Review: Total Power Corrupts
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 9, 2014
I did find this book interesting but as others have already mentioned, it tended to skim over the surface and we really needed more in depth details of social life, services etc. for the population at that period in time.  I did note that there are Romanians now wishing they had the security they had during that period, housing, jobs food on the table and I have heard similar reports from other Eastern block countries. I also thought that it jumped about too much from different periods and would have been easier perhaps to understand this period better if the each chapter in the book had related to a period in time from his rise to power to Christmas Day.Living in Greece for 35 years has brought home to me just how closely  related we in the Balkan countries are  compared to Northern Europeans.  I have found here that same sheep like attitude of following  a leader that tells his people what they want to hear rather than the plain truth.  Here in Greece it has always been the aim of the vast majority of Greeks to find a position in the public services rather than persue a career in private enterprise or even their own venture.  Is this due to history, the instability in the respective countries that citizens seek security rather than to be adventurous and work to achieve a goal in life.Of course total power does corrupt and  this is exactly the problems we have here in Greece and why  we are living in a bankrupt country relying on loans.  When there is only one House of Parliament and the Presidency is stripped of all power then of course the leaches are there to benefit themselves.  The longer in power of any totalitarian  leader, the more will gather to feed from the trough.  These governments hand out positions to the faithful that keep them in power.  This is why Democracy is so precious.Thanks Catalin, I do consider this book worth a read.