Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
LBJ summary
Randall Woods
Architect of American Ambition
17 mins
Table of Contents
LBJ
summarized in 7 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 7
Favorite Child
“Now the light came in from the east, bringing a deep stillness, a stillness so profound and so pervasive that it seemed as if the earth itself were listening. . . And then there came a sharp compelling cry.”
These were the words of Rebekah Johnson on the night she gave birth to baby Lyndon Baines on August 27, 1908. She had gone into labor on an archetypical dark and stormy night, the rain having pounded all day in their city of Stonewall, Texas. The mystical-seeming birth set the tone for the rest of his childhood, in which Lyndon would be doted on by his parents as their favorite child and treated as a quasi-messiah.
This was especially the case with Rebekah, who relied on her son often in an unhealthy, codependent fashion. Lyndon’s first memory of her was of a night when his father, Sam Ealy, still hadn’t come home by nine or ten at night. Rebekah was afraid and stood crying outside by the well. Lyndon, just three or four years old, told his mother he would protect her.
Although his mother doted on Lyndon, she was also hard. If he did something she disliked, she would walk around pretending he was dead for days on end. Meanwhile, he also had to contend with his father, who constantly struggled with a drinking problem. When he’d imbibed too much, Sam would swear at his children, squander his money, and occasionally beat them.
On the positive side, his parents instilled in Lyndon a commitment to social justice. Sam, a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, was deeply committed to his local region and its people. Rebekah was a fervent believer in service and sacrifice thanks to her liberal Baptist faith. Together, they dreamed for their son to become a teacher, a preacher, or a politician. In fact, he ended up becoming two out of the three.
Want to see all full key ideas from LBJ?
Key ideas in LBJ
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is LBJ about?
LBJ is the story of its namesake – Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States – from birth to death. Looking with a sympathetic, though not uncritical, eye on one of the nation’s most maligned and misunderstood leaders, it analyzes the dynamics that shaped him in his youth, the causes he championed, and the presidential decisions that turned him into an icon. By the end, you’ll come away with a much deeper, more nuanced understanding of this controversial, yet titanic, twentieth-century leader.
Who should read LBJ?
- American history buffs
- Social justice activists interested in the history of their cause
- Anyone with preconceived notions about LBJ.
Categories with LBJ
Books like LBJ
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked
Start growing with Blinkist now
26 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers