Kenneth Whyte Discusses His Book HOOVER at Roosevelt House-Walter Isaacson's Discusses Da Vinci Bio

Yesterday, Charlie Rose hosted Walter Isaacson on his PBS show.  Isaacson is promoting his latest biography about Leonardo Da Vinci.  Isaacson has written numerous best selling bios on prominent figures such as Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein.  For the entire hour discussion with Rose, Isaacson was illuminating with his insights into the life of this artistic genius and innovator.  Da Vinci's relentless curiosity was the prominent characteristic credited to this remarkably creative genius.  I'm looking forward to the 92nd Y Talk in Nov. to hear Rose interview Isaacson again on his discoveries about Da Vinci.  I'm also interesting in reading Isaacson's book.  Last night, Kenneth Whyte, editor-in-chief of numerous publications "National Post," "Saturday Night Magazine" and author of a bio on Randolph Hearst, spoke about his new bio HOOVER: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times.  Amity Shlaes, presidential scholar at King's College and author of a bio on Pres. Coolidge facilitated the discussion.  Her first question to Whyte was "Why Hoover" which brought a hesitant response.  Whyte said he was reluctant to write another presidential bio.  It was at the urging of his editor. Writing about Hoover, "The failed president" he became fascinated by the man & his unjustly aligned legacy.  Whyte visit his childhood home in IA.  It was a one room shack that housed his parents & 4 siblings.  Hoover was orphaned at age 9 and lived a very impoverished life moving frequently to live with different relatives.  But, his drive to succeed lead him to Stanford where he studied engineering.  After college Hoover moved to Australia where he became the owner of a gold miner which made him wealthy.  Hoover & Trump are the only two tycoon presidents.  Whyte defended Hoover for not being credited enough for helping to turn the economy around while in office during the Great Depression.  In fact, Whyte argued that once Pres. Roosevelt was elected, Congress stalled on Hoover's initiatives that may have helped to wait for Roosevelt to be inaugurated.  An interesting fact, Hoover is the first person to have be seen on television.  After his presidency, Hoover served in the Truman & Eisenhower administration in the commerce sector.  Whyte informed us Truman helped to rewrite the Versailles Treaty in 1931 but failed to explain how or for what reason.  There was not enough to compel my curiosity to read Whyte's bio on Hoover to learn more about the Pres. Hoover credited with building the Hoover damn and for so much of the country living in poverty & ramshackle shanty towns known as Hoovervilles.