I really enjoy learning about the behind the scenes workings of politics and when I heard about Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for President Obama, I couldn't wait to read it. Or listen to it, in this case. When I learned it was read by the author, I opted for the audio version. Especially with autobiographies and memoirs, I really enjoy listening to the author read/ tell their own story. It feels more personal to me and gives me a greater sense of the action to hear it told by the person who wrote it.
Mastromonaco worked for Obama for nearly a decade, starting in his Senate office, working on his campaign for president, and then holding two positions within the White House- Director of Scheduling and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, the youngest woman to ever hold that position. Her book, Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?, tells about her time in those positions as well as her personal life and what led her to politics in the first place. Especially useful, I felt, was the practical every day advice that Mastromonaco gives to young people, and young women in particular, about beginning a career and learning how to negotiate early adulthood.
My only complaint about this audio book is that the author reading was actually a bit stale. I expected her to sound like she was telling a story and instead she was clearly reading off a stack of hastily printed pages fresh from the office printer. It almost didn't sound like she hadn't read these words prior to sitting down in front of the microphone. Her tone just left something to be desired, but I still really enjoyed what she had to say. Even if politics aren't your thing (and really, they should be everyone's thing since they affect us all), this book still has a lot to offer and I hope you'll give it a try.
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