Coming Up Short

Reviews / Votes

'In Coming Up Short, the former adviser to multiple presidents lays out all that's wrong with the country and how we might get back on track ... A full-throated rallying cry to get things back to where they belong.' * The Washington Post * 'Robert Reich is one of the most important political thinkers and activists of our time, and Coming Up Short is essential reading for understanding this moment in American history.' -- Molly Jong-Fast, <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>How to Lose Your Mother</em> 'As bullied as [Reich] was, he never became a bully. He has dedicated his life to promoting fairness, not revenge ... His numerous books have a moral centre because he has a moral centre ... Reich has been remarkably prescient, regularly warning about the dangers of inequality and the perils posed by a financial industry run amok ... Over the last four decades, Reich has seen what happens when his colleagues succumb to complacency, presuming that everything will be just fine in the long run ... Even though this book is billed as a memoir, it's ultimately a call to action.' -- Jennifer Szalai * The New York Times * 'I am a big fan of Robert Reich. He is the rare academic who addresses the real problems facing America and fights to fix an economic system propelled by uncontrollable greed and contempt for human decency. He has used every position and platform at his disposal to reverse the unbridled pursuit of power and profit by the ultra-wealthy at the expense of working people. We would all do well to follow his example. Coming Up Short, an important and galvanising account of a life dedicated to public service, is a good place to start.' -- Senator Bernie Sanders 'Being bullied as a child helped Robert Reich become a champion for the little guy. As secretary of labor, political economist, and public intellectual, he has called out the bullies, demagogues, and oligarchs who exploit working people and now threaten to subvert democracy. With characteristic wit and verve, Reich's thoroughly absorbing memoir shows how his generation fell short in achieving a just society, and how the next generation can do better.' -- Michael Sandel, author of <em>The Tyranny of Merit</em> 'What Reich self-deprecatingly claims he lacks in physical stature, he more than makes up for in moral standing and civic pride ... Reich's memoir is both economic treatise and political reckoning, stemming from a deep love of country and commitment to progress, in pursuit of doing what's right as opposed to what is popular or expedient ... Clear-eyed and critical, Reich's assessment of where America is headed is both sobering and, characteristically, hopeful.' * <em>Booklist</em>, starred review * 'In this passionate political memoir, Reich, former US secretary of labor under Bill Clinton, calls on Democrats to refocus on the working class ... Along the way, he works in piquant sketches of political figures.... Reich's arguments are convincing ... A perceptive insider's account of Democratic disarray.' * Publishers Weekly * 'A sharply pointed chronicle of a society that, Reich laments, gladly tolerates the strong brutalising the weak.' * Kirkus Reviews * 'Highly recommended for readers concerned about the nation's future and the world that will be left to the next generation.' * Library Journal * 'Running from the end of WWII to the present day, this is a historically contextualised charting of the current American malaise.' -- Steven Carroll * The Sydney Morning Herald * 'No punches are pulled in this parallel story of Reich's life and America's decline into a polarised nation characterised by "staggering inequalities and legalised bribery".' * The Canberra Times *