustainable development. He is also a partner at Emlink – a renewable energy development company and is US CEO of Valcent technology. Mr. Smith has received the Danforth award for excellence in teaching three times from Harvard University and is also the winner of the Lyndehurst Foundation prize for social and artistic achievement. He has delivered keynote presentations at the annual conferences of the Family Firm Institute and the Family Office Exchange – the two major family business organizations. Mr. Smith continues to serve on the Kennedy family financial advisory board. He has also served on the board of the John F Kennedy Library, the Robert F Kennedy Memorial, and the Congress on New urbanism and the Northeastern University school of Public Policy.
Profle as of 8/5/2011
JFK: A Vision For America (Review)
Posted on June 3, 2017 by swabby429
John Fitzgerald Kennedy would have been 100 years-old this year had he lived. The centennial year of Kennedy’s birth has inspired some new books about the 35th President of the United States. The first one I came across is JFK: A Vision for America by Stephen Kennedy Smith and Douglas Brinkley.
This nearly five-pound book is filled with photographs and historical notes regarding the life and times of Jack Kennedy. It’s a beautifully assembled work that will be a keepsake that will hold its intellectual value for many years.
I consider John F. Kennedy as my first President. My first solid memory of Kennedy was the televised debate between him and Richard Nixon. Even though I was a grade school pupil, I still remember some of the major aspects of JFK’s short term in office. There was the “New Frontier”, the Cuban missile crisis, the Peace Corps, his speech at the Berlin Wall where he said, “Ich bin ein Berliner”, the civil rights question, and, of course, the assassination. Kennedy inspired my interests in politics, civil rights, and activism. These are some of the reasons this book had to come home with me.
In addition to the generous amount of photographs in JFK, is the compendium of Kennedy’s most inspiring and important speeches. Reading them can re-energize spirit and patriotism of the early 1960s. JFK’s patriotism was so stimulating because it was not overbearing, forceful, or showy. He had a lifelong, deep love of this country that was integral with his personality. He didn’t have to brag about his patriotism, he lived it.
The authors of JFK: a Vision for America did a brilliant job of collating and assembling the contents of the book. JFK’s nephew Stephen Kennedy Smith is a lecturer at the Sloan School of Management and a fellow at the Connection Science group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has served as a staffer of the Senate Judiciary and the Foreign Relations committees. He remains very active in Democratic Party politics.
Douglas Brinkley is an history professor at Rice University, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair magazine and Audubon, as well as CNN’s Presidential Historian. Brinkley is a member of the Society of American Historians and the Council on Foreign Relations. He recently won the Sperber Prize for Best Book in Journalism and is a past recipient of the Washington Post Notable Book of the Year award. Brinkley has also won a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.
In addition to Smith and Brinkley are 42 additional noteworthy contributors. There are essays by such luminaries as Henry Kissinger, Ron Suskind, Jimmy Carter, Norman Mailer, Chris Matthews, and Kofi Annan. The very first essay was penned by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. His Holiness remembers Kennedy’s strong advocacy of the separation of church and state. The new Tibetan constitution was inspired in large part by Kennedy’s eloquence on the subject.
It was somewhat surprising to find essays by people who are normally hostile to the Democratic Party. One, in particular, is John McCain. His first connection with JFK’s policies came about when McCain was stationed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. This was during the Cuban missile crisis, a formative event in McCain’s life. His essay ends with this sentence: “He [Kennedy] was the man who issued my personal summons to history, and who seemed in that moment to be the very best man for the job.”
JFK: a Vision for America is a book to spend quality time digesting. For those of us who lived during the time of Kennedy, the book is more than a nostalgia trip; it’s an important record of the times. For people born after the Kennedy years, JFK provides an in-depth history of the nation in the middle of the 20th century. This is a book to be treasured.
{ JFK: A Vision for America by Stephen Kennedy Smith and Douglas Brinkley, 496 pages published May 2017 by Harper; ISBN: 978-0-06-266884-4 }
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The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes President Kennedy. “Now the trumpet summons us again…a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle…against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.”