Whether it causes us to obsess about their health or about their temperaments, one of the expectations we have of modern presidents is that they’ll be capable of leading in a crisis and responding to unexpected disasters. In his superb new book Shall We Wake the President?, Tevi Troy explores the history of presidents as disaster managers. The book is full of fascinating stories and sharp insights. Troy is both a former senior White House staffer (full disclosure: he was my boss in the Bush White House, and is a friend) and a presidential historian, and the combination makes for a great analyst of so important a subject. Really worth your while.