The Book: "Know Your Power" by Nancy Pelosi

Did you know Nancy Pelosi had written a book?

Nor did I until I spotted it at the library.

There’s a good reason it’s “under wraps.” It’s really not a book but a magazine piece written by a p.r. firm.

Not much in it except the last few pages offering encouragement to women who are considering a run for public office. The subtitle is: A Message to America's Daughters. We need more women in public office, Nancy (and Amy Hill Hearth, co-writer, likely the writer) cry.

Oh well. The writing style is what I call “chop, chop” or sentence structure something a bit more advanced than “Dick and Jane.” If you are looking for vocabulary and content, it ain't here, babe.

Pictures would have added something like maybe one of her dad? Her mother? A picture of Nancy with JFK? She writes so much about each! Her children? What does her husband look like? He has got to have wings and a halo.

But pictures cost more which would have reduced sales, and God forbid, that’s the only reason to write one of these, isn’t it? I mean look at the money Obama is raking in with his books.

The only issues Nancy (written in first person) describes at any length (which is not much) are AIDS and human rights violations in China. She does lambaste Bush for Iraq and that tragedy, but it’s a pity she didn’t use her bully pulpit when he was in office.

The book has no negatives in it, except for her friends (no names) who attacked her when she decided to run for office. That she had five children in six years, and she is still Pollyanna! Her life has been a bowl of cherries. Yawn. She could have told so much more. Maybe later, when she’s out of office and doesn’t have to fear backlash from colleagues, but I don’t think they open up then either. Dull, lackluster. Save your money but more importantly, save your time.