Ballantine Books
September 2014
On Sale: September 9, 2014
224 pages ISBN: 0804179077 EAN: 9780804179072 Kindle: B00J1ISM4I Hardcover / e-Book Add to Wish List
Fourteen years before Kirsten Gillibrand succeeded Hillary Rodham Clinton as senator from New York, she heard her future mentor say these life-changing words: βDecisions are being made every day in Washington, and if you are not part of those decisions, you might not like what they decide, and youβll have no one to blame but yourself.β A young corporate lawyer at the time, Gillibrand felt as if sheβd been struck by lightning. She instantly knew that her voiceβall womenβs voicesβwere essential to shaping the future of this country, and that she had a greater purpose in life: to speak up and effect change. Now, in this extraordinary memoir, the senator, wife, and mother of two recounts her personal journey in public service and galvanizes women to reach beyond their busy lives and make a meaningful difference in the world around them.
Off the Sidelines is a playbook for women who want to step up, whether in Congress or the boardroom or the local PTA. If women were fully represented in politics, Gillibrand says, national priorities would shift to issues that directly impact them: affordable daycare, paid family medical leave, and equal pay. Pulling back the curtain on Beltway politics, she speaks candidly about her legislative successes (securing federally funded medical care for 9/11 first responders, repealing Donβt Ask, Donβt Tell) and her crushing disappointments (failing by five votes to pass a bill protecting survivors of sexual assault in the military).
Gillibrand also shares stories of growing up the daughter and granddaughter of two trailblazing feminists in a politically active family in Albany, New York, and retraces her nonlinear path to public office. She lays bare the highs and lows of being a young (pregnant!) woman in Congress, the joys and sacrifices every working mother shares, and the support system she turns to in her darkest moments: her husband, their two little boys, and lots of girlfriends.
In Off the Sidelines, Gillibrand is the tough-love older sister and cheerleader every woman needs. She explains why βambitionβ is not a dirty word, failure is a gift, listening is the most effective tool, and the debate over women βhaving it allβ is absurd at best and demeaning at worst. In her sharp, honest, and refreshingly relatable voice, she dares us all to tap into our inner strength, find personal fulfillment, and speak up for what we believe in.
Media Buzz
Colbert Report - November 5, 2014 PBS News Hour - October 7, 2014 Daily Show with Jon Stewart - September 9, 2014 CBS This Morning - August 28, 2014 Today - August 28, 2014
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