President Bill Clinton has a new book out about his life after leaving the White House, and PEOPLE has an exclusive excerpt.
“Citizen: My Life After the White House,” released Nov. 19 by Alfred A. Knopf, is about the former president, who became a private citizen on Jan. 20, 2001, after nearly 30 years in politics. This is a first-person account of the years since then. This is my 8th year as president. “For the next two decades, he would build an enduring legacy of public service and advocacy from Indonesia to Louisiana, Northern Ireland to South Africa, and in the process reimagine philanthropy and renew the impact of former presidents on the world. ” explains the book’s official synopsis.
Knopf
The book covers important events such as 9/11 and the Iraq War, the Haiti earthquake, the Great Recession, and the January 6th uprising, as well as the “unprecedented challenges posed by a global pandemic” that have affected our nation and society. It includes Mr. Clinton’s explanation of the problems he faces. “An authoritarian force dedicated to ongoing income inequality, steadily increasing global warming, and the weakening of democracy,” according to a press release shared with PEOPLE.
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In addition to political issues, Citizen takes readers into his life as a father, grandfather, and husband. He spoke of his support for his wife, Hillary Clinton, when she was a senator, secretary of state and presidential candidate, and shared the “frustration and pain” of the 2016 election.
The book, which follows his previous memoir, My Life, is a “candid reflection on the past and with it a fearless embrace of our future” and “a look at one man’s unwavering dedication to his family and country.” It is “testimony”.
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Read an exclusive excerpt from the Citizen detailing his humorous “Rules of Politics” ahead of publication, and hear Clinton read it below.
Hear Bill Clinton read his new book “Citizen”
For years, dating back to my Arkansas days, I kept a list of “Clinton Political Rules” handy to explain, enlighten, and brighten up political conversations.
Never tell anyone to go to hell unless you can make them go (Sam Rayburn told LBJ). Never drink alcohol in public places. They may behave the same way you do. Every time you hear, “It’s nothing personal,” brace yourself. When someone can change the situation, give yourself heat and prepare a barbecue. In general, everyone is in favor of change, but many are especially against it. It depends on whose cow is being bitten. When people say “it’s not about the money,” they’re always talking about other people’s problems. If you see a turtle on a fence post, it didn’t come there by chance. Once you start having a good time, you should be somewhere else. You are always the most vulnerable when you are feeling what you are feeling. When you’re immortal, or exhausted with anger, you take criticism seriously, but don’t take it personally (the one I got from Hillary, and Don Miguel in “The Four Agrements”). (Lewis explains this in detail). Don’t give up on your job. About people — if you dig long enough, there’s almost always a person left somewhere.
The 2016 election forced me to go to the bakery with new rules. “If you’re in a room with someone who says this, you’re going to win anyway,” smile, thank them for their time, and get out of the room as quickly as possible. ” They may want you to win, but they don’t want to speak up for you for fear of criticism or punishment. “Anyway” is the message. Once you hear that, get ready to move.
Excerpt from CITIZEN: My Life After the White House by Bill Clinton, published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Group, and Penguin Random House Audio, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2024 Bill Clinton. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without written permission from the publisher.
Citizen: My Life After the White House by Bill Clinton will be released by Alfred A. Knopf on November 19th and is available for pre-order now wherever books are sold.
