Going Rogue: An American Life

by Sarah Palin

On September 2, 2008 Alaska Governor Sarah Palin gave a speech at the Republican National Convention that electrified the nation and instantly made her one of the most recognizable women in the world. As chief executive of America's largest state, she had built a record as a reformer who cast aside politics-as-usual and pushed through changes other politicians only talked Toward energy independence. Ethics reform. And the biggest private sector infrastructure project in U.S. history. And while revitalizing public school funding and ensuring the state met its responsibilities to seniors and Alaska Native populations, Palin also beat the political 'good ol' boys club' at their own game and brought Big Oil to heel. Like her GOP running mate, John McCain, Palin wasn't a packaged and over-produced 'candidate.' She was a Main Street American a working mom, wife of a blue collar union man, and mother of five children, the oldest serving his country in Iraq and the youngest, an infant with special needs. Palin's hometown story touched a populist nerve, rallying hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans to the GOP ticket. But as the campaign unfolded, Palin became a lightning rod for both praise and criticism. Supporters called her 'refreshing,' 'honest,' a kitchen-table public servant they felt would fight for their interests. Opponents derided her as a wide-eyed Pollyanna unprepared for national leadership. But none of them knew the real Sarah Palin. In this eagerly anticipated memoir, Palin paints an intimate portrait of growing up in the wilds of Alaska, meeting her lifelong love, her decision to enter politics, the importance of faith and family, and the unique joys and trials of life as a high-profile working mother. She also opens up for the first time about the 2008 presidential race, providing a rare, mom's-eye view of high-stakes national politics - from patriots dedicated to Country First to slick politicos bent on winning at any cost. Going Rogue traces one ordinary citizen's extraordinary journey, revealing Palin's vision of a way forward for America and her unfailing hope in the greatest nation on earth.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Politics, Autobiography, Memoir, History, Biography Memoir

413 pages, Hardcover

First published November 17, 2008

About the author

Governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009 and the Republican Party's vice-presidential nominee for the 2008 United States presidential election.

http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this because I am not a Palin fan and I figured that this is what this woman wants me to know about her, I tried to enlighten myself. This is what I learned...

1. This book needed an editor! It reads like a junior high school girl's journal, totally stream of consciousness.

2. She has zero self awareness and does not take responsibility for her actions.

3. This woman can hold a grudge and loves to take cheap shots at anyone who disagrees with her.

4. The most disturbing is how she chose to tell her family that her last baby was going to be born with Down Syndrome. She wrote a letter in the voice of God telling her family that they will love Trig because God says so. Unfortunately she never got to give the letter to her family because the baby was born early, so no one knew at the time of birth that the baby had Down Syndrome. This is a glaring example of poor judgment. Instead of using this opportunity to have an open and honest discussion with her children she totally shirked her parental responsibility. I guess she didn't care what her other children may have thought or felt about having a brother with a disability. It makes me wonder what else she doesn't talk about with her children, sex education?

I was hoping to get some insight into this woman who has captured the attention of our nation. Unfortunately, I now see that the "liberal media elite" was not that far off, although Ms. Palin would not agree.

[Lilo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tossed the book after reading the first chapter and viewing the photographs. Sarah Palin's flaunted piety made me gag. Anybody can be as religious or unreligious as he/she wants to, but I despise it if somebody serves religion on the platter for political purposes.


This review was originally written on April 2, 2014. And now we are here on January 19, 2016, and I have just seen Sarah Palin on TV, endorsing Donald Trump.

Excuse me, I still feel a bit nauseated. I need to take an antacid.

I thought even Trump might feel embarrassed about this performance, yet this is probably overestimating Trump.

My husband was in another room, when Palin started to talk, or rather screech. He heard her but could not see her. He thought it was some lowlife Trump supporter who had jumped onto the stage and gotten hold of the microphone. My husband didn’t believe me at first when I told him it was Sarah Palin. We later discussed the event and wondered whether Palin might have been drunk.

Drunk or not drunk, the way the presidential race is going on the Republican side, I can only say: “God save America!” and “Please, God do it without the evangelicals. You are almighty. You don’t need the help of any power-craving bigots.”

Where was I? I suppose I got a bit distracted. I know, I know, this is supposed to be a book review. Yet who has to read a phony, disgusting book when one can get all the phoniness, stupidity, and nauseating bigotry live on TV?

[jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is no April's Fools joke - I really read/listened to this book, via audiobook, over the past week or so. I wish I could give this book zero stars. I guess it can have one star for entertainment value, because it is read by the author and I have a deeply masochistic streak. My recommendation is to read this as work of fiction. As a work of fiction, you can meander through the convoluted delusional ramblings of a person so disassociated with reality that it is often disorienting to the reader. As a work of non-fiction, it is just a descent into madness. Near the end of the book, Levi said, "She is a real piece of work, isn't she?" Yes, son, yes she is.

The first part of the book is about Sarah's life and family prior to the unsuccessful vice presidential bid. Then she tells, in excruciating detail, the story of her vice presidential candidacy. At one point she mentions that her candidacy was only 68 days from nomination to election. Sarah, myself and probably the entire nation feel that her candidacy left much more than 68 days-worth of an impression. The final section of the book is her position on various issues from gay marriage to pollution cap & trade, her impression of the world, and her vision of the future - really terrifying stuff. There is a call to action for Average Americans - you know, Joe the Plumber, Bob the cable guy, and their buddies - to step up and make their voices and opinions heard. The conservative movement could bust through all those barriers and lies from the liberal elite, if only Joe the Plumber would register to vote.

So I listened to this in my car, and there is a danger in that, of course. Like maybe you are focused on driving, and you miss a sentence or a whole paragraph when a semi-truck cuts you off and then slows down to 40 on the interstate. But I am used to that - I audiobook in the car, constantly. But this book is practically unreadable. The book actually has a very tenuous grasp on linear storytelling. I had to check my stereo several times because it seemed like the cd was on shuffle. For example, Sarah rants extensively about Katie Couric -- pages upon pages about how the McCain campaign lied and misled her about Katie Couric's intentions, and then she drops the subject entirely for a whole disc. She picks it up like a pitbull with a death grip, and her endless tirade continues in an effort to belittle and embarrass Katie Couric. Katie is painted as pathetic, desperate, unlikable, pining for Sarah's attention and friendship, with a career on a dead end, terrifying downward spiral. Since Sarah spends so much time chastising feminists and women's groups for not supporting her unconditionally while she broke the glass ceiling for us, I was very surprised that she would not return the same consideration to Katie Couric.

During and after the interview, Katie apparently badgers Sarah - asking her the same question about abortion twelve times, for example and then editing Sarah's responses to fit her own agenda. Katie acts as a malicious snake, hellbent on her own agenda and Sarah's destruction. I understand that Sarah has no appreciation for the Liberal Media Elitists, but this crosses into the realm of conspiracy theory.

And this is just one example of how Sarah Palin was victimized by the tormentors of the lower 48. Don't miss her story about how she met Tina Fey and why she's funnier than Alec Baldwin. While she clearly adores & respects John McCain, his campaign aides were (allegedly) as manipulative and detrimental as the Liberal Media in destroying her candidacy, her reputation, and eventually her governorship. Buried in over half a million dollars of personal debt from the lawsuits and ethics complaints filed against her, she prays. God tells her to resign, that all the power and titles in the world can't help her do good things for Alaska with the liberal left wingers blocking her best attempts to get work done for the people who elected her.

An interesting note for me was Sarah's perspective on the Bush/Cheney administration. She doesn't talk about them a lot, but she does express her trademark mavericky opinions in subtle ways. It seems that she feels no one appreciates all the hard work B&C did during their eight years in office. They may not have been perfect, but they really tried. This runs contrary to Sarah's competitive, independent, no holds barred opinion on pretty much everything else. Get out of the way of success, Sarah hollers from the mountaintops, unless you're the Bush & Cheney administration. Then, it's good enough that you tried. It seems that Sarah feels B&C were thrown under the bus by the GOP & the rest of the country when they did the hard work of... well, I'm not sure. But they really gave it their all! For America! And we are proud to be Americans!

I have collected a series of words and phrases I never ever want to hear again after this book:
- servant's heart
- independent spirit
- energy independence
- free enterprise
- snow machine
- Is that what the President means by "change?"
- small business owners
- God's precious children
- every life has a purpose
- Liberal Media Elite
- Ronald Reagan
- common sense conservative3

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screw the haters - I am excited for this book, of which I proudly pre-ordered in early October.

EDIT - Yay, I got it today! It's pretty good so far.

EDIT 2 - I finished the book last night. It was very good, and well-researched. The last chapter is especially good, as she outlines her position on the issues and how we should go about dealing with them. It is very inspiring and I was so sad when it was finished, but very, very glad I had read it.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my holy sheesh what a goldurn great book. She opens way up, I had no idea. The affair with Levi--sometimes messin' about while Todd was lying stonefaced drunk on the side of the bed--came out of nowhere. (No wonder they're catting after each other in the press now--MEEEE yow!)

Full of revelations. And more importantly heart. And words. And some home truths. But most importantly heart.

[Joshua Nomen-Mutatio]

A couple weeks ago I was drunk and goofing around with some friends and using the term "Going rogue" a lot in different ways. One of my favorites was like a profane exclamation along the lines of "Oh, shit!" or "Goddammit!" Say I spill my drink amongst informal company, you may just hear a "Going rogue!" escape from my throat.

This is the best thing that will ever come out of Sarah Palin's entire existence.

[Kathrynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

2-16-16 Update: Having now heard Sarah Palin speak on many occasions. Listened to some of the nonsense/gibberish that spills out of her mouth, I now consider her to be a flake and would not rely on her giving me the correct time of day. Don't waste your time on this book!

7 CD's/8 hours/read by Sarah Palin.

Nothing like hearing the facts straight from the "horses mouth" and this book set the record straight as well as clearing up a lot of strange things that happened during the 2008 presidential campaign that left me scratching my head.

The beginning, Mrs. Palin tells about her life growing up: high school, basketball, how she met her husband--his life, beliefs, work ethic. She wanted to be a sports journalist! She touched on her college time in Seattle. It was here that she started to merge the 2008 presidential campaign with the book--how people chastised her for taking 5 years to graduate from college. She mentioned that she worked her way through school, paying as she went. Sometimes, she just didn't have tuition, so she worked harder. She states that "that" was something to be proud of not ridiculed. Amen!

Excellent job laying out how she got into politics. There was a lot of humor in the storytelling that I enjoyed. The bumper sticker Alaskan's had on their cars that said something about not "pissing the oil money away" if they could just have another big boom, was cute. So true!

She tackled corruption in the Alaskan gov't and I commend her for that. All along, she raised her children with tremendous help from family and friends. Laughed at her selling the previous governor's extravagant airplane (that couldn't even land in most of Alaska) on e-bay. Atta girl!

She talks about her children and husband. How their "surprise" baby with down syndrome turned into a blessing for them, but she didn't feel that initially and her turmoil there. Admired her for having the wherewithal to keep this news to herself until she could tell her husband (a week or so later because he was out on oil field working and she didn't want to tell him on the phone).

When she got down into the nitty-gritty of the campaign, I was so shocked at all the apparent disorganization within the campaign "headquarters." Explains a lot! The lack of preparation on headquarters, the blatant lies to the press, the failure to allow Mrs. Palin to speak out--shocking! The amount of money spent on clothing to make over herself and family was outrageous. $70 for panty hose. She wasn't consulted or asked about this. The $40,000 she was given a bill for being vetted into the vice presidency that they told her if they'd won, she wouldn't owe.

I tell ya, it all looked to me that McCain had people running his campaign with one goal in mind--sabotage. They shot themselves in the foot so many times it had to be on purpose. The interviews with Katie Couric looked like a big time setup to me. Katie was supposed to be a friend of a person on the campaign who was doing poorly in the ratings so finagled the interviews. The questions asked were bombs and Ms. Couric was on a mission to destroy. What was edited and released was an example of poor/unethical journalism. The manner in which "Headquarters" kept throwing Katie at Sarah was another clear example of campaign mismanagement. That ridiculous magazine question was such a setup. No matter what Mrs. Palin answered, it would have been ridiculed by someone. Why didn't Katie Couric ask relevant questions? I wanted to know more about Sarah Palin, not stupid stuff like who does what do you read. That ranks right up there with "who does your hair and nails." Come on.

Forbidding Sarah to speak to press members that she knew and trusted, then setting her up with someone that had a ax to grind not to mention the method to deliver it.

Listening to it all, I can't help but be glad McCain/Palin didn't win the election. If they can't run an election campaign with credible people or be responsible themselves then they don't deserve to run the United States Government.

The ending or final disc seemed like we have not heard the last of Sarah Palin. As her father said, she didn't quit, she's reloading. ;-) She explained why she resigned her governorship and then went into her beliefs, work ethic, how President Obama did us a disservice by bailing out big business when we should have let what they did settle in lieu of placing the burden on the taxpayers. I agree!

How continuing to implement programs we CAN'T PAY FOR has got to stop. How much money we pay to China and the Middle East for loans! Scary! She quotes Ronald Reagan throughout Going Rogue. For the most part I liked Reagan, but what he did to the environment I just don't understand.

I've been concerned about what the press has eluded to on Mrs. Palin's stance on the environment, but that, too, looks to have been misconstrued. She does believe in helping the environment, wind-solar-nuclear-energy, but what she has been saying is the people in Alaska are barely existing--in or near poverty level--and drilling will greatly help the people. She's for the people, but that doesn't mean she's against the environment.

[Kathleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The consistant theme of this book was "I knew better but 'they' would not let me do what needed to be done then 'they' attacked me." Facts seem to be very foreign to her. (My favorite tidbit was she said the government FORCED financial institutions into making mortage loans to people who could not afford them.) I think she did a disservice to the McCann campaign staff by failing to understand what they were trying to do for her and what was expected of her. And if I was Katie Couric, I would come after her with a dull kitchen knife.

[Leftbanker · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Few Feet Below Rock Bottom

If this title were a Jeopardy line, the correct answer would be, "Where is America's conservative movement?" Sarah Palin’s book is probably a best seller already. Once again the street party that is America has turned the mic over to a moron. Is this really the best America can do? Every time we give people like Palin a voice in our society we are diminishing the voice of someone else, and that someone else has got to have something better to say than this public figure who couldn’t be bothered to read a single newspaper or magazine.

Really? Is this the the best America can do? A ghost-written biography of a willfully-ignorant beneficiary of every advantage of what used to pass for American middle class life, and who now wants to undo everything her working-class ancestors fought to gain in the past century? A woman who never merited every American’s right to his or her 15 minutes of fame, let alone two chances at it? Am I supposed to listen to her because she has discovered—somewhere in her late 40s—that she may have half a brain and she should try to use it? “It’s never too late to try” is a fine concept, and I applaud anyone who makes an effort to educate themselves, but if you are starting at her age, don’t expect to be in front of the classroom any time soon. Just sit in the front row, study your ass off, and shut the fuck up until you have something intelligent to add to the conversation. She doesn't have anything intelligent to add.

I just thought that we were done with this completely less-than-mediocre celebrity.

Update: Years later and Palin still is in the news and she is as stupid and willfully ignorant as ever. The conservative movement in America is mostly about promoting stupidity and lies, so it's no wonder that she still floats to the top of the right-wing bowl.

[JoAnn · Rating 1 out of 5]

A sophmoric attempt to explain away why things did not work out.

There are lots of passages that try to explain away things that need no further explanation. One that stands out is the disappointment she experienced when she was not allowed to make a part of the concession speech!

This book cannot be No. 1 in this country! It is way too lacking in substance! I only know one other person who has read it! Something is NOT right here! Someone bought many advanced copies!

There is nothing in this book that makes me want to like Palin more. I read it with that in mind, and came away realizing there is less to her than what even appears on the surface.

She makes Katie Couric out to be some bad ass woman. Hard to think of Katie as the girl-next-door who goes after people!!! I think that Katie is accomplished in her own right! But, I digress.

Her education or lack thereof shows a very aloof and unfocused woman. Someone who is everywhere and nowhere. A woman in public life with 5 kids would have to be very organized and very able- Palin does not come off that way in this book.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll start off by saying I'm not giving this five stars because I happen to have voted her ticket in 2008. I'm not giving it five stars because I'm trying to make her ratings look better. I'm giving it five stars because it spells out everything the mostly biased media chose to ignore or mislead people on. I can't say Sarah Palin was one of my favorite people once I started reading it. I admit I started to get sick of seeing her on TV, felt disappointed in how things went with the election. I felt like John McCain had truly chosen the wrong VP pick at the time. But after hearing Sarah's side of the story, I can totally understand why she was chosen.

The woman is nothing short of remarkable, incredible and all those other magnificent adjectives. It started pissing me off that so little of her accomplishments were heralded by the mostly biased media during the campaign. The way she was portrayed by most of the news networks, you would have thought McCain and his camp had pulled her and her "hillbilly" family from the bottom of an oil barrel. That couldn't be further from the truth. People want to tout her as an idiot, an unschooled hick from way up north where all they are concerned about is hunting, snow shoeing and drilling oil to “kill the bears”. Again, totally misleading.

She was more bipartisan as a governor than any of those congressmen and senate creeps in DC. When she came into office as governor, she cleared out the bad politics; Democrat AND Republican thank you very much. I think most people believe there are a lot of dirty people in the oil industry and I'm not speaking of the guys doing the actual drilling. I'm talking of back room buy-outs of senate and congressman, in Alaska alone. Sarah took on these greedy bastards and succeeded in doing what no other Alaskan governor has done with these oil companies...do as the Alaskan people want, this is our state, not your money making machine to do as you see fit. Go Sarah!

I also admit being utterly disappointed in Sarah for leaving her elected position as governor early. Again, after hearing her version of that story, I understand again and I believe it has nothing to do with greed. I won't give away the answer on why she left, but I can't blame her.

In all honesty, I think Sarah Palin could be the next president of our great country. I didn't feel that way before reading this book, but now I do. Sarah can truly be bipartisan, Sarah can tell those good old boy politicians to take a hike, and Sarah wants free enterprise, not huge government bail outs and bigger government. America is a nation that should rely on the private sector to ride through these economic storms, not by government bailouts to too large companies that in all rights need to fail so that better suited companies can rise up to the challenge.

I am sold on Sarah Palin; she's a person for all people. They just need to look past the biased, liberal agenda stories written and told by people who sold their souls to the devil to make her look bad. It makes me feel very ashamed that the country I love was so swayed by the narrow minded and hateful media.

[Camilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure we all wouldn't be surprised if conservatives give this book a 5 and liberals a 1. Having said that, I contend I am conservative through and through. So it might not be a surprise that I gave the book 4 stars. Before you just suppose it is because of my political leanings, let me explain:

I had no idea who Sarah Palin was when she gave her speech at the GOP convention. I was impressed and was intrigued by her. She seemed a lot like me: mom of many and pretty down to earth. I also liked what values she espoused. Then, the campaign took flight and my opinion of Sarah went downhill. The Katie Couric interview was not good. Then I read all over the net and on the news about her 'issues': pregnant daughter, new baby, wardrobe extravagance, troopergate, banning books, etc. You all remember. My opinion of the lady at this point was not high. I tried to weed through rumors, and realized many were not correct. Still I wasn't sure she was 'national office' material. I was totally surprised when she resigned as governor. I was surprised that the woman who wanted to become our next VP was 'giving up' on her current job. I was disappointed, too. In my mind, if you are elected into office, your campaign is your pledge to serve your constituents, come hell or high water. Maybe the pundits were right and she wasn't ready for higher office?

Still my curiosity drove me to put the book on hold at the library- after 2 months I got it last week.

I give the book 4 stars because I couldn't put it down (that's my 4 star criteria). Sarah was articulate and to the point. Even funny. More importantly, I got to hear, from her perspective, what all the fuss/controversy was about. Regardless of race or gender, you've got to admire a person who works their way up- after all there are only 50 governors of the 300+ million people in America- so her story isn't common at all. I felt totally enlightened about how things ran on the campaign trail and the back stories behind all the 'scandals.' I definitely respect the lady a lot more now. I've almost forgiven her from resiging from office. I think I am a bit more disgusted with politics in general too. And the media, definitely disgusted with the biased media.

I recommend the book if you are curious about her and want to hear her side (it is definitely all her side)- especially since most of the media are hard-core Palin bashers. If you aren't offended by the conservative propoganda (it's definitely all over), you'll learn a lot about the political process. You might even come to respect the lady like you did after her speech at the GOP National Convention. Just don't picture SNL skits and you might like her again.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

My name is Jenn and I have an addiction to celebrity gossip. I've got a long way to wait for this book to come in so I'm not too embarrassed yet. I absolutely loath this woman but the tabloid lover in me really wants to know what makes this dumb broad tick. And most importantly, if she can't even deliver a coherent speech, how in the world did she "write" a 432 page book? (The librarian in me knows she had a ghost writer, duh!) The big question is, does she narrate her own audio? And how long did it take for the director to get her to read a complete sentence, in the order it was written?

Update: Isn't it funny that the above review I wrote for myself (and my friends to explain why I was reading this piece of garbage) and the 3 comments I've received have come from people I don't know. I often forget the goodreads is global....
Anywho, I made myself finish the book because I truly wanted to try to understand Palin instead of blindly hating her.
I've come to a few conclusions. Palin truly believes what she writes, which is the good and the bad of it. She has convinced herself that the Democrats are out to get her and that the media has an agenda. Maybe so, but how about being the feminist you say you are. If Katie Couric was irritating you, say NO to the continued interviews. The only person that really makes you look like an idiot is the woman in the mirror.
I wanted a real explanation of why she quit the governorship. Didn't really get that, other than the Democrats have it out for her and were pounding her with ethics violations. Boohoo!! If you really believe in your convictions you don't quit. Backing down was quitting. Plain and simple. I heard her reasonings for quitting the AOGCC and it seems like a prelude to what was to come.
I also don't buy her explanation of the whole "book banning" scenario.
I may agree that she actually wrote this book, thanks to years of journaling. It could have been half as long had someone edited down the flowing descriptions that were just jargon that doesn't say anything.
So I finished it, didn't claw my eyes out, and can at least say I don't think she's entirely a fembot.

[Tamra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by putting this out there: I think Sarah Palin is cute. I don't want her running our country (much as I don't want myself running the country), but she's cute. And fascinating! How this woman ever got a national spotlight, ... just amazing.

Good. On to the book.

I read 90 pages before I realized that of all the books I have on my To Read list, I care about this one very little. So my rating and comments apply to the first 90 pages only.

It was interesting to read it and think of the people she was trying to appeal to. It wasn't like she hid it: you like guns, so do I! You are conservative, so am I! You love prayer and God and the Pledge of Allegiance, so do I! You are anti-abortion, so am I! In the first 30 pages she had hit every conservative Republican issue there is. And she had to go out of her way to do so. She claims, for instance, that she was deeply moved by the Pledge of Allegiance ... as a 6-year-old.

It was also a very elaborate Excuse Book. You know: That DUI actually changed Todd's life. I didn't really have an abortion, it was a typo. I didn't support banning books, it was just spun that way by my enemies. I believed her some of the time, but I rolled my eyes more than once.

What was most interesting to me about this book was her attempt to transform herself from ordinary citizen to politician ready to rule the world. This book was clearly her next political move, and hence is not a memoir at all--it's a tool: Appeal to the masses, get the votes, change the world.

More power to ya, Palin.

(Note on the rating: I am completely neutral on this book. It is what it is. It's decently written, and interesting enough. The book is a half-shrug type of thing, in my opinion.)

[Greg]

I started reading Going Rogue in conjunction with Jack Kerouac's Desolation Angels.
Exploring Americana.

Going Rogue was a free discard copy from the local Library - as-new hardback, I guess probably nobody borrowed it. I thought I'd take it as I wanted to try and get an understanding of the far-right neo-con Republican viewpoint. I had already started reading Kerouac's Desolation Angels when I started reading the first few pages of Going Rogue just to see what it is like. Initially intrigued me as it was surprisingly similar in content i.e. - wilderness, and the style of flat writing focusing on the everyday, people, places, and daily routine. Although the worlds diverged as I progressed.

P.54 - ' "Normal" is a subjective concept.'

By page 85 it was looking a bit daunting with another 328 pages to go, with two consistent narratives going. - i.e:- I am ordinary, normal, an average everyday worker, just like everybody, at the same time, I am exceptional, higher standards, higher achiever.

The quote preceding chapter one says "I don't believe that God put us on earth to be ordinary."
The first sentence of chapter one kicks off as if it could be straight from the start of Desolation Angels. "With the gray Talkeetna Mountains in the distance and the first light covering of snow about to descend on Pioneer Peak, I breathed in an autumn bouquet that combined everything small-town America with rugged splashes of the Last Frontier."
Chapter One, 'The Last Frontier' is all living and growing up in bountiful gorgeous pristine wilderness, all God's creation. By Chapter Three, it's all 'Drill, Baby Drill', exploiting Alaska's abundant natural oil and gas resources.

Chapter Two is establishing her early influences and direction in political alliance.  I found this interesting, the selective bias to conservative merits, and ignoring the glaring faults, like Watergate, etc., while listing liberal faults. The bold, bald selective bias in stating her reasons in support of Republican policies and strengths at the same time ignoring the flaws and weaknesses, while listing Democrat flaws. I wondered are we meant to take this seriously?
The selective thinking is consistent throughout, which is amusing and disturbing at the same time.
Example: pages 45, 46, 47.
The Carter / Reagan Iran hostage release of fifty-two Americans, claiming that President Carter did nothing and the hostages were released just as Reagan was elected, saying "I had followed the Iran hostage crisis and remember wondering why President Jimmy Carter didn't act more decisively." Hostages for 444 days, and all returned home. And she gives President Carter no credit for that.

This passage encapsulates the tone of the book.
'If any vegans came over for dinner, I could whip them up a salad, then explain my philosophy on being a carnivore: "If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat?" '

It goes on,

'As governor, though, hunting WAS an issue. I would face pressure from Hollywood to halt hunting, ban guns, and end our state's wildlife management practices, such as controlling predators. I said no to all that nonsense: gun bans would destroy the Second Amendment, and as a lifelong member of the NRA (Alaska has the highest NRA membership per capita in the nation), I had plenty of backup telling Hollywood liberals what I thought of their asinine plans to ban guns. And we HAD to control predators, such as wolves, that were decimating the moose and caribou herds that fed our communities. One animal rights group recruited a perky, pretty celebrity to attack our scientifically controlled, state-managed wolf-control program. It was ironic that she opposed using guns to kill predators that would cause Native people to starve, but apparently not opposed to taking movie roles in which she'd use guns to kill predatory people.'

By contrast, here's some statistics taken from various sources on the internet.

On average there are nearly 12,000 gun homicides a year in the U.S.
Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of firearm deaths in the U.S. are suicides.

169,395 firearm deaths in the US from 2011 - 2015.
Seven children and teens (19 or under) are killed with guns in the U.S. on an average day.

2015 -  13,286 killed in the US by firearms.

2013 - U.S. annual gun deaths and injuries - 73, 505 non-fatal firearm injuries, 33,636 deaths due to firearms

'In the United States, the death rate from gun homicides is about 31 million people - the equivalent of 27 people shot dead every day of the year'. New York Times, June 2016

This is what I can't understand about America.

I'm calling it quits at the half way mark.
Can't take any more of the mindless jingoism, the simplistic arrogant world view.

The book doesn't have an index.

[Paula Obermeier McCarty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look at a strong lady who has endured a tremendous amount of undeserved bashing from the media. While I disagree with many of her political ideas (I am a feminist who supported Hillary Clinton), I am disappointed that this country's feminists did not stand up and defend her and her daughters against some very vicous sexist attacks. Her personal stories were engaging and sometimes surprising. It was an enjoyable read and I believe it gave me some perspective on a strong and unfortunately polarizing political figure. She has earned my respect and I hope that she keeps on fighting.

[R.]

I've dipped into...from time to time...Going Rogue. I've gone rogue. The description of the Alaska State Fair is mouthwatering. And then...out of the robin's egg blue of the sky comes the call to action. To destiny. Yes. To destiny. And who denies destiny? We all know the rest. Or do we? No. That's why the book. That's why the book. Oh, and your people: they know. I mean, wolverines on page 10? They know.

But...do they?

Where were your Red Ink Warriors when titles were being scribbled onto notecards and flipped into a hat? Where were those advance scouts with ears attuned to the cringeworthy?

When that Newsweek cover hit the stands they were at the ready. They were up to bat. But in the proofing stages of Going Rogue? Where? I'll wager you need somebody with a sense of the Talibanic: somebody who knows dirt from dishwater. Who knows how to keep a woman's honor through the minefield of accidental entendre. This person would have one foot rooted firmly in the nourishing earth of the traditional.

It's not your fault.

Anybody would need surround themself with traditional traditionalists to avoid chapter titles such as "Drill, Baby, Drill" and "The Thumpin'". But, really? It makes one long for the days of the casually inquisitive Who's Nailin' Paylin?" - a film of guarded optimism, a celluloid catharsis prepackagedly critic-proof.

[Books Ring Mah Bell]

"If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat?"

That's all I need to know about this book.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I will be giving this one 3 Stars as I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I wanted to learn more about this woman, why she is so hated, scorned, despised to such an amazing intensity by the progressives and the left. Even now, years after the campaign, the vitriol, the sheer malevolence directed at her is astonishing. She can tweet or post a comment and the MSM will just go crazy, she’s like catnip to those folks.

I can see why McCain picked her. She was pretty much a maverick like him, taking on political corruption and knocking out the Alaska Republican establishment party favorite, then sitting Gov Frank Murkowski. Poking a finger in the party rulers’ eyes would come back to bite her when she needed support later. She also fought Big Oil and won, making more enemies. I wanted to learn more about how she succeeded in Alaska. Clearly she is smart and tough, getting elected governor is no easy task. There are many parts of her story that are admirable, raising a family, running a business, elections and a stint as a oil and gas regulator for the state. But this book had other objectives like getting her own story out and getting a few licks in against those had so thoroughly trashed her reputation. Can’t blame her a lot for that, it’s not like anyone else was speaking or standing up for her.

She is not a very introspective person, lots of woulda, coulda, shoulda when she gets invited to the big stage. It would have been better if McCain had not invited her on to the ticket or if she had declined…but few are going to say no to that question. Her account of the campaign and her performance often deflects blame from her to others. I did not find that appealing.

Two accounts really connected with me. The first was when her personal email account is hacked by the son of a Democrat legislator and then splashed all over the network news programs. Had anyone hacked the email of the opposition candidates, there is no way the networks would have broadcast that information. But her info was fair game, along with her kids, extended family, friends, colleagues, etc. Her family, especially her kids, is trashed by the left and the media and that was tough to read. I also found her accounts of meeting special needs kids and their parents on the campaign heartwarming. That is a community that needs support and she would have been a great advocate.

Glad I read it. I had a better understanding of why she resigned the governorship before the end of her term. She paid a heavy price for saying yes to McCain.

[MJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not a Palin fan, but wanted to read this book to find out what Palin wants everyone to know about herself, especially since I've had a hard time actually believing all the negative press about her. I also wanted to learn a bit about what went on inside the McCain campaign and why he thought she was VP and (potentially) Presidential material.

First, I'm glad I got it at the library and did not waste my money. The book has some worthwhile moments, but is mostly a collection of anecdotes that reinforce Palin's lofty self-image. True, I think she's bright and works hard, and loves her family, and I give her TONS of credit for doing so well while raising 5 kids, but she clearly has trouble understanding any viewpoint that differs from her own.

Interestingly, the first 5 pages of her book describe the recent Massachusetts Senate campaign strategy of Scott Brown (the winner) - meet and greet as many people as you can, and keep telling and showing them you're just a regular person, not one of those nasty politicians.

Following that are many pages describing her upbringing and rise in Alaska politics, where her common sense and caring for the people carried her along, even though she was attacked along the way. The more interesting part is when she joined the McCain campaign - plenty of critiques of McCain senior staffers, who were apparently determined to make her look bad from the start. She didn't like Charlie Gibson too much, but really reserved her vitriol for Katie Couric. Through all this she never came up with anything she did wrong - everyone was just out to get her. She held McCain up as an idol throughout, though, apparently still having trouble accepting his 2008 loss.

I did have to laugh towards the end when she got a little upset with news organizations that presented stories without making any attempt to get independent confirmation. I actually agree with that because in the rush to be first our news sources have sacrificed integrity - but Palin confused commentators(opinions) with reporters(news) and has now joined FoxNews herself, so will be part of the problem.

Some introspection would have been nice, but she sees herself as flawless. I never did figure out why McCain picked her for VP, aside from the fact that she was an attractive woman governor with a good marriage and kids. (That may say more about McCain than Palin)

If someone wants to read something with more depth, check out True Compass.

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading reviews I’ve posted in the past always makes me cringe. lol I haven’t gotten any better at writing reviews, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to record my response to a piece of writing, no matter the quality. My reviews will never appear atop any lists, will likely never sway a stranger’s opinion one way or another, and I’m fine with that. I’m pretty open-minded and am willing to give a read to most people who take the time to sit down and write a book. I don’t know where I’m going with this, other than that I nearly just deleted my review of this book but stopped myself because that would be dishonest. I hereby make a promise to myself not to delete old reviews that I think lack substance but rather keep them around to remind myself where I came from.

Original review:

It irritates me to see scathing reviews from folks who have not bothered to read the book, like the astute intellect who claimed to "throw up" while marking it as "to read," as if it were Mein Kampf or something. I really enjoyed this book. I'm not really sure what I expected; I'm not a big reader of politicos, or even nonfiction for that matter. It was an easy and enjoyable and sometimes fascinating read though, and I am glad I gave it the benefit of the doubt. I found this book to be self-serving at times... ok most of the time.... ok, pretty much all of the time. But hey, I must admit that if I were in charge of writing my own book, I'd be obliged to do the same. The book is obviously very one-sided and is not trying to be a history textbook. This book was a convenient and smart move for Mrs. Palin; she settled some scores on her own terms, and since you can't talk back to a book, she effectively gets the last word. And the $9 I paid for the book will hopefully help Mrs. Palin pay down some of her legal fees.

[Janice]

I hope her book is good. I would really like to see her run for President.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first time buying a hardcover book on the day it was released! So far so good. I'm a big Sarah fan.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the beginning of the 2008 primaries, someone asked my Mom if I, her politically interested teenager, was excited about Hillary Clinton running for president. My Mom laughed it off and informed the person that there were few people I'd be less likely to get excited about.
Problem was, I wasn't to excited about any of my "options." The 2008 elections were threatening to be majorly uninspiring.
And then, like so many Americans, I watched as John McCain announced his choice for a VP running mate at the Republican National Convention.
Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin.
And like so many others I asked...WHO?

Sarah Palin was easily the most brilliant decision of the entire campaign, on both sides. She brought a whole new level of energy and newness to a campaign that almost died before it began. She drew countless volunteers to Republican Victory Centers around the US and animated voters in a way no one could expect. She was new. She was different. She was inspiring.
Like so many others, I hightailed it down to the local Victory Center to volunteer.
And later I had the amazing privilege of serving on a Generation Joshua Student Action Team up in Green Bay, five days of intense campaigning at a key critical race before the election. Those were hours of swapping joke, singing the SNL Palin rap (I say Obama you say Ayers! Obama...Ayers! Obama...Ayers!) and randomly discussing Joe the Plumber (I still have an Endorsed by Joe the Plumber: McCain/Palin bumpersticker pinned to my bullitan board)
I remember Election Day, when Sarah Palin got on the phone and gave us tired volunteers a quick prep-talk.
And that night, as we watched the results come in and the 30 or so of us teenage volunteers could only sit and wonder at our future. Too young to have realized that life goes on, we were in a state of shock.
I guess I start out this review remembering the election to tell you my bias.
I loved Sarah Palin. I even made a sign that said "Palin 2012"
And then...she retired from her position as Governor of Alaska. And like so many, I didn't know what to think...
I didn't know the reason she left and I my enthusiasm waned. Couldn't she have stuck it out one more year...? By the time I picked up Going Rogue , I really didn't know what to think of Sarah Palin.
I was so pleasantly surprised! There is something just....refreshing about Palin. Many people have criticized the book as being "unprofessional". In a way, her writing and the style of the book aren't exactly your typical "political memoir", but that is part of what makes her who she is. Palin presents herself as your "typical American". Heaven's sake, the sub title of her books is An American Life . Pretty much everything she says adds to that theme, including her writing. It isn't "typical" because Palin won't present herself like that. While I won't use the cliché of saying she "writes from the heart", she certainly expresses herself with a fun lack of reserve. She is blunt, honest, and occasionally feisty. I learned that she loves her family. A lot. And I learned to appreciate her kids as I read the hidden message of love between every line.
Her enthusiasm just rocks off the page! She energizes, encourages, and makes you want to take over the world. It was fascinating learning about her life, from council member to mayor to governor to VP nominee. She's a radical, a reformist, someone teenage girls like me can look up too. Someone who takes on her own party and manages to keep her campaign promises. She balances faith with politics, and manages to be no-nonsense.
It was fascinating reading about what she grew up in. I mean the idea of wooden sidewalks and gutting fish for caviar are a whole world away for most of us Americans, the "Alaskan Spirit."
Palin can be very wry and funny, like when she talks about her husband, and yet respectful. She clearly appreciated her running mate, John McCain, and I really appreciated that perspective.
She addresses lots of the issues that were brought up during the campaign against her (the "huge funding for a Palin wardrobe" and her supposed "book banning")and writes about a lot of the difficulty she had (the stuffed that labeled her at 'headquarters' as "going rogue") about not being able to talk to local reporters and the changes she made in the press release (that never got changed) about Bristol's pregnancy. Lots of stuff that I had always kind of wondered about (not that I knew about the local reporters....but their supposed 'enthusiasm' at being grandparents - or however the official line went)
Most of the book is just the story of her life...with her blunt, fun way of writing.
A huge thanks to Mr. Baer who put the book in my hands and told me to read it!

Now I know I have been going on about awesome she is, I don't want to sound like to much of a total fan-girl. I'm not. I realize she has numerous flaws and isn't as "un-political" as the book may present at times. But I certainly have learned to appreciate Palin.

What the final kicker for me was reading about why she resigned from the governorship. She takes almost an entire chapter to explain it, and I know I couldn't do it justice, but I now understand why, and I respect her for it. Do I agree with the decision? Well, that isn't my place to say. I wasn't in her shoes. But I now understand why she did it. I'm aghast that the media and so many people be such a bunch of jerks.
I mean, McCain/Palin lost the election. Yet somehow they now felt the need to drive her out of office?
To be fair, this book wasn't all amazing. There were times I felt like Palin makes general "stabs" at people. Headquarters, for one. She rants. Occasionally raves. And doesn't keep the "politically correct" outlook even on fellow politicians.

Palin finishes the chapter with a really encouraging chapter about "what she stands for." If anything, I'd say it also sums up what the tea parties began as. While it would be rather far-fetched to say Palin single-handidly formed the tea-parties, she certainly had a hand in it.

I found Going Rogue to be incredibly encouraging. So many great flashbacks from that 2008 election came back to me as I read it. So many memories. Campaigning, even as a volunteer, is exhausting stuff. It is easy to get frustrated, maybe even bitter. Palin's tone of just... excitement is energizing. It is exciting. Encouraging.
I understand that a great deal of my appreciation for this book is because I’ve been out there campaigning. I’ve been yelled at by irritable voters who don’t like being called, I’ve had doors slammed in my face, and been sworn at a time or two. It is nice to get the “politician’s” perspective. We volunteers might be the groundwork, but the people we’re campaigning for set the tone.
There have been many opinions that Palin didn’t actually write this book. I don’t know if she did or not, but I’m not going to worry about it. I won’t be devastated to discover she didn’t write it, but for right now I think it is best to hold that she did. Take it for what it is, an intriguing political memoir that may have needed an editor and might have used a ghostwriter, but that explains a lot of what happened in 2008. If nothing else, read it for awareness.
Discovering that Hillary Clinton was running for president didn't excite me. Quite the oposite. Knowing that someone like Sarah Palin is out there...now that is exciting. She may be a politician, but a dang good one.
I know many conservatives have given up on her. I almost did. Don't. She isn't perfect. I think part of our problem was we expected her to be an un-politician. Someone so "new" she would be untainted. And in many ways she is, but you see, there is a key word in "politicians". It is "political." And unfortunately, it is hard to separate the two. What I came away from this book with was this...don't give up on her. Sarah Palin isn't an angel, but she is a lot of what we have been looking for. She holds to her values, and upholds the will of the people, even if that means going against what she might think, which makes her controversial. Sarah Palin is a very controversial person. It is hard to take middle ground with her. You love her or hate her. But, give this book a chance. Like Tony Blair said, "In the end, believe your political leaders or not, as you will. But do so, at least, having understood their minds."

There are several of her ending quotes I wanted to share, but I lost the slip of paper where I scribbled them down on, so maybe I'll get them up here some other time. For now, I will just put Palin's wonderful conclusion.

Many Americans don't even vote because they've come to expect government to be indifferent - or corrupt. I want to challenge those Americans to stand up with me. The enlightened elites want to tell you to sit down and shut up. But the way forward is to stand and fight. Throw tea parties. March on Capitol Hill. Write letters to the editor. Run for local office - you never know where it may lead. And make your voice heard on every single election day, on every single issue. That is your birthright.
Stand now. Stand together. Stand for what is right.

[Teela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've written my review in the form of a letter to former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin.

Dear SP-

Well, I know one thing for sure after reading ‘Going Rogue.’ And that’s that the subtitle should read “An Alaskan Life” instead of ‘An American Life.’ I read this book to hear you out if you will, and as much as the book was written with a twinge of 8th grade jabs at various individuals, I definitely heard you loud and clear. If anyone ever pissed you off, well they can expect to see their name in print. I’m glad I went ‘rogue’ with you SP, because I needed more information and I got it and intend on sharing it with others. Please, hear me out. I promise not to go all ‘rogue’ on you like you did on us.

On your prideful nature: I’m all about hometown pride. Well, Gresham was just reported to be the most dangerous city in Oregon and fared higher in the rankings than both LA and NY I believe, but be that as it may, I grew up there. Oregon itself is fantastic. We’ve got the mountains, the beach, the lovely rain (I’m being sincere), and the gift of seasons. However, I live to travel…internationally, nationally, it is something vital to my existence. It is necessary that I communicate, eat, and walk in different backyards to create a larger understanding than what I might of just assumed is right sitting on my own couch without ever taking a journey. SP you seem to think that Alaska is MORE than enough.
You are prideful in your state to a fault. You constantly refer to the other 49 states in this union that you are “allegedly” so proud of as ‘Outsiders’ throughout the entirety of this book. I don’t know if I would ever want someone sitting in The Oval Office making decisions for a bunch of ‘Outsiders’ because how can you possibly understand us if you yourself feel this way? You were even surprised when you spotted an Alaskan reporter on the campaign trail when you wrote, “He’d made it Outside to track us down” (Palin, 255)! Yes, ever since the creation of planes, automobiles and ships, people have realized their potential to cross state and even country lines. For real.
As if being ‘Outsiders’ isn’t bad enough, you give Alaskans this ‘holier than thou’ stance while making assumptions about the residents of the other 49 states (assumptions as you apparently hadn’t gotten out much before Campaign ‘08). This first excerpt is clearly offensive to any Oregonian as we are a leader of being a “green” state.” “For many in Alaska, being “green” isn’t about wearing Birkenstocks and driving a hybrid; it’s about survival” (Palin, 28). Oh, so that’s what we all think being green is. Thanks for clearing that up.
This next excerpt may be my favorite of the entire book at your sheer incompetence about the rest of America, which you seem to love so much, but know little about. “…[W:]ildfires in the Lower 48 are often treated as natural disasters. Up here, we often let them burn, knowing that from fire-blackened lands new growth will spring” (Palin, 208). Really SP? Did you just say that? While you may live in a HUGE state and constantly remind us of that (see page 133 as an example) area wise, no one lives there (Alaska is 47/50 in population)! The reason we can’t just allow wildfires to burn relentlessly on the “Outside” is because people LIVE here and we must protect their homes, possessions, and oh yeah, their lives. So yes, it IS a disaster instead of this “precocious occasion of rebirth.”
On party lines: SP, you emphasize how much you dislike political labeling, that you’d like to reach across the aisle, but describe yourself as a conservative until we find a better title. However, you consistently attach negative adjectives to liberals. Hint, when you describe yourself as “mavericky” and always “mixin things up” maybe your own book is an appropriate venue in which to can these political terms that you abhor. And tacking on ugly names onto a certain group of people that you want to work together on issues with may or may not be the best idea.
You also choose to separate instead of integrate when you talk about that damned liberal media. On one occasion you say: “the time has come to acknowledge that it is a counterfeit objectivity the liberal media try to sell consumers” (Palin, 348). Interesting, because FIVE pages prior, you mentions how FOX had started “character assassinations” on you right after the campaign. Correct me if I’m wrong, but we can agree that FOX is a more conservative than liberal news outlet, right? Then seriously…FIVE pages later you are going to attack only the liberal media, SP?? Who edited your book? Let me know so I can veto them from my list of editors.
After many statements like above where you slander liberals, you present this at the end of your book: “I also don’t like the narrow stereotypes of either the ‘conservative’ or the ‘liberal’ label, but until we change the lingo, call me a Commonsense Conservative” (Palin, 384). Reading the 383 pages prior to this sentence, a reader, a skeptical reader no less, would never have thought you had such complacent views on political party affiliation, SP. I don’t think I need to say it, but that sentence is in direct contradiction of what you’ve been saying the rest of the book! That right there is the definition of going rogue. And no, not in the folksy way you mean it, but in the true definition of “rogue” – a dishonest person.

On taking responsibility: Everyone saw the botched interview where you fell flat on your face, SP. You begin to take blame for your own ‘annoyances’ with Katie Couric and how she got the best of you and you reacted negatively. I was happy for you to take that responsibility and own up; not placing blame on anyone else. But just as with most of the book up until this point, you slide in a catty phrase as if to get the upper hand and hit a low blow into Couric’s ovaries, where it really hurts. Her ratings. “That bracket of time also included my seemingly endless serial chat with the lowest-rated news anchor in network television, Katie Couric” (Palin, 270). Oh well, SP, we know how you deal with low ratings. You resign.

On SNL: “Tina’s impression became so omnipresent-and so unchallenged-that some people blurred SNL skit dialogue with what I had actually said…this is make or break stuff” (Palin, 309). SP, as your book has been, SNL is purely for entertainment value and in the last 35 years that they’ve been on the air there have been approximately 9 other presidential elections. While Tina Fey’s impression was impeccable and hilarious, you are not the first nor will you be the last to be imitated on what is a sketch comedy show, not a news network. They even let you come on and do a few sketches to get your agenda out. Give me a break and the American people more credit for actually watching the debates and SNL to decide for themselves what is “true because it’s funny” which frankly, it was. And I watched all of it (much like all the papers you said you read during your ‘annoyed’ interview with that lowest rated news anchor).

SP, I will make sure to pass this book around in an effort to recycle (I don’t wear Birkenstocks but I do in fact reduce and reuse) this amongst my friends so they won’t have to pay the $9 plus shipping and thus, no more copies will have to be printed. Then I will give it to Powell’s (that’s the largest bookstore in our great nation). I think it’s important to get as many eyes on this as possible before that fateful day we hear you are running for office in 2012. That way, you can’t accuse me of not voting for you because of those crazy liberal journalists, but because of your own incompetence that you have put into a book for me to read. Thank you for that early Christmas present.

-Teela

PS…Just because I enjoyed reading it so much the first time, I had to put it in print again. “If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat” (Palin, 133)? Which brings me to wonder SP, why then are we made out of meat?

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to Sarah Palin’s GOING ROGUE: AN AMERICAN LIFE because I was interested in finding out the true story behind the apparent buffoon the media loved to hate during the 2008 presidential campaign.

Admittedly, I have never hitherto read a political autobiography, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I found the book both interesting and illuminating.

The first part of the book describes her personal life and antecedents. We see her as a high school athlete, and we see her working on a commercial fishing boat and at similar jobs. For much of their marriage, her husband Todd worked on the North Slope and at other jobs simultaneously to support the Palin’s growing family.

Meeting the members of her extended clan and understanding what they actually did and who they were helped put what followed into perspective.

After two terms on the Wasilla City Council, she was elected mayor and used her considerable personal and people skills to rid the city of inefficiency and corruption.

As governor of Alaska, she defied the party bosses to get rid of corrupt legislators (most of them Republican). Always energetic and independent, she stood up to the oil companies and won, and she slashed large amounts of pork from the state budget. She even reduced her own salary, gave back the state-provided car on the grounds that she already owned one, and unlike her predecessors, stayed in modest hotels.

In her campaign to become Vice President, her very strengths worked against her. Fiercely independent, she was now at the bidding of party operatives, who often disagreed amongst themselves and who often told her nothing at all. She was criticized for going “off-script” when their was no script, the absence of which left her feeling free to say what she thought, even though sincerity is not often a valued quality in politics.

When she was preparing to debate Joe Biden, for instance, she was handed a large stack of 5X8 index cards with a question on the front and six or eight evasive “nonanswers” on the back. As McCain staffers grilled her on the questions, she was at times criticized for giving the wrong one of the possible answers, even though the staffers had written them themselves.

She also readily admits that she messed up. One big mistake was that she let it show when she was getting annoyed if the same interviewer asked her the same question 20 times in a row, or when she unexpectedly had back-to-back-to-back interviews. When she would appear on the news, only the silly or inarticulate parts would appear, and all the rest would be tubed.

I assume that Sarah Palin didn’t write GOING ROGUE any more than John F. Kennedy wrote PROFILES IN COURAGE. (In the acknowledgements, she thanks the woman who helped her in “getting the words on paper,” which could mean anything.) Nonetheless, the style is straightforward and the ideas are expressed in plain language that any reader can understand, just as I imagine Palin’s own style would be.

I’m not naïve, but to me the book exudes sincerity. Are all the “facts” strictly true? Got me, but I am inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. Naturally, every political autobiographer wants to put his best foot forward, and other participants might tell the story differently, but I see no reason not to, provisionally at least, take her at her word.

Despite her weaknesses, I’m convinced that Sarah Palin is the American patriot she says she is, and I recommend this book to anyone open-minded enough to want to hear the other side of the story.

[Damon Suede · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you have purchased this book, and not been handed a FREE promotional copy at a rally, then I imagine you're drunk the Koolaid on this one.

Governor Palin makes much of what is essentially a smoke-n-mirrors political career and explains away incidents that will be forgotten in 10 years time. The enshrined ego and blindess make for a toxic cocktail.

For my part I find Palin fascinating, because of her relentless aggression and strange affect: every page of this book is as empty of context or clarity as deep space... a hall of mirrors reflecting an America that never existed. Her eagerness to self-mythologize and weave mountains from molehills gets wearing 25 pages in. The truth is, the woman has talked a great deal and done very little. She is a symbol for many Americans, and yet, she isn't much more.

Even the title here is intended to BRAND her, and to brand her falsely. She is in no way a rogue. In fact her entire book is a paean to rigid conservatism and kneejerk prejudice. Again, it's the predatory ambition I find fasincating, and her apparent lack of ANY ideas which are her own. Her eagerness to quote other, greater politicians would be less depressing if she wasn't holding herself herself up as an example of successful female politician. I wish she just had more of her own thoughts.

To read a book filled with PR spin and regurgitation of other people's thoughts starts to feel like a waste of time, and in the end, this book is. It is a piece of advertising for a product that is all package and zero content. Skip: unless you're a moron or a masochist.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was compelled to get and read the book because I knew Sarah in college. In fact we had the same major and completed the Broadcast Journalism program at the University of Idaho at the same time. She had also visited my church and college youth group.

There are many reviews on this book already. And almost all of them seem to bring their preconceived notions to the table. What a NON-shock to find that liberal newspapers call it "trailer park trash". What further NON-shock to find that most conservative media outlets praise the book a "brazen and refreshing."

What most reviews seem to miss is the deep effect her writing will have on its readers. This book is likely to serve as the full for the "T.E.A. Party movement." Governor Palin, is just an average American. She got to where she is by just becoming active in activities she was passionate about. Her work will cause people to get involved.

What critics read as hypocrisy, I believe average Americans will read as honest sharing and find it inspirational. An example of this is Sarah's writing about the personal turmoil she (as a pro-life advocate) felt when she found out she was pregnant with a downs syndrome baby. It is not hypocritical to question ones own beliefs or to reason with yourself about the consequences of following your principles.

Honest and good hearted people do this all the time.

The deepest criticism is that Sarah doesn't address some of our current cultural topics (War in Iraq, President Bush or Obama policies, Free Trade, and Immigration) but she does cover energy policies quite nicely. So read the book and give consideration to her viewpoints.

[Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't understand why so many people hate this woman. I admit that I like her - even more now that I've read this memoir. I learned things I never knew about Palin: how she got scholarship money to go to school, how she suffered a miscarriage, how she eloped, how she entered public service, how she believes so strongly in the "what" she believes.

And she's a smart cookie, too. Her plain-speak may come across as dumb or simple. She's neither. But she wasn't ready to catapulted upon the National stage when McCain picked her as his running mate.

This is her answer to her detractors and enemies. Going Rogue: An American Life is her story.

[Travel Writing · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Mom, a hard-core Republican, gave me this book for Christmas.

To her complete astonishment, and my utter horror, I read every page.

I hate myself for it.

Without a complimentary acid tab and head injury the story makes no cohesive sense. The grammar and spelling and run on sentences made me want to tear the pages out and eat them. In retrospect, eating the pages of this book may be the only positive contribution (in fiber) Sarah Palin will ever have in my life.

It would have been a one day read, but it was just to painful to do in one day. I also wrote a thank you note for this gift, but it was right up there with herpes in the worst gift category.