As a fan of TRMS and Rachel Maddow herself, I was very interested in reading this book to find out how she started her career and a little of her history. Ms. Rogak provided so much more information than I expected! While I remembered Rachel was a Rhodes Scholar, I knew very little of her family background, political beliefs or even general thoughts. This book gives the reader more insight into who Rachel Maddow is, and how she reached the level she has attained this far. As I said, I have always enjoyed her news show, and now knowing what kind of hard work goes into producing it I will probably like it even more.

Rachel Maddow: A Biography by Lisa Rogak felt like a very long magazine profile to me, not that that's a bad thing. It was informative about the progress of Maddow's career, but I felt it lacked depth, perhaps the consequence of being about a young, still living subject. I read it in small bits on my phone, which may have affected my opinion of it. I was most interested in the parts about the early stages of MSNBC and how it developed.

Another interesting biography by Rogak (I've already read the author's biographies of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart). I've read and enjoyed Maddow's books, and been a viewer of her show since (almost) the beginning. An interesting book.

This is an interesting glimpse into Maddow's life and her rise in the world of political news. It's obvious that much of this came from interviews and other sources that have delved into Rachel's life. Those who are major fans won't find much new information but casual fans may enjoy this quick read.

This biography was really easy to read and had plenty of interesting tidbits, but I'm not really sure why it was written. Although not said explicitly, it appears to be an unauthorized biography, or more of a thorough collection of all of Maddow's prior interviews and quotes from her show. There's not really any new information here, and for someone as young and busy as Maddow, it's a little odd to read when her story isn't over. Without conducting any new interviews or gathering previously unpublished information, I just don't think this book does anything particularly fresh or exciting. But I did enjoy reading it!

I always enjoy watching the news. The mornings I watch Morning Joe, when I do get a chance to, but in the evening I look forward to watching Rachel"s show. Her's is the one that I turn to when I want to know about something. She brings her receipts, shows all the facts, and lets you decided what to think about it. She's not one to put her thoughts out on everything, and spend her show doing that. It's why I tune into her show so much.
This book is interesting, but there's just not that much to it. It does not come across as anything more than someone who was assigned to write a report about her. I was truly looking for more from it.

I'm rounding up to 3 because it seemed well written even though it was repetitive. I just don't think biographies are a genre I really enjoy. I picked this up because I really didn't know anything about Rachel Maddow. I got that she was smart and she paid her dues to get where she is today. I might even be persuaded to watch her show although like Rachel I don't watch a lot of TV and definitely not talk shows.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I like this summary of Maddow's life and had no idea about her work as an HIV activist when she was younger. A good mixture of personal and work life - I'd recommend it if you're a viewer of her show and want to know more about her.

Rachel Maddow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The first biography of the most popular anchor in cable news.

Rachel Maddow has beaten the odds in a way that’s novel in today’s America: she uses her brain.
In a world of banal and opinionated soundbites, she regularly crushes Sean Hannity’s ratings thanks to her deeply researched reports. And in our highly polarized world, Maddow amiably engages the staunchest conservatives, while never hesitating to expose their light-on-facts defenses.
As a result, she's become the top anchor for MSNBC and a beloved representative for all that progressive America holds dear. The news that Maddow was the first publicly-out lesbian to anchor a prime-time TV news show seemed almost anticlimactic to her millions of viewers, who will be surprised and intrigued by little-known details of her life, as written by New York Times bestselling biographer Lisa Rogak.
Growing up in a conservative California town – and viewing herself as a perennial outsider – helped spark an early interest in activism. After attending Stanford and Oxford, she opted for a minimum-wage job as a radio DJ in a tiny Massachusetts market while finishing her Ph.D. She planned to pursue a career as an activist, but 9/11 changed all that, so she returned to local radio where she could help listeners by "explaining stuff." A stint at Air America raised her national profile, which led to her groundbreaking MSNBC show where she dissects the news of the day with an approach found nowhere else on TV.

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, not far from Stanford University, we knew of Rachel Maddow and her activism. But it’s what we as the general public didn’t know is what has me fascinated.

I realize this book being a biography doesn’t give us the full story of Rachel and her life. I look hope one day she will write her autobiography, now that will be well worth the read. This is an easy & quick read that tells the story of how challenging it is to be a "good" reporter of news that is not typically entertaining.

Having never watched TRMS this book quickly turned me into a fan. I now have the show set to record new episodes and watching it during these turbulent times gives me a better understanding of the mess our current political arena is.

In today’s political climate, we need someone who is willing to hit equally hard across all the shades of RED or BLUE.

Yes Rachel your opinions matter. I look forward to reading your books and learning more about the person you are today.

I received this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you NetGalley, Lisa Rogak and St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

Rachel Maddow had blue hair!

That’s my favorite tidbit from this biography. Why does that crack me up so much? I think it’s because a blue head in a sea of black and gray politics seems beautifully incongruent, especially when the head belongs to a person who isn’t flashy, who doesn’t like to draw attention to her appearance.

But it’s not just blue hair that intrigued me; there are plenty of other interesting facts about this TV brainiac newscaster. Here’s one: Her pet peeve is when a person makes a statement sound like a question (using the wrong inflection at the end of a sentence). She is so passionate about this that she doesn’t allow her staff to use question marks—seriously! That sounds like a tall order to me! She says, “There will never be a question mark used as punctuation in any script ever given to me.” (!)

I’m not sure why I wanted to read this book, really, as I’m not a crazy Rachel gusher. I watch her show (The Rachel Maddow show) only occasionally. I prefer fiction to politics; I’d pick punsters over pundits any day. But the woman fascinates me. Newscasters usually put me to sleep with their drony voices. Rachel Maddow doesn’t. She talks in layman’s terms, and she does so with a sparkle that others don’t have. She’s passionate, earnest, funny, and absolutely brilliant. (I better watch out because I’m dangerously close to sounding like a full-fledged gusher!)

I loved hearing about how she got to be where she is today. I learned that she once was an AIDS activist, that she went to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and got a Ph.D. She sort of fell into newscasting, starting with radio. The book talked a bit about Rachel coming out and about her partner, who she has been with since 1999.

We learn what motivates Rachel (a fear of failure), and we learn her purpose (to explain things so we all can understand). She succeeds. Since watching political hearings and debates bores me, I’ll watch Rachel’s show to get a summary. She has an amazing talent for getting Republicans to talk with her. She tries to not raise her voice (her mom will let her know if she does!). There are all sorts of other cool facts. For example, she’s light on pop culture; she didn’t know that Jenner was related to the Kardashians, for example. And an irresistible tidbit: She co-wrote the lyrics of a political song with her musician friend Erin McKeown. It’s called “Baghdad to the Bayou.” I liked it so much I downloaded it!

My very favorite part of the book was the description of her current work scene. The book goes into minute detail of how she and the show operate. She works super long hours and spends a good part of the day sequestered away so she can read and prepare. She is the consummate researcher! This section of the book was absolutely thrilling. I guess it’s because her high-speed workday was described so vividly; I felt like I was right there watching it all go down. So much goes into creating one live show!

Complaint Board (minor infractions)

-Not enough info about her childhood. I would have loved more anecdotes from friends and family, or from Rachel herself.

-The straightforward journalistic style seemed flat occasionally.

-Way too much time was spent on the inner workings of the Air America radio network. Yoo-hoo, this book is about Rachel, not radio! It was so bad I considered chucking the book. Just when I was about to bail, the book picked up and I became immersed again.

-The books ended at 77 percent on the Kindle. I was settled in, hoping for more when suddenly, it was over. This is because the last quarter of the book is all footnotes! I’m sure this was fixed by publication date, but in my copy there are no footnote numbers in the text—so the list of footnotes at the end was completely useless to me.

From now on, when I think of Rachel Maddow, I’ll think of how she once had blue hair and how she just hates the old question mark. But no question here—this is a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

I have watched Rachel Maddow as a news anchor for cable news for as long as I can remember. I found her to be intelligent, fascinating and can really breakdown complex issues foreign to be in bite size pieces that I can comprehend. This book was a really exciting read for me to learn more about the person I admired.
This biography by Lisa Rogak really was well written in telling the story of Maddow, a top anchor for MSNBC, as a member of the LGBTQ community and well loved by millions of progressives. I thought that the writing was superb and well researched and very thorough. It is an amazing biography that is presented very well and told a wonderful story of what made her who she is today.
I highly recommend this biography to learn about a well beloved icon.

I’m a big fan of Rachel Maddow-ever since the start of her show my dad and I have watched it nightly, and even though we live separately we still text each other when a news items breaks, eagerly anticipating her take on it, I really enjoyed getting to know more about Rachel and her upbringing. The author did a good job in not just having quotes and basic information that you can find everywhere, unlike other biographies I’ve read. I have already bought a copy for my dad’s birthday.

“Rachel Maddow: A Biography” (2020) is written by NYT bestselling author Lisa Rogak. “The Rachel Maddow Show” first aired in 2008: the Los Angeles Times quickly reported Maddow to be “MSNBC’s New Liberal Spark Plug”—her award winning show continues as the most popular highly rated cable news shows in the history of MSNBC. Maddow is also the author of “Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rouge State Russia, and the Richest Most Destructive Industry on Earth” (2019).

Rachel Maddow (1973-) was a bright, quirky, inquisitive child raised in the conservative Castro Valley, California area by her “very very Catholic” parents. Maddow realized she was gay as a teen, and was keenly aware of racial tension and homophobic attitudes which were universally prevalent in her hometown. As result, Maddow became very open-minded and accepting of the opinions and viewpoints of others—this would be an important skill that would develop and serve her well, particularly in her adult career choice. As a Rhodes Scholar, Maddow attended Stanford University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy (1994)-- she supported AIDS/HIV education joining the radical outspoken Act UP and volunteered in her community for AIDS/HIV related causes. At the University of Oxford, Maddow completed her education studying prison reform involving AIDS/HIV inmates in multiple American southern states, and was eventually awarded a PhD in political science (2001).
In 1999, the relationship Maddow had with an un-named woman ended abruptly after Maddow met the photographer/artist Susan Mikula (1958-). Maddow applied to do some yard maintenance work for Mikula and admitted while she didn’t actually have a green thumb--she could carry and haul off dead things. It was love at first sight. The couple divide their time between their home in Massachusetts and their apartment in NYC where Maddow’s show is produced. Maddow avoids speaking publicly of Mikula and their personal life.

This biography seems to be written carefully, most of the material was from Rogak’s research using public records and previously published articles and interviews. For readers unfamiliar with Maddow, her life, her reporting, her show, etc. the book is highly informative. However, the narrative input of family, friends, colleagues and others is noticeably lacking. In these times of fake news, the corruption and chaos associated with the Trump administration, Maddow lives and speaks with integrity and respect for the truth that can always be appreciated. (3.5* GOOD) **With thanks to St. Martin’s Press-Thomas Dunne Books via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

I am a big fan of Rachel Maddow and already knew most of contents of this biography. That didn't lessen my enjoyment reading this look at her life. She is an incredibly talented woman, one of those special people to have on your list that you whip out when somebody asks you who would be you list of guests at your dream dining table. She will always be on my list.
As for the writing and the content, I did wish it had had more depth with interviews from friends, family and associates. When the time comes for Rachel Maddow to write her autobiography - I hope she does write one - I will be eager to read it and learn more of what makes her tick. Until then, this is a good read and the writing style has a comfortable flow.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Watching Rachel Maddow's nightly show on MSNBC, it quickly becomes clear that she is passionate about her job. I appreciate her storytelling ability and the incredible amount of research that she does. It was fascinating to read the story of her own life and find out how she ended up where she is today. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this biography.

Lisa Rogak’s biography of Rachel Maddow provides a comprehensive portrait of the leading cable news professional, whose following, and ratings, continue to grow.

Starting with her birth on April Fool’s Day in 1973, Ms. Rogak’s meticulous research of previous interviews and coverage furnish rich details about Maddow’s life that the author organizes and relates in interesting and informative chapters. In fact, Ms. Rogak’s structure of the book is one of its most compelling features, allowing the reader access to defining times through the subject’s life – ‘Personal Life’, ‘Daily Routine’ and ‘Making a Name on Air’ to name a few.

The earliest reference cited is from Maddow’s 1990 high school graduation speech and reflects Ms. Rogak’s exhaustive examination of existing reference materials gathered to construct a meaningful biography. Ms. Rogak’s work is solid, informative, interesting and very conveniently collected in one place with detailed footnotes.

I love Rachel Maddow’s quick wit and ability to eviscerate opponents in a live debate. I was interested to read a bit of unknown about her background but unfortunately most of this information was already pretty much known. When I requested the book I just saw her name and thought well I definitely want to read this, but in retrospect an autobiography likely would've been what I was looking for. But I greatly appreciate the advanced copy and the opportunity to give feedback!

While I would give Rachel Maddow herself 5 Stars anytime, I’m disappointed to say that this book was only in the okay category for me. I’m a big Maddow fan. While I occasional watch a little Morning Joe while I’m getting ready for work, Rachel’s show is the only news show I consistently watch. I love how she easily explains things without talking down to her audience and that she gives you information so that you can make up your own mind. She doesn’t tell you how you should think and feel like most news pundits love to do. Plus she has a nice calming voice which I appreciate since it seems like there is something awful happening every day now. Anyway, I was really looking forward to learning more about Rachel but I didn’t feel like enough of that happened.

I’m not a huge nonfiction fan but I enjoy reading about people and subjects that I am interested in. What I realized after reading this book is that there is a big difference between biographies and autobiographies. Of course I know why they are different but I truly noticed that difference with this book. I think if this would have been an autobiography, especially an audiobook with Rachel narrating herself, I think I would have loved this. Instead I felt a real disconnect. This felt like someone who had an assignment, sourced all their information, and wrote a report. It was interesting but I didn’t feel connected to Rachel. I looked at the author’s notes and I don’t think she ever interviewed Rachel or any friends and family to make this book. It was all done from information that was already out there (as far as I can tell) and unfortunately it felt like it. Just when I was interested in something, the book would jump to a new topic. There was too much surface level info and not enough deep and hearty content.

I did find some new info about Rachel. While I knew some of Rachel’s early life, I didn’t know just how much she did as an AIDS activist. Her early life is just as impressive if not more than even now. In fact, I thought the book dragged a bit when it got to Rachel starting her TV show. I don’t if it is because I knew most of the info already but the book slowed down for me at that point. I wish there was more about Rachel’s early life, personal life or even more from the current time period. This book stopped earlier timeline wise than I expected.

If you are a casual Rachel fan and don’t know much about her life, this book might work better for you. If you know a good bit about Rachel already, you might not find much new information here. This book is readable and I did learn some, but it wasn’t really what I was hoping for. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that Rachel will write her own life story in the future.

In the interests of transparency, I think Rachel Maddow is brilliant, and I watch her most evenings, confident that I will learn something. Lisa Rogak tracks Maddow’s life from birth to her current status as the most watched cable anchor. I think much of Maddow’s personal trials and tribulations intentionally remain in the shadows. It must be challenging to write a biography about a current journalist who is in her prime, with years ahead to further her profession and live her life, without much time or interest in defining who and why she is for the general public.

After reading this book, I did not know much more about “Rachel, the Person” than I did before. I did learn a lot more about the making of a television news show, the anchor’s commendable ethics in choosing stories and telling them, her respect for others and her ability to interview without directing anger or ridicule towards her guest. She is one of the few television journalists left who place greater importance on informing the public, rather than merely influencing it.

This is an important book to read if you consume any amount of cable news. It will help you understand the how and why of what you watch. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was my pleasure!

In this biography, RACHEL MADDOW, by Lisa Rogak, it quickly become clear that Rachel Maddow is a driven and unique person. From a young woman, she becomes borderline obsessively involved in what she is passionate about, be it AIDS patient care, politics and political policy, or creating the highest quality nightly show every day. Rogak chronicles Rachel Maddow's life prior to her show, how she started in the radio part time, then to Air America radio, then to what is part of the zeitgeist of American political television, "The Rachel Maddow Show". Rogak, using previous interviews, pieces together Maddow's personal life: how she escapes the city every week to unwind with her partner and how Rachel has learned how to deal with her depression. Rogak paints a pictures of a woman who never stops; she always seems to be working on something, finishing something else, and thinking of the next topic or issue to tackle next and only with her designed breaks and escapes, does Rachel not work every moment of every day.
Rogak writes in detail about Maddow's look presentation on her show and how Rachel is very particular about how she looks and wants to look as professional and yet minimalist as possible so that she garners respect without \ actually making any statements or distractions visually that would lessen the impact of the information delivery on her show. Throughout the book, Rogak also created the persona of Rachel that she is the polar opposite of the typical TV personality, she is committed to delivering her message each night and circumstances lead her to television because she could connect to more people that most other mediums. Having a unique interview for the book would have provided a connection between the writer and Maddow and lacking that, at times, left the book feeling like a aggregation of interviews and articles instead of a true biography.
RACHEL MADDOW, by Lisa Rogak, does a good job walking the reader through the life of Rachel Maddow and creates a definitive idea of what makes Rachel the one-of-a-kind person that is compelled to inform and educate our society as well as she can and as often as she can.