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azabel's review against another edition
I didn’t love the love story plot lines. I was hoping for less personal storyline and more about what it was like to work in the Oval Office
fabi_shipley's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
3.75
Loved hearing the perspective of a twenty something in DC working and traveling with president Obama. Shockingly relatable, although the relationship sub plot got a bit tired real quick
careydnelson's review against another edition
3.0
I was ready for a lighter behind-the-scenes look at Washington. I almost got it.
Ms. Dorey-Stein's memoir had a promising start before sliding into the shape it would hold for most of the book: Romance. Ultimately this is not the story of a white house stenographer so much as it is the story of a woman obsessed with a terrible man. As I considered dropping the book near the halfway point I debated with myself the idea that perhaps the text had transcended into a study of addiction. This, the exciting globetrotting nature of the author's job, and frequent cameos by then-President Barack Obama convinced me to stick it out.
Below I would like to propose some alternate titles for the book as I believe the actual title to be misleading. Ahem. . .
From the Back Row of Air Force One
The Cracked Door: How to Hook Up While Traveling Internationally for the President
You Can Go Faster: And Other Conversations with the President on the White House Treadmills
My Affair with Jim Carrey
and finally:
Watch the Credits. I Mention Trump in the Epilogue
Ms. Dorey-Stein's memoir had a promising start before sliding into the shape it would hold for most of the book: Romance. Ultimately this is not the story of a white house stenographer so much as it is the story of a woman obsessed with a terrible man. As I considered dropping the book near the halfway point I debated with myself the idea that perhaps the text had transcended into a study of addiction. This, the exciting globetrotting nature of the author's job, and frequent cameos by then-President Barack Obama convinced me to stick it out.
Below I would like to propose some alternate titles for the book as I believe the actual title to be misleading. Ahem. . .
From the Back Row of Air Force One
The Cracked Door: How to Hook Up While Traveling Internationally for the President
You Can Go Faster: And Other Conversations with the President on the White House Treadmills
My Affair with Jim Carrey
and finally:
Watch the Credits. I Mention Trump in the Epilogue
mfumarolo's review against another edition
4.0
*eGalley provided by the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*
Pitched as "The West Wing" meets "The Devil Wears Prada," this memoir by one of President Obama's stenographers was a truly unique insider's look at life in the White House during the Obama presidency. Beck Dorey-Stein was a former English teacher in DC looking for a job when she came across the Craig's List ad that ended up changing her definition of what "normal" would look like for the next five years. As a member of the team recording and documenting the President's public words, Beck flew on Air Force One, was in the presence of world leaders, and had a front-row seat to history in the making. Her personal life, however, was in complete and utter shambles as she continually made choices that made me want to shake her by the shoulders sometimes. Yet she shares it all, and for that, I praise her honesty even if those parts of the narrative had a tendency to be a bit repetitive and tedious. A must buy for public library collections!
Pitched as "The West Wing" meets "The Devil Wears Prada," this memoir by one of President Obama's stenographers was a truly unique insider's look at life in the White House during the Obama presidency. Beck Dorey-Stein was a former English teacher in DC looking for a job when she came across the Craig's List ad that ended up changing her definition of what "normal" would look like for the next five years. As a member of the team recording and documenting the President's public words, Beck flew on Air Force One, was in the presence of world leaders, and had a front-row seat to history in the making. Her personal life, however, was in complete and utter shambles as she continually made choices that made me want to shake her by the shoulders sometimes. Yet she shares it all, and for that, I praise her honesty even if those parts of the narrative had a tendency to be a bit repetitive and tedious. A must buy for public library collections!
kari0's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audiobook and absolutely LOVED this!!! Becks voice is fantastically raspy.
This was a great listen, but it felt a little slow in the middle as Beck became consumed by her “relationship” with a fellow staffer.
Loved hearing about the camaraderie amongst the staffers - pathahan and the boys (Cole, Teddy and Noah). BRB doing a deep Google search to figure out who’s who IRL
This was a great listen, but it felt a little slow in the middle as Beck became consumed by her “relationship” with a fellow staffer.
Loved hearing about the camaraderie amongst the staffers - pathahan and the boys (Cole, Teddy and Noah). BRB doing a deep Google search to figure out who’s who IRL
rachelmariereads's review against another edition
5.0
This is the best book I’ve read so far this year. I loved everything about it. The blend of politics, workplace drama, and soul-searching that Dorey-Stein brings to this book is unmatched. And her writing is absolutely phenomenal. Funny, real, heartbreaking, this book had me hooked from the beginning and I enjoyed every minute of it.
We follow Beck Dorey-Stein throughout her tenure as a stenographer at the White House. Not particularly passionate about politics, Dorey-Stein practically falls into her job. But being a part of the Obama Administration inspired a reverence for the Presidency and it comes through on the page. I loved how this was paced and how Dorey-Stein took the time to talk about all of the major political issues that Obama faced during his second term. Despite living through it, I honestly forgot just how much happened in that four-year span. It was so interesting to see behind the scenes of what was happening in the White House.
In addition to the politics, Dorey-Stein also talks about her life as a staffer. Traveling all over the world, keeping crazy hours, navigating the hierarchy, befriending other staffers… maybe even falling for them. All of her friends were portrayed so well, I loved how she included the little moments with them between all the larger parts of the story. This was so real. Dorey-Stein makes mistakes and she doesn’t sugar-coat them. You see the highs and lows of working in the White House, and feel them viscerally. You watch her try to find her passion amidst the madness. But her writing was so beautiful, it made me laugh and cry and I could feel everything that she felt.
If you like political memoirs, workplace drama, and heartfelt storytelling, I really can’t recommend this enough. I loved the way Beck Dorey-Stein painted the picture of her time in the White House. Despite the insanity of her life during those years, this felt so authentic and relatable. Her writing is incredible, and I really can’t wait to see how it translates to her fiction novel Rock the Boat, which comes out in June!
We follow Beck Dorey-Stein throughout her tenure as a stenographer at the White House. Not particularly passionate about politics, Dorey-Stein practically falls into her job. But being a part of the Obama Administration inspired a reverence for the Presidency and it comes through on the page. I loved how this was paced and how Dorey-Stein took the time to talk about all of the major political issues that Obama faced during his second term. Despite living through it, I honestly forgot just how much happened in that four-year span. It was so interesting to see behind the scenes of what was happening in the White House.
In addition to the politics, Dorey-Stein also talks about her life as a staffer. Traveling all over the world, keeping crazy hours, navigating the hierarchy, befriending other staffers… maybe even falling for them. All of her friends were portrayed so well, I loved how she included the little moments with them between all the larger parts of the story. This was so real. Dorey-Stein makes mistakes and she doesn’t sugar-coat them. You see the highs and lows of working in the White House, and feel them viscerally. You watch her try to find her passion amidst the madness. But her writing was so beautiful, it made me laugh and cry and I could feel everything that she felt.
If you like political memoirs, workplace drama, and heartfelt storytelling, I really can’t recommend this enough. I loved the way Beck Dorey-Stein painted the picture of her time in the White House. Despite the insanity of her life during those years, this felt so authentic and relatable. Her writing is incredible, and I really can’t wait to see how it translates to her fiction novel Rock the Boat, which comes out in June!
pr727's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audio book, read by the author; the narration was clear and easy to understand. I enjoyed the details about her work in the White House and travels with the President's entourage. I was quite surprised by how much she shared about her dating/love life, although while that did not detract from the book it provides a measure of her maturity and confidence. Given that, I suppose I should not have been surprised by the late, late nights spent partying and drinking with co-workers. Enjoyable, interesting, easy to read.
linesuponapage's review against another edition
3.0
It's 2011. Rebecca "Beck" Dorey=Stein was a woman without a full-time job, that is until she saw a post on Craigslist for a Stenographer's job. Come to find out they were hiring for the Stenographer pool that follows the most powerful man in the United States of America-- President Barack Obama.
Many wacky things happen to Beck while traveling with the WH Press. She meets some of the most powerful people in politics and because she is such an extrovert gets herself in some jams that most people don't seem to mind. The book is fast-paced like a sprint through the halls of the underground Whitehouse corridors. There is a lot of relationship building, political highlights, and name dropping in this book. I found the book to be a good look into the WH during the Obama Era and into Dorey-Stein's own life. I did get a little annoyed at times with Dorey-Stein's failure to see that her relationship with "Jason" a man 10 years her senior and a "higher up" in the White House would make her job suffer in the long run. I guess that we all make some choices that backfire on us in life that we end up learning from.
The book is written well, is filled with humor, stress, happiness, and compassion from President Obama through his speeches that Ms. Dorey-Stein transcribes. There are also some really good stories about Dorey-Stein's friendships at the WH, and relationships with her family. I enjoyed reading From the Corner of the Oval.
Many wacky things happen to Beck while traveling with the WH Press. She meets some of the most powerful people in politics and because she is such an extrovert gets herself in some jams that most people don't seem to mind. The book is fast-paced like a sprint through the halls of the underground Whitehouse corridors. There is a lot of relationship building, political highlights, and name dropping in this book. I found the book to be a good look into the WH during the Obama Era and into Dorey-Stein's own life. I did get a little annoyed at times with Dorey-Stein's failure to see that her relationship with "Jason" a man 10 years her senior and a "higher up" in the White House would make her job suffer in the long run. I guess that we all make some choices that backfire on us in life that we end up learning from.
The book is written well, is filled with humor, stress, happiness, and compassion from President Obama through his speeches that Ms. Dorey-Stein transcribes. There are also some really good stories about Dorey-Stein's friendships at the WH, and relationships with her family. I enjoyed reading From the Corner of the Oval.
lizaroo71's review against another edition
3.0
When I first heard of this book, I thought it would be a nice peek into a world we very rarely get a glimpse of as American citizens: the president as he navigates public and private events.
Dorey-Stein paints a picture of the Obama administration that highlights both the exceptional moments and the mundane. Dorey-Stein is one of several stenographers for the Obama White House. This means she must type up all press events, any statement the president makes after a major disaster or event and anything going on record for an interview. She is a fly on the wall.
But the book doesn't always offer the insight I was hoping for because we get a lot of what twenty-eight year old Dorey-Stein spent her down time doing: drinking, dancing and determining whether she should continue to have sex with a man that is clearly using her. That gets a bit boring after a while. I had to remind myself that she is reflecting back on a time that, for many, is the cusp of adulthood and the last chance to be careless with personal choices before you settle in to the responsibilities of a career and love and family.
Dorey-Stein keeps reminding the reader that this is all temporary: her job, Obama's second term, her inability to commit. She started in her job during Obama's second run in the White House which means she really was there at the end of an era. Although her job as stenographer isn't specific to the president, Dorey-Stein doesn't like Trump. She does stay on for a brief time when Trump first gets inaugurated, if only to offer a lasting contrast to the two men in one of the biggest leadership roles in the world.
The ending offers a bit of hope as Dorey-Stein contrasts the Oval Office during Obama's administration and during the current Trump administration. I can visualize that smile on Obama's face as he looks up and answers the question we are all asking: This guy is president? And Obama says, "Yes. So what are you going to do about it?"
Dorey-Stein paints a picture of the Obama administration that highlights both the exceptional moments and the mundane. Dorey-Stein is one of several stenographers for the Obama White House. This means she must type up all press events, any statement the president makes after a major disaster or event and anything going on record for an interview. She is a fly on the wall.
But the book doesn't always offer the insight I was hoping for because we get a lot of what twenty-eight year old Dorey-Stein spent her down time doing: drinking, dancing and determining whether she should continue to have sex with a man that is clearly using her. That gets a bit boring after a while. I had to remind myself that she is reflecting back on a time that, for many, is the cusp of adulthood and the last chance to be careless with personal choices before you settle in to the responsibilities of a career and love and family.
Dorey-Stein keeps reminding the reader that this is all temporary: her job, Obama's second term, her inability to commit. She started in her job during Obama's second run in the White House which means she really was there at the end of an era. Although her job as stenographer isn't specific to the president, Dorey-Stein doesn't like Trump. She does stay on for a brief time when Trump first gets inaugurated, if only to offer a lasting contrast to the two men in one of the biggest leadership roles in the world.
The ending offers a bit of hope as Dorey-Stein contrasts the Oval Office during Obama's administration and during the current Trump administration. I can visualize that smile on Obama's face as he looks up and answers the question we are all asking: This guy is president? And Obama says, "Yes. So what are you going to do about it?"