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A review by thirtyminutesdaily
Pelosi by Molly Ball
4.0
“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 have 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 politics in the Trump era and beyond.
Because, as Pelosi would proceed to demonstrate, it wasn’t Trump’s Washington. It was hers.”
“If this book has a thesis, it is that you needn't agree with Nancy Pelosi’s politics to respect her accomplishments and appreciate her historic career.”
When I first saw this biography while browsing through the depths of Net Galley, I was drawn in by its quite iconic cover of Madam Speaker Pelosi, in her rustic red coat and tortoiseshell glasses. I requested to read the book, and, while waiting on my approval, I reflected on how little I knew about Madam Speaker Pelosi.
This review isn’t aiming to be political, and I am going to try to write this review with minimal political bias. Regardless of what side of the line you are on, Nancy Pelosi is an iconic legislator who rightly deserves being recognized for her historical accomplishments, one of which is being the first female Speaker of the House in the history of the United States.
Pelosi by Molly Ball provides a fresh perspective of various presidential administrations, with her entrance into Congress being during the Reagan administration--but her love affair with politics began years before that. Growing up, Nancy D'Alessandro Pelosi was raised by a father who was a Congressman and a mother who was his political spine. While the book opens with context on Madam Speaker Pelosi with her upbringing and her own navigating of motherhood and how it equipped her with the skills to become an eventual master legislator in the House of Representatives, the main focus is on her legislative life, after her children were raised and husband established in his career.
Throughout this biography, the reader witnesses the ebbs and flows of Pelosi’s life in Congress--we see the rise of Pelosi as a political force to be reckoned with, to her fall from power after being branded as “shrill” and uncooperative by Republicans, to her rise again as one of the only people who dares to call Trump out, a democratic party unifier. The book closes with her decision and announcement to begin the impeachment process of Donald Trump, her future and status in the House being left to the unknown of the future.
More than a simple narration of her political life, readers get a fresh view into various Presidents administrations, through the lens of the legislative branch rather than just what the general population tends to see. This book makes clear, and is exemplified in the actions of Madam Speaker Pelosi that politics is about the art of the deal, the power of compromise, and the importance of networking and I-owe-yous in political life more than personal political ideologies.
Nancy Pelosi is more than a politician--she is a master strategizer, knowing just when to play her cards and who to pick up the phone to call. What I really appreciated about this book was that it was not just focused on all of the good Nancy Pelosi has done while in power--it also notes at her shortcomings and flaws as a political figure as well. This book, especially near the end, pegs the question if it is time for her to step aside as Speaker and allow fresh faces to take control. There is never any hiding of the importance of big money in politics and how Pelosi has not been immune to the money talks mindset either--she is no perfect politician, and the author does not hesitate to point this out.
I will say, for being less than 400 pages this book is dense with content. I found myself blazing through administrations, with each chapter structured as a different major accomplishment/legislative obstacle that Nancy Pelosi has fought for (or against). This book, while a good read when reading cover to cover, will also act as an excellent reference book to have in your personal library collection as well. I would have loved to be able to slow down and read this book as a physical version, really taking the time that this book needs to absorb all of its content and take some notes in the margins.
I’m going to end this review saying that I really loved the fresh perspective that this book provided both on Nancy Pelosi and the legislative branch of the United States government. As a former political science student and someone who would go so far as to call herself an activist, I found a realistic analysis of Nancy Pelosi that I loved way more than I would have if this book mindlessly and ignorantly praised just her accomplishments without acknowledging personal shortcomings. As someone who personally always strives for progress and action, this book does a wonderful job at highlighting the importance of the skill of compromise. Four stars because I didn’t always find myself jumping for joy to pick this book up--at times it felt like a summation rather than a narration.
Because, as Pelosi would proceed to demonstrate, it wasn’t Trump’s Washington. It was hers.”
“If this book has a thesis, it is that you needn't agree with Nancy Pelosi’s politics to respect her accomplishments and appreciate her historic career.”
When I first saw this biography while browsing through the depths of Net Galley, I was drawn in by its quite iconic cover of Madam Speaker Pelosi, in her rustic red coat and tortoiseshell glasses. I requested to read the book, and, while waiting on my approval, I reflected on how little I knew about Madam Speaker Pelosi.
This review isn’t aiming to be political, and I am going to try to write this review with minimal political bias. Regardless of what side of the line you are on, Nancy Pelosi is an iconic legislator who rightly deserves being recognized for her historical accomplishments, one of which is being the first female Speaker of the House in the history of the United States.
Pelosi by Molly Ball provides a fresh perspective of various presidential administrations, with her entrance into Congress being during the Reagan administration--but her love affair with politics began years before that. Growing up, Nancy D'Alessandro Pelosi was raised by a father who was a Congressman and a mother who was his political spine. While the book opens with context on Madam Speaker Pelosi with her upbringing and her own navigating of motherhood and how it equipped her with the skills to become an eventual master legislator in the House of Representatives, the main focus is on her legislative life, after her children were raised and husband established in his career.
Throughout this biography, the reader witnesses the ebbs and flows of Pelosi’s life in Congress--we see the rise of Pelosi as a political force to be reckoned with, to her fall from power after being branded as “shrill” and uncooperative by Republicans, to her rise again as one of the only people who dares to call Trump out, a democratic party unifier. The book closes with her decision and announcement to begin the impeachment process of Donald Trump, her future and status in the House being left to the unknown of the future.
More than a simple narration of her political life, readers get a fresh view into various Presidents administrations, through the lens of the legislative branch rather than just what the general population tends to see. This book makes clear, and is exemplified in the actions of Madam Speaker Pelosi that politics is about the art of the deal, the power of compromise, and the importance of networking and I-owe-yous in political life more than personal political ideologies.
Nancy Pelosi is more than a politician--she is a master strategizer, knowing just when to play her cards and who to pick up the phone to call. What I really appreciated about this book was that it was not just focused on all of the good Nancy Pelosi has done while in power--it also notes at her shortcomings and flaws as a political figure as well. This book, especially near the end, pegs the question if it is time for her to step aside as Speaker and allow fresh faces to take control. There is never any hiding of the importance of big money in politics and how Pelosi has not been immune to the money talks mindset either--she is no perfect politician, and the author does not hesitate to point this out.
I will say, for being less than 400 pages this book is dense with content. I found myself blazing through administrations, with each chapter structured as a different major accomplishment/legislative obstacle that Nancy Pelosi has fought for (or against). This book, while a good read when reading cover to cover, will also act as an excellent reference book to have in your personal library collection as well. I would have loved to be able to slow down and read this book as a physical version, really taking the time that this book needs to absorb all of its content and take some notes in the margins.
I’m going to end this review saying that I really loved the fresh perspective that this book provided both on Nancy Pelosi and the legislative branch of the United States government. As a former political science student and someone who would go so far as to call herself an activist, I found a realistic analysis of Nancy Pelosi that I loved way more than I would have if this book mindlessly and ignorantly praised just her accomplishments without acknowledging personal shortcomings. As someone who personally always strives for progress and action, this book does a wonderful job at highlighting the importance of the skill of compromise. Four stars because I didn’t always find myself jumping for joy to pick this book up--at times it felt like a summation rather than a narration.