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This title in other formats:Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politicsby Donna Brazile
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Cooking with Grease is a powerful, behind-the-scenes memoir of the life and times of a tenacious political organizer and the first African-American woman to head a major presidential campaign. Donna Brazile fought her first political fight at age nine — campaigning (successfully) for a city council candidate who promised a playground in her neighborhood. The day after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, she committed her heart and her future to political and social activism. By the 2000 presidential election, Brazile had become a major player in American political history — and she remains one of the most outspoken and forceful political activists of our day. Donna grew up one of nine children in a working-poor family in New Orleans, a place where talking politics comes as naturally as stirring a pot of seafood gumbo — and where the two often go hand in hand. Growing up, Donna learned how to cook from watching her mother, Jean, stir the pots in their family kitchen. She inherited her love of reading and politics from her grandmother Frances. Her brothers Teddy Man and Chet worked as foot soldiers in her early business schemes and voter registration efforts. Cooking with Grease follows Donna's rise to greater and greater political and personal accomplishments: lobbying for student financial aide, organizing demonstrations to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday and working on the Jesse Jackson, Dick Gephardt, Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton presidential campaigns. But each new career success came with its own kind of heartache, especially in her greatest challenge: leading Al Gore's 2000 campaign, making her the first African American to lead a major presidential campaign. Cooking with Grease is an intimate account of Donna's thirty years in politics. Her stories of the leaders and activists who have helped shape America's future are both inspiring and memorable. Donna's witty style and innovative political strategies have garnered her the respect and admiration of colleagues and adversaries alike — she is as comfortable trading quips with J. C. Watts as she is with her Democratic colleagues. Her story is as warm and nourishing as a bowl of Brazile family gumbo. Review:"Brazile's lifelong love affair with politics culminated in September 1999, when she became Al Gore's presidential campaign manager. She was also the first African-American woman to head a mainstream national presidential campaign. Both achievements are the subject of this lively, sometimes moving memoir. After joining the Dukakis campaign at age 21, through wise strategy choices and sheer ability, Brazile carved out a place at the table with the primarily male, white, middle-aged political elite. Her colorful observations about the high-profile politicians she met (black and white) are often entertaining, although she tries not to slam the door on potential future campaign positions. Bill Clinton 'had the mind of six men...'; Rev. Jesse Jackson 'was brilliant in terms of politics and he was a master of manipulation when it came to the media.' Yet for all the insider look at the Gore campaign, the book's strength is Brazile herself, a self-described 'abrasive Black woman.' And while some may find self-serving her penchant for distancing herself from the Gore campaign's mistakes, readers will respond positively to the loving description of her Louisiana roots, her remarkable sense of purpose and her fierce loyalty to friends and family. Being a black woman informs all of Brazile's experiences, and readers get an invaluable glimpse of what it is like to be who she was, where she was, during one of America's most tumultuous political moments. Agent, Robert Barnett. (June 4)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:Congressman J. C. Watts Though we may not agree on every political issue of the day, Donna and I agree that empowering underserved communities — Black, Red, White, Yellow and Brown is good for America. Donna is one of the best strategists in town and a formidable political opponent that I'm still trying to convince to join my team. Review:"[F]rank and fascinating....Readers will love this sparkling and passionate political memoir." Booklist (Starred Review) Review:Congressman Dick Gephardt Cooking with Grease is a lively and engaging work written by one of the true powerhouses in Democratic politics. Donna Brazile offers readers a unique insight into the drama of politics from the Capital Beltway to the heartland of America. Donna is one of the smartest, wittiest and most sensitive political operatives in the business, and she remains one of my favorite friends. Review:Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton Donna Brazile is a multitalented American original — the first African American to actually run big-time politics — and politicians. You will be amazed by the life she has cooked up for herself from poverty in a big, raucous family to the pinnacle of power politics, laughing all the way. Review:AFL-CIO President John Sweeney Cooking with Grease shows why Donna Brazile is one of the most authentic leaders in politics today. These pages brim with the values, wit, wisdom and soul Donna learned as a poor child in Louisiana. If every political leader lived these values, it would transform American life. You'll love this book. Review:House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi Donna Brazile's remarkable story is truly inspirational. Her book sends a message to all young people in America: know thy power. Tomorrow can be better than today, and every one of us has a personal responsibility to make it so. Table of ContentsContents Prologue One: Jean's Kitchen: Finding the Right Pot Two: Blackened Catfish Three: Red Beans and Rice Four: Crawfish Étouffée Five: Garlic Grits Six: Jambalaya Seven: The Melting Pot Eight: Smothered Chicken Nine: Brown Gravy (Roux) Ten: Crabmeat Lafitte Eleven: Stuffed Po' Boys Twelve: Creole Shrimp Bisque Thirteen: Bell Peppers Fourteen: Dirty Rice Fifteen: Cochon de Lait (Roast Suckling Pig) Sixteen: Oysters Bienville Seventeen: Café Du Monde: Coffee and Beignets Epilogue: Electoral Gumbo — A New Recipe for Victory Jean's Seafood Gumbo Acknowledgments Index
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