Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
This was an easy and entertaining read by David Litt, one of President Obama's speechwriters. The catchy title sets the tone for a lighthearted and amusing, yet seemingly sincere book. David is part of a generation very much aware of perception of self, and he writes accordingly, cleverly self deprecating, admitting his own flaws but spinning them to be charming and authentic and realistic. Listening to the audio version gave me a chance to hear the story in David's own voice, which added another dimension of authenticity to the telling. Knowing that the author is someone who spins words for a living means that there is always a slight level of skepticism, and always a level of great writing that is noticeably great. I am not sure I trusted David and his interpretation of events 100%, and yet I believed the majority of what he said, and liked him. He's an imperfect but sane person who was part of an imperfect but sane administration, an era that seems further and further away in the annals of history every day. Reading David's story made me nostalgic for days of common sense and rationality, and for a president who wasn't perfect, but who cared. I found the behind the scenes impressions interesting, as well as helpful for better understanding that administration. It's worth a read.
Wow. 1. I'm pretty proud of myself for reading this. Nonfiction books are a big deal for me and I frickin conquered this thing. 2. this was really good. Was it a bit boring at times? YES. But my goal with reading this book was not to have a party, it was to get a better understanding of why exactly I am such a big fan of Obama, and why his policies created a better, more equal America. Although, I got a lot more David Litt than I really wanted (which is totally my fault for not realizing this is a frikin memoir), I appreciated his insight and comical takes on Obama and his presidency and honestly it made the role of commander in chief a lot less "god-tier" than I have always believed it to be, which I genuinely think is important for my generation. It made Obama seem human and showed me that he has flaws himself. His presidency was in NO WAY picture perfect (though he did a whole hell of a lot better than the idiot in the white house right now).
This one had a lot of potential, and I enjoyed reading about his journey and development throughout his time at the White House, but it was a slow read.
I loved the epilogue of this book maybe more than the rest of it. That isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy the rest of it. I think more than anything I just learned a ton about the White House and the president in general. It also makes me deeply miss having a President that I adore.
I didn't get to completely finish this before I had to return my ebook, but what I did read (which was most of it) was insightful, funny, and made me miss Obama even more than I already did.
3.5 stars. Been picking up a lot of White House memoirs, a combination of too much time in DC and the irresistible urge for a look behind the curtain. A funny, strangely passionate book
It has been a while since I cried reading a book due to nostalgia. But aww man. David Litt brought me back to a time when a President actually cared about the people and my heart aches so much at all the destruction already made by this administration. Litt's sense of humor and overall voice made this book such an enjoyable read. To be honest, I never heard of him before picking this book up. However, through reading this book I did not only learned more about him, I learned more about the Obama Administration's staff, accomplishments, and struggles. I don't normally pick up political books because they're not super fun reads, but Litt made it so easy to enjoy. I just highly recommend this to anyone who needs a pick me up in today's political world or an inspiration to do something. I highlighted the heck out of this book due to the pure hilarious commentaries, inspiring words, or interesting facts brought up.
I have a confession to make: until very recently, I was squarely, firmly, belligerently on the right side of the American political spectrum. That all started to change during the waning months of the Obama administration, and the rise of Donald Trump. I stopped identifying with the likes of Sean Hannity and Fox & Friends, and started realizing far, far too late how much we, as a nation, were going to miss President Obama's steady hand and logical approach to governance.
This realization crystallized for me as I read David Litt's fantastic memoir about his years as a speechwriter for President Obama. Litt's prose demonstrates why he was trusted with some of the more notable speeches given by Obama, including four straight White House Correspondents Dinner speeches. A dry, occasionally sarcastic sense of humor permeates anecdotes and recollections of the sometimes frantic nature of presidential speechwriting, a craft with which I am completely unfamiliar. But after reading David Litt's work, I have a much greater appreciation for the people whose behind the scenes work often goes unthanked. This is why Litt's memoir is so valuable, both as a humorous (there are innumerable passages that had me guffawing) take on American political history, as well as a "lower decks" view of the inner workings of a presidential administration. I finally began to understand why the election of Barack Obama was such a sea change in American politics.
David Litt has written a very unique, very topical, and very funny chronicle of a special moment in American political history, with a perspective so rarely offered up for consumers of American political history. If anyone who reads this review has an interest at all in the Obama administration, I implore them to pick up David Litt's memoir.
This realization crystallized for me as I read David Litt's fantastic memoir about his years as a speechwriter for President Obama. Litt's prose demonstrates why he was trusted with some of the more notable speeches given by Obama, including four straight White House Correspondents Dinner speeches. A dry, occasionally sarcastic sense of humor permeates anecdotes and recollections of the sometimes frantic nature of presidential speechwriting, a craft with which I am completely unfamiliar. But after reading David Litt's work, I have a much greater appreciation for the people whose behind the scenes work often goes unthanked. This is why Litt's memoir is so valuable, both as a humorous (there are innumerable passages that had me guffawing) take on American political history, as well as a "lower decks" view of the inner workings of a presidential administration. I finally began to understand why the election of Barack Obama was such a sea change in American politics.
David Litt has written a very unique, very topical, and very funny chronicle of a special moment in American political history, with a perspective so rarely offered up for consumers of American political history. If anyone who reads this review has an interest at all in the Obama administration, I implore them to pick up David Litt's memoir.