Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House

by Alyssa Mastromonaco, Lauren Oyler (With)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455588237
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	03/06/2018
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	208,059
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Alyssa Mastromonaco served as assistant to the president and director of scheduling and advance at the White House from 2009 to 2011 and as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for operations at the White House from 2011 to 2014. She currently works as chief communication and talent officer at A+E Networks and is a contributing editor at Marie Claire.

Table of Contents

Introduction: You're Probably Wondering How I Ended Up in This Situation 1

Chapter 1 Leadership, or Born to Run Things 13

Chapter 2 Preparedness, or The Patron Saint of Digestion 39

A Brief Interlude for Some More Preparedness Tips 55

Chapter 3 Independence, or You Can't Just Tagalong 70

Chapter 4 Self-awareness, or Are You There, FEMA? It's Me, Alyssa 92

A Brief Interlude on How to Be Responsible With Money 98

Chapter 5 Some Personal Shit You Should Probably Know 124

Chapter 6 Confidence, or The Hope Flood 138

Chapter 7 Humility, or Changes We Can Believe In, Sort Of, If We Have To 163

Chapter 8 Risk-taking, or Ah-LEES-ah Goes to Brooklyn 185

Chapter 9 Resilience, or A "Serious" Breakdown 198

Chapter 10 Kindness, or A Spirit Soars over Denali 215

Conclusion: Politics, Now with Less Navy 234

Acknowledgments 241

Editorial Reviews

"Always fascinating and very funny, Alyssa's book is full of juicy stories from one of the world's most glamorous jobs."—Mindy Kaling, New York Times bestselling author of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) and Why Not Me?

"WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA? is everything we've come to know and love about Alyssa over the decade we worked with her: brilliant, funny, grounded, and inspiring. Anyone who's interested in politics - especially young people - should read this book."—Dan Pfeiffer and Jon Favreau, former communications director and speechwriter for President Barack Obama

"Few people have had as much access and influence over national events over the last decade as Alyssa Mastromonaco. No matter how serious the crisis or hard the problem, Alyssa took care of it with great skill and professionalism, and even greater humor. This book tells the story of a young woman succeeding under extraordinary circumstances, and throughout it all, never taking herself too seriously."—Stephanie Cutter, former deputy campaign manager for President Barack Obama

"I've often wondered how a woman can be so many things wrapped up in one dynamic package. Alyssa is my fairy godmother: she's wise, resourceful, insanely smart, and makes me laugh in a very special way. Her stories - from the front line of the White House to her kitchen - will entertain, inspire, and humor you for a long time to come."—Amanda de Cadenet

"Alyssa is a force: whip-smart, humble, and funny as hell. Her writing is as fearless as she is."—Sophia Amoruso, founder and CEO of Girlboss

"A candid and charming memoir of her unexpected career in government...The memoir abounds with intimate glimpses of Washington, D.C., celebrities (Biden, Clinton, Michelle Obama, and scores more) and cheerfully dispensed survival strategies. An entertaining look inside the White House."—Kirkus

"When imagining working in the White House, many picture meaningful meetings, glamorous dinners, and high-stakes decision making. It can be all of those things. But as Alyssa Mastromonaco writes in WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?, the reader gets a real and raw peek behind the curtains where Alyssa experiences the good, the bad, the distressing, and the often hilarious. Alyssa has real grit and grace, and her book is her story very well told."—Dana Perino, New York Times bestselling author of And the Good News Is... and Let Me Tell You About Jasper...

"A combination memoir and compendium of very good suggestions about how to get ahead — very far ahead — at an early age."—The Washington Post

"[WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA] is brimming with...humorous, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, as well as up-close-and-personal moments with Obama that shed new light on who he is as a leader, man and friend."—People.com

"A moving, funny, and sometimes heart-wrenching look back at the years [Alyssa Mastromonaco] spent in politics and by [President Obama's] side."—PopSugar.com

"This relatable memoir is packed with juicy on-the-road stories and crisis management advice, and presents a strong case for embracing a sense of humor in the face of humbling setbacks."—Esquire.com

"Mastromonaco's memoir successfully avers that a tough, high-profile job is attainable and enjoyable for any woman who is as smart, ambitious, humble, silly, and hard-working as she is. Her book is full of enjoyable storytelling intended as encouragement for women of her generation and younger."—Publishers Weekly

"A must-read for anybody who's even remotely interested in how Washington works, but is worth reading for anyone who enjoys brilliant wit and once-in-a-lifetime stories...you'll probably end up reading it more than once."—Popsugar.com

From the Publisher

03/13/2017
In 2004, 20-something Mastromonaco landed an influential job as director of scheduling for then-Senator Barack Obama. It would lead her to the White House, where she continued to work as director of scheduling from 2009 to 2011, and later as deputy chief of staff for operations from 2011 to 2014. In this high-profile position, she took frequent flights on Air Force 1, sat next to Chinese officials at state dinners, and was an instrumental force in the White House response to Hurricane Sandy. Mastromonaco’s memoir successfully avers that a tough, high-profile job is attainable and enjoyable for any woman who is as smart, ambitious, humble, silly, and hard-working as she is. When tales of her cat, Shrummie, start to feel like YouTube material, Mastromonaco tacks to the story of doing debate prep with Senator Chuck Schumer, the future minority leader of the Senate, having been hand-selected by his chief of staff. She achieves the right balance of entertainment and substance throughout, recounting appealing anecdotes that make both her and President Obama’s experiences and accomplishments seem relatable to the reader. Her book is full of enjoyable storytelling intended as encouragement for women of her generation and younger. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

The Honorable John Kerry’s staff assistant and President Barack Obama’s deputy chief of staff provides a well-intentioned but lackluster mash-up of a memoir and a guide to political strategy. Precise enunciation by this first-time writer and narrator is admirable, but her monotone delivery seems to assume the listener’s interest. Her frequent use of nicknames for other staff is confusing, and her self-absorption and self-congratulation demean her effort. Raw language, apparently for its own sake, provides no insight into the Executive Branch. Endless lists of specific items moved from one office to another seem pointless, as do extended discussions of tampon availability and digestive disorders in the White House. The title of this work strongly applies to the audiobook effort. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

MAY 2017 - AudioFile

The Honorable John Kerry’s staff assistant and President Barack Obama’s deputy chief of staff provides a well-intentioned but lackluster mash-up of a memoir and a guide to political strategy. Precise enunciation by this first-time writer and narrator is admirable, but her monotone delivery seems to assume the listener’s interest. Her frequent use of nicknames for other staff is confusing, and her self-absorption and self-congratulation demean her effort. Raw language, apparently for its own sake, provides no insight into the Executive Branch. Endless lists of specific items moved from one office to another seem pointless, as do extended discussions of tampon availability and digestive disorders in the White House. The title of this work strongly applies to the audiobook effort. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

MAY 2017 - AudioFile

2017-01-31
President Barack Obama's former deputy chief of staff makes her literary debut in a candid and charming memoir of her unexpected career in government.Growing up in upstate New York, Mastromonaco, now the chief communications and talent officer at A&E Networks, describes herself as a "good(-ish) student" with no real career aspirations. She majored in French and had a summer internship with Bernie Sanders. After graduating, she worked as a paralegal and then for John Kerry as staff assistant to the press and, during his 2004 presidential campaign, as deputy scheduler, a post she portrays as grueling. "There is no more important commodity than the candidate's time," she quickly learned. After Kerry lost, a friend suggested she interview for a job with Obama, who was running for the Senate. Beginning with that campaign, she worked her way up to becoming the youngest deputy chief of staff. As a woman in a male-dominated field, Mastromonaco has been repeatedly asked, "how could someone like you end up in a job like that?" This book, written with the assistance of Broadly contributing editor Oyler, is her answer, addressed to women considering a leap into the demanding, "hierarchical and patriarchal" world of politics. "I think my story can make you all feel less alone, less weird, less anxious, and more confident," she writes, encouragingly. The workload, she readily admits, is overwhelming: "Everyone thinks that traveling with the president has got to be a sweet gig—lush service, pampering, the nicest meals. It is not." It requires juggling myriad tasks and being ready to handle any emergency. Her hair turned white from stress. Mastromonaco portrays Obama as kind, smart, focused, and utterly committed to his ideals. Even when he decided to run for president, she writes, he wasn't "buying into his own hype." The memoir abounds with intimate glimpses of Washington, D.C., celebrities (Biden, Clinton, Michelle Obama, and scores more) and cheerfully dispensed survival strategies. An entertaining look inside the White House.

Kirkus Reviews