SOCIAL SCIENCES

Outside the Wire: Ten Lessons I've Learned in Everyday Courage

by Jason Kander

Twelve: Grand Central. Aug. 2018. 256p. ISBN 9781538747599. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781538747612. POL SCI

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Attorney and politician Kandor served as the 39th secretary of state of Missouri from 2013 to 2017, and narrowly lost a race for senator in 2016. He now runs Let America Vote, an organization fighting voter suppression, participates in grassroots organizing and campaigning, and hosts the Crooked Media-backed podcast Majority 54. After law school he did a tour in Afghanistan as a U.S. Army intelligence officer. His debut book presents a collection of lessons that apply to life, the military, and politics, starting with the day of 9/11. The ten chapters are a rumination on keeping your balance and values in a world that seems increasingly complex. As an unapologetic progressive, Kandor discusses how to improve the American political system by resisting the many opportunities to stay in one's comfort zone and ignore or erode the freedoms and values that make America what it is.

VERDICT Kandor's prominence in Democratic politics means this worthwhile memoir will be a solid resource for readers seeking political resources and background on national and regional figures, and for fans of his podcast.

Reviewed by Edwin Burgess, Kansas City, KS , Aug 01, 2018

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