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West Winging It
West Winging It: An Un-presidential Memoir | Pat Cunnane
7 posts | 6 read | 20 to read
The West Wing meets The Office in this fresh and funny exclusive look into President Barack Obama’s years in the White House, directly from his senior writer and former Deputy Director of Messaging. West Winging It: An Unpresidential Memoir is the personal story of Pat Cunnane and his journey from outsider to insider, from his dreary job at a warehouse to his dream job at the White House. Pat pulls the drapes back on the most famous and exclusive building in the United States, telling the story of the real West Wing with compelling and quirky portraits of the people who populate the place, from the President to the press corps. Pat takes you into the Oval Office, providing a witty insider’s glimpse of that it’s really like—from the minutiae to the momentous—to work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Along the way, Pat draws an intimate portrait of the side of President Obama that few were privy to—the funnyman, the nerd, the athlete, the caring parent. He describes both the small details—the time he watched in horror as the President reached over the sneeze guard at Chipotle—and the larger, historic moments, such as watching the President handle the news of the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. In some ways, working at the White House is a lot like every office, and in some ways, it’s like no office ever. Pat recounts the time he accidentally slammed a door on Joe Biden, plotted to have the Pope bless him by faking a sneeze, and almost killed America’s First Dog. Pat’s story is one of proximity to history, revealing an office where both the historically momentous and the hilariously mundane occurred every day. He brings the White House to life with hysterical, heartwarming, and sharply observed depictions of the President and Vice President. It’s a fun portrait of a remarkable time and an extraordinary President, featuring a bunch of brilliant, quirky staffers bursting in and out of frame. He recounts the behind-the-scene highs and lows of the West Wing, from the elation of 2012 to the despair of 2016. Filled with sharp observations and exclusive photos, West Winging It is at its core a fish-out-of-water story—only these fish are trying to run the United States of America.
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keithmalek
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9 likes1 stack add
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SarahSaysRead
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Pickpick

Continuing on with my Obama staffer memoirs, I think this is a good one. Pat's lays on the adoration for his former boss a bit thick, but he did a good job of telling stories that taught me a bit more about how White House press works. He talks about the delicate but important relationship the President has with the press, how it's difficult but necessary, and both sides need to do their job.

#Obamastaffmemoir #audiobook #themedia #nonfiction

23 likes1 stack add
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SarahSaysRead
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How is there still not a "currently reading" sticker option? Anyways all of these are very good so far.

#currentlyreading #Obamastaffmemoir #scifi #mystery #romance #readingdiversely

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KNBrooks
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Pickpick

Just bought this book & can't put it down! Great insight into Obama's White House & quite humorous as Well! (NOTE: The author also writes for the hit tv show "Designated Survivor.")

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Emma24
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Panpan

I just could not get into this book unfortunately :( I'm a big fan of the west wing and I enjoy memoirs so I really thought I'd like it. But this book just seems like it was an opportunity to name drop celebrities he met and to complain about the media.

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ReadingSusan
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This book was excellent. It‘s funny but also moving. I like how he talked about the minutiae of the job as well as the big events. The epilogue made me cry. It‘s also a very sobering read comparing then to now.

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ReadingSusan
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I get an hour lunch break today so I plan to spend it with this delicious lunch and this hilarious book.

ReadingMeagan Looks delicious! And I am intrigued by that book 😃 7y
Dolly I‘ve not heard of this book so I read the usual blurb. The writer considered sneezing in the presence of the pope so he‘d get blessed. 😂 7y
Pamwurtzler That book looks good- stacking! 7y
See All 8 Comments
ReadingSusan @ReadingMeagan it‘s really amusing. I have actually laughed out loud several times. 7y
ReadingSusan @Dolly ha ha that does not surprise me. It‘s hilarious. 7y
ReadingMeagan @ReadingSusan I LOVE books like that! 7y
Faibka That looks so delicious! 7y
ReadingSusan @Faibka it was so good. They switch soups every day so no telling when I can get it next. 7y
128 likes8 stack adds8 comments