Hard Choices

By: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Narrated by: Kathleen Chalfant, Hillary Rodham Clinton

Length: 26 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Hillary Rodham Clinton's inside account of the crises, choices, and challenges she faced during her four years as America's 67th Secretary of State, and how those experiences drive her view of the future.

In the aftermath of her 2008 presidential run, she expected to return to representing New York in the United States Senate. To her surprise, her former rival for the Democratic Party nomination, newly elected President Barack Obama, asked her to serve in his administration as Secretary of State. This memoir is the story of the four extraordinary and historic years that followed, and the hard choices that she and her colleagues confronted.

Secretary Clinton and President Obama had to decide how to repair fractured alliances, wind down two wars, and address a global financial crisis. They faced a rising competitor in China, growing threats from Iran and North Korea, and revolutions across the Middle East. Along the way, they grappled with some of the toughest dilemmas of US foreign policy, especially the decision to send Americans into harm's way, from Afghanistan to Libya to the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Drawing on conversations with numerous leaders and experts, Secretary Clinton offers her views on what it will take for the United States to compete and thrive in an interdependent world. She makes a passionate case for human rights and the full participation in society of women, youth, and LGBT people. An astute eyewitness to decades of social change, she distinguishes the trendlines from the headlines and describes the progress occurring throughout the world, day after day.

Secretary Clinton's descriptions of diplomatic conversations at the highest levels offer listeners a master class in international relations, as does her analysis of how we can best use "smart power" to deliver security and prosperity in a rapidly changing world - one in which America remains the indispensable nation.

©2014 Hillary Rodham Clinton. All rights reserved. (P)2014 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Our Next President

She has what it takes, and this book proves it. Gripping and enjoyable from start to finish. A true story of a dedicated public servant in difficult circumstances that should make any American proud.

A controlled narrative

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I think since Hillary Clinton ( I voted for her in 2008) keeping it open the option to rerun for President in 2016 she cannot be expected to reveal what is she really thinks about personalities and events and countries. The narrative is flat, controlled and lacks any surprises. Perhaps when she is ready to retire from public life she would share with us her candid thoughts of the world as seen by her.

Would you recommend Hard Choices to your friends? Why or why not?

No

What three words best describe Kathleen Chalfant and Hillary Rodham Clinton ’s voice?

Good matching

Could you see Hard Choices being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No

Any additional comments?

No

Great book, wide ranging

Very enjoyable to book. Covers many important global events yet is still easy to digest.

Behind the headlines

Hillary Rodham Clinton logged thousands of miles and visited over 100 countries during her four years as Secretary of State. In this book she provides both a "big picture" historical review of the concerns, challenges and opportunities of the nations around the world, as well as the intimate aspects of the people charged with leading their countries. Several themes are woven into the narrative: the importance of relationships in diplomacy, the difficult compromises necessary to balance values and strategic interests, the intensity of human need and suffering and our human and national obligation to defend and expand human rights.

provided unexpected insights

Would you listen to Hard Choices again? Why?

none. once was enough. I rarely read the same book twice, except for Geek Love, and some of Herman Hesse books

What other book might you compare Hard Choices to and why?

I've not read anything like it before

Which scene was your favorite?

the Chinese men were quite humorous

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

Don't sweat the narrator being someone else.

Great book with real insights into how international diplomacy works and some very interesting background info on lots of events and issues.
At first I was a bit put of by it not being narrated by Hillary apart from the very beginning and end, but after several chapters it didn't even cross my mind. Good narration and luckily they chose and old lady that doesn't sound too different from Hillary.

Too businesslike

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I love Hillary and would love for her to find a better voice that would give me a glimpse of humanity and what is like being a woman I'm a man's world. I see that she tried to weave that thread but didn't do it for me. Should have written the chronicles of Chelsea's mom. I want more of you Hillary not just what you've done all over the world, I know you can do that better than anyone, and I would support you again.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I'm up to date on the world from the person making foreign policy, for that I'm grateful.

Did Kathleen Chalfant and Hillary Rodham Clinton do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I am not sure, I enjoyed the part read by Hillary herself more. Some names were mispronounced. Could be I had them wrong but I don't think so.

Did Hard Choices inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to really work on my voice in my writings.

Any additional comments?

I felt empty, I feel like I didn't get to see the real Hillary. Sorry Hillary, I love you and what you stand for but had a problem with your writing. I wanted more of you. Enough said.

AMAZING STORIES, BUT NOT NARRATED BY HRC

What did you love best about Hard Choices?

I always thought Hillary was smart and tough, but wow- after hearing these stories, I realized I had no idea how genuinely brilliant, gracious and dedicated a civil servant she truly is. How deeply and lastingly she cultivated working relationships and how ready and able she was to have been our next president. (pardon me as I wipe away another tear.) I loved hearing her thoughts, her guiding principles, the challenges she has faced personally and professionally and strategies she engaged in and implemented-- seeing her incredible intelligence at work was inspiring (and frankly heartbreakingly bittersweet in the Tr*mp era we are currently in.) HOWEVER, I was incredibly disappointed to find HRC only read the first and last chapters and another narrator the remaining 23+ hours of the book. Ms. Chalfant was a fine enough narrator, but in non-fiction, hearing the words in the author's own voice is always so much more intimate and special a listening experience.

Any additional comments?

Well worth it.... as therapy/ comfort in the current climate of ant-intellectualism/ "alternative facts"/ anti-experienced candidates.... to really SEE- in precise detail- the priceless value of knowing what the heck you are doing, knowing protocol and knowing how to establish and respect a relationship with the leaders of the rest of the world with whom you will be working.

We lost an opportunity

Hillary, thank you for EVERYTHING.
If anyone has done more for our continent and the world, for families, children and women rights, is Hilary.
Everyone should read this book. It’s post of history.
Obama said it right “ If anyone has the experience to run a country, it would be HRC. “

As a Republican turned disillusioned libertarian

I appreciated the narrative quality of the book. It would have been difficult to complete had it simply been intended to posture for political purposes. The narrator was well-composed. The material flows well.