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Hard Choices

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Hard Choices

By: Hillary Rodham Clinton
Narrated by: Kathleen Chalfant, Hillary Rodham Clinton
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Hillary Rodham Clinton’s inside look at the choices and challenges she has faced is “a subtle, finely calibrated work…with succinct and often shrewd appraisals of the complex web of political, economic, and historical forces in play around the world” (The New York Times).

In the aftermath of her 2008 presidential run, Hillary Rodham Clinton expected to return to the United States Senate. To her surprise, newly elected President Barack Obama asked her to serve in his administration as Secretary of State. “Hard Choices is a richly detailed and compelling chronicle of Clinton’s role in the foreign initiatives and crises that defined the first term of the Obama administration…it teems with small, entertaining details about her interactions with foreign leaders (Los Angeles Times).

Secretary Clinton and President Obama had to decide how to repair fractured alliances, wind down two wars, and address a global financial crisis. Along the way, they grappled with tough dilemmas, especially the decision to send Americans into harm’s way, from Afghanistan to Libya to the hunt for Osama bin Laden. By the end of her tenure, Secretary Clinton had gained a truly global perspective on the major trends reshaping today’s landscape.

In Hard Choices, “a rich and lively narrative” (Entertainment Weekly), Hillary Clinton offers her views on what it will take for the United States to compete and thrive. This “memoir is serious, sober, and substantive” (The New York Times Book Review). Americas Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government United States Women Middle East Iran Africa War Military Russia China Socialism Self-Determination Royalty Soviet Union Human Rights Capitalism Imperialism Refugee Social Change Latin American American Foreign Policy Biography
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Critic reviews

A subtle, finely calibrated work….Hard Choices is a statesmanlike document…with succinct and often shrewd appraisals of the complex web of political, economic and historical forces in play around the world, and the difficulties American leaders face in balancing strategic concerns with ‘core values.’ The tone is calm and measured, with occasional humorous asides, like describing an offer by Vladimir V. Putin, the Russian leader, to take Bill Clinton along on a polar-bear tagging expedition. (Michiko Kakutani)
[A] clear and at times riveting account of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s four years as secretary of state….The book bolsters her reputation as a strong “representational” diplomat who carried the flag to 112 countries. But the meaty middle of Hard Choices does something more than chronicle the frequent-flier miles: It provides evidence that Clinton displayed good judgment as secretary of state and understood some important issues earlier than her boss, President Obama…..[O]nce Clinton gets rolling, she does what’s most valuable in this kind of memoir, which is to take readers inside her meetings — sketching portraits of the world leaders with whom she did business…..Perhaps the most revelatory passages in the book involve the secret diplomacy that led to the November 2013 interim nuclear agreement with Iran. (David Ignatius)
Hard Choices is a richly detailed and compelling chronicle of Clinton's role in the foreign initiatives and crises that defined the first term of the Obama administration — the pivot to Asia, the Afghanistan surge of 2009, the ‘reset’ with Russia, the Arab Spring, the ‘wicked problem’ of Syria — told from the point of view of a policy wonk… it's also mercifully free of the bromides that mar most campaign biographies. The book teems with small, entertaining details about her interactions with foreign leaders.
“To its credit, Clinton’s memoir is serious, sober and substantive….No fair-minded reader could finish this book and doubt Clinton’s essential command of the issues, whatever one might think of her solutions for them. She roams widely and delves into war and peace, terrorism and Russia, economic development and women’s rights. She knows the players and the history.” (Peter Baker)
“An amazing story….Above all, what comes through is Clinton's sheer persistence. This is how she does politics, by keeping going and totting up the small victories so that they outweigh the defeats.”
“Enjoy Hard Choices for what it is at its best — a rich and lively narrative of Clinton's foreign policy successes, and failures.”
“Undeniable depth.”
“Blessed with an instant familiarity.”
“Clinton’s voice and world view is authentic…and this is gripping.”
All stars
Most relevant
An excellent look into the real world of a magnificent woman - such a full and amazing life - whether HRC decides to run for President of the USA or not nobody could have spent their life giving so much to the rest of the world. I kind of hope she does as nobody has ever had so much experience in the field of global politics. Good Luck HRC (from a Brit too!)

Hard Choices - Hillary Rodham Clinton

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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, unless this friend lives in the USA and is fun of Hillary as politician and would like to vote for her.

What about Hillary Rodham Clinton and Kathleen Chalfant ’s performance did you like?

It's easy to listen and Hillary is quite artistic, very good that she reads it.

Do you think Hard Choices needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No

Any additional comments?

This book is more like promotion to Hillary Clinton, where she describes what good she and her party did over the times when she was politically active, and in particular had a role of equivalent to the foreign minister. Interesting, but this promotional bias is highly dissapointing.

Hillary's political promotion

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Liked that Hilary read this herself. Enjoyed the content as it went into the hard choices that governments have to take. Enlightening viewing politics from an American slant.

Interesting Listening

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Some incidents revealed are interesting to hear but sounds one-sided, one would say slightly biased version of all events. At the end, it’s always USA is great and whatever US does is either great or have a great thinking behind it and only for the betterment of humanity

Interesting insight

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Would you consider the audio edition of Hard Choices to be better than the print version?

As with most political literature, the print version of this book looks dauntingly large. I found having this as an audio file on my phone far better, mainly because it meant I could do other things while listening.

What did you like best about this story?

I like that, unlike some politicians, Hillary is - comparatively - brutally honest about her decisions. Although there are several personal anecdotes to help the story along - she starts by describing the meeting she had with her campaigners post-losing to Obama - the focus is still on the decisions she made as Secretary of State, and the consequences of such decisions.

What about Hillary Rodham Clinton and Kathleen Chalfant ’s performance did you like?

This book is very clearly narrated, with some emotion from Hillary that adds to the story she's portraying. It allows the listener better access, not only to the plot but also to the effects those decisions have had on the person who made them.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I definitely don't think you could listen to this book all in one sitting, unless you were doing other things at the same time.

Bring on 2016

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