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The Truths We Hold
Publisher's Summary
From one of America's most inspiring political leaders, a book about the core truths that unite us, and the long struggle to discern what those truths are and how best to act upon them, in her own life and across the life of our country.
Senator Kamala Harris's commitment to speaking truth is informed by her upbringing. The daughter of immigrants, she was raised in an Oakland, California, community that cared deeply about social justice; her parents - an esteemed economist from Jamaica and an admired cancer researcher from India - met as activists in the civil rights movement when they were graduate students at Berkeley. Growing up, Harris herself never hid her passion for justice, and when she became a prosecutor out of law school, a deputy district attorney, she quickly established herself as one of the most innovative change agents in American law enforcement. She progressed rapidly to become the elected District Attorney for San Francisco, and then the chief law enforcement officer of the state of California as a whole. Known for bringing a voice to the voiceless, she took on the big banks during the foreclosure crisis, winning a historic settlement for California's working families.
Her hallmarks were applying a holistic, data-driven approach to many of California's thorniest issues, always eschewing stale "tough on crime" rhetoric as presenting a series of false choices. Neither "tough" nor "soft" but smart on crime became her mantra. Being smart means learning the truths that can make us better as a community, and supporting those truths with all our might. That has been the pole star that guided Harris to a transformational career as the top law enforcement official in California, and it is guiding her now as a transformational United States Senator, grappling with an array of complex issues that affect her state, our country, and the world, from health care and the new economy to immigration, national security, the opioid crisis, and accelerating inequality.
By reckoning with the big challenges we face together, drawing on the hard-won wisdom and insight from her own career and the work of those who have most inspired her, Kamala Harris offers in The Truths We Hold a master class in problem solving, in crisis management, and leadership in challenging times. Through the arc of her own life, on into the great work of our day, she communicates a vision of shared struggle, shared purpose, and shared values. In a book rich in many home truths, not least is that a relatively small number of people work very hard to convince a great many of us that we have less in common than we actually do, but it falls to us to look past them and get on with the good work of living our common truth. When we do, our shared effort will continue to sustain us and this great nation, now and in the years to come.
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What members say
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lynn
- 2019-01-15
A Must Read!
This is a powerful read. Kamala Harris speaks from a place of compassion, intelligence and logic and I was mesmerized by every word. Her knowledge of all the major issues we currently face is nothing short of amazing and although many of those issues are frightening, it is comforting to know she is one of many fighting so hard to ensure the safety and integrity of our values.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2019-01-11
Great American Life Story
Senator Harris' book is the story of a great American journey and the American dream. The struggles and adventures of growing up as a middle class family of color in northern California. In the book she talks about her motivations those life experiences that changed her life. I think she closed with a positive inspirathinal message that wouldn't be a nice campaign slogan.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cheryl Ferguson
- 2019-01-11
Purely Inspiring!
Senator Harris tells an inspiring and heart-warming story of her life growing up in Northern California with two very educated and impressive parents. Her personal stories, along with tales of her career experiences and her views on our society make for a very interesting listing experience. As with so many audible books, I really enjoy hearing the author themselves read.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sam Marlow
- 2019-01-09
Great story ..slow start
Kamala narrates this title, but I have to say that the first chapter she sounded monotone..but it definitely got better. Dont know who produced this, but they should have redone the first chapter!
8 of 12 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tony
- 2019-01-11
Such a great perspective
It’s refreshing to hear the perspective of someone who’s got her head screwed solidly onto her shoulders. Ms. Harris is the sort of person I *know* should be President, though I’ll admit I wasn’t sure before I started listening to this book.
One after another, I kept finding that she’d thought through how to solve many issues and landed on the same conclusions I had. In one or two cases, I discovered that she had a better perspective on an issue than I had considered. What a concept, someone running for President who knows more than I do. I’d forgotten how nice it was to hear from someone who’s thought through a position that is firmly grounded in reality. Seems like exactly the sort of leader that we need right now. (Which is what makes me think it’s a moonshot if she does run, but hey, dream big right?)
6 of 10 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ma
- 2019-01-11
Fantastic book!
Could not put this book down. If you like Kamala Harris before reading this book; you will love her!
5 of 9 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Margo Arrowsmith
- Raleigh, NC United States
- 2019-01-17
The best of Obama, Hillary, Warren with a dab of Michelle Obama
Inspiring book, and we need her in the White House. I suggest listening to this one
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anna
- 2019-01-16
I found my Front Runner for 2020
We all are anxious to know what the future holds, especially since almost all of America is somehow in the grip of the longest government shutdown in history. After reading Kamala Harris' story of her years in office for civic service (service to others is the purpose of holding public office), I would argue that our government and country have been shut down since late January 2017.
In this book all the major challenges we face as a nation are addressed. That, in and of itself, makes it a useful text. What I was hoping for, and got in spades, was confirmation that Kamala Harris is qualified. She not only speaks the truth as she sees it, but she brings everyone into the dialogue, recognizing that a conversation of one is completely unproductive.
I like the plans she outlines for effective legislation to move toward solutions for health care, poverty, the death of financial security for American families, the opioid epidemic, mass incarceration and global climate shift. She has thought about it all, and she has proposed effective solutions. As of January 2019, she is the front runner for me. We need to prepare for a brighter future. It does not involve orange haired dinosaurs. It is thinking, compassionate leaders like Kamala, who are not afraid to talk about a real solution.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 2019-01-13
Truth be Told
Excellently written book narrated by author into her insights and beliefs as she navigated her distinguished career to become a United States Senator.
Lots of great ideas if tested could prove to enhance the lives of millions of Americans positively for many generations to come. The senator definitely has a passion to help people live theirbest lives, and has proven she will work hard to achieve hers goals to that end. Very impressed by her intelligence and work ethic.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Neal
- 2019-01-12
Interesting insights
Senator Harris has written a thoughtful memoir of her life in public service. First as a San Francisco District Attorney, then as the California Attorney General and finally her tenure in the United States Senate.
It is less an autobiography and more a polemic against the injustice she has witnessed in her life and fought to rectify. She narrates her own story with a sense of heart-felt honesty, which makes it a compelling listen.
One walks away from the book with a sense that this is a woman whose life is focused and centered on her job. She is a straight-forward and hard-nosed prosecutor that suffers no fools.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful