Independent

A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines

By: Karine Jean-Pierre

Narrated by: Karine Jean-Pierre

A groundbreaking, revelatory assessment of America’s broken two-party system. Rachel Maddow calls it “a brave firecracker of a book.”

In a country obsessed with blind loyalty to a two-party democratic system, Karine Jean-Pierre, former White House press secretary to the Biden-Harris administration, shares why Americans must step beyond party lines to embrace life as Independents.

Jean-Pierre didn’t come to her decision to be an Independent lightly. She has served two American presidents, Obama and Biden. In 2020, she joined Biden’s campaign as a senior adviser, becoming Harris’s chief of staff and then two years later, White House press secretary. She takes us through the three weeks that led to Biden’s abandonment of his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision.

In an urgent, timely analysis, Independent asks all Americans to vote their values and maintain their individuality within party lines. She presents clear arguments and provocative evidence from her time as an insider about the importance of dismantling the torrent of disinformation and misinformation that has been rampant during recent elections and provides passionate insight for ways to move forward.

In a hard-hitting-yet-hopeful critique, Jean-Pierre defines what it means to be part of the growing percentage of our fractured electorate that is Independent, explains why it can be worthwhile to carve oneself a political ideology true to personal beliefs rather than a party affiliation, and provides the questions you need to ask yourself to determine where you fit politically. As a history maker, veteran public servant, political analyst, and independent thinker, she urges Americans to think outside of the blue-and-red box as we consider what’s next to save our democracy.

Thoughtful Look at Politics today

Karine Jean-Pierre's book "Independent" combines her personal journey with important questions about what it means to belong to the democratic party. Her reflections spark important conversatios about what it means to have a voice in today's crazy world. It reminded me about the importance of holding leaders accountable and finding ways stand up for my values and communities.

I do love when the author reads the book.

I was hoping to get more out of the author's white house experiences and learn more of her route getting there. I was not swayed by the author's explicit attempt at converting it's readers to independents.

Decent

This was a decent listen. As much as she said she wasn’t pushing being an independent on others, that’s essentially her premise and the only right way to engage with politics. I finished the book because I don’t like to leave them unfinished, but not a book I would recommend.

So important for history to have recorded this acc

This is such an important book to have been written and by Karine Jean-Pierre in order to record a first hand look at a history of her experience and of her first hand knowledge of Joe Biden.

Words to live by

Changed my party today. I’ve been disgusted with the entire political system and thinking about what steps to take next. Great guidance for that. We have a tendency to discount small community steps, but those turn into more steps in helping community which is rewarding for ourselves. It informs us of facts not fiction and how to get along together. Thanks Karine