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Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty
What would it be like to sit down for an impassioned, entertaining conversation with Hillary Clinton? In Something Lost, Something Gained, Hillary offers her candid views on life and love, politics, liberty, democracy, the threats we face, and the future within our reach.
She describes the strength she draws from her deepest friendships, her Methodist faith, and the nearly fifty years she’s been married to President Bill Clinton—all with the wisdom that comes from looking back on a full life with fresh eyes. She takes us along as she returns to the classroom as a college professor, enjoys the bonds inside the exclusive club of former First Ladies, moves past her dream of being president, and dives into new activism for women and democracy.
From canoeing with an ex-Nazi trying to deprogram white supremacists to sweltering with salt farmers in the desert trying to adapt to the climate crisis in India, Hillary brings us to the front lines of our biggest challenges. For the first time, Hillary shares the story of her operation to evacuate Afghan women to safety in the harrowing final days of America’s longest war. But we also meet the brave women dissidents defying dictators around the world, gain new personal insights about her old adversary Vladimir Putin, and learn the best ways that worried parents can protect kids from toxic technology. We also hear her fervent and persuasive warning to all American voters. In the end, Something Lost, Something Gained is a testament to the idea that the personal is political, and the political is personal, providing a blueprint for what each of us can do to make our lives better.
Hillary has “looked at life from both sides now.� In these pages, she shares the latest chapter of her inspiring life and shows us how to age with grace and keep moving forward, with grit, joy, purpose, and a sense of humor.
She describes the strength she draws from her deepest friendships, her Methodist faith, and the nearly fifty years she’s been married to President Bill Clinton—all with the wisdom that comes from looking back on a full life with fresh eyes. She takes us along as she returns to the classroom as a college professor, enjoys the bonds inside the exclusive club of former First Ladies, moves past her dream of being president, and dives into new activism for women and democracy.
From canoeing with an ex-Nazi trying to deprogram white supremacists to sweltering with salt farmers in the desert trying to adapt to the climate crisis in India, Hillary brings us to the front lines of our biggest challenges. For the first time, Hillary shares the story of her operation to evacuate Afghan women to safety in the harrowing final days of America’s longest war. But we also meet the brave women dissidents defying dictators around the world, gain new personal insights about her old adversary Vladimir Putin, and learn the best ways that worried parents can protect kids from toxic technology. We also hear her fervent and persuasive warning to all American voters. In the end, Something Lost, Something Gained is a testament to the idea that the personal is political, and the political is personal, providing a blueprint for what each of us can do to make our lives better.
Hillary has “looked at life from both sides now.� In these pages, she shares the latest chapter of her inspiring life and shows us how to age with grace and keep moving forward, with grit, joy, purpose, and a sense of humor.
324 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2024
1,901 people are currently reading
9,424 people want to read
About the author
Hillary Rodham Clinton
88books3,088followersHillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947) was the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the cabinet of President Barack Obama. In 2016, she became the first woman in U.S. history to win a major party's presidential nomination, and the first woman to win the popular vote in a presidential race - despite losing the election.
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
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 773 reviews
October 24, 2024
I owe Hillary Rodham Clinton an apology.
While I have been a lifelong Democrat (big shocker there), my support for Hillary has admittedly been half-hearted.
Aside from being white and female, that is about where our similarities end. I grew up in a broken home, a free-lunch kid, told by my mom that “getting an education is stupid.� After one month at an Ivy League-esque school, I dropped out because of lack of funding. After graduating top of my law school class (not Yale), I sent out 2,000 resumes only to secure a part-time job making $20/hour, hardly putting a dent in my $150,000 mountain of student loan debt.
But just because Hillary is privileged doesn’t mean that she can’t do good.
And she has becoming increasingly relatable after being passed over for a lesser qualified male.
“We started talking a lot about what it means to have more yesterdays than tomorrows.�
Facing 40 in the coming year, I have started to contemplate what I need to accomplish in the last half of my life, understanding that I might not even have 40 quality years left.
Pro Tip: Listen to the audiobook. Hillary Rodham Clinton narrates it herself, and her tone of voice gives the listener a greater insight into her personality.
*Thanks, Simon and Schuster, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Hardcover Text � Free/Nada/Zilch through publisher
Audiobook - $84.99 per year through Everand
Connect With Me!
While I have been a lifelong Democrat (big shocker there), my support for Hillary has admittedly been half-hearted.
Aside from being white and female, that is about where our similarities end. I grew up in a broken home, a free-lunch kid, told by my mom that “getting an education is stupid.� After one month at an Ivy League-esque school, I dropped out because of lack of funding. After graduating top of my law school class (not Yale), I sent out 2,000 resumes only to secure a part-time job making $20/hour, hardly putting a dent in my $150,000 mountain of student loan debt.
But just because Hillary is privileged doesn’t mean that she can’t do good.
And she has becoming increasingly relatable after being passed over for a lesser qualified male.
“We started talking a lot about what it means to have more yesterdays than tomorrows.�
Facing 40 in the coming year, I have started to contemplate what I need to accomplish in the last half of my life, understanding that I might not even have 40 quality years left.
Pro Tip: Listen to the audiobook. Hillary Rodham Clinton narrates it herself, and her tone of voice gives the listener a greater insight into her personality.
*Thanks, Simon and Schuster, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Hardcover Text � Free/Nada/Zilch through publisher
Audiobook - $84.99 per year through Everand
Connect With Me!
September 29, 2024
No matter what political party they belong to, women in government and especially their stories have always inspired me. I love learning about their leadership journey and admire their hard work for the American people. Former first lady, Hillary Clinton has always been someone who I have admired. From her humanitarian work to her work in the government, she is truly a shatterer of glass ceilings and has paved the way for future generations of women to follow
In Something Lost, Something Gained Hillary discusses her nearly fifty-year marriage to former President Bill Clinton, her newest position as a professor at Columbia University, her friendship with the former first ladies, and her activism for women. She also discusses at length how parents can protect their children from the toxic effects of technology.
It's hard for me to say I had a favorite part of the book but it would probably be her story of how she evacuated women in Afghanistan to safety during the final days of the war. I also loved reading about the women’s civil rights activists from around the globe and hearing their stories.
Something Lost, Something Gained gave me an even deeper appreciation and esteem for Hillary. Her unwavering support and hard work for women's and children’s rights is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Hands down, this is one of the best non-fiction books I've read this year!
Something Lost, Something Gained by Hillary Rodham Clinton was published on September 17, so it is available now. Many thanks to Simon Books for the gifted copy!
In Something Lost, Something Gained Hillary discusses her nearly fifty-year marriage to former President Bill Clinton, her newest position as a professor at Columbia University, her friendship with the former first ladies, and her activism for women. She also discusses at length how parents can protect their children from the toxic effects of technology.
It's hard for me to say I had a favorite part of the book but it would probably be her story of how she evacuated women in Afghanistan to safety during the final days of the war. I also loved reading about the women’s civil rights activists from around the globe and hearing their stories.
Something Lost, Something Gained gave me an even deeper appreciation and esteem for Hillary. Her unwavering support and hard work for women's and children’s rights is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Hands down, this is one of the best non-fiction books I've read this year!
Something Lost, Something Gained by Hillary Rodham Clinton was published on September 17, so it is available now. Many thanks to Simon Books for the gifted copy!
September 5, 2024
H.R.C is a hardened war criminal and should be charged for her crimes against humanity.
November 22, 2024
felt like I was having a kitchen conversation with Hillary Clinton. I really enjoyed her writing style. It felt conversational and it was filled with life and leadership lessons. This memoir is a love letter to life, family, and democracy. She is facing what it means to have more yesterdays than tomorrows.
Clinton's passion is to ensure we work together to repair our unraveling social fabric and rebuild Americans' trust in one another. She provides many stories of women coming together to find solutions for survival and change. A powerful, poignant poem written by a young woman starts with, "Too many women in too many countries speak the same language of silence."
This book was published before election day on November 5, 2024. There is a chapter about what could happen if Trump is elected based on things he has said publicly. Sobering and extremely troubling.
Memorable passages from the book include:
* If you want to keep going, you have to keep learning.
* Racist rhetoric can lead to violence.
* When you stop being shocked, you start being radicalized.
* Eleanor Roosevelt after her husband's death: We have to start again under our own momentum and wonder what we can achieve.
* Bill Clinton: What an extraordinary gift it is, at this time in life, to be making new friends.
* Women pay a high price for making themselves heard.
* When we shortchange women, we shortchange families. When we shortchange families, we shortchange America.
* Shirley Chisholm: Women in the country must become revolutionaries.
* Around the world, women's rights are often among the first thing authoritarians target, usually cloaked in the mantle of traditional family values and religious piety.
* President Roosevelt: Those in the US who create conflict and divisiveness are undiluted poison.
* We need to put American before partisanship.
* Stay engaged in the great social forces unfolding around us.
* Dr. Martin Luther King: Nothing is more tragic than sleeping through a revolution.
* Progress comes through persistence.
* Service is the rent we pay for living.
Highly recommend!
Clinton's passion is to ensure we work together to repair our unraveling social fabric and rebuild Americans' trust in one another. She provides many stories of women coming together to find solutions for survival and change. A powerful, poignant poem written by a young woman starts with, "Too many women in too many countries speak the same language of silence."
This book was published before election day on November 5, 2024. There is a chapter about what could happen if Trump is elected based on things he has said publicly. Sobering and extremely troubling.
Memorable passages from the book include:
* If you want to keep going, you have to keep learning.
* Racist rhetoric can lead to violence.
* When you stop being shocked, you start being radicalized.
* Eleanor Roosevelt after her husband's death: We have to start again under our own momentum and wonder what we can achieve.
* Bill Clinton: What an extraordinary gift it is, at this time in life, to be making new friends.
* Women pay a high price for making themselves heard.
* When we shortchange women, we shortchange families. When we shortchange families, we shortchange America.
* Shirley Chisholm: Women in the country must become revolutionaries.
* Around the world, women's rights are often among the first thing authoritarians target, usually cloaked in the mantle of traditional family values and religious piety.
* President Roosevelt: Those in the US who create conflict and divisiveness are undiluted poison.
* We need to put American before partisanship.
* Stay engaged in the great social forces unfolding around us.
* Dr. Martin Luther King: Nothing is more tragic than sleeping through a revolution.
* Progress comes through persistence.
* Service is the rent we pay for living.
Highly recommend!
November 3, 2024
“I hope I’m alive to see the United States elect a female president. I hope I’m alive to see my daughter and grandchildren enjoy more rights than they were born with, not fewer.�
There is a lot to appreciate about Clinton’s life. Her ‘life� resume for one. Even her political career. Also, her experience in fiction writing when she teamed up with Louise Penny to write, “State of Terror.� And, a lot of what we know of her can be found in previous books she has written.
So, my curiosity when this book came out was, what more does she have to share? What message does she want to provide to readers?
One of the things I like to do when I begin a novel is to see the author’s dedication and/or quotes that they put at the beginning of their books. In many ways, it can be a tell. And, her dedication to her grandchildren certainly seemed like one�
“…with love and hope for the future you and your generation deserve.�
Certainly, her subtitle is giving us a sense of Clinton’s desire to reach readers in a way that will gain our interest�
“Reflections on life, love, and liberty.�
And, the quote she chose to place at the beginning of this book is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow from his book � “A Psalm of Life”�
“Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.�
So, what are these reflections she is choosing to share with us?
She certainly leaves us with a strong message about why Trump should not be re-elected. She is clear in her arguments about the danger he poses with another term.
But that isn’t her only reflection. She wants readers to know about the first ladies. She wants to share about her philosophies of aging. She wants us to know more about her daughter, Chelsea, and even about her marriage and relationship with husband, Bill. She wants to share about her passion projects like, universal day care and abortion law. There are 17 chapters of her sharing in which readers will get to know Clinton a little more personably � how she feels and thinks about issues that she deems relevant and contemporary that we, as readers, can relate to, as well.
Most moving is the poem she leaves for readers at the end, which is actually the last song from the musical play “Suffs� which earned 6 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. It speaks to the strength of women and what we must carry “forward into light.� (See quote below.)
For readers, this book is like having a fireside chat with someone who wants us to see the ‘real� her. Only this time, she feels just a little bit more approachable than she may have appeared to us before.
There is a lot to appreciate about Clinton’s life. Her ‘life� resume for one. Even her political career. Also, her experience in fiction writing when she teamed up with Louise Penny to write, “State of Terror.� And, a lot of what we know of her can be found in previous books she has written.
So, my curiosity when this book came out was, what more does she have to share? What message does she want to provide to readers?
One of the things I like to do when I begin a novel is to see the author’s dedication and/or quotes that they put at the beginning of their books. In many ways, it can be a tell. And, her dedication to her grandchildren certainly seemed like one�
“…with love and hope for the future you and your generation deserve.�
Certainly, her subtitle is giving us a sense of Clinton’s desire to reach readers in a way that will gain our interest�
“Reflections on life, love, and liberty.�
And, the quote she chose to place at the beginning of this book is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow from his book � “A Psalm of Life”�
“Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.�
So, what are these reflections she is choosing to share with us?
She certainly leaves us with a strong message about why Trump should not be re-elected. She is clear in her arguments about the danger he poses with another term.
But that isn’t her only reflection. She wants readers to know about the first ladies. She wants to share about her philosophies of aging. She wants us to know more about her daughter, Chelsea, and even about her marriage and relationship with husband, Bill. She wants to share about her passion projects like, universal day care and abortion law. There are 17 chapters of her sharing in which readers will get to know Clinton a little more personably � how she feels and thinks about issues that she deems relevant and contemporary that we, as readers, can relate to, as well.
Most moving is the poem she leaves for readers at the end, which is actually the last song from the musical play “Suffs� which earned 6 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. It speaks to the strength of women and what we must carry “forward into light.� (See quote below.)
For readers, this book is like having a fireside chat with someone who wants us to see the ‘real� her. Only this time, she feels just a little bit more approachable than she may have appeared to us before.
September 22, 2024
Hillary Clinton has lived such a fascinating and involved life. Whether you agree with her politics or not, she has an important voice and I always enjoy reading her perspective about issues going on in our country and around the world today. This book is basically a series of essays where each chapter discusses a different topic. I found overall the book to have a strong mix of anecdotes that were personal, from history, and current to the world today.
November 23, 2024
I won't lie; I had this publication date marked in my calendar.
I compulsively checked Libby on release day so I could grab a copy. I had just finished reading Hard Choices, which was fantastic, and was really looking forward to Something Lost in which Hillary would talk about having to move on from her dream of becoming President.
I was almost immediately clutching at my chest when Hillary described receiving an apology from a retired senior FBI official years after Comey announced to the nation, mere days before the election, that they were looking at more emails, which resulted in no new findings and no wrongdoing. I’ll let you read her one-line response on your own. Cut me deep. Oof.
Nope! Just kidding! I’m putting it here, because this is my review and I want to:
"I stared at him for a minute, trying to contain my anger. You’re sorry? Now? Finally, I said, ‘I would have been a great president,� and walked away."
Some people didn't like that she talked about Trump in this book, but the other half of us wanted the catharsis of Hillary telling it like it is. Also, if he’s going to keep running and continues to make statements like then a person who has spent much of her life championing democracy here and around the world is probably going to have something to say about it.
We do get several personal chapters including a look at her friendships (especially with women throughout her life), her faith, and her relationship with Bill. A chapter about her mother and the last house they lived in together is probably the thing I’ll be thinking about the longest from this book. This felt so deeply intimate from someone known for her “Midwestern reticence�:
"I am not ready to give up my mother. Or this old house she called home. I don’t think I ever will. And her books? They’re right where she left them."
While we did get these personal looks into Hillary’s life, I think if you didn’t realize it before, this book really drills home that policy is personal to her. Women's and children's rights are personal to her. Democracy is personal to her. It’s part of who she is. In the chapter celebrating her friends, she talks about how after the 2008 election, the girls would plan time together in Val-Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt’s cottage in Hyde Park, NY, to either celebrate or drown sorrows. In 2017, they finally visited again and she describes time visiting exhibits and watching a film on WWII. You know, fun girls� weekend stuff! She lives and breathes it. Later she shares a memory of Chelsea reading the memoir of Rigoberta Menchú, a Guatemalan human rights activist, in fifth grade. The apple apparently didn’t fall far from the tree.
Another thing that most stood out to me from this book is that Hillary is a girl's girl. Her focus throughout her career has been on women's and children's rights. She notes “[a]round the world, women’s rights are often among the first things authoritarians target, usually cloaked in the mantle of traditional family values and religious piety.� Let’s just keep that little gem in mind when the newest online “trend� is trad wives. I love this quote she includes from Madeleine Albright: “there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.� In addition to organizing efforts to help targeted Afghan women get out of the country after the U.S. withdrawal, meeting women’s civil rights activists around the world, giving speeches and bringing to the table the importance of these rights, she also has these varied groups of women around her whose relationships have lasted throughout her life.
The acknowledgements was probably the longest I’ve ever read at 10 pages, and I just appreciated how many shout outs she gives, how many people are included, and reading here and throughout the book about her friends from school, her groups of colleagues when she was a lawyer, “Hillaryland� (a self-named group of core advisors who have stayed with Hillary after the Whitehouse), State Dept. colleagues, and on. There is this through line of Hillary being a pretty tireless individual, always seeking to “do all the good that [she] can�, while still giving time and attention to preserving so many relationships. There’s a caring and thoughtfulness there that’s to be admired.
I compulsively checked Libby on release day so I could grab a copy. I had just finished reading Hard Choices, which was fantastic, and was really looking forward to Something Lost in which Hillary would talk about having to move on from her dream of becoming President.
I was almost immediately clutching at my chest when Hillary described receiving an apology from a retired senior FBI official years after Comey announced to the nation, mere days before the election, that they were looking at more emails, which resulted in no new findings and no wrongdoing. I’ll let you read her one-line response on your own. Cut me deep. Oof.
Nope! Just kidding! I’m putting it here, because this is my review and I want to:
"I stared at him for a minute, trying to contain my anger. You’re sorry? Now? Finally, I said, ‘I would have been a great president,� and walked away."
Some people didn't like that she talked about Trump in this book, but the other half of us wanted the catharsis of Hillary telling it like it is. Also, if he’s going to keep running and continues to make statements like then a person who has spent much of her life championing democracy here and around the world is probably going to have something to say about it.
We do get several personal chapters including a look at her friendships (especially with women throughout her life), her faith, and her relationship with Bill. A chapter about her mother and the last house they lived in together is probably the thing I’ll be thinking about the longest from this book. This felt so deeply intimate from someone known for her “Midwestern reticence�:
"I am not ready to give up my mother. Or this old house she called home. I don’t think I ever will. And her books? They’re right where she left them."
While we did get these personal looks into Hillary’s life, I think if you didn’t realize it before, this book really drills home that policy is personal to her. Women's and children's rights are personal to her. Democracy is personal to her. It’s part of who she is. In the chapter celebrating her friends, she talks about how after the 2008 election, the girls would plan time together in Val-Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt’s cottage in Hyde Park, NY, to either celebrate or drown sorrows. In 2017, they finally visited again and she describes time visiting exhibits and watching a film on WWII. You know, fun girls� weekend stuff! She lives and breathes it. Later she shares a memory of Chelsea reading the memoir of Rigoberta Menchú, a Guatemalan human rights activist, in fifth grade. The apple apparently didn’t fall far from the tree.
Another thing that most stood out to me from this book is that Hillary is a girl's girl. Her focus throughout her career has been on women's and children's rights. She notes “[a]round the world, women’s rights are often among the first things authoritarians target, usually cloaked in the mantle of traditional family values and religious piety.� Let’s just keep that little gem in mind when the newest online “trend� is trad wives. I love this quote she includes from Madeleine Albright: “there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.� In addition to organizing efforts to help targeted Afghan women get out of the country after the U.S. withdrawal, meeting women’s civil rights activists around the world, giving speeches and bringing to the table the importance of these rights, she also has these varied groups of women around her whose relationships have lasted throughout her life.
The acknowledgements was probably the longest I’ve ever read at 10 pages, and I just appreciated how many shout outs she gives, how many people are included, and reading here and throughout the book about her friends from school, her groups of colleagues when she was a lawyer, “Hillaryland� (a self-named group of core advisors who have stayed with Hillary after the Whitehouse), State Dept. colleagues, and on. There is this through line of Hillary being a pretty tireless individual, always seeking to “do all the good that [she] can�, while still giving time and attention to preserving so many relationships. There’s a caring and thoughtfulness there that’s to be admired.
September 19, 2024
I enjoyed listening to this book very much. There is a considerable amount of information about HRC in this book that I didn’t know and I was glad to hear it from her. I actually admire her more after listening.
November 24, 2024
Really enjoyed this book reflecting on the past but also looking forward to the future and the challenges which lie ahead
March 9, 2025
What can I say, I'm a huge Hilary Clinton fan! She's an amazing, intelligent, passionate woman who has dedicated her life towards civil rights especially for women and children. This is a book of tales revolving around her pursuit of those causes throughout her lifetime. It was a more personal book than with more insight into her personal connections and how she and her lifelong friends have contributed to furthering various causes (some more impactful than others). She doesn't limit her commentary to her successes, she also discusses her learning opportunities. She also talks about her relationship with her husband and does not apologize for her choices to stick with him despite his obvious faltering throughout their lives. She alone knows what she wants and needs. Not for me to judge. But basically, I think she's a role great model for all women. She has been shamelessly maligned basically for thinking/daring to run for first Senator then President (that is my assessment, she does not talk much about it in the book) after her position as First Lady. She was spot on when she discussed a vast right-wing conspiracy a few decades ago and spot on with her basket full of deplorables comment. They despise her because she is so smart, competent and can recognize what is in front of her. A tremendous resilience to gaslighting. Her final chapter talks about what might happen if Kamala loses (the book was written and published before the election) and unfortunately, she is spot on about that as well. The irrepressible Hilary Clinton. She cannot be held down. I think history will be much kinder than the present to this remarkable woman. I was awed and inspired by this woman and I ain't no wide eyed kid!! 😎
4.5 Stars
Listened to the audiobook. Hilary Clinton narrated perfectly!
4.5 Stars
Listened to the audiobook. Hilary Clinton narrated perfectly!
September 29, 2024
Horrible takes from one of our country's most persistent advocates for empire and violence abroad.
October 14, 2024
A perfectly-timed memoir written by the person with a singularly unique perspective on our country. Hillary's latest memoir is both reflection and call to action. She weaves together—as only she can—words about love, faith, and friendship against the backdrop of the defining moments of her time as First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State, presidential candidate, and beyond. I left this book feeling inspired to do better in my own life and be part of this final stretch to elect our first female president and defeat the man who risks ending a centuries-long march of progress.
Hillary has every reason to be despondent and cynical, but she's anything but. Her hope and drive is infectious, and I encourage you to read any chapter from this book if you're feeling anxious, lost, or fearful about the upcoming election.
Hillary has every reason to be despondent and cynical, but she's anything but. Her hope and drive is infectious, and I encourage you to read any chapter from this book if you're feeling anxious, lost, or fearful about the upcoming election.
November 6, 2024
I think how different this country would be had she won the Presidency in 2016. This remarkable woman has vast experience in every nook and cranny of politics. I had no idea the scope of her involvement in women’s issues around the world. This is a worthy read and Hillary has given us an insight into the work yet to be done. I am writing this comment after last night’s tragic loss for Kamala and the nation. We need to get involved to make sure women in this nation, and around the world continue to thrive and gain ground for a better future!
September 21, 2024
I’ve always loved Hillary Clinton. I think she is an amazingly smart, gutsy, caring human being. I learned a lot about her in this new book. I still believe she is worthy of praise and I ask myself often how much better the world (and our Country) would have been if she had been elected instead of the clown Trump. Based on the types of activities she’s been involved in throughout her life, I have no doubt it would have been much better.
September 21, 2024
The only thing I didn’t really care for was how much she talked about Trump. I get it, but I found it a little annoying. I very much loved hearing how she was supporting women and furthering women’s causes. I absolutely loved the chapter “White Scarves� about getting women and their families out of Afghanistan. I got chills. It was overall a really wonderful and enjoyable book!
December 2, 2024
I chose the audio read by the author, I enjoy memoirs when the author reads them.
I found this book interesting and informative. Hillary gives insight into her life as a child. She tells of the first time she met Bill Clinton, hard times, and life for her now.
She’s an intelligent, strong woman and continues to work for what she believes in.
I highly recommend!
I found this book interesting and informative. Hillary gives insight into her life as a child. She tells of the first time she met Bill Clinton, hard times, and life for her now.
She’s an intelligent, strong woman and continues to work for what she believes in.
I highly recommend!
September 26, 2024
Solid 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! This is the third book I’ve read by Hilary Clinton and she delivered again—great writing, superior memory of life events, and a bit more forthcoming emotionally than her previous memoirs. Clinton obviously had to keep her feelings closer to the vest in earlier books because she was at those times more in the public eye, running for national offices. As an older woman in a more observing role, she is now able to look back on events of the last 10 years with a wider aperture. Hilary is more vulnerable and honest about her love for our country, coupled with disappointment in election results and world events. I really enjoyed hearing about stories from her past that serve to inform her current outlook. I appreciate Hilary’s intelligence and clear writing style, and I admire the complex woman that she has always been.
September 26, 2024
This was a DNF for me. It started out great, and some of the chapters had good information. But ultimately it dissolved into a humble brag of the author’s efforts to help the country and a lecture of what could happen if the presidential election doesn’t elect a democrat. In the end, it just wasn’t what I was looking for from this book.
December 1, 2024
My hero 💜
She warned us all. America...
She warned us all. America...
January 20, 2025
Hillary is such an intriguing and even if you don’t fully support all her ideals you can’t take away the inspiration and admiration she emanates and honestly deserves for all the hard works she’s put in not only striving to better the rights of woman and children at home and abroad but also trying to constantly push and break some of the last walled woman workforce and society barriers that remain even now in the current twenty first century America. I think this is a little long winded at times and took a few sessions to fully dredge through but a historically important one and one that does actually do more than pay off with its insights in the long run. 3.5/5
September 30, 2024
I checked this out from the library thinking it would be quickly added to the long list of books I've abandoned this year, but I found myself drawn in to HRC's storytelling. I particularly enjoyed her mentions of being a Girl Scout, including the lyrics to "Make New Friends" and the impact that Girl Scouts has had on her life, with particular emphasis on valuing female friendships. The truth is, I find HRC very interesting, and admire her dedication to service and helping women in this later stage of her life.
September 26, 2024
I enjoyed this so much. As someone who has been obsessed with HRC for many years and has read so much about her, I still learned a ton from this book. She truly is an icon. I just love her so much (and she is the reason I work in politics)!!!
September 28, 2024
Rating this one star because ŷ offensively said that I may enjoy this book based on my reading history. I haven't read this book and I never will but this one star is punishment for marketing it to me in that way
October 24, 2024
If you want to know what today’s Republican party fears, this book will show you undeniably how Hillary is unrealized power incarnate. She was right about EVERYTHING.
January 10, 2025
she should have been the fucking president.
October 8, 2024
I pre-ordered this one back over the summer when I thought/hoped it might provide a bit of a salve for the 2024 Biden-T&ump rematch election, which was looking pretty bleak at the time. And not that that bleakness has necessarily changed, but what a difference a few months makes. Clinton, near the end of the essay collection, states that she hopes to live to see the first female President ... and I'm guessing not many of us, myself included, thought we may be on the cusp of that happening this year with Kamala Harris. But I digress...
As expected, this book is excellent and informative. Rodham Clinton is a public servant, nerd, and wonk at heart... and still right about so many things going on in this country and world and truly living the mantra as her Methodist upbringing instilled in her to: “Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can.� She certainly has her faults and Achilles heel(s), but I am always impressed by her intelligence and drive to get things done.
I won't say I didn't have hesitation going into this one as again, much like the author herself, I still have a lot of PTSD of the 2016 election and aftermath, which continues to this day. But "funny" enough, the emergence of Harris as the Democratic nominee of President was triggering/deja vu enough to ratchet up the anxiety over another nail-biting election and getting my hopes up that an, intelligent, experienced, compassionate, (I can go on for days, but I won't!) can defeat a man who somehow manages to be a worse and even more unqualified candidate for the top office in the land.
Thankfully, much of the book isn't about 2016 or even T&ump ... tho it's certainly addressed directly in a few chapters and sprinkled in throughout (i.e. wearing purple in honor of suffragettes for her concession speech) -- tho there was one chapter where Rodham Clinton pretty much does a fan fiction of what a second T&ump term would look like, and while I intellectually understand and (sadly) agree with what Rodham Clinton presents, I'll admit I skimmed over most of it.
I wish more folks across the political spectrum would read this book to see what type of person Rodham Clinton is, but we all know that ain't happening... so this is just for her fans, and while parts of this book will be moot post-election there is still a lot of "new" stuff too (i.e. trying to get women out of Afghanistan, her work with the Clinton Global Initiative, etc.) that still makes this a worthy read.
September 20, 2024
I thought the book had some inspirational mantras that sounded similar to her live speeches, it was relatively easy to read, and I enjoyed hearing her personal anecdotes about her marriage with Bill Clinton.
October 16, 2024
Even if you may not agree always with Hillary Clinton, her voice is important to our country. She has lived a very involved and fascinating life. Her new book, "Something Lost, Something Gained," is written in a series of essays showing readers her perspective about issues in our country and the world today. She uses a mix of personal narratives, both personal, historical and current in today's world. I thoroughly enjoyed the personal chapters, especially those of the women close to her throughout her life, her deep faith and her marriage to Bill Clinton. As other readers have expressed the chapter about dear mother and the last home they shared together, will stay with you long after you have finished the last page. Her comment, "I am not ready to give up my mother or the old house she called home." I don't think I ever will." brought tears to my eyes. I was reminded of just how special mothers are in our lives. They live with us forever, in warm and comforting memories.
Even though I have had previous looks into Hillary's life, I did not realize how personal democracy was to her. It's part of who she is, women's and children's rights are near and dear to her. She has many women around her who have lasted throughout her life. I was well aware of her support of women's civil rights activists around the world; however, I was not aware of her organizing efforts to help the targeted Afghan women leave their country after the withdrawal of US troops.
Her book is very informative, well written and an excellent read. I admire her and her work as a public servant, even with her faults, ( don't we all have them), she continues to live by her Methodist upbringing, "Do all the good you can, for the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can." How can one not be impressed with her intelligence and drive to get things done?
Even though I have had previous looks into Hillary's life, I did not realize how personal democracy was to her. It's part of who she is, women's and children's rights are near and dear to her. She has many women around her who have lasted throughout her life. I was well aware of her support of women's civil rights activists around the world; however, I was not aware of her organizing efforts to help the targeted Afghan women leave their country after the withdrawal of US troops.
Her book is very informative, well written and an excellent read. I admire her and her work as a public servant, even with her faults, ( don't we all have them), she continues to live by her Methodist upbringing, "Do all the good you can, for the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can." How can one not be impressed with her intelligence and drive to get things done?
October 16, 2024
Enjoyed this latest HRC entry. While there are parts that seemed a little too much like a travelogue, many of the vignettes were poignant and reminds the reader of why HRC is the force that she is. And loved how often Kachchh was mentioned! Brought me back to my Gujarati days. A fun read. Highly suggest the audiobook read by the woman herself.
September 24, 2024
I love this book a lot more than her other books! It’s worth the listen/read. It’s much more laidback and engaging in a different way than other books by Hillary. She talks like an old friend or your grandmother sharing her experiences and lessons with you. The publisher was right when they told her to make it personal, like having a talk with a friend. Parts were a bit dry or �. But nonetheless good. The beauty of this book is you can skip around or listen from start to finish. I skipped around some chapters but read straight through others. I laughed, I got angry and I also related to her as a wife and mother. She talks about Trump and her feelings, which a lot of us wanted to hear but that’s not the purpose for this. This book really humanized Hillary for me.
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