A Fighting Chance

Let’s get one point out right at the top: Elizabeth Warren is the best thing to happen to American politics in decades. She’s not only a sharp and indefatigable warrior for American middle class families, but she’s also a forceful, persistent and effective critic of excessive financial deregulation and big business welfare. In addition to her other winning attributes, Elizabeth Warren is also a clear, honest and deeply entertaining writer and her new memoir “A Fighting Chance” is about as good as political memoirs come. On one level, “A Fighting Chance” is a reflection on Warren’s life: her upbringing in Oklahoma in a working class family, her education and legal training, her decades as an advocate for bankruptcy law reform, her battles both inside and outside the Obama Administration to stand up her Consumer Financial Protection Agency, and her run for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts against a popular incumbent. On another level, Warren’s memoir is a cri de coeur arguing that the support structures and institutions that enabled Warren to succeed have been washed away by decades of wrongheaded policy choices, selfish economic priorities, and an aggressive lack of care for future generations. In the final estimation, Elizabeth Warren accomplishes in her memoir the same thing she accomplishes so often in real life: she envisions and argues for a better, more equitable America that supports all of its families, rather than a select few. Once the reader finishes “A Fighting Chance,” it’s easy to understand what the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone meant when he said that he could use ten more progressives in the Senate -- "or one Elizabeth Warren." Before reading her memoir, I believed that Elizabeth Warren is the last, best hope our country has; after reading her memoir, I'm certain that she is.

By way of full disclosure: I have known Elizabeth for thirty-three years, consider her a friend, and admire her tremendously. EW can be summed up very simply: What you see is exactly what you get. As for the book... Because I know her and have followed her short (so far) political career very closely, I assumed that the book would tell me nothing new, that it would be an agglomeration of speeches she has given. I bought it anyway, mostly out of loyalty, and BOY WAS I WRONG! (My apologies, Elizabeth, for 'misunderestimating' you. Never again.) Yes, the narrative covers, among many other things, recent events which I had followed - but from Warren's perspective, which was new to me. This book is very refreshing. Warren's writing is itself refreshing, to the point that the reader is oft-times unaware of it, with eyes only for the vivid images it creates. It is also refreshing to read a political memoir in which the author is neither settling scores nor flattering the powerful. The story Warren tells is of an enormously successful woman who rose to the very top of the law teaching world from humble beginnings and middles - Rutgers is hardly an elite law school. At Harvard and Yale law schools in particular, most of the faculty went to one of the other. Elizabeth did not, and her leap to Harvard was based, like all such moves, entirely on her publications. As everyone knows, when she ran for the Senate, she won against a strong candidate/incumbent, and when Obama nominated John Kerry as Secretary of State soon thereafter, she became the Senior Senator for Massachussets. Why do I recount all this? Because through all of it, as told in this book, runs a strong thread of family. Even as her life was turned upside down by her ascension to the Senate ( I know from experience that being a tenured law professor is vastly preferable to working for a living. EW had to adjust from the languid life of law at Harvard, to the frenetics of Capitol Hill, but whether in body or in spirit, she always takes her family along. Her ever-presentness for her family is woven through this book. It is not something the author trumpets or shows off. It is simply one aspect of her life which comes through strongly in this delightful, forthright, and unputdownable memoir.

A good book with lots of details about her life and ambition. Basically a remarkable person. Lots of good notes and discussion and tons of research and background cited completely publisher year author journal name volume. Just for that I really like this and she does seem to have the credentials to be writing this. I dont agree with a lot of the underlying philosophy, she really has this trite black and white world, and does seem to think that legislation can fix things. While well intentioned this kind of egotistical thinking can be very harmful, i mean "big banks"? Who does she think will give the money to local banks to make quarter mil home mortgage loans? Because gammy put her quilts on ebay and deposited $75 last week? Get real. Its hard to make rules that work and the overall divisiveness against any one that somehow isnt up to her standard of 'family' or gets more money by taking huge risks or taking responsibility for peoples lives as ceo is just unacceptable to me. How about economic prosperity and reasonable interest rates for *americans*. But no, only people with picket fences dogs and babies. And in the end 99 percent of the legislation against say bankruptcy abuse ends up on the cutting room floor because, you guessed it, an abortion group declared bankruptcy and so suddenly,politically, strict bankruptcy law wasnt so important anymore. Terrible. Good book to find that story out though. WITH CITATIONS :)

A Fighting Chance, but Elizabeth Warren This book was my first exposure to the writing of Elizabeth Warren. I like what I saw. She is a very bright person who came from, what I would term lower middle class America. Her story in skeletal form is a familiar story for many who have turned out to be great leaders in our country’s history. Her intelligence works to her and our advantage in many ways. First it brought attention to her and so opened opportunities for her to put intellect to good practical use for the betterment of humanity. When issues arose at various stages of her life people turned to her for an intelligent analysis and suggestions for address of the issue. They also found her energy and willingness to work hard towards the desired just results that she perceived as most human and effective. Her intelligence was noted by many, as intelligence usually is. There evolved around her over time a cadre of people who had need of her talents, or who saw that she could help larger groups such as communities, states and countries.Her’s is an ancient story of what we call colloquially, ‘cream rising to the top.’ Perhaps the most important aspect of her character and personality and psychological makeup, but which is not uncommon in people who start from humble beginnings, is her care for those who have not been treated fairly. This obsession with the needy being treated fairly, from my experience and observation, comes from one’s nature and experience, rather than from mere training. Yet no doubt training plays an important part in many wealthy, privileged people who are nevertheless bonded in thought and wishes to those in need. She sought out such wealthy and powerful people, including Ted Kennedy as a comrade to help her in ways nobody else could have. No matter the etiology of such compassion, it is fun to see it in Ms. Warren and others. I love that attribute in good people. I have a natural tendency to want to help people like her in their endeavors. I admire them. The book puts on display the joint effort of her steely, sharp, piercing mind coupled with her steely resolve to find or create the good that she discovers and hones to a fine focus, with tools of compassionate energy, influence of powerful well-meaning individuals and the collective powers of society and government. The book portrays her as a tenacious advocate for causes she feels strongly about. Since she feels strongly about causes that help those who deserve help, and since it seems to me that the world in general, and this country in particular, could and would be a better place if we collectively followed her instincts and passion, I recommend this book to all who care deeply for neighbor and country. S Phillip Brown

Like many, I was first introduced to Senator Warren by John Stewart. Her speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention was inspiring and she presents an engaging persona. She has since that introduction become increasingly visible in the news, courageously advancing populist initiatives. But who is the person behind the popular image? What makes this Harvard law professor tick? I hoped this book would reveal some truth about the woman we see on TV. I was NOT disappointed! Of course, Sen. Warren tells the fascinating story of how she went from a college girl charged with the primary responsibility of finding a husband to a member of the United States Senate (and eventual presidential candidate, one might suppose). That story is engagingly told, detailing more than the sequence of events. Sen. Warren does something the memoirs of still active politicians rarely attempt; she shares the emotions that sprung from and influenced the unfolding of those events. Never maudlin and without pandering, she has told what feels like the whole story in which facts and feelings are hand and glove of human experience. Her story and how it is told illustrates how what I do "out in the world" is always colored by what's happening back home. The health of my dog affects the choices I make today. Warren (a dog lover) gives us a glimpse of that truth in ways few politicians will dare (and far beyond the "I like dogs" I may have implied)! I purchased the Audible version of "A Fighting Chance". It's read by Warren whose tone and inflection amplify the authenticity of what she has to say. Not a big fan of audio books I must say that for this one - because it's so powerful to hear Elizabeth Warren tell her story - it is the preferred format. If the polarization of America's politics and media can make our future seem hopeless, Elizabeth Warren's book makes it clear that the people of America do in fact have "A Fighting Chance".

It’s probably not a bad idea to take anything a politician says about themselves with a 25 pound bag of ice melting salt, but Elizabeth Warren, at least at the moment, is a breath of fresh air. While painting our government as fundamentally broken (“working families never had a fighting chance. The big banks would eventually win. They simply had too much power”), she manages to persist in her optimism (“our fight to protect America’s middle class had held off the banking industry for nearly a decade”). She leads the reader through her own skeptical inquiries- for example, while acknowledging that “part of [her] still wanted to buy the deadbeat story” of bankruptcy victims “because it was so comforting,” she traces her own hard research to the development of a belief that people do not usually end up in bankruptcy but rather due to job losses, medical problems, or family breakups. traces history, establishment of banking regulations in 1930s and disintegration in 1980s. One might argue that her being the thorn in corporate America’s side would peg her as a bleeding heart liberal, she’s unafraid to exert the same toughness on Democrats (“many Washington insiders were surprised (and some were aggravated) that we were going just as hard on the Democratic administration as we had on the Republicans, but I wasn’t going to stop and worry about that”). Two of the most insightful passages in the book include her reflection on being a Washington outsider: “I had a choice. I could be an insider or I could be an outsider. Outsiders can say whatever they want. But people on the inside don’t listen to them. Insiders, however, get lots of access and a chance to push their ideas. People- powerful people- listen to what they have to say. But insiders also understand one unbreakable rule: They don’t criticize other insiders.” …and her analogy between toaster ovens and a dysfunctional home finance industry: “Thirty years later… it was all but impossible to buy a toaster that had a one-in-five chance of bursting into flames and burning down your house. But by the 2000s, it was possible to refinance a home with a mortgage that had a one-in-five chance of costing a family their home and putting them out on the street. In fact, it wasn’t just possible; those mortgages were bursting into flames all over the country.”

A very interesting and readable autobiography, which also tells the story of the serious and sad gradual takeover of American society and democracy by the banks and the corporations. It shows the background of the present situation, the 'why and how' we have arrived to the place where we are today. It is a picture drawn by a protagonist of the story who has been fighting all along against the big money and the big banks, in favor of the families whose houses were taken away, in favor of working class and middle class families. The story of most of us. Now she is fighting in favor of the students against the big banks. How is it possible that in America the students are being charged a higher interest than the banks pay? This is disgraceful. What an amazing intelligent and courageous woman! The voice of reason in a place and time where reason and common sense seem to have left the ground. She is my champion. Not many like her in Congress. We need many more. She has a clear, strong and honest voice that I value. All is not lost, with people like her in Congress we can still recover what has been lost. A strong America where the first words of the Constitution and the strong voice of 'We the People' still can be heard to elect a good and just government for the good of all. Great book, easy to read, highly recommended. I will vote for her any day. Thank you Elizabeth! Keep up the good work, many of us are right behind you.

I don't usually read a lot of autobiographies, but I'm a fan of Elizabeth Warren and I've heard good things about this book, so I decided to give it a try. I figured I'd start on it this weekend and finish it later in the week, but as soon as I got into it, I was hooked. The writing is very good and I found myself laughing out loud at times (such as when the author describes setting her kitchen on fire). The first few chapters cover the author's life before she got involved in politics: how she grew up middle class until her father got sick and lost his job; how she earned a debate scholarship and went to college (despite her mother's desire that she focus on finding a husband), then dropped out of college to get married and have a baby. How she finished her college degree and then a law degree, while raising two kids. Then - in what would eventually lead her to becoming nationally known - how she ended up getting involved in bankruptcy law and research into why people declare bankruptcy. As a bankruptcy expert, she lead the (ultimately unsuccessful) fight to keep the law from being changed to enhance banking profits at the expense of those who would no longer have access to bankruptcy protection. After her work on bankruptcy, she eventually ended up leading the COP panel, which oversaw TARP (Trouble Assets Relief Program), more commonly known as the bank bailout. The panel unfortunately had no real power - they could take testimony, but could not compel people to testify, nor could they insist on being present when Treasury (which didn't appear particularly interested in oversight) made the decisions on how to spend the $700 billion that Congress had authorized to bail out the financial system. While the committee's power was essentially limited to issuing reports, they were able to shine enough light on the sweetheart deals that Treasury cut with the big banks to ensure that later deals were harder on the banks, saving the taxpayers billions of dollars. In 2007, Warren had proposed the creation of a new government agency specifically to regulate financial products, as no current agency had that as its primary mission. After the economic meltdown, Congress was finally motivated to act, and Warren convinced Barney Frank (who was in charge of the bill in the House) to insist on a strong new agency. Gathering support for the bill took a concerted push by many people, from nonprofits and unions all the way up to the president, with the big banks fighting hard to destroy or disempower the new agency. This was where Scott Brown entered the story, as (having won Teddy Kennedy's Senate seat) he now had the power to filibuster the bill, which he used to add a $19 billion break for the banks before allowing it to pass. With the change, the Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law. Unfortunately, while Warren had proposed the agency, fought hard for its creation, and then served as its acting head to get it up and running, the banks (and thus the Republican party) were dead set against her being confirmed as the permanent head of the agency. The president gave in and instead nominated Richard Cordray, whom Elizabeth recommended...at which point Senate Republicans announced that they would block ANY nominee unless the law were changed to take power away from the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Due to a typo in the law (the word section was replaced with the word subsection), the new agency would not have much of its power until a director was confirmed. Cordray was given a recess appointment in January 2012, but was not formally confirmed by the Senate until July 2013. After losing the chance to run the agency she had created, Prof Warren intended to return to teaching, but was encouraged to run for the Senate instead. Her family was against it; she was over 60 and had never run for political office. Speaking with residents of the state, however, she became convinced that working people needed to have a strong advocate in the Senate and that she could be that person. She started out far behind the popular Scott Brown in the polls, but eventually won 54-46 in a state that strongly shares her values. Reading this book, sometimes I was laughing (she's a very good writer), sometimes I was angry (as she describes how those with money and power take advantage of desperate Americans), and sometimes I was excited about what she wants to accomplish, but I was always entertained. I highly recommend this book. Full disclosure: I made a small contribution to Prof. Warren's senate campaign. This post originally appeared at Vulcan Ears Book Reviews (vulcanears.com). Edit: I accidentally posted this under the hardcover page, but I actually read the Kindle version. I finished the book before I expected to, since on the Kindle version the main text ends about 60% of the way in, to be followed by photos and (not surprisingly, the author being an academic) tons of endnotes.

It was interesting to read this from an "outsiders" perspective as an Australian. I enjoyed the writing and the stories, (Elizabeth's daughter should be happy). I enjoy stories of strong women who forge paths for us; she reminded me of my own Mother, especially the setting the kitchen on fire and finding a way to balance work with family and making a difference for others. I also like the empathy exhibited and economic philosophy that Elizabeth believes is the best way forward. I wouldn't wish the craziness that must be the role of US president on her, but at the same time this outsider would be overjoyed if she were to decide to run and even moreso if the American people were to vote her in. Very pleased I took the time to read and thoroughly enjoy this book.

アカデミックな立場からアメリカの財政問題を発信していたElizabeth Warren氏が政界とかかわるようになり、純粋に財政のエキスパートとして政府に提言をし、挫折をし、政界の様々な駆け引きにふりまわされながら、自分の信じる道をまっすぐに突き進んでいく自伝です。生い立ちから始まり、Harvard Low School professor～マサチューセッツ議員までの話ですが、常に一般市民の代弁者であり国民の日常生活を守るという信念が貫かれています。2008年のリーマンショックやそれにまつわる記述はアカデミックな目線ならではとおもいます。真面目に働いているのに経済弱者になってしまった人々との対話は、現在も解決していない経済格差を認識させられます。実際の政治による経済弱者の救済はアカデミックな分析と熱意だけでは難しいかもしれませんが、著者のFightingには敬意を表します。残念だったのは自分がアメリカの政治家や司会者に詳しくなかったこと：オバマ前大統領と数人しかわからなかった。2大政党のかけひきや、選挙など、アメリカの政界を少し覗けます。

Elizabeth Warren writes about her life and the motivations that drove her decisions in clear, straightforward language. Though she has had a brilliant academic and political career, she reminds us that government actions are performed by people, people who have experiences with life and love and death, divorce, financial problems, difficult personal decisions. From the development of her expertise in bankruptcy which took decades of dedication to her concern for the related area of consumer protection, to corruption in the banks, then on to the multiple issues she must confront as a Senator, she has reminded us that what governments do touches the lives of real people. She further insists that making the lives of all citizens better should be the focus of all government actions. Too often, special interests have manipulated and lobbied our legislators and executives to act counter to that principle. Yet Warren remains a true believe and has demonstrated a remarkable stamina over decades to keep pushing for, as the title suggests, a "Fighting Chance." Along the way, she covers some of the major crises of recent years and offers common sense reasons why this is possible.

Political autobiographies are always at least a little self-promotional and sometimes even outright propaganda. Naturally, the picture painted of Warren in this book is generally favorable and does highlight strong points more than it does weaknesses (although failings and mistakes are not hidden), but this self-promotion is done in a very palatable way. In fact, most of the time, the book feels like a genuine record of Warren's life, good and bad, including the events and decisions that ultimately led her to seek and be elected to a Senate seat. The style of the book is colloquial, making it easily readable and accessible to a wide audience. The descriptions of events and Warren's reactions to them feel authentic rather than contrived. She highlights personal struggles and tragedies and the emotions associated with those, along with the highs she felt at particularly successful moments in a way that is entirely relatable. In short, this book does make Warren seem like a pretty much typical American, albeit one who has achieved some remarkable things (becoming law professor at Harvard, her election to the Senate, etc.). Overall, this was an enjoyable book to read, with a nice balance of story (the life of Elizabeth Warren from childhood to adulthood), and history, including some informative discussion of America's financial crisis. I would recommend it for anyone interested in American politics and history. And I might try reading some of her other books as well.

Elizabeth Warren describes with fascinating detail and often humor, her fight to establish a consumer protection agency so that the average American is protected against the unfair practices of big banks and other institutions when loans are made and other financial transactions. She is clearly an expert on bankruptcy, and she explains in lay terms what has gone wrong in America, and her success with the help of others in making important changes to protect all Americans, including military families, from exploitation. Her description of her life as a professor, mother, wife, and consumer advocate is extremely entertaining - a wonderful read!