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samstillreading's review against another edition
5.0
It’s weird (because I’m Australian) but I’m very interested in Barack Obama’s time in the White House. Recently we’ve been blessed with a number of books about his administration and From the Corner of the Oval Office is one of them. Don’t be fooled by the bright pink cover. This is a warts and all look at working for the White House – the travel, the boredom, the work and the friendships that are made. Some may criticise this book for being too much about the author and not enough about the politics but for me the balance is perfect. If you’ve ever wondered what working for the White House is like and the baggage that goes with it, this is the book for you.
Beck is living in Washington DC with her boyfriend but can’t get full time work. She hates DC as everyone is about networking and politics. Out of desperation, she answers a job advertisement in Craigslist but blows off the interview for training at Lululemon. Fortunately, the interviewer asks her to come back and comes clean – this is for a job as a stenographer at the White House. The rest is history and Beck finds herself as one of the official stenographers for the White House. She’s there to record and transcribe every interview, every speech. At first it’s just in town, but as she gains confidence and experience, it’s time to get on Air Force One with the President (or as Beck refers to him, POTUS). Yes, it’s glamourous. But there are downsides – constant travel, odd hours and a boyfriend that then moves away from DC for the campaign trail. There is transcription of POTUS’ responses to multiple mass shootings. There’s being sick in foreign places and missing family events. Then there’s the drinking and the feeling like an outsider until a secret liaison becomes an affair.
If you’re looking for pure politics, this is not the right book. If you’re looking for the story of a young woman who works at the White House and is trying to balance work and relationships sometimes not successfully, this is for you. I loved this book. Beck Dorey-Stein has the ability to structure and write non-fiction with a plot, themes and coherence that’s like fiction. This is my kind of non-fiction, something I haven’t seen since Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Beck can just make the whole story flow and the reader page turn quickly to find out what’s next happening in her life. Her life isn’t perfect and she screws up. But she’s honest about it and doesn’t edit out her mistakes. It’s refreshing and reassuring to know even someone working for the most important government in the world can drink too much, not get enough sleep and still manage to get noticed by Barack Obama on the treadmill.
I will be incredibly eager to read whatever Beck Dorey-Stein chooses to write next. She writes powerfully (the ending of the book, knowing what is coming, brought a tear to my eye) and without fear.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Beck is living in Washington DC with her boyfriend but can’t get full time work. She hates DC as everyone is about networking and politics. Out of desperation, she answers a job advertisement in Craigslist but blows off the interview for training at Lululemon. Fortunately, the interviewer asks her to come back and comes clean – this is for a job as a stenographer at the White House. The rest is history and Beck finds herself as one of the official stenographers for the White House. She’s there to record and transcribe every interview, every speech. At first it’s just in town, but as she gains confidence and experience, it’s time to get on Air Force One with the President (or as Beck refers to him, POTUS). Yes, it’s glamourous. But there are downsides – constant travel, odd hours and a boyfriend that then moves away from DC for the campaign trail. There is transcription of POTUS’ responses to multiple mass shootings. There’s being sick in foreign places and missing family events. Then there’s the drinking and the feeling like an outsider until a secret liaison becomes an affair.
If you’re looking for pure politics, this is not the right book. If you’re looking for the story of a young woman who works at the White House and is trying to balance work and relationships sometimes not successfully, this is for you. I loved this book. Beck Dorey-Stein has the ability to structure and write non-fiction with a plot, themes and coherence that’s like fiction. This is my kind of non-fiction, something I haven’t seen since Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Beck can just make the whole story flow and the reader page turn quickly to find out what’s next happening in her life. Her life isn’t perfect and she screws up. But she’s honest about it and doesn’t edit out her mistakes. It’s refreshing and reassuring to know even someone working for the most important government in the world can drink too much, not get enough sleep and still manage to get noticed by Barack Obama on the treadmill.
I will be incredibly eager to read whatever Beck Dorey-Stein chooses to write next. She writes powerfully (the ending of the book, knowing what is coming, brought a tear to my eye) and without fear.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
novelvisits's review against another edition
5.0
Original Source: https://novelvisits.com/from-the-corner-of-the-oval-by-beck-dorey-stein-review/
{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
A Craigslist Job – Beck Dorey-Stein, a teacher, first came to Washington DC for a semester as a tutor at the prestigious Sidwell school. She planned to head home shortly after that ended, but as happens to many young women, Dorey-Stein met a man, fell in love, and decided to stay. Finding a fulltime job proved to be almost impossible and Dorey-Stein was about to give up when she saw a job posted on Craigslist. (Yes, Craigslist!) Its description was vague and she didn’t take it seriously. In fact, she failed to attach the required cover letter and blew off her first interview. Thanks to a second chance and her high score on a placement test, Dorey-Stein found she had a job AND it was at the White House! She was less than happy about taking a job as a stenographer, but the perks? Incredible!
A Marriage of Life with Recent History – From the Corner of the Oval covers Dorey-Stein’s life from 2011 to 2017. Because of her position, it also covers much of what was going on in the world during that time. I found it refreshing to read a memoir where the context was so fresh in my own mind. When the entire White House entourage was flying off to a summit in Europe or Asia, I liked having my own memories of that happening. Dorey-Stein did a beautiful job weaving her personal narrative into her professional journey.
“We’re so different, but we’re swimming in this same punch-drunk delirium, and we have one major thing in common: We’ve found ourselves, shockingly, amazingly, how-the-f**k-did-this-happen crazily, flying half-way around the world on Air Force One. We are lucky. We are so goddamn lucky.”
The two sides of her life were closely wed, and unsurprisingly the job dominated both sides, with mixed results.
A President to Admire – Being an Obama fan made From the Corner of the Oval an extra special treat to read. Dorey-Stein’s position as a White House stenographer was NOT attached to Obama’s administration, but her loyalty to, and admiration for the man shone throughout her memoir. It was both refreshing and a little sad to read about people who worked closely with the president on a daily basis, and to feel the level of admiration they held for the man.
“When we arrive at the Hiroshima memorial and I listen to the president’s remarks, I’m so glad POTUS is POTUS. I’m so proud he wants to make amends rather than escalate. He wants to do the right thing for future generations…..POTUS bends down and hugs a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing seventy-one years ago. I watch from the press riser, fighting back tears. The president holds on to the man in a quiet, prolonged moment. And in their embrace I witness grace after unspeakable pain.”
The appearances President Obama made in Dorey-Stein’s memoir only made my esteem grow.
The Writing – I’m so impressed with Dorey-Stein’s wonderful storytelling, for that’s what her memoir was, a story. It was sharp and compelling with just the perfect amount of detail, reading like a novel.
What Didn’t
It ALL worked for me. Staying away from this book for any length of time proved to be nearly impossible. Occasionally, I found From the Corner of the Oval difficult to read, but only because it made me long for a different political climate than we have today.
{The Final Assessment}
I loved From the Corner of the Oval. It’s my favorite nonfiction read so far this year. Dorey-Stein made you feel like you were with her on an exciting 5-year journey. I found it alternately uplifting and heartbreaking sharing in her experiences with President Obama. Her admiration shone brightly and her sadness nearly overwhelmed. DO NOT miss Dorey-Stein’s “thanks” section at the end of her book. I cried. Grade: A
{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
A Craigslist Job – Beck Dorey-Stein, a teacher, first came to Washington DC for a semester as a tutor at the prestigious Sidwell school. She planned to head home shortly after that ended, but as happens to many young women, Dorey-Stein met a man, fell in love, and decided to stay. Finding a fulltime job proved to be almost impossible and Dorey-Stein was about to give up when she saw a job posted on Craigslist. (Yes, Craigslist!) Its description was vague and she didn’t take it seriously. In fact, she failed to attach the required cover letter and blew off her first interview. Thanks to a second chance and her high score on a placement test, Dorey-Stein found she had a job AND it was at the White House! She was less than happy about taking a job as a stenographer, but the perks? Incredible!
A Marriage of Life with Recent History – From the Corner of the Oval covers Dorey-Stein’s life from 2011 to 2017. Because of her position, it also covers much of what was going on in the world during that time. I found it refreshing to read a memoir where the context was so fresh in my own mind. When the entire White House entourage was flying off to a summit in Europe or Asia, I liked having my own memories of that happening. Dorey-Stein did a beautiful job weaving her personal narrative into her professional journey.
“We’re so different, but we’re swimming in this same punch-drunk delirium, and we have one major thing in common: We’ve found ourselves, shockingly, amazingly, how-the-f**k-did-this-happen crazily, flying half-way around the world on Air Force One. We are lucky. We are so goddamn lucky.”
The two sides of her life were closely wed, and unsurprisingly the job dominated both sides, with mixed results.
A President to Admire – Being an Obama fan made From the Corner of the Oval an extra special treat to read. Dorey-Stein’s position as a White House stenographer was NOT attached to Obama’s administration, but her loyalty to, and admiration for the man shone throughout her memoir. It was both refreshing and a little sad to read about people who worked closely with the president on a daily basis, and to feel the level of admiration they held for the man.
“When we arrive at the Hiroshima memorial and I listen to the president’s remarks, I’m so glad POTUS is POTUS. I’m so proud he wants to make amends rather than escalate. He wants to do the right thing for future generations…..POTUS bends down and hugs a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing seventy-one years ago. I watch from the press riser, fighting back tears. The president holds on to the man in a quiet, prolonged moment. And in their embrace I witness grace after unspeakable pain.”
The appearances President Obama made in Dorey-Stein’s memoir only made my esteem grow.
The Writing – I’m so impressed with Dorey-Stein’s wonderful storytelling, for that’s what her memoir was, a story. It was sharp and compelling with just the perfect amount of detail, reading like a novel.
What Didn’t
It ALL worked for me. Staying away from this book for any length of time proved to be nearly impossible. Occasionally, I found From the Corner of the Oval difficult to read, but only because it made me long for a different political climate than we have today.
{The Final Assessment}
I loved From the Corner of the Oval. It’s my favorite nonfiction read so far this year. Dorey-Stein made you feel like you were with her on an exciting 5-year journey. I found it alternately uplifting and heartbreaking sharing in her experiences with President Obama. Her admiration shone brightly and her sadness nearly overwhelmed. DO NOT miss Dorey-Stein’s “thanks” section at the end of her book. I cried. Grade: A
samburkhouse's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
ralphiereads76's review against another edition
3.0
Abandoned at 87%. This was super interesting before I was in DC. I think the no elty of her insider access to history was carrying it for me and all the relationship back and forth was ultimately not worth finishing.
anareadsbooks's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
3.5
So many thoughts but I need time to process them.
ke1cey's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
really interesting! great insight into a whole different world. weirdly misogynistic at times for a book that talks a lot about supporting women and female empowerment?
calling girls that jason hooks up with stupid, judging women for the way they dress (even though she complains about being judged for how she dresses). the whole arc about the rattler just seemed kind of weird and there was never really a resolution there.
book_chimpmunk's review against another edition
5.0
Such a great new voice - I laughed and cried and didn’t want it to end. This is a must read Obama staffer memoir.