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Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?

and Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House
Aug 29, 2017PimaLib_NormS rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
“Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?” by former White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Alyssa Mastromonaco with Lauren Oyler, is an amusing read about the author’s life, especially the years she spent as a staffer for John Kerry and Barack Obama. In my opinion, this book does not fall into the category of a “kiss and tell” memoir that so many people write after leaving such a high profile job. Rather, it is more like a collection of the author’s personal feelings and thoughts and experiences as a young woman in a series of stressful, high-impact positions, including working for the President of the United States. She is not shy about telling anecdotes that are personal, or that put her in a less than flattering light. And, I must say, the book seems geared toward female millennials. But, that’s okay. (I just turned and read those parts with my feminine, millennial side.) Mastromonaco writes of her triumphs and failures in an honest, open manner, as if she is speaking with an old friend. She never comes across like, “Hey look at me! I worked for the President!” All-in-all, this was an engaging look at life behind the political scenes, written by someone who worked behind those scenes.