You’re doing an enormous amount of publicity for this book, and I notice you’re taking direct e-mail feedback from readers. You must be learning a lot about popular views of the President.

I think it is always a surprise to discover how mysterious the most famous man in the world can remain even in an age of instant mass communications. I have been surprised by how little people feel they know this President, how much they want to know about him. And I’m surprised at how much traction all of the myths about him still have, two years into his term.

Any myths in particular?

The usual ones. One example: the cover story of The New York Times Magazine two weeks ago, the headline - I’m not going to quote it exactly - said something like, he’s not a fool. The idea that two years into a presidency “he’s not a fool” is a headline is pretty remarkable.

The Atlantic, interview with David Frum