Part memoir, part call to action, this debut from Jean-Pierre (international & public affairs, Columbia Univ.) offers a response to the Trump administration that is accessible, smart, and powerful. The author writes with profound empathy and shares a personal narrative that includes her own struggles as a woman from a Haitian American family whose efforts to escape poverty led to difficult sacrifices. With raw honesty, she shares her story of coming out, and her shift from environmental studies to politics. With experience as a political commentator and campaign organizer, Jean-Pierre relates these defining career moments along with other key events in her life, including her work for Barack Obama, the impact of the 2016 election, and the interrelated need she sees for activism. The introduction promises “step-by-step advice for getting involved in progressive causes.” VERDICT This is not exactly a how-to guide or a toolkit, despite the powerful tools designed to encourage grassroots activism, including media links and recommended readings in the final chapters. Instead, Jean-Pierre shows how and why we all need to participate in democracy and what is at stake if we don’t.