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Stand
The instant New York Times bestseller
An urgent call to rekindle our shared American ideals.
We are living through a time of crisis. The problems we face grow more serious, while our divisions continue to widen. But our history overflows with people who used the power of our foundational virtues to overcome impossible obstacles.
In Stand, Senator Cory Booker offers a hopeful and practical path forward, weaving together powerful stories and stirring personal reflections to remind us that our country’s shared ideals can serve as a North Star to guide us, even when our journey feels especially dark and perilous. He argues that our principles are not luxuries; they are vital, strategic keys to our survival and success. By wielding these tools, we can reclaim our sense of common cause and change the course of our country’s history.
Stand takes readers on a trip through America’s past and present, showcasing moments when individuals and communities—in unexpected situations and against staggering odds—prevailed by embodying the best of our nation’s virtues. Through the stories of leaders from President George Washington and Congressman John Lewis, to suffragist Alice Paul and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to environmental justice advocate Ron Finley and disability rights activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, Booker offers inspiring and actionable insights for Americans from all walks of life.
Published ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, Stand is a defiantly optimistic challenge to reclaim our national story and work together to redeem the American dream.
An urgent call to rekindle our shared American ideals.
We are living through a time of crisis. The problems we face grow more serious, while our divisions continue to widen. But our history overflows with people who used the power of our foundational virtues to overcome impossible obstacles.
In Stand, Senator Cory Booker offers a hopeful and practical path forward, weaving together powerful stories and stirring personal reflections to remind us that our country’s shared ideals can serve as a North Star to guide us, even when our journey feels especially dark and perilous. He argues that our principles are not luxuries; they are vital, strategic keys to our survival and success. By wielding these tools, we can reclaim our sense of common cause and change the course of our country’s history.
Stand takes readers on a trip through America’s past and present, showcasing moments when individuals and communities—in unexpected situations and against staggering odds—prevailed by embodying the best of our nation’s virtues. Through the stories of leaders from President George Washington and Congressman John Lewis, to suffragist Alice Paul and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to environmental justice advocate Ron Finley and disability rights activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, Booker offers inspiring and actionable insights for Americans from all walks of life.
Published ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, Stand is a defiantly optimistic challenge to reclaim our national story and work together to redeem the American dream.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2026
About the author
Cory Booker
13 books99 followersCory Anthony Booker is an American politician and the junior United States Senator from New Jersey, in office since 2013. Previously he served as mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
March 29, 2026
I read this truly inspirational story of unity and hopefulness in this age of divisiveness all in a single day.
I've always admired (and voted for) our senior Senator from New Jersey but even if you are not lucky enough be a Jerseyite you will still enjoy and learn from this story.
I've always admired (and voted for) our senior Senator from New Jersey but even if you are not lucky enough be a Jerseyite you will still enjoy and learn from this story.
June 6, 2026
Anyone who quotes Elie Wiesel more than once gets my vote.
April 16, 2026
This book was a nice surprise. I was looking for something non-fiction, relatively short to listen to. This seemed to fit that bill.
I have long admired Cory Booker. This book tells stories of people who were in untenable circumstances yet came out on better for it. Among the stories is one about John Lewis which put in even more awe of him than I already felt.
Booker even shares a story about himself that doesn't show him at his best. I appreciated that he shared.
This may be the book many of us need to help us to take a stand.
I have long admired Cory Booker. This book tells stories of people who were in untenable circumstances yet came out on better for it. Among the stories is one about John Lewis which put in even more awe of him than I already felt.
Booker even shares a story about himself that doesn't show him at his best. I appreciated that he shared.
This may be the book many of us need to help us to take a stand.
April 27, 2026
In compelling stories and well-written prose, Senator Booker challenges Americans to consider, and to activate in our own daily lives, ten virtues he believes are vital components of our American dream: Agency; Vulnerability; Patriotism; Truth; Humility; Community; Creativity; Perseverance; Grace; and Vision. He draws on examples from his own life and from our history to illustrate the meaning of these ideals and to demonstrate their power in the lives of real people. Some of the historical figures were familiar to me, but others were not; stories of all of these individuals were powerful reminders of what our nation can achieve and stand for in the world. Booker is an engaging writer (and an especially good speaker, as I was reminded when I attended an event on his book tour) and a man I'm proud to have as one of my two US Senators.
May 2, 2026
This man should be president. So much wisdom & humility.
June 24, 2026
I'm assuming this book is a signal that Cory Booker will be running for president in 2028, and as a campaign statement, it's nice, but I'd give it maybe 3 stars at most. However, I'm giving it 5 stars here because I enjoyed reading it and also found much of it admirable. If he decides not to run for president (or runs and is not chosen), he can still be proud of this book.
He begins the introduction by stating "This book is about virtue." The chapter titles are the virtues he says are desperately needed in this moment: Agency; Vulnerability; Patriotism; Truth; Humility; Community; Creativity; Perseverance; Grace; and Vision. Is Agency a virtue? Is Community? I'm not sure, but I also don't care, because whatever they are, we do need them, he's right about that.
At the end of a section about the late, great John Lewis, he writes: "He believed injustice had to be named, challenged, and defeated. But grace, as John modeled it, was a choice about how to fight. In refusing to meet darkness with more darkness, grace is a deliberate choice not to become what you are against--perhaps a harder choice but, ultimately, a more transformative one. And make no mistake--there is power in grace. Grace doesn't excuse injustice or erase history, it confronts both. Grace, John demonstrated, is how we fight injustice without becoming unjust ourselves." Let's hope we can find grace as a society, whatever that may mean for Mr. Booker's political career.
Even if you don't care about the author's political aspirations, I think anyone could enjoy this book.
He begins the introduction by stating "This book is about virtue." The chapter titles are the virtues he says are desperately needed in this moment: Agency; Vulnerability; Patriotism; Truth; Humility; Community; Creativity; Perseverance; Grace; and Vision. Is Agency a virtue? Is Community? I'm not sure, but I also don't care, because whatever they are, we do need them, he's right about that.
At the end of a section about the late, great John Lewis, he writes: "He believed injustice had to be named, challenged, and defeated. But grace, as John modeled it, was a choice about how to fight. In refusing to meet darkness with more darkness, grace is a deliberate choice not to become what you are against--perhaps a harder choice but, ultimately, a more transformative one. And make no mistake--there is power in grace. Grace doesn't excuse injustice or erase history, it confronts both. Grace, John demonstrated, is how we fight injustice without becoming unjust ourselves." Let's hope we can find grace as a society, whatever that may mean for Mr. Booker's political career.
Even if you don't care about the author's political aspirations, I think anyone could enjoy this book.
April 4, 2026
Very good book. Very personable and hopeful. I know part of this is going to be an upcoming campaign, but it really is an inspiring book. Lessons we all need to learn as Americans. I know we have a long way to go before the next presidential election season, but tis gives me a little hope. Damn to have an intelligent person that cares about people as president again!
April 10, 2026
Magnificent
April 18, 2026
New Jersey senator Cory Booker weaves together powerful stories and personal reflections in this vision of a path forward for troubled times. Beautifully written.
April 27, 2026
I enjoy listening to Corey Booker. He inspires hope and joy for the future.
July 13, 2026
First off, Booker narrates this book and he has an amazing voice filled with admiration, humility, and humor. This novel focuses on people who "stood" up in history to make changes in this nation. Throughout the novel, it is clear that Booker believes these individuals to be true heroes.
May 24, 2026
Every American should read this book
May 27, 2026
WONDERFUL!
Cory Booker's reflections are intimate and transparent. He discusses values and integrity, giving examples from his own life and the lives of significant others. As a politician, Booker points out strengths and weaknesses in our current political situation. He demonstrates his commitment to service by the many social reforms he has initiated, and encourages the reader to social action. In today's negative political climate, this book is a ray of hope, shedding light on the goodness of humanity.
Cory Booker's reflections are intimate and transparent. He discusses values and integrity, giving examples from his own life and the lives of significant others. As a politician, Booker points out strengths and weaknesses in our current political situation. He demonstrates his commitment to service by the many social reforms he has initiated, and encourages the reader to social action. In today's negative political climate, this book is a ray of hope, shedding light on the goodness of humanity.
April 5, 2026
Cory Booker writes about virtue and presents what he means in 10 chapters: Agency, Vulnerability, Patriotism, Truth, Humility, Community, Creativeity, Perserverance, Grace, and Vision. As he discusses these topics he presents stories from his life in Newark. He writes very well with a sense of humor thrown in. I hope he continues his political career beyond US Senator.
June 29, 2026
3.5 stars, rounded down.
Stand is earnest, well-researched, and exactly the book you’d expect Cory Booker to write — which is both its strength and its limitation.
The strongest material in the book is autobiographical. The stories Booker tells about his own life — the harder moments, the people who shaped him, the experiences that don’t fit cleanly into a campaign narrative — were the parts that held my attention. He’s a more interesting writer working from his own memory than when he’s framing someone else’s. The historical figures are well-researched and often compelling in their own right, but they didn’t pull as hard for me as I expected them to. The book is best when it stays grounded in his life.
I also appreciated the structural decision to decenter Trump. It would’ve been easy — and probably more commercially obvious — to write this as a direct rebuttal book. Instead Booker zooms out and treats the present moment as a chapter in a longer American argument. That’s a more durable framing, and the book will probably age better for it.
Where it loses me is pacing. Some chapters move; others drag. It’s at its most engaging when Booker is deep inside a single narrative, really living in a moment, and at its weakest when he keeps cutting back to commentary that deflates the momentum he’s just built. There’s a stretch in the middle where I caught myself skimming, then going back, then skimming again, which is usually a sign the book has stopped earning my attention.
The Senator voice is part of the same problem, and it shows up most in the connective tissue — the moments between stories where Booker is pulling out the lesson or making the bigger civic argument. There’s a cadence to those passages that gives them away, the kind of sentence rehearsed at a podium until the rhythm is automatic. It’s not insincere. It’s just polished to the point that the harder, messier observations get smoothed out before they can land. The personal stories themselves are mostly free of this; it’s when he steps back to interpret them that things get a little too composed.
Related: almost every chapter resolves. Stories arc toward redemption or progress or a useful lesson, and after a while the predictability of that movement undercuts the book’s own argument that virtue is hard. If virtue is genuinely difficult, some of these chapters needed to sit in the difficulty longer before reaching for the lift.
Worth reading, especially in the lead-up to the 250th. Not a book that surprised me, but one I’m glad I finished.
Stand is earnest, well-researched, and exactly the book you’d expect Cory Booker to write — which is both its strength and its limitation.
The strongest material in the book is autobiographical. The stories Booker tells about his own life — the harder moments, the people who shaped him, the experiences that don’t fit cleanly into a campaign narrative — were the parts that held my attention. He’s a more interesting writer working from his own memory than when he’s framing someone else’s. The historical figures are well-researched and often compelling in their own right, but they didn’t pull as hard for me as I expected them to. The book is best when it stays grounded in his life.
I also appreciated the structural decision to decenter Trump. It would’ve been easy — and probably more commercially obvious — to write this as a direct rebuttal book. Instead Booker zooms out and treats the present moment as a chapter in a longer American argument. That’s a more durable framing, and the book will probably age better for it.
Where it loses me is pacing. Some chapters move; others drag. It’s at its most engaging when Booker is deep inside a single narrative, really living in a moment, and at its weakest when he keeps cutting back to commentary that deflates the momentum he’s just built. There’s a stretch in the middle where I caught myself skimming, then going back, then skimming again, which is usually a sign the book has stopped earning my attention.
The Senator voice is part of the same problem, and it shows up most in the connective tissue — the moments between stories where Booker is pulling out the lesson or making the bigger civic argument. There’s a cadence to those passages that gives them away, the kind of sentence rehearsed at a podium until the rhythm is automatic. It’s not insincere. It’s just polished to the point that the harder, messier observations get smoothed out before they can land. The personal stories themselves are mostly free of this; it’s when he steps back to interpret them that things get a little too composed.
Related: almost every chapter resolves. Stories arc toward redemption or progress or a useful lesson, and after a while the predictability of that movement undercuts the book’s own argument that virtue is hard. If virtue is genuinely difficult, some of these chapters needed to sit in the difficulty longer before reaching for the lift.
Worth reading, especially in the lead-up to the 250th. Not a book that surprised me, but one I’m glad I finished.
April 27, 2026
"Our adversaries know they can’t beat us tank for tank, or aircraft carrier for aircraft carrier, so they try to destabilize what makes our democracy strong: civic trust and a sense of common cause."
"Choosing to embrace humility does not ask us to abandon our anger or surrender our passion. It reminds us that there is a power in engagement that outrage alone cannot access. It is exactly in moments of crisis that the power of humility is needed most."
"I am deeply disturbed by the manipulation of patriotism. But I also worry about those who would walk away from American patriotism because others have wielded its distortion as a weapon. I believe patriotism at its best is a devotion to shared ideals and a devotion to one another."
"If we shame people for where they were instead of creating space for who they might become, then we’re simply seeking copies of who we think we are. If we offer no space for people to evolve, to change their minds, then we will never build a movement that transforms society. Shaming may feel righteous in the moment, but it rarely persuades. It hardens hearts. It closes doors. Transformation requires another way. We cannot cancel everyone who fails a purity test. We cannot exile those who don’t align with our every belief, however passionately we hold it. Coalitions that are only composed of the already converted cannot change the country. If everyone on your coalition agrees with you on everything, your coalition is too small— too small to make big change, and too small for what our democracy demands. And very importantly, when we deny the inevitable complexity of others, we deny it in ourselves. When we deny others the space to grow and evolve, we deny it to ourselves. We are all people in progress. To deny that truth makes you the obstacle to growth, healing, and redemption. I do not believe the path forward will be forged through arrogant oversimplification or contempt masquerading as clarity. Our democracy cannot be sustained by certainty. It requires humility."
"Choosing to embrace humility does not ask us to abandon our anger or surrender our passion. It reminds us that there is a power in engagement that outrage alone cannot access. It is exactly in moments of crisis that the power of humility is needed most."
"I am deeply disturbed by the manipulation of patriotism. But I also worry about those who would walk away from American patriotism because others have wielded its distortion as a weapon. I believe patriotism at its best is a devotion to shared ideals and a devotion to one another."
"If we shame people for where they were instead of creating space for who they might become, then we’re simply seeking copies of who we think we are. If we offer no space for people to evolve, to change their minds, then we will never build a movement that transforms society. Shaming may feel righteous in the moment, but it rarely persuades. It hardens hearts. It closes doors. Transformation requires another way. We cannot cancel everyone who fails a purity test. We cannot exile those who don’t align with our every belief, however passionately we hold it. Coalitions that are only composed of the already converted cannot change the country. If everyone on your coalition agrees with you on everything, your coalition is too small— too small to make big change, and too small for what our democracy demands. And very importantly, when we deny the inevitable complexity of others, we deny it in ourselves. When we deny others the space to grow and evolve, we deny it to ourselves. We are all people in progress. To deny that truth makes you the obstacle to growth, healing, and redemption. I do not believe the path forward will be forged through arrogant oversimplification or contempt masquerading as clarity. Our democracy cannot be sustained by certainty. It requires humility."
April 3, 2026
Like many others, I heard about Senator Booker's marathon speech in March/April 2025 and had assumed that this book would be about that. Instead, this is a book about the various shared ideals of the United States that bring us together. Through dark times and events of celebration, there are things we can all relate to and share.
Each chapter is a discussion of a specific value for leadership: agency to community to grace, etc. Within each chapters are discussion, his personal thoughts on these values, how he incorporates them into his work, how he has seen it in other people and/or how it has been demonstrated to him, etc. You probably will not be surprised by the various stories of people overcoming certain difficulties or barriers and/or demonstrate values, etc.
That's it. It really was not about his speech (and to be fair, those types of books can be very hit or miss) but in many ways it felt like an extension of what he was talking about. In times like this when there is a real lack of patriotism or humility or vision, it was refreshing to read his thoughts for what a more "normal" politician sees, expects, embodies, etc. Whether you agree with that or not is certainly up to you but it was very much a contrast of what is happening right now.
Is this book going to tell you anything new? I doubt it. I do not think it will change your mind about Booker either, like/love or hate, etc. I would guess that this is likely a book to both set him up for a higher office run (which he has before) so take this as you will.
Overall I liked it even if it came a bit dull and I realized that it is likely part of laying the ground work for ither higher office or a leadership role in the Senate, etc. But I like him and do think it would be worth reading for either when he does run for some other higher office/position or if you would like to be reminded of what our politicians could be.
Library borrow and that was best for me.
Each chapter is a discussion of a specific value for leadership: agency to community to grace, etc. Within each chapters are discussion, his personal thoughts on these values, how he incorporates them into his work, how he has seen it in other people and/or how it has been demonstrated to him, etc. You probably will not be surprised by the various stories of people overcoming certain difficulties or barriers and/or demonstrate values, etc.
That's it. It really was not about his speech (and to be fair, those types of books can be very hit or miss) but in many ways it felt like an extension of what he was talking about. In times like this when there is a real lack of patriotism or humility or vision, it was refreshing to read his thoughts for what a more "normal" politician sees, expects, embodies, etc. Whether you agree with that or not is certainly up to you but it was very much a contrast of what is happening right now.
Is this book going to tell you anything new? I doubt it. I do not think it will change your mind about Booker either, like/love or hate, etc. I would guess that this is likely a book to both set him up for a higher office run (which he has before) so take this as you will.
Overall I liked it even if it came a bit dull and I realized that it is likely part of laying the ground work for ither higher office or a leadership role in the Senate, etc. But I like him and do think it would be worth reading for either when he does run for some other higher office/position or if you would like to be reminded of what our politicians could be.
Library borrow and that was best for me.
June 29, 2026
When I read The Audacity of Hope, I told my family “this guy would be a great President someday” never realizing how close we were to having that statement become fact. Shortly after beginning to read Stand, I told my husband that Senator Booker is Presidential timber, and that I hope we can step beyond the politics of division to elect a Black man who has the courage to work for unity and to respect those whose views differ from his. We need generational change more than ever, and this boomer believes that Cory Booker could lead the country to “pass the torch to a new generation.”
Stand is readable. I finished easily in less than two days. A busy reader could easily read one section per day for ten days and have plenty to think about until the next day. That is one effect Stand had on me, to dwell on each virtue and look for its application in my own life. Sadly, I am not applying my ideals to my community as well as I should, and I now feel challenged. I also found clear examples of virtue and just enough humor to keep it all real. Senator Booker is not just preaching here, he is also expressing the ideals that keep his soul fed and sharing personal interactions which inspire him to use his office and his power to promote understanding and compassion.
If you read the book, be sure to read the Acknowledgements, particularly his adaption of artful application of alliteration to advance his American ideals. (You will understand the previous sentence if you read the acknowledgements.)
I am writing this less than a week before the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I am encouraged by the effect of North America hosting the World Cup, which is leading to folks from many countries experiencing interactions that prove we have more in common than in what divides us. Like Stand, these events encourage me to feel hopeful for our future.
Stand is readable. I finished easily in less than two days. A busy reader could easily read one section per day for ten days and have plenty to think about until the next day. That is one effect Stand had on me, to dwell on each virtue and look for its application in my own life. Sadly, I am not applying my ideals to my community as well as I should, and I now feel challenged. I also found clear examples of virtue and just enough humor to keep it all real. Senator Booker is not just preaching here, he is also expressing the ideals that keep his soul fed and sharing personal interactions which inspire him to use his office and his power to promote understanding and compassion.
If you read the book, be sure to read the Acknowledgements, particularly his adaption of artful application of alliteration to advance his American ideals. (You will understand the previous sentence if you read the acknowledgements.)
I am writing this less than a week before the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I am encouraged by the effect of North America hosting the World Cup, which is leading to folks from many countries experiencing interactions that prove we have more in common than in what divides us. Like Stand, these events encourage me to feel hopeful for our future.
May 5, 2026
In Stand, Cory Booker frames the American Dream as a moral inheritance built on ten essential virtues—agency, vulnerability, patriotism, truth, humility, community, creativity, perseverance, grace, and vision. These virtues, interpreted as form the foundation of a shared national promise: that the American Dream is not about political ambition but about humble hopes passed from one generation to the next. It is the belief that security, dignity, and opportunity should expand so that children can rise higher than their parents. This moment is a generational turning point, where the torch is being passed and new leaders must rise not only to inherit influence but to renew purpose.
This renewal requires a new vision—one bold enough to meet the moment with imagination and courage. A new generation must carry forward the virtues that shaped the nation while also daring to reimagine what is possible. Stand describes once again believing in the promise that we can do big, bold, seemingly impossible things together. Through shared purpose and collective responsibility, the country can reclaim its confidence in a future shaped by unity, creativity, and moral conviction.
This renewal requires a new vision—one bold enough to meet the moment with imagination and courage. A new generation must carry forward the virtues that shaped the nation while also daring to reimagine what is possible. Stand describes once again believing in the promise that we can do big, bold, seemingly impossible things together. Through shared purpose and collective responsibility, the country can reclaim its confidence in a future shaped by unity, creativity, and moral conviction.
July 1, 2026
Reqd by the author, Booker identifies 10 core virtues as critical to American life:
1. Agency: The power to take action and shape your community regardless of obstacles Virtue as Political Strategy (with Cory Booker).
2. Vulnerability: Recognizing that open, honest self-examination and admitting fault is a strength, not a weakness Cory Booker talks new memoir, 'Stand' and TSA lines.
3. Patriotism: A deep love for one's country that compels you to improve it Sen. Cory Booker stood for 25 hours — now he takes a 'Stand'.
4. Truth: Confronting reality and facts in order to enact meaningful change.
5. Humility: Keeping ego in check to work effectively with others.
6. Community: Valuing shared bonds and operating with a spirit of common cause.
7. Creativity: Developing innovative, outside-the-box solutions to entrenched problems.
8. Perseverance: The endurance to keep fighting when the odds are stacked against you.
9. Grace: Extending forgiveness and showing compassion to others in difficult times.
10. Vision: Maintaining hope and focusing on a better future while navigating immediate crises
1. Agency: The power to take action and shape your community regardless of obstacles Virtue as Political Strategy (with Cory Booker).
2. Vulnerability: Recognizing that open, honest self-examination and admitting fault is a strength, not a weakness Cory Booker talks new memoir, 'Stand' and TSA lines.
3. Patriotism: A deep love for one's country that compels you to improve it Sen. Cory Booker stood for 25 hours — now he takes a 'Stand'.
4. Truth: Confronting reality and facts in order to enact meaningful change.
5. Humility: Keeping ego in check to work effectively with others.
6. Community: Valuing shared bonds and operating with a spirit of common cause.
7. Creativity: Developing innovative, outside-the-box solutions to entrenched problems.
8. Perseverance: The endurance to keep fighting when the odds are stacked against you.
9. Grace: Extending forgiveness and showing compassion to others in difficult times.
10. Vision: Maintaining hope and focusing on a better future while navigating immediate crises
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July 9, 2026I just don’t feel like a rating on a 5 star scale can do justice for this book. I’m a huge fan of Cory Booker, mostly for the fact that he’s the stronghold of the legislation that makes my life’s work possible. There were moments where I thought he was just hitting on radical optimism. That how can I even fathom of conceptualizing what he’s suggesting when this country is a thousand dumpster fires burning the most ravenous of materials? Then I had to reflect on what he was saying, what that meant to him, what that meant to me, and what that means to Americans. A lot of this just put things into perspective, and gave me a whole bunch of complexities to ponder. I did say to my husband that I wonder what would have changed if this book was written in July of 2026 rather than just a few mere months into… okay I won’t say it because I’m trying to stay afloat in morality here. It’s going to be a work in progress, but at the very least, it’s still progress. That’s what matters. Above all, I’m still pondering on one of the first questions Sen. Booker posed in this book: are we a nation or do we simply have a government? The past part is that the answer is up to us, I think.
May 10, 2026
One of the many things I love about Cory Booker is he’s the same guy I met 32 years ago. Same amazing dad jokes. Same loyal friend. Same patriotic American. This isn’t your standard book from a politician. Cory uses the speech he made breaking segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond’s record for the longest ever made on the Senate floor as a jumping off point for a beautifully crafted portrait of where America has been to help us imagine where we can go.
Difficult as it may be to envision how we get out of the mess we’re in, Cory leads not just with faith and not just with optimism. He leans on history to prove the point. In perhaps my favorite section, he quotes legendary suffragist Alice Paul who said, “Nothing is impossible. It is only impossible if you have not done it.” His unwavering belief that the “impossible” is merely a barrier waiting for someone with enough virtue and determination to break through it inspires all of us to rise to the moment and be agents of the change we want to see.
Loved this. Highly recommend.
Difficult as it may be to envision how we get out of the mess we’re in, Cory leads not just with faith and not just with optimism. He leans on history to prove the point. In perhaps my favorite section, he quotes legendary suffragist Alice Paul who said, “Nothing is impossible. It is only impossible if you have not done it.” His unwavering belief that the “impossible” is merely a barrier waiting for someone with enough virtue and determination to break through it inspires all of us to rise to the moment and be agents of the change we want to see.
Loved this. Highly recommend.
April 27, 2026
This was a much better read than I expected. My expectation was a story explicitly about his desire to run for President. Yes, the underlying message is laying the ground for Presidency but, through the telling of his life story. It is well written. The stories of his family, his friends and himself are moving and enlightening.
It is a book about virtues. It is sad that some must explain why they are so worthy to run for office. They must provide moral clarity, experience and humor and then,maybe, we will consider them. Also, if you are a person of color or a woman, good lord, you and must prove you have super human characteristics. Then, there are the others who can lie, scheme and cheat their way and they are heroes. His story preaches forgiveness and hope.So, hope I will. The book offers a optimistic perspective of a future America that I am sure he wants to lead. Fate and time will tell. I found the book inspirational and a good read.
It is a book about virtues. It is sad that some must explain why they are so worthy to run for office. They must provide moral clarity, experience and humor and then,maybe, we will consider them. Also, if you are a person of color or a woman, good lord, you and must prove you have super human characteristics. Then, there are the others who can lie, scheme and cheat their way and they are heroes. His story preaches forgiveness and hope.So, hope I will. The book offers a optimistic perspective of a future America that I am sure he wants to lead. Fate and time will tell. I found the book inspirational and a good read.
May 2, 2026
Stand is an inspiring book by the great Senator Cory Booker. I cannot say it better than to quote historian Jon Meacham's comment on it: "With energy, insight, and a passion for the best of the American tradition, Cory Booker has issued a compelling and invaluable summons to what Lincoln called our 'better angels.'"
And from Henry Louis Gates Jr. of Harvard University: "Inspiring, moving and beautifully written, Stand is mandatory reading for all Americans who seek inspiration in a country and world beset by constant crisis."
"We are living through a time of crisis. The problems we face grow more serious, while our divisions continue to widen. But our history overflows with people who used the power of our foundational virtues to overcome impossible obstacles."
I highly recommend this powerful book.
And from Henry Louis Gates Jr. of Harvard University: "Inspiring, moving and beautifully written, Stand is mandatory reading for all Americans who seek inspiration in a country and world beset by constant crisis."
"We are living through a time of crisis. The problems we face grow more serious, while our divisions continue to widen. But our history overflows with people who used the power of our foundational virtues to overcome impossible obstacles."
I highly recommend this powerful book.
April 16, 2026
This certainly was a timely and refreshing book. The biggest takeaway was in the form of a reminder. To remind Americans that the strength of our nation lies in kindness and decency. We need this reminder more than ever before so we don’t lose sight of it. America right now is unfortunately under attack from its own government. A very grave and dangerous threat to everything we hold dear. And as flawed as this country is and has always been, it’s still very much worth fighting for. To fight and defend against this corrupt tyrannical regime. A regime set on destroying democracy and all constitutional norms. A regime set on enriching themselves while draining the rest of us. We know what’s at stake so these next few years are going to be paramount in our defense. Prepare yourself wisely. Highly recommend you give this read. Happy reading!
April 16, 2026
I think this book came about due to Cory Booker making his stand in Congress and becoming the longest speech on the floor in history, 25 hours and 5 minutes. It bothered him that Strom Thurmond held the record as he filibustered against Civil Rights. Booker instead wanted to cause “good trouble” and address the current threats to our democracy.
The book itself expands on that speech and shares stories with us about a number of virtues we should all have. It wants us to find ways to build our community and show up for each other and share our values. We need to love our nation and each other. Find common ground. Be creative, persevere, give grace.
Stand up for what we believe.
The book itself expands on that speech and shares stories with us about a number of virtues we should all have. It wants us to find ways to build our community and show up for each other and share our values. We need to love our nation and each other. Find common ground. Be creative, persevere, give grace.
Stand up for what we believe.
May 25, 2026
There are times I worry Cory Booker is the equivalent of a #Resistance tweet: sounds great, but I wish there was more there. But while I felt that at times while reading Stand, I'll take that over the needless pandering to a "let's all just move on and forget illegal malfeasance" ethos (Josh Shapiro) or someone seemingly oblivious to the privilege and advantages they were born into because someone else has more (Gavin Newsom). Of the three I've read so far, Booker's the only one I could see supporting so far (though I hope he does better than in 2020, when he didn't even make it to a single primary or caucus). He's the happy warrior with soaring rhetoric and it feels good to listen to.
July 13, 2026
Not your typical presidential candidate lit.
Booker focuses on 10 moral principles (virtues) he frames as shared ideals necessary to move the country forward. The basic structure of the chapters is to define a virtue, provide an anecdotal example of someone practicing it (maybe from his own life experience, maybe from the news), and then reflect on what would happen if more people practiced these virtues.
I felt like he does a good job of showing, through the historical record, how these virtues created the strength of American democracy. He then makes a strong case for how the disappearance of those virtues erodes it.
Booker focuses on 10 moral principles (virtues) he frames as shared ideals necessary to move the country forward. The basic structure of the chapters is to define a virtue, provide an anecdotal example of someone practicing it (maybe from his own life experience, maybe from the news), and then reflect on what would happen if more people practiced these virtues.
I felt like he does a good job of showing, through the historical record, how these virtues created the strength of American democracy. He then makes a strong case for how the disappearance of those virtues erodes it.
April 18, 2026
Part memoir, all inspiration. Booker outlines his stance of how we make it through our troubling political, social, and economic inequity times. We must make a personal stand, whether that is small or big, private or public. Using well written storytelling, he uses “virtues” as a start of each section: Agency, Vulnerability, Patriotism, Truth, Humility, Community, Creativity, Perseverance, Grace, and Vision. While Booker uses his own experience and actions, he leans more on the actions and experiences of others such as John Lewis, John McCain, Judge Salas, as well as his parents.
April 2, 2026
This book of virtues reminded me of Pope Francis’s books of virtues, infused with Cory Booker’s life experience, stories and perspective. I’ve heard the story of how his parents purchased their New Jersey home several times but always enjoy hearing it again, even though it makes me emotional every time. This first chapter depicts a powerful example of the difference that one person can make, and these stories continue throughout.
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