I had to do it. It has debued as #1 on the
NY Times Bestseller List. It stands with the #1 ranking on
Amazon Bestseller Book list. It was written by the second woman to ever be nominated for the Vice-Presidency - a working mother with young children - and old children for that matter. It is the culmination of the past year for one of the most polarizing individuals ever to enter the political scene. I am talking, of course, about Sarah Palin's new book,
Going Rogue. I had to read it and review it.
I was in my kitchen with my husband when John McCain's announced his running mate for Vice-president would be then-Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin. My husband and I passed a glance and my eyebrows shot up. Hummm... gutsy choice. The first woman VP nominee since Geraldine Ferraro, I thought - this could be interesting. As the months went by, and the campaign progressed, I was intrigued by the Palin story, the good and bad.
As the months wore on and the McCain/Palin campaign reached full force, my curiosity regarding Sarah Palin grew. How can she stand the negative treatment of herself, her family, and her record? And what's with those bad interview performances, "the bridge to nowhere," her ability kill a moose, her firing of the governor's cook, her saying "no, thanks" to the Governor's plane, her emails being hacked into, her lack of experience, the book burning accusations and then in the waning days of the campaign, those clothes, those dangerously expensive clothes?
I wanted to know the answers to all these questions. I wanted the behind-the-scenes story. I wanted to know why Palin continues to take a beating in the media. I wanted to know what she believes and why? What is her experience as a councilwoman, Mayor of Wasilla, and Governor of Alaska. What is her record? I wanted to know how she found the energy to be in politics as a mother with, at the time, three kids. I wanted to know how she felt when she found out that her baby had Down Syndrome. I wanted to know about her family, her parents, her siblings, and how she came to be the person she is. What does Palin believe and how did she come to believe it? Who are her idols? Whose voice plays in her head when she is making a tough decision? How did she really feel when her daughter told her she was pregnant? My list of questions was endless.
"Going Rogue" is Palin's story with the campaign as the backdrop. She tells the reader all about her life in Alaska and her family - her mother, her father, and her siblings as well as her husband and his family. She tells how she grew up, the expectations of her parents, the choices she made growing up, the influence of her favorite books, her quirks (she's a self-proclaimed "Geek" when it comes to details), her idols, her relationship with her husband Todd, and her relationship with her family. She also talks about Alaska and her beginnings, what it was like to live there as a little one, and the unique relationship Alaskan's have to their environment and how difficult it can be to survive there.
Going Rogue is very easy to read, yet full of details that were interesting to learn especially as they related to the relationship between the oil and gas companies and Alaska. Palin details her experiences in politics, starting as a city council woman, serving as Mayor of Wasilla, Governor and, finally, her run for Vice-President. As Governor, she details her fight against big oil, cutting budgets, and successfully implementing projects that seem to have put Alaskans in charge of Alaska and her resources. She also describes the 2009 VP campaign from her standpoint. The behind the scenes look at the whirlwind that is a campaign is reminiscent of Mary Matalin and James Carville's "
All's Fair - Love, War and Running for President". While telling her story, Palin admits her mistakes and what she learned from them.
After reading the entire book you'll have a much clearer understanding of what Palin is all about, what she hopes to accomplish and why. Like all of us, her story, who she is, is shaped by all the folks in her life and how they influenced her and taught her. Along the way, she answers the questions that have been asked since her placement on center stage in this country and she takes the opportunity to tell her side of the story.
Quotes of those who inspire Palin are sprinkled throughout the book. There is a clear theme that runs through all of these quotes, specifically, and I'm paraphrasing here, "one may not be able to control what happens in one's life, one can only control how one reacts to it." I think I might have just gotten the answer to my first question. "Why Palin continues to take a beating?" As well, when trying to determine Palin's future and what she sees for herself, I believe she might have answered that one as well when she quotes Martin Luther King Jr on page 86, "Set yourself earnestly to discover what you are made to do, and then give yourself passionately to the doing of it." Read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions.
Read more...
I love to talk to moms. When I speak at MOMS International Club meetings or at an evening "Cocktails and Conversation" group or even if I am simply speaking at a mom event, one of the most common questions asked of me has absolutely nothing to do with being a mommy. That question? "How did you get published?" I always tell folks the same thing. I am just like them. I had an idea and I felt passionately about it and I simply would not stop until I got my message out there. Clearly, I am not alone. In Gary Vaynerchuk's, the WineLibrary.TV guy, new book CRUSH IT, it's clear that passion has a lot to do with success. The next time I'm asked how did you do it, I am going to point my new friends to Vaynerchuk's very readable, tell it like it is, guide for entrepreneurs looking to learn more about the way to "Crush It" on their own. (I just love the way that sounds, don't you? Say it with me? "Crush it!" Feels good, doesn't it?)
I had to do it. It has debued as #1 on the NY Times Bestseller List. It stands with the #1 ranking on Amazon Bestseller Book list. It was written by the second woman to ever be nominated for the Vice-Presidency - a working mother with young children - and old children for that matter. It is the culmination of the past year for one of the most polarizing individuals ever to enter the political scene. I am talking, of course, about Sarah Palin's new book, Going Rogue. I had to read it and review it.
Yes, I have a little crush on Sue Miller this month and I suspect it's going to get worse. Ms Miller, if you are out there please get in touch with me, I HAVE to interview you for my blog. After I re-read and reviewed, While I Was Gone which I share with you on a previous blog post, I was hungry for another Sue Miller book. Book number two was purchased at my local library's annual book sale. The volume of The World Below I purchased is the gorgeous, hardcover version of the book, all in blues (and a bit of green) on the front cover. The inside of the book was pretty gorgeous, too. (All that it needs is Sue Miller's autograph..too much? Ok. Ill stop.)
On Thursday of this week, I tweeted about an article that listed five reasons why New Moon could be good. One of those reasons was because it had found a new director. The article was right on the money, the new director did a fantastic job. New Moon is awesome! I saw the movie with my 12 year old and my 9 year old and just about ever other tween in a 15 mile radius of the Barn movie theater in Doylestown, PA on Friday night.
In New Moon, Edward, takes somewhat of a backseat to Jacob - played by the hunky, super-pimped Taylor Lautner. When Lautner fills the screen bare-chested and every young girl in the place simultaneously exhales, I couldn't help but laugh. At the same time, I noticed all the girls with their hand up in the air with their cell phones - kind of like what we used to do at concerts with our lighters, but no, they weren't waving their hands, they just shot straight up. Confused, I asked my daughter the purpose of this strange hand motion. She patiently explained that they were taking a picture of the movie screen to send to their friends. For some reason, I thought this was so amusing, I muffled a belly laugh and ended up snorting. My snort set my 9 year old off and I'll tell you the sound of her laughter was worth the price of admission.
