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jj2020's review against another edition
3.0
I just thought it was really boring. I wanted to get to know Nancy Pelosi as a human person because she seems like such a badass, but this reads like a compilation of news articles detailing only her political career. I wanted more.
ben3845's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up Pelosi to take a deeper dive into her story as she steps down from the Speakership and winds down her historic career. I learned a lot I didn’t know about her early career and her family story - both the political dynasty at of Maryland she was raised in as well as her own story and experience as a mother (and how the discipline in her house helped her discipline her caucus!). Ball presents a clear thesis about Pelosi: she is a ruthless pragmatist, willing to focus on results regardless of image, for better or worse. I’m glad she’s been at the table of our government for much of my life.
katekate_reads_'s review against another edition
4.0
I just finished Pelosi and it made me love Nancy Pelosi more with every chapter I read. I admired her before starting this but knew almost nothing about her personal life - I’ve really loved learning more and my mom has patiently listened to a lot of stories that start with “did you know Nancy Pelosi...”
As Ball wrote in the prologue “The story of Nancy Pelosi is the story of an extraordinary person who shattered the ‘marble ceiling’ and blazed a new trail for women. It’s the story of a career that stamped American history and helped enact policies that affected millions of lives. It’s a story about politics and perception and women in public life. It’s a story that will shape American life in the Trump era and beyond.
Because, as Pelosi would proceed to demonstrate, it wasn’t Trump’s Washington. It was hers.”
And of particular interest to us as avid readers perhaps - Pelosi’s first political role was on the San Francisco Public Library Commission. Ball wrote “Pelosi had spent a lot of time at the library with her kids; she’d also seen the institution through a political lens, as a vital resource for families that, unlike hers, couldn’t afford books of their own. The library, to her, was nothing less than a pillar of democracy.”
There were some parts that read a little slow for me and took me a while to get through. However I still highly recommend reading this book!
Thank you to Henry Holt and Netgalley for the free review copy.
As Ball wrote in the prologue “The story of Nancy Pelosi is the story of an extraordinary person who shattered the ‘marble ceiling’ and blazed a new trail for women. It’s the story of a career that stamped American history and helped enact policies that affected millions of lives. It’s a story about politics and perception and women in public life. It’s a story that will shape American life in the Trump era and beyond.
Because, as Pelosi would proceed to demonstrate, it wasn’t Trump’s Washington. It was hers.”
And of particular interest to us as avid readers perhaps - Pelosi’s first political role was on the San Francisco Public Library Commission. Ball wrote “Pelosi had spent a lot of time at the library with her kids; she’d also seen the institution through a political lens, as a vital resource for families that, unlike hers, couldn’t afford books of their own. The library, to her, was nothing less than a pillar of democracy.”
There were some parts that read a little slow for me and took me a while to get through. However I still highly recommend reading this book!
Thank you to Henry Holt and Netgalley for the free review copy.
thomasindc's review against another edition
5.0
A great profile of the most powerful woman in US political history.
I grew up during the years, and in a geographic area, dominated by conservative media. My entire knowledge of Nancy Pelosi (until the famous White House meeting with which this book opens), was that she was Democratic Leadership and that the Right utterly hated her. To say I had no opinion of Pelosi would be an understatement, it was only a vague knowing that she existed.
In the more recent years of the Trump administration, I came to be far more aware of her. As I'm sure is true for many, however politically engaged or attentive I was during the Obama Administration, attention heightened during the 4 years of Trump. Her method of handling the situations presented to her was admirable, and it should be hard to find someone who has paid attention to her who does not, at least, respect her.
In the past few years, I have often been grudging about what I saw to be a too-conservative Democratic party in many ways manifested by Pelosi in the Speakership. I made the mistake of many: confusing her political machinations with her policy beliefs. This book does a fantastic job of examining Pelosi's early years and rise, and how they have shaped her approach to this work. You come away with a much different understanding of Pelosi: that she was not unlike an AOC of her generation. The author, Molly Ball, in an early portion of the book cites Pelosi's affinity for a Lincoln quote: "...public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed." Ball notes that many people misinterpret this saying; observing it to mean that politicians should follow the public sentiment. Pelosi is not a victim of this misinterpretation.
Unlike Sam Rayburn, who would not question a Representative who said, "This vote will hurt me in my district" - Pelosi expected action. Ball describes that Pelosi's expectation was that Representatives should go to their districts and sell - the shape public sentiment and find power in that work. Later in the book, a series of interactions with AOC are discussed, and an AOC tweet is quoted, "That public “whatever” is called public sentiment. And wielding the power to shift it is how we actually achieve meaningful change in this country." (https://twitter.com/aoc/status/1147668951834476545?lang=en) - interestingly delivered in retort to Pelosi's critique of Twitter power.
The profile examines Pelosi's rise to power and her mastery of those levers and notes that her pragmatic approach is not a dereliction of her liberal early days, but the recognition that comes with so many years of wisdom: power is only useful if you can get something done. Speaker Pelosi has certainly accomplished much in her career. I'm hopeful that years later, Molly Ball or another biographer will take another look at this figure of our lives who has gone unstudied by most outside of GOP strategy sessions.
I grew up during the years, and in a geographic area, dominated by conservative media. My entire knowledge of Nancy Pelosi (until the famous White House meeting with which this book opens), was that she was Democratic Leadership and that the Right utterly hated her. To say I had no opinion of Pelosi would be an understatement, it was only a vague knowing that she existed.
In the more recent years of the Trump administration, I came to be far more aware of her. As I'm sure is true for many, however politically engaged or attentive I was during the Obama Administration, attention heightened during the 4 years of Trump. Her method of handling the situations presented to her was admirable, and it should be hard to find someone who has paid attention to her who does not, at least, respect her.
In the past few years, I have often been grudging about what I saw to be a too-conservative Democratic party in many ways manifested by Pelosi in the Speakership. I made the mistake of many: confusing her political machinations with her policy beliefs. This book does a fantastic job of examining Pelosi's early years and rise, and how they have shaped her approach to this work. You come away with a much different understanding of Pelosi: that she was not unlike an AOC of her generation. The author, Molly Ball, in an early portion of the book cites Pelosi's affinity for a Lincoln quote: "...public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed." Ball notes that many people misinterpret this saying; observing it to mean that politicians should follow the public sentiment. Pelosi is not a victim of this misinterpretation.
Unlike Sam Rayburn, who would not question a Representative who said, "This vote will hurt me in my district" - Pelosi expected action. Ball describes that Pelosi's expectation was that Representatives should go to their districts and sell - the shape public sentiment and find power in that work. Later in the book, a series of interactions with AOC are discussed, and an AOC tweet is quoted, "That public “whatever” is called public sentiment. And wielding the power to shift it is how we actually achieve meaningful change in this country." (https://twitter.com/aoc/status/1147668951834476545?lang=en) - interestingly delivered in retort to Pelosi's critique of Twitter power.
The profile examines Pelosi's rise to power and her mastery of those levers and notes that her pragmatic approach is not a dereliction of her liberal early days, but the recognition that comes with so many years of wisdom: power is only useful if you can get something done. Speaker Pelosi has certainly accomplished much in her career. I'm hopeful that years later, Molly Ball or another biographer will take another look at this figure of our lives who has gone unstudied by most outside of GOP strategy sessions.
mbricker35's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting book - it details her rise to become the best modern (if not all time) congressional leader - the writing could have been better but it is interesting to learn about her career.
lori_na's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
feels like a very informative and thorough account of Nancy Pelosi's life. I enjoyed the writing style and flow of the book, it was very interesting and i feel like i learned a bunch also about the process of congress. I also think the author introduced new characters (actual people) very well, gave background info on them, how they related to Pelosi's life and integrated them easily in the flow of the book. In the end though, there were so many people to keep track of that i had to do a bit of googling while i was reading. Generally, really liked the book, interesting and informative.
tamaralgage1's review against another edition
4.0
This was well worth the read for a number of reasons. First to understand the life that has brought Nancy Pelosi to her current position. Secondly, to understand many of the mechanics of elections and procedures of passing Bills in the House of Representatives. Finally, the challenges she faced as a woman in the good old boy network she chose to enter. A network that had reigned for over 200 years. Elected to office for the first time in 1987, I could relate to going into a male dominated field at the same time frame myself. But representing a district from San Francisco and to fight for AIDs research/support during a time when many thought AIDs was "God Will". She demonstrated a life time of experience of fighting for what she felt was the right thing.
I have not been a fan of the Speaker of the House. Not because of the political position … But because to hear her speak on issues, even those I agree with, drives me crazy. I just could not understand how she has risen to the level of Speaker of the House. This book has cleared up that question and I have learned more than I was expecting. As I said before, it's a good book and worth the read.
I have not been a fan of the Speaker of the House. Not because of the political position … But because to hear her speak on issues, even those I agree with, drives me crazy. I just could not understand how she has risen to the level of Speaker of the House. This book has cleared up that question and I have learned more than I was expecting. As I said before, it's a good book and worth the read.
rick2's review against another edition
2.0
Molly Bell talks about Pelosi the way Tucker Carlson talks about Trump. This book starts as breathless fan fic about Nancy Pelosi that I think might have come from those corners of the Internet we don’t talk about in polite society.
I think if an editor went through and took out every adjective in this book, it would ultimately be a stronger book. Every action is “revolutionary” every move is “powerful”. When Nancy sneezes it’s “iconic,” her impeccable fashion sense is only surpassed by her strategic genius. To hear Bell tell it, Pelosi struts about Washington, smacking down losers and Republicans (oh but she repeats herself) with righteous panache. Every major bill passed by the Democrats in the last Century is due to Pelosi. Her Speaker power is so great that she went back in time to tell Roosevelt he should do a “new deal.” It was said that the only thing Roosevelt feared was fear itself, and Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi doesn’t sleep, fueled only by Topo-Chico, chocolate, and her righteousness. Tougher than a $2 steak, Pelosi eats glass, kicks ass and personally gives Trump a weekly wedgie. You know that weird walk Trump has? That is because Nancy’s Stiletto is still lodged in his ass from the last time she kicked it. Chuck Norris checks under his bed for Nancy Pelosi. Ok. that’s enough. You get the gist.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for Pelosi. She’s seems like a compelling figure from what I have gleaned here. I really would be interested in a less fawning book on her life as she’s a strong character at the absolute epicenter of US politics. But this book is so biased it seems almost useless as a source of good information. It’s like hearing an LSU fan talk about how great their football team is, sure your quarterback is a top prospect, but I don’t believe he completed the trials of Hercules blindfolded. Fact and fiction blend together until it is difficult to distinguish what is what.
The book definitely settles down in the second half. Obama comes across poorly and I think it’s a very interesting comparison between a baby faced Barack and an experienced Nancy. The bit on the financial crisis was fascinating because I am familiar with it and could sort fact from fan fiction. When it came to the discussion of the passing of the Healthcare bill, I found it hard to distinguish.
The book is interesting, but I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes at the hyperbolic rhetoric.
I think if an editor went through and took out every adjective in this book, it would ultimately be a stronger book. Every action is “revolutionary” every move is “powerful”. When Nancy sneezes it’s “iconic,” her impeccable fashion sense is only surpassed by her strategic genius. To hear Bell tell it, Pelosi struts about Washington, smacking down losers and Republicans (oh but she repeats herself) with righteous panache. Every major bill passed by the Democrats in the last Century is due to Pelosi. Her Speaker power is so great that she went back in time to tell Roosevelt he should do a “new deal.” It was said that the only thing Roosevelt feared was fear itself, and Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi doesn’t sleep, fueled only by Topo-Chico, chocolate, and her righteousness. Tougher than a $2 steak, Pelosi eats glass, kicks ass and personally gives Trump a weekly wedgie. You know that weird walk Trump has? That is because Nancy’s Stiletto is still lodged in his ass from the last time she kicked it. Chuck Norris checks under his bed for Nancy Pelosi. Ok. that’s enough. You get the gist.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for Pelosi. She’s seems like a compelling figure from what I have gleaned here. I really would be interested in a less fawning book on her life as she’s a strong character at the absolute epicenter of US politics. But this book is so biased it seems almost useless as a source of good information. It’s like hearing an LSU fan talk about how great their football team is, sure your quarterback is a top prospect, but I don’t believe he completed the trials of Hercules blindfolded. Fact and fiction blend together until it is difficult to distinguish what is what.
The book definitely settles down in the second half. Obama comes across poorly and I think it’s a very interesting comparison between a baby faced Barack and an experienced Nancy. The bit on the financial crisis was fascinating because I am familiar with it and could sort fact from fan fiction. When it came to the discussion of the passing of the Healthcare bill, I found it hard to distinguish.
The book is interesting, but I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes at the hyperbolic rhetoric.
dshirle7's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
This was a real page-turner, an insight into Pelosi's strategy and methods of governance that doubles as a captivating saga of 30+ years of American politics told from one woman's perspective in the events. This more a biography than a political analysis...it's not "The Art of War According to Nancy Pelosi", but I got enough of that political analysis to be satisfied. I walk away from this book with the understanding that Pelosi is one of the most underrated and overlooked figures in politics--by far the most powerful woman in the history of the United States, and probably the most powerful Speaker ever, too. I particularly enjoyed the early chapters, as they contained the most information I did not already know (such as her vehement response to the Tiananmen Square massacre, including staging public protest in China).
Readers might dislike how the author almost unwaveringly endorses Pelosi's actions (the only chapter that even comes across as critical is Chapter 22). However, I did not mind this, because often I found myself approving of Pelosi's actions alongside the author.
Readers might dislike how the author almost unwaveringly endorses Pelosi's actions (the only chapter that even comes across as critical is Chapter 22). However, I did not mind this, because often I found myself approving of Pelosi's actions alongside the author.