Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?
And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House
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Narrated by:
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Alyssa Mastromonaco
About this listen
If your funny older sister were the former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama, her behind-the-scenes political memoir would look something like this....
Alyssa Mastromonaco worked for Barack Obama for almost a decade, and long before his run for president. From the then-senator's early days in Congress to his years in the Oval Office, she made Hope and Change happen through blood, sweat, tears, and lots of briefing binders.
But for every historic occasion - meeting the queen at Buckingham Palace, bursting in on secret climate talks, or nailing a campaign speech in a hailstorm - there were dozens of less-than-perfect moments when it was up to Alyssa to save the day. Like the time she learned the hard way that there aren't nearly enough bathrooms at the Vatican.
Full of hilarious, never-before-told stories, Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? is an intimate portrait of a president, a book about how to get stuff done, and the story of how one woman challenged, again and again, what a "White House official" is supposed to look like. Here Alyssa shares the strategies that made her successful in politics and beyond, including the importance of confidence, the value of not being a jerk, and why ultimately everything comes down to hard work (and always carrying a spare tampon).
Told in a smart, original voice and topped off with a couple of really good cat stories, Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? is a promising debut from a savvy political star.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2017 Alyssa Mastromonaco (P)2017 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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The Big Life is packed with actionable guidance combined with personal advice from high-profile millennial women who have already achieved tremendous success, plus intimate conversations with a cast of compelling characters and Shoket's own stories on her quest for The Big Life. You'll learn to tackle all of the issues on heavy rotation in your mind.
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Growing up poor in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, with a young, addicted mom, Bobby Estell fell in love with country music. Abandoned by his father at the age of five, Bobby saw the radio as his way out - a dream that came true in college when he went on air at the Henderson State University campus station broadcasting as Bobby Bones while simultaneously starting The Bobby Bones Show at 105.9 KLAZ.
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A look inside the narcissist life of Bobby Bones.
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The Great Stewardess Rebellion
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It was the Golden Age of Travel, and everyone wanted in. As flying boomed in the 1960s, women from across the United States applied for jobs as stewardesses. They were drawn to the promise of glamorous jet-setting, the chance to see the world, and an alternative to traditional occupations like homemaking, nursing, and teaching.
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Amazingly true!!
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As the co-host of MSNBC's popular morning show Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski has established herself as a leading political news journalist and beloved television personality. She daily interviews world leaders - Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain - and discusses the major events of the day with guests like Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, Andrea Mitchell, Chris Matthews, Maureen Dowd, and Tom Friedman. But success hasn't always come easy for Mika.
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All Things at Once
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Small Admissions
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Despite her innate ambition and summa cum laude smarts, Kate Pearson has turned into a major slacker. After being dumped by her handsome French "almost fiancé", she abandons her grad school plans and spends her days lolling on the couch, leaving her apartment only when a dog-walking gig demands it. Her friends don't know what to do other than pass tissues and hope for a comeback while her practical sister, Angela, pushes every remedy she can think of, from trapeze class to therapy to job interviews.
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For fans of "Where'd You Go, Bernadette ?"
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A witty, wise, straight-talking career guide for women, I Shouldn't Be Telling You This is the perfect book for the current economic climate, whether you're just starting out, re-entering the workforce after maternity leave, or simply looking for a career change; it contains essential tips and bold strategies from a gutsy innovator who helped increase Cosmo's circulation by half a million copies per month.
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Every evening for eight years, at his request, President Obama was given 10 handpicked letters written by ordinary American citizens - the unfiltered voice of a nation - from his Office of Presidential Correspondence. He was the first president to interact daily with constituent mail and to archive it in its entirety. In To Obama, Jeanne Marie Laskas interviews President Obama, the letter writers themselves, and the White House staff who sifted through the powerful, moving, and incredibly intimate narrative of America during the Obama years:
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a must have audible book or print, it will amaze u
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Has Anyone Seen My Pants?
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clearance shelf material
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I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends
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Complete with stories, tips, tricks, and advice from your favorite Bachelor alumni, and filled with all the juicy details Courtney fans and foes alike want to know, I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends is a must-listen for every member of Bachelor nation.
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I didn't come here to make friends
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Off with My Head
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The year 2020 was going to be the best year of Stassi’s life. Besides getting engaged and feeling like she was on top of the world career-wise, she bought her first house and was planning her dream Italian wedding. The future showed so much freaking promise—until it all went to hell. Stassi may not be perfect—she may have made some (major) mistakes—but she does feel like she has some insight (and plenty of hilarious tales) about getting knocked up, called out, and learning from what went wrong.
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Really Wanted to Like This, But...
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Once described by The Washington Post as "the most interesting mayor you've never heard of", Pete Buttigieg, the 36-year-old Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has improbably emerged as one of the nation's most visionary politicians. First elected in 2011, Buttigieg left a successful business career to move back to his hometown, previously tagged by Newsweek as a "dying city", and transformed it into a shining model of urban reinvention.
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Reveals a Person Wise & Experienced & Literate
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What listeners say about Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- John Sweeney
- 04-12-17
An honest, entertaining account of political life
More of a "how to survive working in politics" guide than a political memoir, Alyssa Mastromonaco's recounting of her time with Senator, Candidate and finally President Barack Obama is a must read for anyone contemplating -- or currently struggling through -- a life as a political staffer.
Punctuated by personal stories and poignant advice throughout, Mastromonaco honestly details the difficulty of achieving a work life balance in the fast-paced world of politics. Though I imagine this story will be particularly helpful to women climbing the corporate or political ladder, "Who Thought this Was a Good Idea" should be on the top of any political geek's reading list, or that of anyone who looking to be entertained, informed and inspired.
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15 people found this helpful
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- Annie
- 11-13-17
It Was Just Like I Thought It Would Be
I was so very glad that I gave this book a listen. Mastromonaco's oral reading was easy to follow (rate and volume were perfect and she inflected in such a way that portrayed sincerity). While she revealed her experiences during the Obama presidency she thoroughly answered the questions posed in her title. I realized that this was not the intended outcome the author was going for but nonetheless... I have always admired President Obama and was always grateful for his service and now having "read" Mastromonaco's book I saw that it wasn't enough for there are many unsung heroes working in the White House and the author was one about whom we would have never known. I'm 65 years old and would never be a White House employee but I wanted to know what it was like. Thanks to this book I now know. I consider this to be a must buy.
This is an “AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY” .
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4 people found this helpful
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- sarah
- 09-19-19
Listening to this book is a GOOD IDEA!
Loved that this was read by the author. She makes you feel like she is in your living room telling stories about her time in the white house. She talks about Obama with admiration. I love that she got a tampon machine installed in the west wing restroom. I smiled the entire time I listened and felt inspired after.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Creating Purpose, LLC
- 05-30-17
Honest, enlightening stuff
This is a no holes barred look at living and working in the high stakes political bubble. Alyssa's unique way of reading brings out the pain and joy to the stories. This felt like the opening credits to a much deeper, wider story about the passion, angst, pain and glory of working for the most powerful person in the world. I wanted Soo much more and had a hundred questions after each chapter. She didn't peel back the layers of influence, power, control, or discrimination that she felt and saw. Who are the women presidential candidates she would leave it all to work for? I trust her gut instincts and want to be part of that campaign!! Mindy Kahling already bought the rights to this and plans to make it into the next "West Wing"! YES!!
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1 person found this helpful
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- qnofrogs
- 06-29-17
Must listen
I'm a college professor and I think this book should become part of the curriculum. The messages of being prepared, resilience, and how scary change is are the same messages but far more compelling than any I usually make. I've recommended this book to my colleagues. It's entertaining and a peek behind the Obama administration curtain, but mostly this book is solid advice for people trying to establish a professional life.
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- Sariah Bechtel
- 07-16-17
political memoir for unpolitical people
I don't enjoy engaging in conversations about politics with other persons. I must say I do have a really hard time following everyone's stance on issues and their agendas. Also I was not an Obama supporter before reading this book. However, now I would like to know more about him. I'm a little unhappy that I didn't know as much as was presented in this book.
I gave the overall performance five stars however the story itself only four stars. There were a couple of times that the author flip-flopped between stories and timelines that left me a little confused as to where we were in the overall storyline.
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- Jacob Ford
- 08-10-17
Kitsch Worth Trying
The writing here is okay, and it does pain me to say this because I do think Alyssa is a person I’d like to spend a day with.
The writing is awkward, with good stories strewn in strange places for vague reasons which I think involve morals. Some anecdotes are way overcooked with explanation and exposition, while others which seem to have real West Wing grit end up annoyingly dry.
The final chapter is actually titled “Conclusion.”
So a lot (though not all) of these chapters read like the front flap of a book in an airport newsstand, but, yes, I do think they are worth reading.
It’s a good book, with good stories, and proves that every confident and inaccessibly dream-achieving person is dealing with the same anxiety, annoying dietary restrictions, dying cats, and requests to get other people Diet Coke that you are dealing with yourself.
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- Mohio
- 07-06-17
funny and relatable
Fun book to get a first hand pov on working inside the white house and the struggles/sacrifices you have to make. Narration was smooth. really liked the structure of the book...lessons learned vs. straight timelime.
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- Brooke
- 06-14-17
Loved it!
I'm 37, so close to the author's age and I found her very relatable. I loved her point of view and her witty take on situations. And, I also love Mindy Kaling and cats :)
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- James M. Patton
- 07-19-17
A personable & well told narrative of an insider.
What made the experience of listening to Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? the most enjoyable?
Having the author read the book so that you get the emphasis and emotions she intended. A very well told narrative of being not only a part of the political world, but also a human being who, unlike movie characters, actually has to live in the real world.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Alyssa Mastromonaco. She did a great job of taking us inside her world.
Which character – as performed by Alyssa Mastromonaco – was your favorite?
Her, relaying her personal life while trying to do this job.
What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?
Interesting from beginning to end. Too hard to pick!
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