The author's sense of humor really shines in her writing. Her strength and determination to run as a progressive in a red county and then win is truly inspiring. She is an example of how change can occur in places that you don't expect. The author stressed the importance of local government on daily life and how important it is to vote in EVERY election, not just presidential ones.

SOMEBODY'S GOTTA DO IT by Adrienne Martini deals with one woman's experience running for elected position – and serving – in Otsego County's District 12's local office in upstate New York. Publishers Weekly describes this memoir as a "useful guide for those contemplating the plunge into electoral politics." Several other reviews comment on the author's use of humor, as reflected in her subtitle: "Why Cursing at the News Won't Save the Nation, But Your Name on a Local Ballot Can." I did not have an opportunity to fully preview this book, but I am certainly looking forward to seeing one of the copies our public library consortium has purchased. Through her own story, Martini seeks to reinforce the idea of how critical democracy is and how each of us can make a difference. I love her hopeful, optimistic view: "every crisis also contains opportunity. Dig deep and discover your joyful warrior within. The only way out of this is to convert all that fear and ire and disgust into action. Small steps matter, especially if we hold hands and take them together."

Ms. Martini has a dry humor but it is infused throughout this humorous, casual look at how to run for office and the sometimes crazy world of actually being in office. While most of her knowledge is related to her own local election, some basics are translatable to wherever the reader finds themselves. Ms. Martini also included insight from people in other markets who have sought or held office. She also included national information about the increased involvement of women after the 2016 election. This added a more universal feeling to her main argument: local politics has a greater impact on our every day life and more people should consider running for office. As someone who once had aspirations of politics, I wholeheartedly agree with her. Unlike Ms. Martini, I can not recall the last time we had a local election where a candidate ran unopposed. My local environment is quite different from hers. However, this did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. I liked learning about the process and enjoyed her relaying of some of the more humorous aspects of life as a candidate and a representative.