A review by mrz_owenz
Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House by Lauren Oyler, Alyssa Mastromonaco

4.0

I have been listening to Alyssa Mastromonaco for years on the podcast Hysteria so in some ways I already felt like I know her. And although I knew a few of the stories, there was mostly new and revelatory information in this book. The depth and importance of her job at the White House was one of the more interesting aspects. She's very relaxed, casual, and funny on the podcast so I didn't realize that she had organized much of the FEMA response to Hurricane Sandy until reading this book. Ms. Mastromonaco is incredibly smart and hard working and can serve as an inspiration to any young woman trying to make her way in politics or any arena typically dominated by males. I listened to the audiobook and she was more formal than on the podcast and I kind of missed the chill but blunt and hilarious casual version of her but I appreciated the additional context of her story. The story was told out of chronological order which was disorienting at times.