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Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America

Sherrod Brown

4.26 · Rating details · 457 ratings · 79 reviews

Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown has sat on the Senate floor at a mahogany desk with a proud history. In Desk 88, he tells the story of eight of the Senators who were there before him. Despite their flaws and frequent setbacks, each made a decisive contribution to the creation of a more just America. They range from Hugo Black, who helped

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Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Published November 5th 2019 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

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Dec 17, 2019 Jean rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography, non-fiction, audio-book, biography, history, us-history, civil-rights, politics

Sherrod Brown is the democratic senior senator from Ohio. He sits at desk number 88 in the Senate. He tells about the senators who have had the seat before him, such as: Senator Hugo Black; he had the desk from 1927 to 1937. Some of the other Senators that sat at this desk were George McGovern, Al Gore, Robert F. Kennedy and Theodore Green. Brown tells about each of the eight men and he works in information about himself. I was surprised at how many decades it took to stop child labor. Apparentl ...more

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Jun 30, 2020 Donald Powell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biography, history, anthropology, government

This book is a penultimate text on progressive politics, its importance, principles and legacy. Senator Brown is an accurate historian, concise writer and a man of true humane vision. While this history is a mere slice of the pie of the influence of progressive thought, it is a balanced, true and thoughtful explanation of how and why government is critical to humanity, serving as its major impediment when the rich and powerful control it.

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Nov 05, 2019 Cristie Underwood rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I love that Senator Brown wrote this book detailing how the previous Senators to sit at Desk 88 impacted history with their service. Each one had setbacks, but was still able to contribute to the better of America. This book is one that needs to be read, as it emphasizes the contributions made by Senators in the past and how working together with others can truly impact the future of our Country. We live in divided times and this book shows how Senators with different values held the same seat a ...more

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Nov 19, 2019 John Ryan rated it it was amazing

Exceptional!

Rich history of those who are elected to help working people rather than the rich. Interesting stories of people who made America a better place to work and live. It’s just the honest, well written story we need with today’s sad political state. Even people who don’t like politics will like this book, perhaps even more so.

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Jan 12, 2020 John Newton rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-history, american-politics, contemporary-politics

In general I'm not a big fan of memoirs by living politicians (at least the ones by Americans that I have read). They seem to follow a common formula in which the author turns the details of their into some quintessential American story and then recounts their political successes along with anecdotes of their struggles fighting the good fight (however that is defined).

This book by Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio follows another model, however, with short biographies of eight progressive senators. ...more

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Dec 10, 2019 Sam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sherrod Brown is a better Senator than he is a writer, but that speaks to what a great Senator he is. What I learned most from reading the stories of eight Senators who sat at Desk 88 was that compromise is part of the job. You need to look at the entirety of a person's life, rather than looking for a flaw and claiming that it discredits all the good things he or she fought for.

Now it would be nice if a woman (or a minority) were to get to sit at Desk 88. ...more

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Feb 19, 2020 Elinor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, social-justice, memoir, history, race, class

As a matter of routine, I don't read memoir, biography, or autobiography. I also don't find political histories of old white men all that compelling. However, Sherrod Brown tells an interesting, quirky, and unusual history of progressivism using his Senate desk as a touchstone, making the case for a new progressive era. He does so deftly, having researched his material for over a decade. This is not the kind of text one writes prior to launching a campaign for president; however, it IS the kind ...more

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Dec 07, 2019 Lamadia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, biography, audio, history, memoir, politics

I did not expect to like this book this much. I've only lived in Ohio for five years, but I have gotten to vote for Sherrod Brown once. I learned so much about these eight ex-senators and the progressive movement throughout the twentieth century. I pay attention to politics and consider myself an informed liberal, but there was so much I didn't know and should have. While I had voted for Brown, I only now consider myself a fan! You will only like this if you like progressive politics to begin wi ...more

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Jun 15, 2020 Andy Miller rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sherrod Brown is known for his progressive politics and for his hard work in getting results. So there are interesting contrasts given the way he wrote Desk 88, alternating chapters of eight different progressive senators who also sat at Desk 88 with chapters titled "Thoughts from Desk 88" which tell of Brown's beliefs and legislative battles. Because many of the progressive senators described in the book were not particularly effective Senators while Brown's chapters show a passion for getting Sherrod Brown is known for his progressive politics and for his hard work in getting results. So there are interesting contrasts given the way he wrote Desk 88, alternating chapters of eight different progressive senators who also sat at Desk 88 with chapters titled "Thoughts from Desk 88" which tell of Brown's beliefs and legislative battles. Because many of the progressive senators described in the book were not particularly effective Senators while Brown's chapters show a passion for getting things done.
The first Senator, Hugo Black, may be an exception to this rule. Brown does not flinch and does not excuse Black's early membership in the KKK, noting that Black was more than a member. But he details Black's legislative career especially as an effective champion for the New Deal, Black for an example was the Senator most responsible for breaking up the holding companies in the 30s.
The next chapter was about Theodore Francis Green from Rhode Island, a senator I had not heard of before this book. Green was considered a traitor to his class, the wealthy patrician class of Rhode Island. Green was a leader in breaking the patrician political hold on Rhode Island but by the time he was elected to the Senate at age 65, much of his drive was gone, Brown focuses the senate portion of the chapter on Green's longevity and old age at the end of his career.
Glen Taylor was a one term senator from Idaho. He may have been one of the most radical Senators ever to serve and Brown writes admiringly of his incorruptibly, his passion for the little guy, for his commitment to civil rights that was far ahead of his time. However, Brown notes Taylor's Don Quixote campaign as Henry Wallace's running mate in 1948 and his lack of legislative accomplishments.
Herbert Lehman was FDR's successor as Governor of New York and Brown writes admiringly of Lehman's accomplishments in instituting the Little New Deal which often served as a laboratory for Roosevelt. Lehman was later elected to the Senate but did not have the same record of accomplishment given the southern dominated club atmosphere of the Senate. Brown also describes one of the saddest scenes in Senate history when Lehman called Joe McCarthy's bluff on the senate floor when McCarthy said he had the proof of his Communist theories on his desk by walking to McCarthy's desk and asking to see it. No one backed Lehman up, McCarthy snarled Get away from me you old man and Lehman walked sadly away.
Brown's chapter on Al Gore sr starts with the newly elected Gore refusing Strom Thurmond's demand to sign the Southern Manifesto while the Senate and gallery watched on. While Gore's later record on civil rights did not always match that early courage, Gore did take many progressive and principled stands, especially his votes against Nixon's Supreme Court's appointment's right before he lost his last election. But Brown does note that Gore's loss also was due to his not keeping in contact with his home state and lack of legislative accomplishment.
Brown titles his chapter on William Proxmire as "A Work Horse and a Show Horse" which reflects Proxmire's hard work as a senator while not being shy about getting publicity for it. Brown also notes that Proxmire's offbeat personality and focus on publicity took away from his effectiveness in getting things done for both his state and his progressive ideals.
Brown admires Bobby Kennedy. He writes glowingly of Kennedy's transformation after his brother's assassination into a fighter for the underdog, his going into stuffy crowds and telling them what they didn't want to hear while listening to genuine empathy to hungry children, dispossessed ghetto residents, struggling farmworkers. But Brown notes that Kennedy's greatness was not as a Senator, but as a political leader, a leadership cut too short by his own assassination.
The final chapter was on George McGovern. Again, Brown clearly admires McGovern's character, his early political success against all odds and of course his principled Presidential campaign. But again, McGovern was not a particularly effective Senator, save for his corroboration with Bob Dole against hunger, though it was work after his Senate where he got the most results against hunger, and part of the reason for his 1980 defeat was his loss of interest in the Senate in his last years there.
As mentioned earlier, the chapters on the eight senators are interspersed with chapters on Brown's thoughts. Those chapters show Brown's passion for being a Senator but more important, his passion for being a Senator because it is a vehicle for progressive change; to help the underdog, the union member, the uninsured, the victim of discrimination. Brown's hard work does not always pay off, he writes with frustration about his failure to obtain a public option in Obamacare with thinly disguised irritation at Joe Lieberman's unprincipled roadblock and Max Baucus's accommodation of Republican demands which served only to delay and build political opposition. But left unsaid, but still clear to the reader, is that Sherrod Brown loves being in the arena, fighting for the right things ...more

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Nov 25, 2019 Bookreporter.com Biography & Memoir rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It has been almost two decades since Robert Caro published volume three of his biography of Lyndon Johnson, MASTER OF THE SENATE, which covered the years from 1949 to 1960 when Johnson served in the United States Senate. The book was a revelation about the history and workings of the Senate and how Johnson mastered the organization as no politician before him. When it released in 2002, Sherrod Brown represented Ohio in Congress. In 2006, he would win election to the Senate. He has been re-electe It has been almost two decades since Robert Caro published volume three of his biography of Lyndon Johnson, MASTER OF THE SENATE, which covered the years from 1949 to 1960 when Johnson served in the United States Senate. The book was a revelation about the history and workings of the Senate and how Johnson mastered the organization as no politician before him. When it released in 2002, Sherrod Brown represented Ohio in Congress. In 2006, he would win election to the Senate. He has been re-elected twice, which is no easy task, given the state’s conservative electorate and his unabashed progressive leanings. As the 2020 presidential campaign began, many progressives hoped he would run for president, but for now he has chosen to remain in the Senate.

DESK 88 is part autobiography and part historical account of the Senate through the story of the men who occupied the desk that Brown now occupies on the floor of the Senate. Upon his arrival in the Senate, he was given the responsibility of selecting a desk for the Senate floor. The traditions of the Senate run deep, and one of them is that most senators at some point carve their names in the drawers of their desks on the Senate floor. Brown’s search led him to Desk 88, previously occupied by Hugo Black of Alabama, George McGovern of South Dakota, Robert Kennedy of New York, William Proxmire of Wisconsin, and several other progressive senators. Brown had found his Senate home.

Anyone who has seen or heard Brown speak on issues important to him will appreciate the organization and writing of DESK 88. Just like its author, the book is well-organized and passionate. He alternates chapters on his predecessors with his own career and political views on important contemporary issues. Recounting the fascinating history of former U.S. senators serves as a reminder that although we are at a complex, perilous moment in our nation’s history, we have been here before.

The biographical portraits also shed light on the continuing evolution of life in American politics. Hugo Black was a progressive senator from Alabama, yet he was also a member of the Ku Klux Klan. His membership became public as he was nominated and confirmed to serve on the United States Supreme Court. In contemporary America, it is doubtful that Black would have been confirmed. Nor would men like Glen Taylor or George McGovern ever have been elected to the Senate, as they ran shoestring campaigns without any significant campaign donations. Before the days of television, social media and candidate imaging, candidates could make their appeal to the public in a far different manner than we see in America today.

In the personal portion of DESK 88, Brown makes the case that the progressive idea is not dead. You may not agree with him, but embracing his politics is not a requirement for appreciating the deep and endearing history of the progressive era in America. There was a time in our country when political disagreement could still find politicians seeking common ground for the public good. Brown reminds us of those bygone days, which hopefully will return to America’s political stage.

Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Susanna Natti rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I got a greater understanding of what progressive politics is about in reading Sherrod Brown's book about some of the occupants of his desk in the Senate, Desk 88. Some of the senators he chooses to profile are ones well known to most, and some not so familiar at all. All of them are imperfect, and Sherrod doesn't shrink from pointing out failings, but he also makes the compelling case that the overall impact of what these men did (no women at this desk, yet....) has had immense impact on our da ...more

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Feb 22, 2020 Mindy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was a truly enjoyable read for me. It definitely had a liberal agenda, which you need to understand going into the book, but it works for me. If you are more conservative in your political beliefs, you may not enjoy this book. I absolutely loved the premise. As Sherrod Brown heads into the Senate, he remembers he had heard that senators sign their desks at some point of their term. As he is choosing his seat, he looks in the desks and finds at Desk 88, several names that he recognizes. ...more

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Dec 08, 2019 Jeimy rated it liked it · review of another edition

The book was interesting, but my rating is affected by the fact that I wish Brown was a better raconteur. One thing is clear, the author not only respects his predecessors at Desk 88, but also his position and his constituents.

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Jan 04, 2020 Ted Hunt rated it liked it · review of another edition

Ever since John F. Kennedy used his book "Profiles in Courage" as part of his springboard to the presidency in 1960, White House aspirants have written books to outline their political philosophies. From Barry Goldwater ("Conscience of a Conservative") to Bill Bradley to Barak Obama to, well just about every candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination, the "campaign book" has become almost a requirement. That is what "Desk 88" is all about as well, even though, in the end, Sherrod Brown decided Ever since John F. Kennedy used his book "Profiles in Courage" as part of his springboard to the presidency in 1960, White House aspirants have written books to outline their political philosophies. From Barry Goldwater ("Conscience of a Conservative") to Bill Bradley to Barak Obama to, well just about every candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination, the "campaign book" has become almost a requirement. That is what "Desk 88" is all about as well, even though, in the end, Sherrod Brown decided not to compete for the 2020 Democratic nomination. And like Kennedy did with his book, Brown goes about outlining his beliefs and ideals by telling the stories of eight senators who once sat at his current desk (#88) in the Senate chambers. Rather than the thread binding the men together being "courage," it is "progressivism." It has become a Senate tradition to inscribe one's name inside the drawer of his/her desk, so Brown takes eight of the names from his desk drawer and tells the stories of eight of the "progressive" senators who once occupied his seat. Some of the eight are very well known names- Hugo Black, Robert Kennedy, George McGovern- while a couple are pretty obscure- Theodore Francis Green and Glen Taylor. There were some interesting "nuggets" that I encountered for the first time, like Black's efforts on behalf of labor legislation during the New Deal and the story of Taylor (who was from Idaho) getting arrested by Bull Connor in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1948 (fifteen years before M.L. King was arrested there) for breaking a city ordinance by speaking publicly to a mixed-race audience. But at times the book seems a bit contrived, as the author works to squeeze its subjects into the "progressive" camp by downplaying things like Hugo Black's early membership in the KKK and William Proxmire's knee-jerk opposition to virtually any federal spending on scientific research. He is on stronger ground when he points to George McGovern as being basically the "father" of the federal food stamp program. In typical fashion, McGovern never did a lot of self-promotion (and never made peace with his 49 state defeat to Tricky Dicky in the 1972 election). Brown tells the story of McGovern watching two women in a South Dakota grocery store paying for their groceries with food stamps and proclaiming that they wouldn't vote for McGovern in the next election because he supported too many "give away" programs. While the narratives about the senators are quite interesting, this book is very, very political. Brown not only takes the time at the end of every chapter to outline his own ideas and the programs that he has fought for, but he never passes up an opportunity to criticize, in often very stark terms, the opposition party. And because of that, I don't see this book having a very long "shelf life," unless Senator Brown somehow winds up in the White House. ...more

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Mar 20, 2020 Olivia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

To all fellow and future canaries in the name of progressivism, Sherrod Brown's "Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America" is the book for you. If you too have never steered from protecting the rights of those around you, even when the hills you must climb seem never ending, then you will find a kindred spirit in Brown and his allies whether you are from the Buckeye State or not.

Although Brown's chronicles of the eight progressives that sat at Desk 88 before him, and his reaction ...more

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Sep 10, 2020 Dominique King rated it liked it · review of another edition

Brown uses an interesting way to talk about his time in the Senate, and the history of the Senate, by tracing the history of the desk he occupies there! The book reminds me a little bit of a story like "The Red Violin" (a movie that traced the history of an inanimate object, and it's passage through history).
The other occupants of Brown's desk throughout the years represented a group of Senators, some relatively unknown to modern history, and a few folks with a more well-known names.
The desk's o ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Howard rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A good book that enumerates and describes many Progressive political and social accomplishments in the 20th century. It is told through the lives and deeds of eight US senators who all happened to sit at the sane desk, 88, during their careers. It tells about their lives; their paths to election, and the difficult choices many had to make to stand up for Working People and against a powerful conservative establishment.
These Progressive figures helped enable policies such as Social Security, the ...more

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Jul 31, 2020 Keith Pruitt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I am a fan of first hand history. When I first heard about Desk 88, my interest was peeked when I learned that Senator Sherrod Brown is sitting at the same desk in which sat Senator Hugo Black, Al Gore, Jr., Robert Kennedy and George McGovern among others. Notable in their lineage is the progressivism that each of those men fostered in America. You had men that championed workers' rights, health care, civil rights, voting rights and one who helped become a voice for the voiceless. Another helped ...more

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May 30, 2020 David Miraldi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book serves as a thoughtful manifesto for progressive thought. Sherrod Brown brings to life eight progressive senators who shared Desk 88, some well-known while others obscure. Their lives are interesting, often highlighting how their views changed over time, but each senator ultimately championing some cause for the common person: minimum wage, collective bargaining, desegregation, civil liberties, social security, Medicare, universal health coverage, food for the poor, and many others. In ...more

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Sep 18, 2020 Garrett rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A trip through American legislative history on the backs of the Senators who have stood in the US Senate at Desk 88. By turns light & to the point and then exhaustively infuriating, but always with a sense of its own historical gravitas and heavy on information, this book would make an excellent "gateway" book for someone ignorant of cycles in American politics or the origins of what drives us as people. Brown never glosses over someone's former Klan membership, personal health foibles, or times ...more

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Jan 01, 2021 Katrina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I thought this was an interesting twist on the typical political memoir. The book is part history/part current political affairs/part Brown memoir. Enjoyable read.

Quote from one of the Desk 88 Thoughts section that seems especially pertinent today in talking about health holistically:
“Public health, we have learned, is about clean water and sanitation, about vaccines and a safe blood supply, about well-baby care and access to modern contraception, about iodine sufficiency and insecticide-treate ...more

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Jul 08, 2020 JCB rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A positive and inspirational book by Sherrod Brown, the engaging, and definitely progressive Senator from Ohio.

He writes about eight progressive senators who shared Desk 88 in the senate; a few well-known while others maybe not much heard of. Their paths to the Senate are interesting, often emphasizing how each senator eventually came to champion some progressive cause.

It is a rewarding collection of historical actions taken by those who were elected to help working people, rather than the top ...more

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Nov 11, 2020 Derrick De Vera rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

One of my favorite political books of all time—diving into 8 progressive U.S. Senators that all sat at the same desk from vastly different time periods. From Bobby Kennedy to George McGovern and lesser known leaders like T.F. Green and Glen Taylor. All tied together in standing up to powerful interests, protecting the rights of others, and preserving the dignity of work.

Admire Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio a great deal and this read so effortlessly. Well stitched accounts and powerful reflectio ...more

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Dec 16, 2019 Phil rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The tradition of Senators carving their names into their desks gave rise to history of eight from Desk 88. Chronologically, Brown begins with Hugo Black, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan who joined Congress in 1927 and became one of the most ardent supporters of FDR’s New Deal. He goes on to (most famously) Bill Proxmire, Al Gore Sr., Bobby Kennedy, and George McGovern. Brown is careful not to idealize his subjects, but does look for the transformative moment for each. Each profile is followe ...more

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Mar 03, 2020 Robert Stevens rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Being a progressive and originally from Ohio, I had to read this book by Senator Sherrod Brown. I enjoyed the setup of the book as it explored the selected eight senators with THOUGHTS FROM DESK 88 following each chapter. I learned quite a bit.

This book is a nice summary of the progressive movement and how it is not always easy, but progress does still happen, even if slowly.

“History tells us that even the greatest victories do not come all at once, that small victories can lead to larger ones ...more

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Jan 13, 2020 Donna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved this book! I was already a huge fan of Sherrod Brown, which is what prompted me to read it in the first place. But Senator Brown is really a narrator here, telling the reader about 8 progressives who occupied desk 88, his current desk. It is both inspiring and frustrating to see how slowly, and with what battles, our country creeps forward. Tiny steps ahead and, too often, huge steps back. I enjoyed learning more about senators I was already familiar with but found the lesser-known ones ...more

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Mar 17, 2020 Brooke Stoddard rated it really liked it · review of another edition

David McCullough once remarked that many books have been written about American presidents but too few about where an equal amount of action has lain: the U. S. Congress. Here is a clever device for looking at a portion of the history of the U. S. legislature. It is a ramble through the aims – and a number of accomplishments – of progressive U. S. senators, backed by commentary by Senator Brown on current issues that complement ones promoted by the men who preceded Brown to his Senate Desk 88. T ...more

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Jul 09, 2020 Parker Schwartz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Senator Brown examines the careers, and lives, of some of the country's most boldly progressive federal legislators. Not only does he shed light on the importance of their careers, but he also contextualizes their impact within their respected years of service. It is empowering to hear about how these politicians stood by their values despite pushback within their own parties or the prospect of having their political careers end for going "against the grain." There is no doubt that Senator Brown ...more

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Sep 28, 2020 Michael Asen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If today's politics are marked by rancor and what may have been, theft's fair to characterize Sharrod Brown's politics and new book Desk 88, as representing the art of the possible. He lays out his vision by looking at 8 of the senators who shared his senate desk. Some big names, Proxmire, Lehman, RFK, McGovern and others illustrate what it means to be a progressive in the senate.
Brown is a gifted writer that never shies away from what he believe in.
In part you will like this book because it tak ...more

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Nov 22, 2020 Susan Miller rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: political-commentary, government, politics, american-history, biography, autobiography

This is an goood book to read if you want to learn about the US Senate and a variety of Senators who have made an impact on the progressive movement, and many who did not. Sherrod Brown's focus is on 8 senators who have shared the same Senate desk #88 where he now sits. Many of the stories he imparts, because I am old, are ones I remember. Many of the Senators actions which I remember are covered here in a "behind the scenes" telling, as well as, more depth to the "out in the open" discussions I ...more

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