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Living History

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 9,891 ratings · 553 reviews

The Phenomenal #1 Worldwide Bestseller WITH A NEW AFTERWORD

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 transformati...more The Phenomenal #1 Worldwide Bestseller WITH A NEW AFTERWORD

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.(less)

Paperback, 592 pages

Published April 19th 2004 by Scribner (first published January 1st 2003)

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Mar 10, 2008 Delight rated it 3 of 5 stars

Maybe I'm feeling guilty for not supporting an accomplished woman's presidential candidacy. Maybe I'm becoming increasingly aware that the media hasn't treated Hillary Clinton fairly compared to Barack Obama. Whatever the reason, I've been taking a second look at Hillary Clinton and decided to finally read her autobiography--the one in which I stood in line for 3 hours for her book signing. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the book, how readable it was, and how personable Senator Clinton is...more

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Jan 30, 2008 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

I LOVE bios and I did enjoy this one. You just have to take it for what it is...an Autobiography written by someone with future political aspirations. I do feel that it was honest and I found it very interesting. Hillary was doing amazing, selfless things at a very young age and I was very inspired! The thing that I didn't like about the book was that it was sort of a "who's who" list at times. I appreciate that she remembers everyone who has ever helped her, but it seemed fake. Here's who I kno...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Faith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2005, biography

[This was written in 2005. Don't take it too seriously. And I don't even regret Hillary didn't make it to president.:]

Warning: This writhing isn't as much about the book as it is inspired by the book!

Living History, Hillary Clintons autobiography, that focuses on the years in the White House. I have always admired Hillary Clinton, and thought she is "good". Right now I'm actually not so sure about what I knew about her before I read this book. Probably something about being in the Senate and sta...more [This was written in 2005. Don't take it too seriously. And I don't even regret Hillary didn't make it to president.:]

Warning: This writhing isn't as much about the book as it is inspired by the book!

Living History, Hillary Clintons autobiography, that focuses on the years in the White House. I have always admired Hillary Clinton, and thought she is "good". Right now I'm actually not so sure about what I knew about her before I read this book. Probably something about being in the Senate and staying with her husband regardless of the scandals. The reason why I wanted to read this book was that I wanted an insight in the White House. What is it like living there, being part of these US politics. Hillary was an obvious choice.

The book was both interesting and boring, which is quite paradoxal. It was interesting to read about life as the First Lady in the White House, and about who Hillary Clinton actually was. The chapters about her travels abound the world were also interesting. But some parts were quite boring (probably because of the hard words I didn't understand and the issues I wasn't interested in). Some parts I just eyed through... Long accounts of political issues I wasn't that inserted in, and explanations of the Whitewater scandal (which I never really got what it actually was about).

Yes the scandals. Okay, one reason I for why I wanted to read the book was that I wanted to know what Hillary had to say about Bill and the Monika Levinsky -scandal. I mean, all those scandals abound the Clintons. That's what I knew them for. What I did basically thing about the US presidents: Bill Clinton, the scandal president, the president who betrayed his wife, and George W Bush, the Iraq war president, (or just The Idiot). The thing is that I didn't really know what Bill Clinton actually had done (expect betrayed his wife). Stupid. But still I always thought that Bill Clinton was a good president. He didn't do anything stupid, and he was a democrat... Actually he did a lot of good things I just didn't know about. Bill Clinton is really the only US president I feel positive about (expect Kennedy, after all he must have been good since he was killed. After all only good people are killed, aren't they.) As for the scandals: they are stupid, they have nothing with Clinton’s presidency to do. After all even presidents are only humans, and there are millions of other people who have committed adultery. Adultery is morally wrong, but such things should stay between those who are concerted (mainly husband and wife). The media clearly shouldn't have taken up the issue. The president should be a good role model, yes, but even the American people have nothing to do with his private life.

But back to Hillary. I think she definitely did the right thing staying with her husband. I always did. Actually that is one of the admirable things about her. The ability to forgive those you love... That everybody don't have (and I'm not saying they all should). Anyway. Hillary was a very great First Lady, and a very different First Lady. I really appreciate that she run for the Senate. That was brave. And I really do think that Hillary is a good politician. After all she has good experience. I really do hope Hillary will run for president too in 2008 or whenever it is. I think she would be the best president the US could get right now. They need a woman, they need a democrat. Who could be better that Hillary Clinton? After all she is bound to "know what it is about" after those 8 years in the White House. She has experience. And she ISN'T just Bill Clintons wife. I do totally support her.

I really wish I had a vote in the elections in the US. I'm not sure if it was my history teacher or some newspaper that said that everybody in the whole world should have a vote in the election of the president of the USA. I think I would gladly change my Finish vote for an US one even thou I live here and not there. The US politics are a lot more interesting. I don't understand how the voting percent can be low in the US...

Well, now I just hope Hillary Clintons isn't an other princes Diana. Ever since she died and documentaries of her and her work were showed on the tv that very day, I have admired her too. I was only 11 then, but the pictures of her and mother Teresa together convinced me of that she was a hero. Later I learned that there was an an other side of her too. She was a selfish rich bitch..., but I do still think that she would have turned out good it she hadn't died. I really hope that Hillary Clinton won't turn out to be something else than what I thought she was. But I don't think so. But I do also know that this book is an autobiography, and it presents things like Hillary Clinton wants me to see them. I know, I know. But I want to believe this was the truth.

Well, now I just can't stop writing, even thou I'm constantly making end paragraphs. I must just say that I "love" America (the USA). And not because of this book. Hillary Clinton is of course an awful patriot, but I had this feeling already before I read the book. I read the book because of this feeling. What I mean is that I kind of admire the USA. (This is a dangerous thing to say, 'cos it's hard to get the choice of words right.) They have archived some good things in the US. A lot of very different people live together as a nation. A lot of very different regions form a nation. Oh no..., I take back most of what I just wrote in this paragraph. The right choice of words is that I have a special feeling for the USA. I am interested in this nation and how it works. That' more like it, 'cos there are A LOT of negative things about the US. A lot of things I don't approve of. They have too much power. Really I don't even think there should be a USA. There should be a New York, a Wisconsin, a Maryland, a Texas and a California and so on. Then there would be no nation for Hillary Clinton to be president of, but so what.

And till the USA is split up: Hillary Clinton, run for president! You are great!(less)

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Mar 17, 2008 Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Women's rights activists

Recommended to Scott by: Bill Clinton

I listened to this unabridged book as an audiobook.
It is read by Hill, herself.
I have to say honestly it was pretty uninspiring - until the end. There is a lot of name-dropping and place-dropping going on. This type of writing makes me cringe and always ask 'so what?'.
It does give her point of view nicely of all the scandals of her administration, and for that reason it's worth reading. It also essentially depicts herself as the second coming of Mother Theresa and Jackie Kennedy. Ummm, I just d...more

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Feb 11, 2008 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won't take this review as an unbridled opportunity to defend Clinton in the wake of her current demon-ization by the press (both liberal and conservative.) Suffice to say that I don't see how one can not finish this book and not gather that she is HANDS DOWN the most QUALIFIED Democratic candidate for the U.S. Presidency. This is worth the read for an appreciation of her role in breaking new ground for the first lady as ambassador and foreign policy consultant. Very interesting in light of pop...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Nadine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bio, 2011-challenge

Really interesting review of a very ambitious woman. I can remember a bit about the Whitewatergate and Lewinski scandals, so it was interesting to hear about it again from an insider's perspective. It also confirmed my desire to never run for parliament!

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Mar 13, 2012 Alicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

I can't wait until Hillary Clinton ends her career in public service. But, because she has been an outstanding public servant, I will temper my need to hear what she REALLY thinks about the events in her life and her political antagonists. "Living History" is certainly a comprehensive work. It covers Hillary's childhood right up until the time she is sworn in as a Senator from New York. The events of her very eventful life are interesting on their own merits. However, something is left out of th...more I can't wait until Hillary Clinton ends her career in public service. But, because she has been an outstanding public servant, I will temper my need to hear what she REALLY thinks about the events in her life and her political antagonists. "Living History" is certainly a comprehensive work. It covers Hillary's childhood right up until the time she is sworn in as a Senator from New York. The events of her very eventful life are interesting on their own merits. However, something is left out of the retelling. And that something would have made the book a lot more interesting. What she leaves out, in my opinion, are her candid observations and opinions. With only a few exceptions, the book reads like a political science textbook when she describes Bill Clinton’s policies as a governor and as President or a travel log as she describes her considerable world travels.

When discussing her mother's less than ideal childhood at the hands of an odd, uncaring mother whose behavior borders on abusive, Hillary's prose is passionate and detailed. When discussing political consultant Dick Morris, she describes him as having the people skills of a porcupine. And when retelling the horror of the Lewinsky scandal and the shameful performance of Ken Starr as independent counsel, she has some honest-to-goodness righteous indignation. Other than those few instances, the book is full of clichés and phrases that are carefully constructed not to offend. Newt Gingrich deservedly gets a piece of her mind in this book. Other than these few instances, the remainder of the book seems route and is useful only to document that she was indeed there as a participant.

I can understand her rationale for not letting it all hang out. At the time the book was written, she had many years of public service left and it would be very difficult to be a productive and effective senator after she’d painted unflattering portraits of over political opponents in print or making other colleagues leery of working with you for fear of what you might say in the next book. But man-o-man, to REALLY know what Hillary Clinton thought of all she has seen and lived through would be really something because she has certainly lived some history.(less)

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Oct 09, 2010 Leanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

This woman has had an amazing life, experiencing the entirety of the world--literally every good and bad thing humanity has done in her lifetime! If she had only kept her presidential campaign focused with the wisdom of her life and invited Americans into the intimacy of that knowledge with the world stage, she would have won hands down. She certainly knew exactly what the nation was facing during the race because it mirrored Clinton's eight years in the White House! Why all of this was not the...more

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Nov 20, 2009 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was really eye-opening for me. With all the media attention Clinton gets, it's hard to imagine her as a real person. Her autobiography had a lot of surprises for me. I never imagined Hillary Clinton, one of the most controversial figures in American politics, to have such a "normal" upbringing. Even more surprising was reading about her conservative family and her own participation in the Young Republicans as a teen!
This book is a really interesting account of our country's history du...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Daisy*•.♥.•* rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir-biography

Although I thought I was going to find this book more interesting since I admire Mrs Clinton, I did enjoy it. I was surprised to read that in her youth she was a republican.

The curiousity I had about living in the White House was answered. I really enjoyed how she wrote about her transition in living in the White House after Bill became president. I was also surprised to read how much involvement she had in causes when she was in college at Yale. There were many unjust perceptions about women ba...more

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Nov 03, 2009 Ying Che rated it 2 of 5 stars

My mistake to pick up a memoir written by a politician who was still trying to climb up the ladder of power. In addition to telling life stories, a good memoir author should be able to honestly face the ultimate question from herself: who am I. In this book, however, there is only the person whom she wanted the public to think to be - credible, steady, intelligent and very devoted to family. I wonder if her PR has filtered the contents for better polls. But while she was busy justifying herself,...more

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Dec 05, 2007 Rospoicha rated it 3 of 5 stars

read it to up my poli=personal knowledge of The Hillary.
it read easily, mostly flattering political building blather. i think its a savvy and dimensionalizing move to have written a memoir so early in the game.
it was nice to read a digestible semi-chronology of some of the Clinton admin...though in retrospect it makes me wonder more about the omissions. at least the Whitewater "issues" were clarified, and i don't think she can fudge those...

1 like · like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 LemonLinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I am not a huge Hillary fan, I did find this book which covers her life through to the end of the Clinton presidency to be very enlightening regarding her feelings, reactions and motivations, etc. for everything from marrying Bill through to running for the U.S. Senate from the state of New York after the White House years.

I did also gain a measure of respect and understanding for many of her political and personal positions and/or decisions. Although I may not always agree with her, I fo...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Phillip rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great book -- but I'm obviously very bias. I'm just interested in Sec. Clinton and her public life. This was written in 2004, so I think if she does leave as Secretary of State, she may write a more updated book. But this book is her autobiography -- she is about my dad's age, so it was interesting to hear stories of that generation, and what changed her from a Mid-West Republican supporting Goldwater to a Democrat (living in Arkansas!). I think I zoned out a bit when she talked about...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Luna C rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm so glad I didn't abandon this book. After all, it is a famous person also known as the wife of Bill Clinton who was the President of America (USA). I like calling these books "special" books because they're autobiographies. Learning about a super stars life and telling step by step is actually an enjoyable book to read. I know not everyone likes reading autobiographies or biographies but who knows what the book will be about. And of course any humans life can't be perfect or lived without a...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Sira rated it 4 of 5 stars

Living History is one of the books one could say so much about that it's hard to say anything at all.

It is the story of the life of one of the most fascinating women of our time: Hillary Clinton.

Not only did she live through times of profound changes (Vietnam, the end of segregation, the era of women making a living for themselves, to name just a few)but she is also married to one of the world's most prominent men and managed to make a name for herself as senator for the state of New York and la...more

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Nov 21, 2010 Sasha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hillary Clinton is one intriguing person. She has drawn strong opinions, both good and bad, over her politics and serious personality, but the lady deserves some respect. An outspoken advocate for children, health care and especially women's rights, she has waded through some pretty thick political muck to get where she is. Her struggle with finding her own voice in the shadow of a President as well as the many connections made with foreign leaders are serving her well as our current Secretary o...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Scott Holstad rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have to start by confessing the Clintons are my favorite politicians and I love them dearly. I miss Bill being in the White House and I think Hillary should have been. Now that that's out of the way, I finally, finally got a copy of this book and I just couldn't put it down. (I am biased, remember?) I thought it was enthralling. I think it really showed the human side of Hillary, whereas in the media she's often portrayed in a very negative light, or like she's a robot or something. I loved th...more I have to start by confessing the Clintons are my favorite politicians and I love them dearly. I miss Bill being in the White House and I think Hillary should have been. Now that that's out of the way, I finally, finally got a copy of this book and I just couldn't put it down. (I am biased, remember?) I thought it was enthralling. I think it really showed the human side of Hillary, whereas in the media she's often portrayed in a very negative light, or like she's a robot or something. I loved this book! And I learned a lot too. For instance, I didn't know she grew up a staunch Republican and was both a Goldwater girl and the president of her college's Republican club. That was interesting. I got a feel throughout the book that she really was truly in love with Bill and that his betrayal of her with Monica hurt her deeply, but it was her love of him that ultimately kept them together. She doesn't mince words with her hurt and despair over his affair. She also spends a lot of time on their eight years in the White House together (which obviously makes sense). She defends Bill and the Democrats and while trying to be reasonably fair, she does take the Republicans to task at times, especially Newt, Bob Dole, and Bush. She was appalled at the 2000 election results where the Supreme Court stole the popular vote from Gore and gave the presidency to Bush. I am too, still. I didn't know, however, that Hillary was such an amazing advocate for women and children throughout the world. She made the rounds, got a lot accomplished, and was heavily honored for her efforts. This book was written in 2004, after she had become a New York senator. I wish there could be a 2010-2012 update with her role as Secretary of State under Obama. I'd be interested in what she would have to say about current Republican obstructionism. She also made Chelsea come alive for me. I hadn't known that much about her, and she details the trips they took together, and the campaigning Chelsea did for them, etc., et al, and I have a greater appreciation for their daughter now. Bill wasn't a perfect person, man, or president, but he did preside over the greatest period of prosperity in our country's history, along with numerous other achievements, all the while with Ken Starr trying to put him in jail -- talk about a stupid, wicked witch hunt! -- and I admire him even more after reading this book. Hillary talks about her health care reform efforts and how those were blunted by the Republicans, although she did get more accomplished there than I had realized. All in all, if you're a Clinton fan, you'll probably enjoy the book. If you're not, you'll probably hate it. A lot of people on Goodreads complain about the name dropping in this book, but I viewed it as legitimate. Hillary DID have a lot of people to talk about and thank. What's wrong with that. It wasn't a distraction for me. I'm so happy I finally bought this book and read it. Now I have to read Bill's books....(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Frederick Bingham rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hillary Clinton's self-serving autobiography from birth to the end of the Clinton presidency. I read parts of it, but not the whole thing. She discusses such episodes as health care reform, the whitewater investigation, Monica Lewinsky, her senate campaign, etc. A lot of the book is taken up describing her extensive travels as First Lady. She gets to travel all over the world, much of it without Bill. She keeps excellent records of the people she meets and the issues she discusses.She is at her...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Nutkin rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book is quite straight forward and not filled with tons of mushy recollections. She tells the story of events & people that influenced her throughout her life, up until she became a NY senator. While I found some of the connections interesting and loved the personal reflections and memories, it was a little heavy on the name dropping.

I enjoyed the book & would recommend it to anyone who followed or follows politics in the USA and would like to have a more personal view of what went d...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, political-science, history

Took a little while to read. This is actually a very good book and I enjoyed Ms. Clinton's openness in exposing her life -- both through good times and bad -- for "Living History."

I wasn't as thrilled with the White House years leading up to the impeachment, nor was the portion at the end regarding her campaign to replace Sen. Moynihan as the "junior" senator from New York. I actually enjoyed reading the first sections of her life before the White House.

I would really love to see a follow-up to...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Tara Giancaspro rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hillary (rightly so) spends much of this book sharing interactions with friends, dignitaries, and colleagues. The name-dropping can truly be overwhelming, as I found myself scrambling to remember the role of Bernie or Ira or Mandy. Despite this barrage of dates and people and places, I found myself not wanting to put the book down. On multiple days, I found that I had read near or over 100 pages in one sitting. I not only learned a lot about this fantastic woman, but about the world and cultures...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008, non-fiction, usa

I love Hillary. I think she is a great politician and a wonderful inspiration for young women with political aspirations.

Seriously though- she could have done so much better than Bill. I loved this book, until she met Bill.

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Jun 26, 2010 Brigitte rated it 4 of 5 stars

I should first confess that I am a Hillary supporter. Yes, I voted for her in the primary (and yes, I have a Hillary tee shirt). Despite all that, I'm not sure I knew anything about her.

It's odd how certain politicians and celebrities no long feel like "real people". They seem to exist in some other world that vaguely resembles ours, but can only be accessed by those with wealth, power, and more importantly, fame. Most of the time we are never forced to consider that false perception, until some...more I should first confess that I am a Hillary supporter. Yes, I voted for her in the primary (and yes, I have a Hillary tee shirt). Despite all that, I'm not sure I knew anything about her.

It's odd how certain politicians and celebrities no long feel like "real people". They seem to exist in some other world that vaguely resembles ours, but can only be accessed by those with wealth, power, and more importantly, fame. Most of the time we are never forced to consider that false perception, until some odd cosmic alignment drags Paris Hilton into our Jamba Juice or something and we realize as we're staring at her strange, straw colored hair and shiny, shiny lips that she's just a self absorbed narcissist who spends too much time getting ready in the morning. Reading Hillary's book was one of those cosmic alignments for me. This is what I learned...

Hillary had a sad mother. Hillary has a cheating husband. Hillary isn't good with hair or clothes. Hillary is a very smart woman who never wanted to be someone's wife. Hillary met a handsome politician but didn't want to move to Arkansas. Hillary failed the Washington bar and decided to give it a shot, etc., etc...

That is a person's life. Not a one dimensional, sound bite spewing figure on the nightly news. A PERSON.

Is this book perfect? No. At times it barely warrants three stars (especially during passages that feel pulled from a political speech, e.g. "Like John Smith who lost his health care after a parachuting accident" or "During that year we saved Social Security, increased the minimum wage, and did other stuff that had nothing to do with blow jobs in the White House"). But then there are the five star moments when she talks about being a betrayed spouse or Whitewater, and you suddenly realize how well funded the political machine against the Clintons really was. Or when she describes what it's like to be an ambitious woman in a male dominated industry and it crosses your mind that Washington, D.C. just might hate women. Seriously. I'm not a radical feminist but listening to her recount some of what went on - especially her struggle to embrace a press corps that seemed hellbent on her destruction simply, at times, because she wanted her own career - you suddenly realize that a) we have a long, long way to go in this country, and b) the Republicans that dragged us into Iraq, stole an election, and forced a President through an unconstitutional impeachment process are also misogynist assholes.

Alright, I'll stop rambling now. I don't normally spend this much time reviewing books on Goodreads. I was just so surprised by my reaction, so uncertain about whether to believe in the humanity presented here (the woman's a consummate politician after all), that I find myself somewhat desperate to discuss it. I can't think of anyone in "real life" who would be interested enough to have that discussion with me, but if you, Reader of My Review, happen to be one of them, please drop me a line.(less)

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Oct 25, 2008 Will Byrnes rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, biography-autobiography-memoir

The book can be tedious to read. She shows a serious lack of humor. There is speculation that it was ghost-written. I suppose one should read it to find out details. It was only ok. And I like Hillary.

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Jul 11, 2009 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Weird to consider this a 'page turner', but I really did. Maybe it is because I wasn't really paying too much attention to politics in my late teens and early 20's- but I do remember the sound bites of the clinton administration: "health care reform", "whitewater", "lewinsky", etc and told by Rush Limbaugh on my dad's car radio. Reading this was a great lesson in the 'two sides to every story' adage. (and a great reminder of how far my political ideas have shifted to the left! yay for me.) It is...more

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Jun 13, 2008 Janae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not my candidate, but a really, smart, shrew woman. I enjoyed the book, just felt bad by buying it that I had contributed to her power a little.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 20, 2012 Kcoloney rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have always admired Hillary Clinton so I was probably predisposed to like this book. It was fascinating to me so see how she became the person she is: her background, experiences, faith, thoughts. Her comments on changing from a Republican to a Democrat, on being a wife and mother, on being Bill Clinton's wife, on why she holds the opinions she holds, were quite enlightening. I was particularly struck by her discussion of the Clinton administration's attempt to pass health care reform legislat...more

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Mar 14, 2010 Katy Meldau Cummings rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm always amazed at how much HATE people have for Hillary Rodham Clinton. I found this book at the library and on a whim picked it up, maybe just for the fun of irritating the ultra-conservatives around me. It's a politician's biography - lots of name dropping, flag waving, and what isn't said is probably more important than what is. But I finished it with more respect and admiration for HRC. Really interesting to look back at the first attempt to pass health care reform. And I do think HRC was...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although she was our First Lady for 8 years, a senator, and now Secretary of State, I confess to not knowing very much about Hillary Clinton prior to reading this. She had a surprisingly normal childhood and I was surprised to learn she was raised in a conservative household and was herself a Republican as a youth. I could relate to Hillary's tale of being a female attorney in the 1970s, and how we can be treated by men in our profession.

It is interesting to read this to see into the White House...more

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About Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947) is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving within the administration of President Barack Obama.

She was a Senator from the state of New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd, President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, Hillary served as First Lady from 1993 to 2001. In the 2008 election Clinton was a leading ca...more Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947) is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving within the administration of President Barack Obama.

She was a Senator from the state of New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd, President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, Hillary served as First Lady from 1993 to 2001. In the 2008 election Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

A native of Illinois, Hillary Rodham attracted national attention in 1969 when she was chosen by her peers to be the first student commencement speaker at Wellesley College. As a graduate of Yale Law School, Class of 1973, she served temporarily as a Congressional legal counsel. Rodham moved to Arkansas in 1974, marrying Bill Clinton a year later. Hillary Rodham Clinton co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families in 1977, and became the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978. Named the first female partner at Rose Law Firm in 1979, she was twice listed as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America. First Lady of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992 with husband Bill as Governor, Clinton successfully led a task force to reform Arkansas's education system. She has served on the board of directors of Wal-Mart as well as several other prominent corporations.

In 1994 as First Lady of the United States, her major initiative, the Clinton health care plan, failed to gain approval from the U.S. Congress. However, in 1997 and 1999, Clinton played a role in advocating for the establishment of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Foster Care Independence Act. Her time as First Lady drew a polarized response from the American public. She is the only First Lady to have been subpoenaed, testifying before a federal grand jury in 1996 due to the Whitewater controversy, but was never charged with any wrongdoing in this or any of the other investigations during her husband's administration. The state of her marriage was the subject of considerable speculation following the Lewinsky scandal in 1998 that spurred Articles of Impeachment to be issued against her husband, Bill Clinton.

In January of 2000, Clinton was elected as senator to the State of New York after moving to the small suburban hamlet of Chappaqua in Westchester County. That election marked the first time an American First Lady had run for public office; Clinton was also the first female senator to represent New York. In the Senate, she initially supported the Bush administration on some foreign policy issues, including a vote for the Iraq War Resolution, subsequently opposing the administration on its conduct of the war in Iraq, and most domestic issues. Senator Clinton was re-elected by a wide margin in 2006. In the 2008 presidential nomination race, Hillary Clinton won more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history, but narrowly lost to Senator Barack Obama. As Secretary of State, Clinton became the first former First Lady to serve in a president's cabinet
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Books by Hillary Rodham Clinton

An Invitation To The White House : At Home With History

Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets

Hillary Clinton Speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention - Full Text

Report of the U. S. A. Submitted to the U. N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Conjunction with the Universal Periodic Review

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“Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you.” — 41 people liked it

“Too many women
in too many countries
speak the same language,
of silence...” — 19 people liked it

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