A Time for Reflection: An Autobiography

William E Simon-quintessential American figure of the American century: Wall Street wunderkind treasury secretary under Presidents Nixon and Ford successful entrepreneur US Olympic Committee president best-selling author pioneering philanthropist and devout Catholic. Simons insightful and often humorous autobiography A Time for Reflection includes a diverse cast of characters whose lives intersected with Simons: from the president and his advisers at the White House; to the highest realms of the Catholic Church (in particular Cardinal Egan) to celebrities like actress Meryl Streep; and sports figures like basketball coach Bobby Knight. In A Time for Reflection Simon offers us some behind-the-scenes glimpses of history being made including: President Nixon as Simon knew him both in office and after; How Simon confronted Ronald Reagan during the Republican convention in 1980 to help nix the idea of a co-presidency with Gerald Ford; The tumult of the 1980 Moscow Olympic games boycotted by the United States and the 1984 Los Angeles games boycotted by the Soviet Union; How Simon battled the Arab oil crisis as energy czar for President Nixon; Simons fight in the Ford administration against Vice President Nelson Rockefeller on how to help a bankrupt New York City; Making the case for freedom with his best-selling books A Time for Truth and A Time for Action. Simons fascinating life also encompassed sailing adventures -- including conquering the Northwest Passage from Alaska to Greenland and being named king by a group of Fiji islanders -- as well as adventures of the soul: giving away millions to charity; becoming a eucharistic minister; and helping to care for the sick the poor and the dying. William E Simon passed away on June 2000 but his autobiography written in conjunction with and completed by John M Caher is now published for the first time a testimony to one of the truly impressive Americans of the twentieth century.