West Wingers

Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House

By: Gautam Raghavan - editor

Narrated by: Gautam Raghavan, Michael Strautmanis, Brad Jenkins, full cast, Heather Foster, Cecilia Muñoz, Hope Hall, Michael J. Robertson, Raina Thele, Lynn Rosenthal, Bill Yosses, Darienne Page, Deesha Dyer

The Obama White House staff invites us behind-the-scenes of history for a deeply personal and moving look at the presidency and how a president's staff can change the nation

When we elect a president, we elect with them an entire team that will join them in the West Wing to help run the country. Each of these staffers has a story to tell, and in West Wingers, Barack Obama's White House staff reveals how these extraordinary citizens shape the presidency and the nation.

In these moving and revealing personal stories, 18 Obama staffers bring us deep inside the presidency, offering intimate accounts of how they made it to the White House, what they witnessed, and what they accomplished there. In each one we see the human face of government, staffers devoting themselves to the issues that have defined their lives. We hear from a married gay staffer pushing the president towards marriage equality; a senior aide working to implement the Affordable Care Act while battling Stage IV cancer; a hijab-wearing Muslim adviser accompanying the President to a mosque. From the triumphs of Obamacare and marriage equality to the tragedy of the Charleston shooting, this audiobook tells the history of the Obama presidency through the men and women who worked tirelessly to support his vision for America. More than just a history though, West Wingers is an inspiring call to arms for public service, a manifesto for the power of committed public servants to make real change, and a powerful testament to what true diversity, inclusivity, and progress can look like in America.

Audiobook table of contents:

• Evolution, by Gautam Raghavan, read by the author
• Becoming a Man, by Michael Strautmanis, read by the author
• Imagine Joey Lucas, by Leah Katz-Hernandez, read by Kyla Garcia\
• Laughing Between Two Ferns, by Brad Jenkins, read by the author
• Amazing Grace, by Heather Foster, read by the author
• Worth It, by Cecilia Muñoz, read by the author
• Go Toward the Good, by Hope Hall, read by the author
• Big F’ing Deal, by Michael J. Robertson, read by the author
• Alaska, by Raina Thele, read by the author
• A Call to Action, by Lynn Rosenthal, read by the author
• Behind the Mahogany Doors, by Bill Yosses, read by the author
• Full Circle, by Darienne Page, read by the author
• Imposter, by Deesha Dyer, read by the author
• September 12, by Ned Price, read by the author
• Sí Se Puede, by Julie Chavez Rodriguez, read by the author
• Right Where We Belong, by Rumana Ahmed, read by the author
• Fiery Latinas, by Stephanie Valencia, read by the author
• Before We Were Us, by Aneesh Raman, read by the author

With a preface and additional sections read by author Gautam Raghavan.

©2018 Gautam Raghavan (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“West Wingers is exceptional because of the people in it: ordinary citizens who did extraordinary work and always put the American people first. We have so much to learn from their stories.” (Joe Biden)

"These gifted thinkers will lead us to a better place. They will make a major contribution to our future - as a nation, as a people - with what they have learned working for President Obama. We all should be inspired by their involvement, their passion, and their work. Their contribution to our nation will inspire our young people to dream dreams, to be hopeful, and to never give up or give in." (Congressman John Lewis)

“West Wingers gives us exactly what our country needs right now: a model for compassionate leadership and a commitment to making life better for all Americans regardless of race, class, or religion.” (Van Jones, host of The Van Jones Show and New York Times best-selling author of Beyond the Messy Truth)

Real + Inpiring

There's almost nothing in here that will surprise you about Barack Obama. It's very likely that you'll read this because you already like him, And after listening to the stories, you'll like him even more. What's amazing about the book is that though each person's story is a very positive story and traces very similar story lines with the others, each story is unique. In this way it's a story of america. The last chapter is specifically about immigration, and that chapter lays a perfect capstone for the rest of the story that's been built.
The book really could have been called E Pluribus Unum, because it's really about the dream of America, the promise of America and that anybody can end up in the White House. And, yes, Obama did! And so did these remarkable people, each doing their small part to make democracy work. I'm not a sappy guy at all, and I'm white and old and straight and Christian, but I'm not too much of any of those things not to have been incredibly inspired by these young "diverse" people. I especially loved hearing them read their own stories. Literally hearing them find their voices! and our inspiring New American voices. God bless them all.

Excellent narrative

When you look past the headlines and the podium there are stories of people who quietly and without attention make our government function. this book is an excellent opportunity for those who helped shape policy and reaction to Global events in the United States to tell their story.

Amazing, Heartwarming and More

let me start off by saying I love hearing people's stories. there are numerous stories here of talented young people, many of whom found themselves in the White House quite by happenstance. they told stories of humble beginnings and about their time in the White house. it was a history lesson for me as they recounted what was going on in the world and in the White House and in Congress some of these stories paralleled their own personal dilemmas that we're going on at the same time and how they Balanced Life and work . we all should be so lucky to work in a job place that offers so much love and support and encouragement especially from the top man himself. Their time in the WH changed their lives and they are grateful for being a small piece of History.