A Nation of Wusses - by Ed Rendell (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Rendell has seen job security become the primary consideration of any person with power in America--their own job security! Most politicians and bureaucrats can see no further ahead than the next election, sometimes no further than the next press conference. Americans are rarely afraid of sacrifice and hard work when they mean building a better future, but when was the last time you heard of a leader of anything making a sacrifice for the greater good? The people can only win when they make it clear to the powers that be that making the right choices, even the hard ones, is the key to winning the next election.

• Explains in rollicking stories ranging from the profane to the profound that most hard choices are only "hard" because the polls conflict with your principles
• Ed Rendell rose to the top of Philadelphia, then Pennsylvania, then national politics, by doing what he thought was right, and there were plenty of times that looked like it would be his downfall as well
• This book revisits the high points of Ed Rendell's career and current landscape to define the political fights his peers seem just as afraid of winning as losing
• Rendell is a former head of the Democratic National Committee, a current MSNBC Senior Political Analyst, and a Partner at Ballard Spahr LLP

From the Back Cover

Praise for "A Nation of Wusses"

"Ed Rendell is one of the more refreshing and insightful voices in the conversation around American politics. He is a rare breed who tells the truth even when it doesn't support his agenda. This book is a clever, intelligent, and entertaining retrospective on his life in politics featuring many of the characters he met along the way."--Sean Hannity

"Ed Rendell gives us more than a political memoir--his book is a fun, funny, and authentic account of a life spent in government, and a no-holds-barred argument for bold leadership in America."--President Bill Clinton

"Ed Rendell's book is just like Ed Rendell--unflinching, funny, heartfelt, hopeful. It is why he was the country's most dynamic politician when in office. It is why you should read this book if you care about America."--Buzz Bissinger

"Ed Rendell has written a very funny book about his life in politics and his passion for sports. No matter what someone's political affiliation is, I think people will be entertained by this book."--Charlie Manuel

"Ed Rendell's book is big-city politics at its best. It's got the roar of the El, the stale cigar smoke of City Hall. Rendell writes with hoagie on his breath--or was that a Philly cheesesteak? It's "The Last Hurrah" for the twenty-first century."--Chris Matthews

About the Author

ED RENDELL served two terms as Governor of Pennsylvania (2002-2010) and headed the Democratic National Committee in 2000. Now a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP, and a senior political analyst for MSNBC, he also teaches at the University of Pennsylvania and is a regular on SportsNet's post-game live show for the Philadelphia Eagles.