Great Books

Resilience: It's How You Can Succeed Like Hillary. Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton is the very model of a successful leader, gifted at prospering even in the face of turbulent times. The real question is: Could the same be said about you? Ask yourself: Do I bounce back from challenging situations? Do I know how to learn from my mistakes? Do I make my words count? Do I embrace change and take advantage of new opportunities? In Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton, leadership expert Rebecca Shambaugh reveals the unique formula of open-mindedness, intense focus, authenticity, and resilience that allows Hillary to answer "yes" to all of these questions and that has led to her historic rise onto the world stage. "In today's uncertain and demanding markets—or in a theater of war, where chaos reigns—the value of resiliency cannot be underestimated. Rebecca Shambaugh's timely, powerful examination of Hillary Clinton's leadership success provides concrete strategies and techniques that individuals and organizations of any size can use to lead decisively and effectively, no matter the climate." -- David L. Grange, U.S. Army Major General (ret.) and CEO of PPD Inc. She has survived personal and professional crises and moved forward to authoritatively step into one of the most important political positions on the planet—and at one of her country's toughest times. What are the secrets to Hillary Rodham Clinton's success? U .S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton knows how to prosper despite—and even because of—challenges. Confident and self-realized, she is inspiring and effective in good times and bad, and this has led to an unprecedented life of "firsts." Among them: First First Lady to run for (and win) a U.S. Senate seat First female senator of New York First female major-party candidate to mount a serious challenge for the U.S. presidency And, as Secretary of State, she is the first former First Lady to serve in a president's cabinet Hillary may have "come in second" in the race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, but Clinton has earned worldwide respect as a first-rate leader. Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton dissects her powerful leadership style, making each of its aspects easy to put into practice. You'll learn: how to stay optimistic and on message in tough times how to create a "personal brand" that people will want to get behind how to adapt to change and disappointment—while never losing sight of your purpose and authenticity how to effectively communicate, re-engage, and inspire others in difficult times how to win the partnership of others (even detractors!) and to grow your network of supporters how to instill a sense of hope, commitment, and resilience for those around you as a leader Written by leadership expert and bestselling author Rebecca Shambaugh, Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton offers proven lessons for success from one of our finest modern exemplars. Rebecca Shambaugh is the founder and CEO of SHAMBAUGH Leadership and author of It's Not a Glass Ceiling, It's a Sticky Floor. She lives in Washington, D.C.

In celebration of the tenth anniversary of It Takes a Village, this splendid edition includes photographs and a new Introduction by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. A decade ago, then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton chronicled her quest -- both deeply personal and, in the truest sense, public -- to help make our society into the kind of village that enables children to become smart, able, resilient adults. It Takes a Village is "a textbook for caring.... Filled with truths that are worth a read, and a reread" (The Dallas Morning News).For more than thirty-five years, Senator Clinton has made children her passion and her cause. Her long experience -- not only through her roles as mother, daughter, sister, and wife but also as advocate, legal expert, and public servant -- has strengthened her conviction that how children develop and what they need to succeed are inextricably entwined with the society in which they live and how well it sustains and supports its families and individuals. In other words, it takes a village to raise a child. In her new Introduction, Senator Clinton reflects on how our village has changed over the last decade -- from the impact of the Internet to new research in early child development and education. She discusses issues of increasing concern -- security, the environment, the national debt -- and looks at where we have made progress and where there is still work to be done.It Takes a Village has become a classic. As relevant as ever, this anniversary edition makes it abundantly clear that the choices we make today about how we raise our children and how we support families will determine how our nation will face the challenges of this century.

The First Lady, a longtime child advocate, expresses her concerns for the children of today's world and offers her ideas for developing our society into one that values children's unique contributions.

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton has worked to make the White House a distinctly American showcase -- from historically accurate renovations and acquisitions of important American art, to celebrations of jazz and gospel music and an expanded emphasis on American cuisine. The first family's home has also been distinguished by the diversity of Americans honored and welcomed there. In this lavishly illustrated book, the First Lady invites you into the best-known house in the country and celebrates the very best of American history, arts, and culture. An Invitation to the White House shows how the White House figures prominently in the cultural and political life of the country, as well as in the life of the first family. You'll have a front-row seat at the full range of White House occasions, from an elegant and historic State Dinner for the Emperor and Empress of Japan to the annual Easter Egg Roll, from a performance by Lou Reed to a private recital for President Clinton by a saxophone quartet. You'll follow a State Visit -- from the planning of the seating arrangements to the arrival ceremonies to the dancing after dinner -- and meet the dedicated staff who work behind the scenes to make it all possible. This is a White House you won't see on any public tour: As historian Carl Anthony writes in his introduction, "This book makes the rooms come alive -- one can almost taste the food and hear the music." With more than 350 color and black-and-white photographs, menus and invitations from State Dinners and other events, and more than fifty recipes used in the White House kitchens, here is a glimpse of the day-to-day life behind the historic events that take place in the people's house.

The most famous house in the United States serves as both private home and public domain. Every year brings an assortment of international dignitaries, down-home performers, local civic events, and family meals. Encompassing both rich historic tradition and modern lifestyles, the White House is a national symbol of pride in our distinct culture. An Invitation to the White House brings together detailed history and recent events with style. Each page is covered with lush photographs; some are public displays of formal greetings and gift exchanges, while others are obviously personal family snapshots from the Clintons' collection. From Chelsea showing her young cousin the family Christmas tree to Bill and Hillary listening raptly to a speech by Stephen Hawking, you'll find shots showing every facet of life at the White House. Many photos are devoted to showing the house "behind the scenes," and they present us with details like flower arrangements, plate garnishings, and delicate calligraphy for the place cards at formal dinners. The accompanying text by Hillary Rodham Clinton is written with a pleasing mixture of fine detail--"Mrs. Barak and I did not stay awake as late as our husbands did"--and general sociopolitical commentary such as "The unified stance solidified that weekend was yet another reminder of the importance of NATO's alliance." Food is an important part of this book, and many sample menus have been included in full. The last chapter is filled with delightful recipes from the White House chefs, and includes such treats as new potatoes with lobster and bacon, hot pumpkin soup, and mocha cake. Whether you're a history buff, a die-hard Democrat, or just a fan of vivid coffee-table books, An Invitation to the White House is the next best thing to an actual visit. --Jill Lightner

During their eight years in the White House, Bill and Hillary Clinton worked together more closely than the public ever knew. Their intertwined personal and professional lives had far-reaching consequences–for politics, domestic policy, and international affairs–and their marital troubles became a national soap opera. Based on unparalleled access to scores of Clinton insiders–cabinet officers, top administration officials, close personal friends–and skilled analysis of a vast written record, including previously unavailable private papers, For Love of Politics is the first book to explain the dynamics of Bill and Hillary’s relationship, showing that they are two halves of a unique whole and that it is impossible to understand one Clinton without factoring in the other. Sally Bedell Smith, acclaimed author of Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House, offers intimate scenes from the Clinton marriage, with new details and insights into how a passion for politics sustained Bill and Hillary through one crisis after another. With clarity and depth, Smith examines the origins of an unconventional copresidency, explains the impact of the Clintons’ tensions as well as their talents, and reveals how Hillary shifted from openly exercising power in the first two years to acting as a “hidden hand,” advising her husband on a range of foreign and domestic issues as well as decisions on hiring and firing. Smith describes for the first time the inner workings of a White House with an unprecedented “three forces to be reckoned with”–Bill, Hillary, and Al Gore–and shows how the First Lady’s rivalry with the Vice President played out in the West Wing and even more profoundly during the 2000 campaign. As Hillary seeks to follow in her husband’s footsteps, this riveting book will leave readers marveling at what they never knew about Bill’s intensely covered presidency–and wondering what it would be like to have two presidents, both named Clinton, living in the White House.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is known to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Yet few beyond her close friends and family have ever heard her account of her extraordinary journey. She writes with candor, humor and passion about her upbringing in suburban, middle-class America in the 1950s and her transformation from Goldwater Girl to student activist to controversial First Lady. Living History is her revealing memoir of life through the White House years. It is also her chronicle of living history with Bill Clinton, a thirty-year adventure in love and politics that survives personal betrayal, relentless partisan investigations and constant public scrutiny. Hillary Rodham Clinton came of age during a time of tumultuous social and political change in America. Like many women of her generation, she grew up with choices and opportunities unknown to her mother or grandmother. She charted her own course through unexplored terrain -- responding to the changing times and her own internal compass -- and became an emblem for some and a lightning rod for others. Wife, mother, lawyer, advocate and international icon, she has lived through America's great political wars, from Watergate to Whitewater. The only First Lady to play a major role in shaping domestic legislation, Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled tirelessly around the country to champion health care, expand economic and educational opportunity and promote the needs of children and families, and she crisscrossed the globe on behalf of women's rights, human rights and democracy. She redefined the position of First Lady and helped save the presidency from an unconstitutional, politically motivated impeachment. Intimate, powerful and inspiring, Living History captures the essence of one of the most remarkable women of our time and the challenging process by which she came to define herself and find her own voice -- as a woman and as a formidable figure in American politics.

As with most books written by politicians while in office (or at least aiming for one), Living History is, first and foremost, safe. There are interesting observations and anecdotes, the writing is engaging, and there is enough inside scoop to appeal to those looking for a bit of gossip, but there are no bombshells here and it is doubtful the book will change many minds about this polarizing figure. This does not mean the work is without merit, however, for Hillary Clinton has much to say about her experience as first lady, which is the primary focus of the book. Those interested in these experiences and her commentary on them will find the book worth reading; those looking for revelations will be disappointed. Beginning with a brief outline of her childhood, college years, introduction to politics, and her courtship with Bill Clinton, Clinton covers a wide variety of topics: life on the campaign trail, her troubled tenure as leader of the President's Task Force on National Health Care Reform, meeting with foreign leaders, and her work on human rights, to name a few. By necessity, she also addresses the various scandals that plagued the administration, from Travelgate to Whitewater to impeachment, though she does not go into great detail about each one; rather, she seems content to simply state her case and move on without trying to settle too many old scores. Along the way, she offers many apologies, though perhaps not the kind some would expect. She does not shy away from her "vast right-wing conspiracy" comment, for instance, though she does wish that she had expressed herself differently. Regarding the Monica Lewinsky scandal, she maintains that her husband initially lied to her, as he did the rest of the country, and did not come clean until two days prior to his grand jury testimony. Calling his betrayal "the most devastating, shocking and hurtful experience of my life," she explains what the aftermath was like personally and why she has elected to stand by her man. In all, Living History is an informative book that goes a long way toward humanizing one of the most recognizable, and controversial, women of our age. Shawn Carkonen

Drawing from hundreds of interviews with colleagues, friends and with unique access to campaign records, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Carl Bernstein offers a complex and nuanced portrait of one of the most controversial figures of our time: Hillary Clinton. He has given us a book that enables us, at last, to address the questions Americans are insistently—even obsessively—asking: What is her character? What is her political philosophy? Who is she? What can we expect from her?

Read an excerpt from A Woman in Charge A Woman in Charge is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carl Bernstein's illuminating account of Hillary Rodham Clinton, revealing the complex of motivations and machinations behind her extraordinary life and career. Drawing on over 200 interviews with Clinton associates (both colleagues and adversaries), as well as major pieces written by and about the former First Lady, Bernstein has constructed an indelible portrait of perhaps the most polarizing figure in American politics, from her midwestern roots to her own presidential ambitions; but don't take our word for it--read an excerpt from the first chapter and decide for yourself. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter One: Formation I adored [my father] when I was a little girl. I would eagerly watch for him from a window and run down the street to meet him on his way home after work. With his encouragement and coaching, I played baseball, football and basketball. I tried to bring home good grades to win his approval. –Living History Hillary Rodham’s childhood was not the suburban idyll suggested by the shaded front porch and gently sloping lawn of what was once the family home at 235 Wisner Street in Park Ridge, Illinois. In this leafy environment of postwar promise and prosperity, the Rodhams were distinctly a family of odd ducks, isolated from their neighbors by the difficult character of her father, Hugh Rodham, a sour, unfulfilled man whose children suffered his relentless, demeaning sarcasm and misanthropic inclination, endured his embarrassing parsimony, and silently accepted his humiliation and verbal abuse of their mother. Yet as harsh, provocative, and abusive as Rodham was, he and his wife, the former Dorothy Howell, imparted to their children a pervasive sense of family and love for one another that in Hillary’s case is of singular importance. When Bill Clinton and Hillary honeymooned in Acapulco in 1975, her parents and her two brothers, Hughie (Hugh Jr.) and Tony, stayed in the same hotel as the bride and groom. Dorothy and Hugh Rodham, despite the debilitating pathology and undertow of tension in their marriage (discerned readily by visitors to their home), were assertive parents who, at mid-century, intended to convey to their children an inheritance secured by old-fashioned values and verities. They believed (and preached, in their different traditions) that with discipline, hard work, encouragement (often delivered in an unconventional manner), and enough education at home, school, and church, a child could pursue almost any dream. In the case of their only daughter, Hillary Diane, born October 26, 1947, this would pay enormous dividends, sending her into the world beyond Park Ridge with a steadiness and sense of purpose that eluded her two younger brothers. But it came at a price: Hugh imposed a patriarchal unpleasantness and ritual authoritarianism on his household, mitigated only by the distinctly modern notion that Hillary would not be limited in opportunity or skills by the fact that she was a girl. Hugh Rodham, the son of Welsh immigrants, was sullen, tight-fisted, contrarian, and given to exaggeration about his own accomplishments. Appearances of a sort were important to him: he always drove a new Lincoln or Cadillac. But he wouldn’t hesitate to spit tobacco juice through an open window. He chewed his cud habitually, voted a straight Republican ticket, and was infuriatingly slow to praise his children. "He was rougher than a corncob and gruff as could be," an acquaintance once said. Nurturance and praise were left largely to his wife, whose intelligence and abilities he mocked and whose gentler nature he often trampled. "Don’t let the doorknob hit you in the ass on your way out," he frequently said at the dinner table when she’d get angry and threaten to leave. She never left, but some friends and relatives were perplexed at Dorothy’s decision to stay married when her husband’s abuse seemed so unbearable. "She would never say, That’s it. I’ve had it," said Betsy Ebeling,* Hillary’s closest childhood friend, who witnessed many contentious scenes at the Rodham dinner table. Sometimes the doorknob remark would break the tension and everybody would laugh. But not always. By the time Hillary had reached her teens, her father seemed defined by his mean edges–he had almost no recognizable enthusiasms or pretense to lightness as he descended into continuous bullying, ill-humor, complaint, and dejection.