We swore we'd stay away from political books...
A guest post from Don Weisberg on why we broke our own rule
Hi everyone,
This is my first appearance on Substack, but since I've been at Authors Equity from the beginning, I'd like to share a bit about a book we’re publishing today that was one of our first acquisitions.
When Madeline reached out to me about creating a new publishing venture, one of our first conversations was about the list we'd try to build. If you've been following along with us, you've probably noticed that we've got a bit of everything, and that reflects the breadth of our interests as readers and publishers.
But there was one category we agreed to stay away from, even though it's one of my favorites: politics.
Two weeks later, we received a proposal from Casey Burgat, a former congressional staffer turned graduate school professor who was trying to change the conversation around politics in America. Seemed like an easy "no," based on our just-formed rule.
But then we met Casey.
A couple days later we signed our first political book.
So much for that.
One of the many reasons I love publishing is getting to meet incredibly talented people who are brilliant and passionate about what they do, and who want nothing more than to share that knowledge with the world. That's Casey. We met him and fell in publishing love.
We were about to enter one of the most important election cycles of our lifetime, and anyone could see it was going to get ugly. Casey convinced us that the country needed a better foundation for the conversations that were about to happen. We knew we wouldn't have the book out in time for the election, but we also knew we’d still have a problem long-term, whatever the results. Left, right, center – everyone can see something's broken, but we just keep talking past each other.
We Hold These "Truths" goes on sale today, and I believe in this book and its author even more than I did when we acquired it.
Adam Grant called it "the crash course in civics America needs," and he's absolutely right. Right now, three-quarters of Americans can’t name the three branches of government, and politicians are counting on that ignorance. But this book is the antidote.
Casey teamed up with an incredible group of experts on both sides of the aisle – from members of Congress to White House staffers to leading academics – to give us an insiders’ view and to challenge what we think we know about how the government actually works. Each chapter tackles a different political myth – from the limits of presidential power to the "death" of bipartisanship and the influence of money in politics – and breaks it down in a way that helps us understand what’s really going on behind the headlines.
I am not a historian, nor am I a scholar. I love our country and want to have and to listen to intelligent conversations that move us forward – especially at a time when we seem to disagree about everything. When I read Casey's proposal, I immediately felt its urgency and significance because I needed it. We all need it.
I've been keeping it on my desk for those moments when the political headlines make absolutely no sense – something that seems to be happening more and more these days.
The chapters in this book can be read in any order, and since we're heading into the Super Bowl this weekend, I'll leave you with a note on one of my favorites – one that tackles the common refrain to "keep politics out of sports." I had recently visited the Coliseum in Rome when I read it, and the chapter made me think about it in a whole different way. I won't spoil it, but let's just say these arguments didn't start when Colin Kaepernick took a knee. Plus some things to look out for this weekend...
Authors Equity has grown a lot since that first conversation Madeline and I had about political books. I'm so glad we broke our own rule when we acquired We Hold These "Truths". We're better for our partnership with Casey, and his book's readers will be, too.
After all, the best publishing happens when you're passionate about something. Always has, always will.
- Don
Order your copy of We Hold These “Truths” today, at Amazon, B&N, Bookshop, and wherever books are sold.
And for a weekly dose of civics, head over to Crash Course with Casey Burgat on Substack.
Chapter Preview:
Rep. Steve Israel on the real influence of money in politics.
Alyssa Farah Griffin on the limits of presidential power.
Lindsay Chervinsky on the Constitution’s imperfections.
Rep. Derek Kilmer on what members of Congress actually do.
Quardricos Driskell on why lobbyists are so powerful.
Casey Burgat on congressional term limits.
Rep. Bill Pascrell on why compromise has become irrational.
James Curry and Frances Lee on bipartisan legislating.
Adam Jentleson on the Senate filibuster.
Liliana Mason on “the rational voter.”
Steve Vladeck on why we need more politics in the courts.
Jane McManus on sports and politics.
Matt Fuller on the root causes of polarization in the media.
Misreading the room.