Scan barcode
babyygiraffe's review
DNF.
I could tell Warren is passionate about the subject matter of this book, but I struggled to keep interest even though it pertains to me and my family. I was looking for something a bit more personal about her - not a statistic filled battle cry.
I could tell Warren is passionate about the subject matter of this book, but I struggled to keep interest even though it pertains to me and my family. I was looking for something a bit more personal about her - not a statistic filled battle cry.
eralon's review
4.0
I love this book because it does a perfect job of explaining why I'm a liberal on the economics side of the equation. It's more of a policy book than a memoir and you'll get a sense of exactly where she stands on everything except foreign policy because, let's face it, neither party has a cohesive foreign policy right now.
It's clear that Warren has toughened up a lot over the years, especially since joining the Senate in 2013. She's not interested in taking any bullshit anymore. I wasn't initially that excited about a Warren presidency as I felt she missed her opportunity in 2016, but I've changed my mind completely after reading this and her other memoir. (I also read her much earlier personal finance book.)
Also, be assured that this is not another Trump book. He's mentioned because it's a bit unavoidable, but it's not about Trump; it's about making the economic system a fair system for everyone.
It's clear that Warren has toughened up a lot over the years, especially since joining the Senate in 2013. She's not interested in taking any bullshit anymore. I wasn't initially that excited about a Warren presidency as I felt she missed her opportunity in 2016, but I've changed my mind completely after reading this and her other memoir. (I also read her much earlier personal finance book.)
Also, be assured that this is not another Trump book. He's mentioned because it's a bit unavoidable, but it's not about Trump; it's about making the economic system a fair system for everyone.
katiasbuzz's review
5.0
Elizabeth Warren for President!!!!!! That's who the world will need to undo the horrors of Trump!!!!!
jgn's review
4.0
I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Warren for her politics but perhaps more importantly because she is an intelligent designer of policy that works. This book has many of the touchstones that make Warren an interesting person of her generation: She made some early tradeoffs between her personal gifts and the demands of marriage, and then she worked her way up the academic hierarchy, eventually landing at Harvard. No one starts at relatively undistinguished academic institutions and ends up at a place like Harvard unless you are very, very good; and she was very, very good.
What you have here is a strong articulation of the center/left "good government" side of the Democratic Party: That segment that believes that government can do great things. She is a capitalist because she believes in competition and markets. But her consistent watchword here is that there should be a "cop on the beat" to rein in the monopolistic abuses that are so prominent today. Additionally, Warren is a great advocate for re-building ourselves out of the current mess: This is the center/left version of "Make America Great Again": Here's the way she puts it: "How do we build an America that works for all of us? The answer is right in front of us: We built it once, and we can build it again" (p. 252).
She has a kind of homey old-fashioned way of talking: The text is sprinkled with "Well, shoot," and phrases like that, and she doesn't say "shit" but spells it out as "s--t." She quotes here her funny and piquant tweets against Trump which makes me think that maybe she can be tough with him in a debate.
Perhaps the most gripping part is when she was kicked off the Senate floor for reading a letter by Coretta Scott King. It was absurd when McConnell emitted his "she persisted" remark -- but what I didn't know was that later in the debates 3 or 4 male Senators read from the very same letter and were not blocked. The sexism runs deep.
Why am I giving this 4 stars rather than 5? I agree entirely with her analysis but the organization of the book may prevent it from changing minds. (I was hoping this was the book I could give to some more conservative friends, but I don't think it would have much effect.) The first chapter has profiles of people who were screwed by the 2008 recession: That provides helpful context. Unfortunately chapter 2 goes into FDR and the Great Depression. I get it: We fixed things up then, and can do it again. But I don't think that is a resonant point of reference anymore for anyone under the age of . . . what? . . . 45? A lot of the book I think could change minds but I wonder if her sarcasm (which I personally appreciate) would turn some readers off.
Of course, no one reads anymore, so I guess this book is more something to stake out some ground and give the intelligentsia something to quote.
In any case, this is a worthy shot across the bow as we approach 2020. I could see her literally throwing the book at Trump during a debate.
What you have here is a strong articulation of the center/left "good government" side of the Democratic Party: That segment that believes that government can do great things. She is a capitalist because she believes in competition and markets. But her consistent watchword here is that there should be a "cop on the beat" to rein in the monopolistic abuses that are so prominent today. Additionally, Warren is a great advocate for re-building ourselves out of the current mess: This is the center/left version of "Make America Great Again": Here's the way she puts it: "How do we build an America that works for all of us? The answer is right in front of us: We built it once, and we can build it again" (p. 252).
She has a kind of homey old-fashioned way of talking: The text is sprinkled with "Well, shoot," and phrases like that, and she doesn't say "shit" but spells it out as "s--t." She quotes here her funny and piquant tweets against Trump which makes me think that maybe she can be tough with him in a debate.
Perhaps the most gripping part is when she was kicked off the Senate floor for reading a letter by Coretta Scott King. It was absurd when McConnell emitted his "she persisted" remark -- but what I didn't know was that later in the debates 3 or 4 male Senators read from the very same letter and were not blocked. The sexism runs deep.
Why am I giving this 4 stars rather than 5? I agree entirely with her analysis but the organization of the book may prevent it from changing minds. (I was hoping this was the book I could give to some more conservative friends, but I don't think it would have much effect.) The first chapter has profiles of people who were screwed by the 2008 recession: That provides helpful context. Unfortunately chapter 2 goes into FDR and the Great Depression. I get it: We fixed things up then, and can do it again. But I don't think that is a resonant point of reference anymore for anyone under the age of . . . what? . . . 45? A lot of the book I think could change minds but I wonder if her sarcasm (which I personally appreciate) would turn some readers off.
Of course, no one reads anymore, so I guess this book is more something to stake out some ground and give the intelligentsia something to quote.
In any case, this is a worthy shot across the bow as we approach 2020. I could see her literally throwing the book at Trump during a debate.
megankass's review
4.0
Less about general politics and ideas, and much more about an economics lesson and the specifics of how big money owns politicians. Very informative!
christinaj's review
4.0
I listened to the audiobook, which is read by Elizabeth Warren, and it is excellent. Some parts drag on a bit long, but she speaks with a genuine passion, hope, frustration, and determination that is refreshing and inspiring to hear.
celina_r's review
5.0
She knows what she’s doing and her backstory is the American dream. If we have any sense at all we’ll elect her next year.
pingsandroses's review
Warren is knowledgeable and passionate, and she paints a clear picture of wealth inequality and the slow erosion of the American middle class. This book isn’t necessarily a plan for a fight but a history of the policies that have brought us to where we are today. She links government policies (that favor large corporations) to personal stories of folks who have fallen out of or haven’t been able to reach the middle class despite their hard work. This book does tend to follow a Democrats good, Republicans bad dichotomy. Warren’s writing style might not be for everyone; she tries to go for relatable, but comes off as quirky and over the top. Though somewhat demoralizing, I found this to be a valuable read.