So Here's the Thing . . .

"Reading So Here's the Thing... is exactly like hanging out with Alyssa. You will laugh a lot, learn even more, and just be grateful that she is your friend."

"My favorite thing about Alyssa's books is knowing someone as normal as the rest of us can work in the most prestigious positions in the world and do it with a sense of humor and self-deprecation. We could all do with more of both. Read it, and laugh."

"Growing up is hard. Trusting your gut? Sheesh. That sounds impossible at times. Let Alyssa Mastromonaco hold your hand and show you that with some good laughs and a lot of heart, life can be a little less daunting. I wish I'd read this book when I was younger, but it still resonates today, and I know it will be relevant at all stages of life. What a gift."

"I'm just going to say this book lets the 'cat out of the bag,' so to speak: everyone who knows her or reads her work wants to be Alyssa's best friend. SO HERE'S THE THING... makes it impossible not to want that. Her life stories somehow make all of us feel seen. All of which means my position on the waiting list for the best friend title may shift. While I'm coming to terms with that, I will also say I'm all for mixing patterns, just not always the ones Alyssa puts together."

PREVIOUS PRAISE FOR WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA? AND ALYSSA MASTROMONACO:
"Always fascinating and very funny, Alyssa's book is full of juicy stories from one of the world's most glamorous jobs."

"WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA? is everything we've come to know and love about Alyssa over the decade we worked with her: brilliant, funny, grounded, and inspiring. Anyone who's interested in politics - especially young people - should read this book."

"Few people have had as much access and influence over national events over the last decade as Alyssa Mastromonaco. No matter how serious the crisis or hard the problem, Alyssa took care of it with great skill and professionalism, and even greater humor. This book tells the story of a young woman succeeding under extraordinary circumstances, and throughout it all, never taking herself too seriously."

"I've often wondered how a woman can be so many things wrapped up in one dynamic package. Alyssa is my fairy godmother: she's wise, resourceful, insanely smart, and makes me laugh in a very special way. Her stories - from the front line of the White House to her kitchen - will entertain, inspire, and humor you for a long time to come."

"Alyssa is a force: whip-smart, humble, and funny as hell. Her writing is as fearless as she is."

"When imagining working in the White House, many picture meaningful meetings, glamorous dinners, and high-stakes decision making. It can be all of those things. But as Alyssa Mastromonaco writes in WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?, the reader gets a real and raw peek behind the curtains where Alyssa experiences the good, the bad, the distressing, and the often hilarious. Alyssa has real grit and grace, and her book is her story very well told."

"A combination memoir and compendium of very good suggestions about how to get ahead -- very far ahead -- at an early age."

"[WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA] is brimming with...humorous, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, as well as up-close-and-personal moments with Obama that shed new light on who he is as a leader, man and friend."

"A moving, funny, and sometimes heart-wrenching look back at the years [Alyssa Mastromonaco] spent in politics and by [President Obama's] side. A must-read for anybody who's even remotely interested in how Washington works, but is worth reading for anyone who enjoys brilliant wit and once-in-a-lifetime stories...you'll probably end up reading it more than once."

"This relatable memoir is packed with juicy on-the-road stories and crisis management advice, and presents a strong case for embracing a sense of humor in the face of humbling setbacks."