November 18, 2024
Chutzpah is the most “indispensable instrument for improving America,” according to this galvanizing debut from Oregon senator Wyden. Instilled in him by his parents, who fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, chutzpah—broadly defined here as the ability to “self-confidently embrace the possible” in the face of steep odds—has fueled the author’s fight for progressive change across 52 years of public service. Here, he breaks down 12 rules for wielding it, including bringing people together around a shared goal, bouncing back after acknowledging failures, and making “purposeful” noise rather than the kind of destructive uproar favored by Donald Trump and today’s “Republican revolutionaries.” Also essential is playing “the long game,” even when it takes years or even decades. As Wyden notes, his push to overturn the ban on the abortion medicine mifepristone began in the 1980s and culminated in its 2000 legalization by the FDA, only for that status to be challenged in court by anti-abortion groups more than 20 years later. Such detailed insider’s stories are fascinating and inspiring, with Wyden’s long lens allowing him to illustrate that progress is rarely linear, that tactical coordination and compromise is central to lasting change, and that remembering one’s agency is vital in even the most dire circumstances. The result is an upbeat call to action sure to resonate with progressive activists.