Molly Ball

Today I finished Molly Ball's fantastic biography of Nancy Pelosi then watched the Speaker of the House being interviewed about the Senate hashing out the COVID-19 stimulus package. I kinda had chills watching.

Pelosi covers the life and career of the Speaker, set against the tumultuous series of challenges and division America has endured. I always appreciate a book that offers perspective and insight into events I have lived through, which Ball accomplishes.

I love a good biography, show more especially of remarkable women.

But perhaps what I appreciated most from Ball's book is an understanding of how power works in Washington.

Sometimes--rarely, anymore--there is compromise. Other times a party digs in its heels and won't budge. How does anything get done, especially in the hostile political climate of the last several decades?

Pelosi is a study in the use of power. How one gains it and loses or keeps it. Pelosi has endured while others have failed, given up, faded away. Pelosi is pragmatic, determined, organized, and workaholic, with a hefty dose of Mom-sense and faith.

Pelosi was a volunteer for Democrats in San Francisco and a mother and wife. How she became a force who could stand up to Washington's most powerful men is a riveting story. Pelosi learned from her failures, only becoming stronger.

Ball's respect for Pelosi is evident, but she has no political slant. She isn't afraid to show the weaknesses of Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama. Trump, well, he gets the treatment he deserves.

"If this book has a thesis, it is that you needn't agree with Nancy Pelosi's politics to respect her accomplishments and appreciate her historic career," Ball writes in the "Afterward". "I didn't expect to find her particularly compelling," she admits. In a compelling narrative, Ball's book achieves making Pelosi an iconic heroine.

I was given access to a free ebook by the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

READING PROGRESS show less

I knew from the recommendations that this was going to be an interesting book. I had not realized that I would become completely absorbed by it.

A tremendous piece of writing that doesn't fit neatly into a single category.

Lots of info, no refs

I am reading "Pelosi" concurrently with Richard Hofstadter's "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life" and "American Conservatism" by Andrew J. Bacevich and I am struck, dumbfounded really, by the different approach to inline documentation taken by the three authors. Molly Ball and Andrew J. Bacevich don't bother.

I'm a scientist by training and I want to know the antecedents of every statement. Hofstadter is an academic writing in an earlier era and I am thrilled to be show more able to see within a few lines of an opinion or reference, where it is from. Editor Sean Wilentz is to be commended.

Thus, while Molly Ball's bio of Nancy Pelosi is informative and highly readable, we are presented with opinions and asides and have no idea if they represent Ms Pelosi, Ms Ball or anyone else. Once you realize this, as I did during the discussion of Ms Pelosi's failures at focusing on human rights issues in US policy toward with China, the remainder of the book is diminished by the constant question: Who said that?

I learned a lot from the book and my respect for Ms Pelosi grew, but I can't get past this weak presentation.

I received a review copy of "Pelosi" by Molly Ball from Henry Holt through NetGalley.com. show less

She is one tough cookie. She raised 5 children and taught them to fold their own clothes and form an assembly line to make school lunches. She volunteered in Democratic organizations but did not run for Congress until her youngest was a high school senior. Her other four were all in college. When she first ran for a house seat in 1987, she was one of only 23 women in the House. When she first ran for Speaker of the House in 2007, the world really wasn’t ready for a hard-charging woman who show more also was a fiercely devoted mother, but I think times have finally caught up with this 80-year-old who can outmaneuver Trump. Lots of necessary details fill the pages of this book showing it wasn’t just Tony Bennett who “did it my way.” I was only vaguely aware of all the background work that goes in in politics until I read this book. I wonder how she and LBJ would have locked horns. Many of their goals were the same, but if they’d been in Congress at the same time would they have been friends or only political allies. show less