Review_NONFICTION
70 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ JULY 29, 2019
★ Edison
Edmund Morris. Random House, $38 (800p)
ISBN 978-0-8129-9311-0
Inspiration and perspiration prodi-
giously unite in this sweeping biography
of one of America’s greatest inventors.
Pulitzer-winning biographer Morris
(Dutch: A
Memoir of Ronald
Reagan) tells
Thomas Alva
Edison’s story
backward,
opening with
the creator of
the first long-
lasting light
bulb, the pho-
nograph, andwho created the titan of Alabama football.
In chapters that alternate between Bryant
arriving at Alabama in 1958 and Saban in
2007, Anderson shows how the two men —
both from small-town, working-class fami-
lies—felt drawn to the University Alabama
and how their work ethics bore similarities,
such as Bryant making football “a year-
round activity” with a “torturous off-
season” and Saban’s legendary emphasis on
discipline (Anderson recalls Saban’s first
comments to his new Alabama team were
for them to sit up straight in their chairs).
Anderson discusses their similar drive as
coaches to uncover “what they were going
to do tomorrow to get better.” This is a
must-read for devotees of college football,
Crimson Tide fans or not. (Oct.)with earnestness and wit. (Nov.)Chasing the Bear: How Bear
Bryant and Nick Saban Made
Alabama the Greatest College
Football Program of All Time
Lars Anderson. Grand Central, $28 (304p)
ISBN 978-1-5387-1648-9
Sportswriter Anderson (The Storm and
the Tide) draws on his decades of experience
writing about the Alabama Crimson Tide
football team in this fascinating dual biog-
raphy of two legendary college football
coaches. Anderson tells the story of how
Bear Bryant and Nick Saban created college
football’s most successful dynasty, but
rather than provide a season-by-season
account, he illuminates the uncanny simi-
larities in character between the two menHow to Start a Revolution: Young People and the
Future of American Politics
Lauren Duca. Simon & Schuster, $26 (192p) ISBN 978-1-5011-8163-4
In this inspiring guide, journalist Duca considers the
changes in the American political landscape after Donald
Trump’s election, as more and more young people take direct
political action. Noting that a Pew Research report finds
“young people now comprise the nation’s largest voting
bloc,” she explores this shift, drawing on
interviews with young adults such as
Rebecca Davis, who launched the program
Rally+Rise in 2016 and helped overturn
abortion restrictions in New York State,
and Laura and David Hogg, brother-and-
sister activists for gun control from
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School.
She also argues that U.S. schools are
failing to adequately educate children on civics and excoriates
the “political-industrial complex” that stymies the electoral
process with “crappy, binary choices” between two parties
beholden to donors and lobbyists. She also shares some personal
experiences, including being interviewed (and insulted) by
Fox News’ Tucker Carlson after publishing a critical article
about Trump in Teen Vogue, and becoming temporarily
estranged from her Republican parents after the 2016 election.
Duca’s conversational prose (she refers to a minor factory
accident injury as “seriously some Upton Sinclair shit”) and
clear passion for equality allow her to galvanize without
preaching. This call to action will resonate even with those
who are not already involved in progressive politics. Agent:
Monika Woods, Curtis Brown. (Sept.)Represent: The Woman’s Guide to Running for
Office and Changing the World
June Diane Raphael and Kate Black. Workman, $19.95 trade paper
(256p) ISBN 978-1-5235-0297-4
Actor and comedian Raphael and EMILY’s List consultant
Black lay out a practical and relentlessly encouraging road
map for women considering running for office. Their plan
centers on a 21-point checklist that takes readers through
identifying which office would allow
them to address the problems they care
about, choosing a fund-raising goal,
and determining how to best manage
their online histories. Six relatable
composites of potential candidates,
complete with cartoon headshots—
including a Native nurse, a millennial
barista, a veteran, and an Asian-
American news anchor—give voice to common concerns.
The authors take down the idea of not being qualified
through a refrain of “men are not waiting,” a plethora of
profiles of and quotations from women in politics, and an
affirmation that “your experience is your expertise” and the
only qualification needed is a desire to create change. They
lift up the importance of diverse leadership and turn “we
need you” into a mantra to encourage immediate action and
claiming “a seat at the table.” They also pack an incredible
amount of information into a friendly, cool, and highly
graphical workbook-style format. This is an indispensable
resource for women with any interest in public service; its
advice is a powerful bridge from vague dreams to making
them happen. (Sept.)Making Change
A pair of books by high-profile women help readers get involved in politics.