Honestly, I was not able to finish this. Political memoirs that are just a chronology of what worked for one person are not really compelling to me.

I think this book was interesting, and I've admired Pramila Jayapal as a figure for a while! I was hoping for some more insight from her in this work, but much of the advice felt fairly generic. I was hoping for a bit more.

It's ok. Nothing too surprising since I already knew some of Jayapal's background and political views. I was hoping for the writing to be specifically aimed at under-represented minorities and how they can get into politics and social activism ... didn't get that at all.

Ah, electoral politics. Honestly, I like Pramila Jayapal and this was pretty good. I just--can't get past how some things come across as so dedicated to centrists/longstanding incumbents like Pelosi and this idea of "negotiating" which has barely given regular people anything during the pandemic let alone the before times. I mean, we're talking the bare minimum here, and look, I get it. She works with some real assholes, white supremacists, racists, xenophobes, and sexists. I'm sure it's incredibly trying and some of her wins are a BIG frickin' deal for where we're currently at.

Representative Jayapal is a rep from my state who I greatly respect, but I feel that I'm far more left than her which is an issue in rating this, however, it was generally a good read.

Interesting and informational memoir by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. I found the way Jayapal shared the parts of her life and political journey really intriguing as she wove in a lot of information about the political system and what it's like to be an organizer into her narrative. I felt like I actually learned a great amount about the inner workings of campaigning for and holding political office that I hadn't even had an idea about before. I also felt like I got an "insiders look" into some of her pivotal moments since this is a memoir, which is always interesting to read. I think Jayapal stayed true to the subtitle, making this book really a kind of "guide to politics and political change."

One thing that stood out and that I appreciated was how Jayapal always made sure to specifically name and reference the people that she worked with from throughout her life. She made sure to name people who worked with her, helped her, worked on things that she found helpful or helped her campaign, etc. It's evident (both from this and how much intentionality it appears she puts into hiring staff) how much she cares about using her relative power to help others also get opportunities and recognition they deserve.

There were some citations and they were appreciated, but I would have liked to see more of the claims be cited. It's not that I don't trust the statements made, and I understand it's not exactly the kind of book that I would expect to see a lot of footnotes, but for a few of the claims I thought it might have made sense to have some citations or notes about research or news articles backing up the claim.

Jayapal is proud of her progressive record. She is created a meticulous and well-organized look at how she’s working to change American politics. If I were a young woman looking for ways to influence the US in a political career, I would use this book as my textbook. Jayapal, who I can proudly say is a US representative from Washington State, is a great role model for people wanting to help build their communities. She’s honest, straightforward and at times finds humor in what’s happening.

This book is part memoir, part progressive political manifesto based on her experiences. As a fan of the memoir genre I enjoyed the view into her life and how it shaped her world view.

One of the most impactful parts was when she discusses being a brown person in the wake of 9/11 and the hate and bigotry her community was faced with.

My main critique was that pretty much every chapter could have been both shortened AND split into multiple chapters that are more cohesive. I found that she often gave too many examples that told the same point and went into too much detail about her colleagues or a historic event that she was not a part of.

A fascinating look at the authors personal life.She tells an inspiring story of her path to Washington.She also shares behind the scenes looks at what goes on there.She provides suggestions on path we all can take to be involved.#netgalley#newpress

This book was around 3.5 stars for me. I love Pramila and the work she's done for Washington state and know some of the people mentioned in this book and their work.

This book is part memoir, part manifesto of where progressives can go from here. The book is broken into sections but each talks about Jayapal's personal experiences and her thoughts on how they can apply to others. While I really love this concept, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it was just a memoir or just a guide to making change. Because we alternate between anecdotes and messages of hope for the future I found it a bit confusing. I would have liked to read all about Jayapal and then hear her words of wisdom and support rather than mingling the two.

That being said Jayapal's story is fascinating. She shares her track record on organizing for immigrant and human rights and her approach to changing hearts and minds. Her stories are captivating and great examples of how to organize.

Inspiring, empowering, and motivational book by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal,. Jayapal is the first Indian American woman to serve in the U.S. Representatives. Jayapal shares her life story of overcoming adversity, her rise to political power in two decades of advocacy on immigrants and Progressive causes and gives readers a behind the scenes of a vote or in a committee hearing in Congress. She focuses on her concerns and current goals as a Representative. Jayapal offers readers ideas and words of wisdom on how fighting back and making change in their communities.

So inspiring! I have to admit, I didn't know much about Congresswoman Jayapal before diving into her memoir, but I'm so glad that I've gotten to know her, through her writing. This is not the average book written by a politician, as she not only tells her personal story of overcoming adversity and beating the odds to make it to the House, but also tells a lot of insider stories on what happens behind the scenes of a vote or in a caucus in Congress.

She also takes these lessons and invites the reader to apply to them to their own life, hence the title, as she views herself as a product of her own empowerment, not someone that has some kind of special quality that others don't, which I very much appreciate successful people embodying.

Interesting autobiography by Congresswoman Jayapal of Seattle. She covers her childhood and upbringing but mostly focuses on her current endeavors and concerns as a representative.