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A former White House press secretary mines her career to outline a set of best practices for communication.

As Joe Biden’s press secretary, Psaki began her term on Inauguration Day 2021 waiting for a bus at the National Zoo. Although a comical image, the author explains that this humorous start reflects a far more serious situation. For the first time ever, the White House would hold a briefing on Inauguration Day in an attempt to reestablish a positive relationship with the press corps after four years of animosity and dysfunction, as well as a violent insurrection just two weeks prior. Although the press ruled Psaki’s public debut a success, she attributes her ability to navigate such a tense situation to her willingness to learn from her mistakes. Throughout the book, Psaki mines her most sensitive moments for lessons on communication to impart to her readers. Whether learning how to criticize former Secretary of State John Kerry, accidentally copying the entire Iowa press corps “on an email about a political opponent,” weathering the Russian government’s personal bullying tactics, or carving out time to attend her daughter’s kindergarten open house on a major news day, Psaki sees all of her experiences as opportunities to learn and grow. “Becoming a strong communicator,” she writes, “means being open to screwing up, and improving after making mistakes; it requires listening to feedback both good and bad; and it requires a lot of practice.” The narrative shines brightest when Psaki approaches her personal and professional past with circumspection, infusing her words with humor and vulnerability. Her advice to readers, however, feels like a profound tonal shift that not only jolts readers out of the interesting story, but also interrupts the otherwise fluid narrative flow.

A combination of memoir and self-help book that should have just been a memoir.