Untitled Holt Nonfiction

I didn't even know this existed because I haven't been really following any politician's writings for a while now. So when I found this while browsing my library catalog, I wanted to listen to it immediately. And that was definitely a good decision.

Frankly, I don't know how reading this book will feel like. But listening to it narrated by Elizabeth Warren herself is an experience I'm glad I didn't miss. She brings all her knowledge and passion that we usually see her display during speeches to this book and it was amazing. I also liked how she prefaced it by saying it's not a campaign book and went on to structure it in a way that reflects her life experiences. She goes through the phases of her life her marriage, motherhood, being a teacher, then a bankruptcy law expert and later a politician and details some of the challenges she faced in each of these phases. She then explains in a very accessible manner the various similar kinds of issues that millions of people face in this country even till today and how we can go about solving some of them, if only there was will and determination to solve them, instead of just winning elections. Her solutions may seem too simple or maybe impossible too, but I don't see anything wrong with starting from impossible solutions and then arriving at more possible ones. In a highly partisan world that we live right now, there is no point starting with low expectations because the bar is already very low.

The issues Warren highlights in this book are not something new or what we don't already know, but it's the way she intersperses her experiences with that of the people, navigating the history of policy making that led to some of the changes, and the need to make more decisive policy changes - that's what makes this a very effective book. And it's just spectacular in terms of narration. Do recommend, especially if you're not used to reading a lot of political books. It might feel more like “nothing new” if you are a seasoned reader.