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I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan Spiral-Bound | April 11, 2023

Katie Porter

Rebinding by Spiralverse™

★★★★☆+ from 1,001 to 10,000 ratings

$29.38 - Free Shipping
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An honest, inspiring, and laugh-out-loud funny memoir about re-energizing our politics and standing up to corporate America—while carting three kids around in a minivan.

“Just like her whiteboard schoolings of CEOs, this book showcases Katie’s ability to entertain while making the inner workings of Congress more accessible than ever before.”—Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Underestimated as a single mom and a first-time candidate, Katie Porter defied expectations in 2018 when she was elected to Congress, flipping a long-held Republican seat. Then, using her signature whiteboard, she began to take CEOs and corrupt government officials to task in congressional hearings. The videos went viral, introducing Americans to her no-bullshit style and making her a coveted guest on cable news and late-night television shows. 

I Swear is an honest, laugh-out-loud funny memoir about what it’s really like to serve in Congress while carting three kids around in a messy minivan. From growing up as an Iowa farm girl to becoming a law professor who fought big banks, Porter exposes the gaps between politicians’ press conferences and real people’s lives and reveals how telling the truth can reenergize our politics and government.

With the same clarity she demonstrates during congressional hearings, Porter makes the case for consumer protection, corporate accountability, and anti-corruption reforms. She pulls back the curtain on the political messaging machine, campaign fundraising, and congressional traditions, showing that the way things have always worked, in fact, does not work for a single mom, or for a lot of us. She gives whiteboard lessons on how to fight the corporations that cheat and how to conduct her trademark oversight to stop shenanigans in their tracks.

Full of candid and inspiring stories—from an overwhelmed Porter crying at a high-stakes political meeting to her kids’ lightly illegal campaign hijinks—this is a book by an exhausted, committed parent who just doesn’t have the time for nonsense in her house or in the House of Representatives.
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Original Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 0593443985
Item Weight: 1.0 lbs
Dimensions: 5.7 x 1.0 x 8.5 inches
Customer Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars 1,001 to 10,000 ratings
“This book is Katie—funny, sharp, fearless. I laughed out loud, I teared up, and I got furious. If you’ve ever thought of having lunch with Katie, but you figure that probably won’t work out, read this book—it’s a close second.”—Senator Elizabeth Warren

“[A] tangy tell-all . . . rollicking . . . [Porter] alternates between the witheringly satirical and the breezily self-deprecating (think Erma Bombeck goes to Capitol Hill). . . . Porter’s superpower is her credential as a populist everywoman.”—The Washington Post

“Genuinely readable, insightful, revealing, and surprisingly fun . . .[Porter] strips back the artifice and privilege of the job with everyday examples. . . . If she were not a politician, she would have made a good columnist.”—Chicago Tribune

“Bracingly honest . . . [I Swear] strays from the norm, exploring normally taboo issues such as the strain her job has put on her finances, her family and her self-image.”—Los Angeles Times

“High-octane, no-bullshit . . . The whiteboard represents some of Porter’s greatest political assets—sharp intelligence, ability to break down complex ideas into digestible bites, canny political instincts.”—The New Republic

“Just like her whiteboard schoolings of CEOs, this book showcases Katie’s ability to entertain while making the inner workings of Congress more accessible than ever before. You will really chuckle as Katie recounts her unlikely path to rock stardom in the House of Representatives.”—Julia Louis-Dreyfus

“When Representative Katie Porter speaks, I know she knows what she’s talking about and gives it to you straight up. That’s the reason I love her. The fact that this book is helping to explain the mess in politics thrills me no end. If anybody can tell us, it’s Katie. This is a great read.”—Whoopi Goldberg

“In Congress, Katie has proven herself to be a profound storyteller. In this book, she remains a brilliant narrator of the glories and heartaches of trying to do the people’s business in tumultuous times. I love this book. I love Katie’s clarity, her passion, and her humor. I love Katie Porter.”—Jason Alexander
Katie Porter represents Orange County, California, in Congress. Prior to being elected in 2018, she was a law professor and consumer finance expert. Porter lives with her three school-aged kids in Irvine, California.

Author Residence: Irvine, CA/DC

Author Hometown: Fort Dodge, IA