Going Rogue, An American Life by Sarah Palin

What a cool book!  And for someone (me) who needs politics and economics explained to her to the point of exhaustion, Sarah's book is written by a regular girl for a regular girl.  (Though Jamie did read this book also so clearly it is not a "for girls only" read.)  I "get" what she's saying and she makes perfect sense.


Sarah leads off every chapter with fantastic quotes.  Here they are below:

"I don't believe God put us on earth to be ordinary." ~Lou Holtz

"Criticism is something we can avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, being nothing." ~Aristotle

"Our land is everything to us...I will tell you one of the things we remember on our land.  We remember that our grandfathers paid for it--with their lives." ~John Wooden

"I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.  And so it is with you...we re in charge of our attitudes." ~Charles Swindoll

"The Democrats seem to be basically nicer people, but they have demonstrated time and time again that they have the management skills of celery.  They're the kind of people who'd stop to help you change a flat, but would somehow manage to set your car on fire.  I would be reluctant to entrust them with a Cuisinart, let alone the economy.      The Republicans, on the other hand, would know how to fix your tire but they wouldn't bother to stop because they'd want to be on time for Ugly Pants Night at the country club." ~Dave Barry

"Sarah's not retreating; she's reloading!" ~Chuck Heath Sr. (Sarah's dad)

I admire her dedication to natural preservation balanced well with ingenuity and development.  She is common sense and no-nonsense.  She is pro-environment AND pro-development.  Oh my!  Can the two exist together?  Apparently so.


Regarding her decision to resign as Alaska's governor:

"In the end, I decided, politically speaking, if I die, I die.  I had to do the right thing.  It might be the end of my career, but it wouldn't be the end of my work to make a difference.  No one can make me 'sit down and shut up.'  I don't need a title to effect positive change."

This was a flashback to the Beth Moore Esther study.  "...And if I perish, I perish."  (Est. 4:16)  What's the worst that could happen?  What is my greatest fear?  Talk yourself through it.  And do the right thing.  Honoring God is more important than saving our own reputation or even our own lives.

"They (the press) just couldn't believe that a politician would willingly give up power and title for good reasons.  Instead there had to be some huge scandal chasing me out of office.  But there was no scandal.  There was no FBI investigation, no greedy grasp for money, no divorce.  And it sure wasn't because I disliked my job--I loved my job.  The decision wasn't about me.  It was about Alaska.  It was as simple as I'd said it was."

Flashback again...but this time to our studies of George Washington...willingly leaving his position of power because he wasn't in it for the power, he was in it for the people.  Washington didn't even want to be president but felt it was his duty to serve the people that trusted him and the country he had fought so desperately for.

There was a moment in this book where I thought, "how can someone possibly endure such harsh and corrupt treatment and still function?"  It took me 2 days to get past that awful feeling of being beaten down.  But Sarah's resilience is incomparable and incredibly impressive.  Not only that, but she states that she would do it (the Vice-Presidential campaign & the drama that goes with it) again in a heartbeat.  (You have to read the book to know all the unbelievable treatment she endured during and following the campaign.)

So, if she would "do it again in a heartbeat", will we see Sarah Palin in the next Presidential election?  Something tells me, "yes!"  But, we will have to wait and see.  Maybe a Sarah & Newt Republican ticket? :)  

Enjoy this book!  It is an easy and enjoyable read.


So back to the library I go...