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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
I enjoyed the portions that focused on Obama but the fast majority focused on Litt. I found myself extremely bored and waiting for the end to arrive.
If you read this choose audio if you can. There are two moments captured that I cannot imagine coming close to being captured to their full effect in just the text.
In the current political climate this is just the kind of book we need: rampantly nostalgic, hilariously clever, and wonderfully hopeful. I laughed. I cried. I seriously considered the quality of presidential vs. real world M&Ms. I questioned my unswerving love of Salmon. But most of all I wanted to wipe my brain clean and read it all over again. David Litt, if you’d like to write anything else, another book, a speech, a take-out menu, I’d be happy to read it.
Loved litt’s honesty and storytelling. He is a great writer. Loved learning about the highs and lows of working ones way through the white house.
reads really well. I didn't really watch the west wing my wife brought that into our relationship and has watched it repeatedly so I've absorbed some of it. Liked how he swung from telling stories to speech writing tips and back again. Not afraid of a little self deprecating humor. hard to believe the new era after Obama...
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Warm, funny, and sharply observed. Through his humility and knack for capturing the perfect anecdote, Litt shows us that, glamorous as it may seem, the real work of politics can be boring drudgery, shot through with moments of the truly absurd. Just like life. In the hands of such a capable writer, it’s hard not to feel both nostalgic for the Obama years and inspired to build a better future. “Hold on to your lily-white butts!”
3.5
An enjoyable account of a young man's journey from idealistic naivete to an experienced Washington insider via 5 years' campaigning and then working as a staffer in President Obama's White House. This book is comprised almost entirely of analogies and unexpected juxtapositions. Mostly an illuminating account, but humor is used to elide over introspection, and occasionally skirts the edge of becoming flippant. Very much a young man's story. Recommended.
An enjoyable account of a young man's journey from idealistic naivete to an experienced Washington insider via 5 years' campaigning and then working as a staffer in President Obama's White House. This book is comprised almost entirely of analogies and unexpected juxtapositions. Mostly an illuminating account, but humor is used to elide over introspection, and occasionally skirts the edge of becoming flippant. Very much a young man's story. Recommended.
This was delightful. I was worried the author would get annoying, but it’s written with enough humility that he doesn’t :) I’d listened to him tell some of the stories in here on The Moth podcast, and I’d actually recommend that for the color it adds to the humor.
I like books that seem honest about the good and the bad sides of the paths to success (and maintaining the status at the plateau). While there is a political undercurrent in this book it still serves as a useful reference for one persons struggles to find meaning and rewarding work that seems to strive for honesty about ones own limitations, what one does for oneself or to be perceived successful to others. Also the down to earth humility, combined with flashes of hubris make this a compelling read that doesn't seem to overly glamorize the authors position and skills. This book is an easy recommendation for any Obama fan, and also for those interested in following politics generally and hoping to get a glimpse into the workings of a White House speech writing team.