Chris Matthews is like no other TV interviewer. Life's a Campaign is like no other book on success.

Famous for demanding the truth from his Hardball guests, Chris Matthews now reveals what the people running this country rarely confess: the secrets of how they got to the top. Here is the first book on power with insight snatched from those who wield it. Life's a Campaign exposes the tactics, tricks, and truths that help people get ahead — and can help you, too, whatever your field of ambition.

Written in the assertive, good-natured style that is Matthews's trademark, Life's a Campaign is the most useful kind of investigative reporting. You'll benefit from his insider's scrutiny of the Congress, the White House, and the national news media. Here are the methods, showcased in fascinating anecdotes and case histories, that presidents, senators, and other powerful people use to persuade others and win — and the life lessons they provide for the rest of us.

You'll learn about Bill Clinton's laser-focused ability to listen to those he wants to seduce — and how he's been teaching that craft to his wife, Hillary; how Ronald Reagan employed his basic optimism to win history to his side; the simple steps in human diplomacy that the first President Bush exploited to assemble a worldwide posse to attack Saddam Hussein and gain global approval in a way his son has failed to do; how Nancy Pelosi became the first woman Speaker of the House by practicing the most fundamental of human qualities: hardnosed loyalty. You'll also find out, for the first time, about Matthews's own wild ride through the turbulent, converging rapids of politics and journalism.

The big payoff in Life's a Campaign is what you'll learn about human nature:

• People would rather be listened to than listen.
• People don't mind being used; what they mind is being discarded
• People are more loyal to the people they've helped than the people they've helped are loyal to them.
• Not everyone's going to like you.
• No matter what anybody says, nobody wants a level playing field.

Knowing such truths is the successful person's number one advantage in life. As you'll learn in Life's a Campaign, mastering — and employing — these truths separates the leaders from the followers.

"During his decades in Washington, MSNBC newsmagazine host Matthews has collected plenty of insight into the 'fine art' of 'getting people to do what you want them to.' While fondly recounting his climb from Capitol Hill police officer to presidential speechwriter for Jimmy Carter to Washington bureau chief for the San Francisco Examiner and beyond, Matthews presents a ladder-climbing narrative meant to inform and inspire. Admonishing readers that no one wants to hear your ideas unless you force them to, Matthews shows readers how to get into the game (any game) and face the risks involved: 'The more failure you can accept, the greater your chance of success.' Examining political figures from Bill Clinton ('the best politician I've ever seen) to Zell Miller (who famously challenged Matthews to a duel on national television), Matthews reveals how 'the ability to deal with people' is paramount. Divided (without explanation) into the sections indicated in his subtitle, Matthews provides anecdotes and analysis, as well as a useful (if not exactly surprising) 'Bottom Line' at the end of each chapter ('To win the contest, you first have to be a contestant,' 'rivalry is as normal as friendship,' etc.). Fans will find Matthews's honest approach and hard-nosed rhetoric intact, and those turned off by the Hardball host's loudmouth on-air style may find his print incarnation an insightful, erudite alternative." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"[L]ively and interesting." Booklist

Matthews has spent a lifetime observing politicians and has gleaned wisdom and advice that are useful in politics and in life. Filled with insightful, entertaining anecdotes, this book provides a fun, lively, and thought-provoking guide to getting ahead.

Chris Matthews is the star of MSNBC’s Hardball and NBC’s The Chris Matthews Show. He contributes frequently to NBC’s Today and is a familiar guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He was a longtime Washington bureau chief for the San Francisco Examiner and later a national columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. He holds the David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Communications, eighteen honorary doctorates from American colleges and universities, and was a visiting fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He lives with his wife, Kathleen, an executive vice president with Marriott International, in Chevy Chase, Maryland.