5 Great Books Written By Political Staffers (and Why You Should Read Them)

By Sheeva Azma

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Politicians and political staffers love to write books – and I love to read them. I’ve read many political biographies and memoirs from politicians of all stripes and walks of life. I’ve been working on political campaigns since high school, and now I even write political talking points and speeches! (If you want to hire a bipartisan, pro-science political communicator to get things done – you can find more info on that here.)

I’m a Democrat. Therefore, of course I’ve been inspired by the call-to-action to public service in John F. Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize winning Profiles in Courage and read Susan Page’s biography of Nancy Pelosi – but I’ve also dug into Donald Trump’s Art of the Deal. I don’t limit myself to one political party or the other. Rand Paul’s book Taking a Stand is one of my all-time favorites, for example, and there are so many lessons to learn there about political engagement and issues-based policymaking. 

Dr. Paul, an ophthalmologist, got involved in politics while in medical school and residency, and used to make political scorecards for his friends and family so they could better follow along with political issues. While Dr. Paul and I disagree on certain issues, we share a desire for informed, issues-based policymaking that breaks political stereotypes sometimes. 

Another thing I appreciate about Dr. Paul is that he is a trained doctor; it’s rare to see politicians with any sort of science background. Astronaut and former US Senator John Glenn also wrote a great biography talking about his work at the intersection of both worlds.

I especially like books that dig into personal challenges and experiences of our lawmakers – books that make you feel like you are there and making decisions alongside these people. 

I love reading about what goes into writing a political speech or the challenges of people on the campaign trail. It’s really interesting to me as a political communicator, and let’s face it – we take a lot of it for granted here in the US. Political engagement is the DNA of our representative republic!

If you’ve worked in Congress, like I have, you know that staffers do all the legwork – and rarely get the credit they deserve. At least they can write books to talk about all they did, but how are we going to learn about them if we don’t even know who they are? 

It’s surprisingly difficult to find books written by political staffers. You really have to be a policy wonk to seek them out, because the people working behind-the-scenes on campaigns and policies and so on rarely get any real public credit. So, while I present the below list, I do so with the following disclaimer: this is not at all a comprehensive list. I would love to read any and all political communications memoirs out there affiliated with people elected to office.

Here’s my list of a few people that you’ve probably heard of, and a few staffers you probably have not heard of who have worked for some pretty important people. I hope this list inspires you to do some research into the politicians you admire to see what their staffers have to say. Maybe they’re on social media; maybe they’ve written a book; maybe they have a Substack. Follow them and engage with them! They’re just people.

Here’s a list of books written by political staffers that I’ve read and can recommend in the political and especially political communications and polling world. I’m always looking for more great reads, so comment below with any recommendations!

The Political Speechwriter’s Companion by Robert Lehrman and Eric Schnure

The Political Speechwriter’s Companion is written by two formers speechwriters for Al Gore. It’s full of helpful didactic information on how to write a good speech, and even features analysis of both Republican and Democrat speeches. It’s quite a long read, and it takes a while to get through, but the insights are remarkable. This is a great starting point for scientists and science communicators interested in speechwriting or messaging.

Here’s the Deal by Kellyanne Conway

Kellyanne Conway got her start in politics through her work as a pollster – at the time, there were very few women in polling. Reading the book, you get the idea that Kellyanne Conway created a career entirely from scratch just based on her own interest in politics and polling. As a woman in the male-dominated political world, I find that so incredibly relatable. 

What Women Really Want: How American Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class, and Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live by Celinda Lake and Kellyanne Conway

Before Kellyanne Conway strategized to help Donald Trump defeat a woman candidate, Hillary Clinton, she wrote this book with a Democrat, Celinda Lake, about the things women have in common that surpass political boundaries. It turns out that women have a lot in common and that sometimes, those things transcend being Democrat or Republican. You’ll have to read the book to learn more!

Breaking History by Jared Kushner

Jared Kushner had a number of roles in the White House, working with his father-in-law, President Donald Trump. He basically did everything as a staffer! That’s part of why Breaking History is an interesting read – you get the behind-the-scenes perspective on basically everything that happened in the White House, and learn about the many different challenges involved with some of President Trump’s most underappreciated policy and diplomatic accomplishments! I appreciate this book’s perspective – Jared Kushner started his political career as a relatively smart guy with an interest in politics who did not have any real experience in it, but he ended his time at the White House as a seasoned politico.

Grace: President Obama and Ten Days by Cody Keenan

If you ask me, Grace is a must-read for anyone seeking to become a Democratic speechwriter. Cody Keenan was President Barack Obama’s speechwriter in June 2015, when the stakes were high. Reading this book, I learned that Keenan would write a speech, then chat with Obama, who would rewrite it and make it his own – all in the course of just a few days. You get a full play-by-play of the Obama speechwriting process in this book!

Read Your Way to Better Communications Skills

Being a voracious consumer of information is a great way to learn. Check out more of our book reviews, including our SciComm book reviews. If you’re looking for FREE resources to improve your science writing (including science copywriting) skills, check out Fancy Comma, LLC’s resources page! Finally, if you are in need of political communications services, get in touch!