
Power Forward
My Presidential Education
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.24
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Reggie Love
-
By:
-
Reggie Love
About this listen
Every path to adulthood is strewn with missteps, epiphanies, and hard-earned lessons. Only Reggie Love's, however, went through the White House by way of Duke University's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mentored by both Coach Krzyzewski and President Obama, Love shares universal insights learned in unique circumstances, an education in how sports, politics, and life can define who you are, what you believe in, and what it takes to make a difference.
Power Forward tells the story of the five years Love worked as a personal assistant to Senator Obama when he was a candidate for president and President Obama, and it is a professional coming-of-age story like no other. What the public knows was well put by Time magazine in 2008: "[Love's] official duties don't come close to capturing Reggie's close bond with Obama, who plays a role that is part boss and part big brother." What the public doesn't know are the innumerable private moments during which that bond was forged and the president mentored a malleable young man. Accountability and serving with pride and honor were learned during unsought moments, including co-coaching grade-school girls' basketball with the president; lending Obama his tie ahead of a presidential debate; managing a personal life when no hour is truly his own; being tasked with getting the candidate up in the morning on time for long days of campaigning.
©2015 Eighty-Four Productions, Inc. All rights reserved (P)2015 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Romney
- A Reckoning
- By: McKay Coppins
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, McKay Coppins
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few figures in American politics have seen more and said less than Mitt Romney. An outspoken dissident in Donald Trump’s GOP, he has made headlines in recent years for standing alone against the forces he believes are poisoning the party he once led. Romney was the first senator in history to vote to remove from office a president of his own party. When that president’s supporters went on to storm the US Capitol, Romney delivered a thundering speech from the Senate floor accusing his fellow Republicans of stoking insurrection.
-
-
Political and intellectual biography at its best!
- By Amazon Customer on 10-25-23
By: McKay Coppins
-
Grace
- President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America
- By: Cody Keenan
- Narrated by: Cody Keenan
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Barack Obama’s chief speechwriter Cody Keenan, a spellbinding account of the ten most dramatic days of the presidency, when a hate-fueled massacre and looming Supreme Court decisions put the character of our country on the line, and a president’s words could bring the nation together or tear it apart.
-
-
A Must Read!
- By Anonymous User on 10-10-22
By: Cody Keenan
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?
- And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House
- By: Alyssa Mastromonaco, Lauren Oyler
- Narrated by: Alyssa Mastromonaco
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If your funny older sister were the former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama, her behind-the-scenes political memoir would sound something like this. Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? is an intimate and admiring portrait of a president, a candid book of advice for young women, and a promising debut from a savvy political star.
-
-
A woman works for obama
- By H. Winslow on 06-13-17
By: Alyssa Mastromonaco, and others
-
Tired of Winning
- Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party
- By: Jonathan Karl
- Narrated by: Jonathan Karl
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Packed with new reporting, Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party tracks Trump’s improbable journey from disgraced and defeated former president to the dominant force, yet again, in the Republican Party. From his exile in Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump has become more extreme, vengeful, and divorced from reality than he was on January 6, 2021. His meddling damaged the GOP’s electoral prospects and his legal troubles were mounting. Yet he re-emerged as the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and the president-elect.
-
-
Compelling and Terrifying
- By Shaz on 11-15-23
By: Jonathan Karl
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Romney
- A Reckoning
- By: McKay Coppins
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, McKay Coppins
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few figures in American politics have seen more and said less than Mitt Romney. An outspoken dissident in Donald Trump’s GOP, he has made headlines in recent years for standing alone against the forces he believes are poisoning the party he once led. Romney was the first senator in history to vote to remove from office a president of his own party. When that president’s supporters went on to storm the US Capitol, Romney delivered a thundering speech from the Senate floor accusing his fellow Republicans of stoking insurrection.
-
-
Political and intellectual biography at its best!
- By Amazon Customer on 10-25-23
By: McKay Coppins
-
Grace
- President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America
- By: Cody Keenan
- Narrated by: Cody Keenan
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Barack Obama’s chief speechwriter Cody Keenan, a spellbinding account of the ten most dramatic days of the presidency, when a hate-fueled massacre and looming Supreme Court decisions put the character of our country on the line, and a president’s words could bring the nation together or tear it apart.
-
-
A Must Read!
- By Anonymous User on 10-10-22
By: Cody Keenan
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?
- And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House
- By: Alyssa Mastromonaco, Lauren Oyler
- Narrated by: Alyssa Mastromonaco
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If your funny older sister were the former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama, her behind-the-scenes political memoir would sound something like this. Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? is an intimate and admiring portrait of a president, a candid book of advice for young women, and a promising debut from a savvy political star.
-
-
A woman works for obama
- By H. Winslow on 06-13-17
By: Alyssa Mastromonaco, and others
-
Tired of Winning
- Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party
- By: Jonathan Karl
- Narrated by: Jonathan Karl
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Packed with new reporting, Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party tracks Trump’s improbable journey from disgraced and defeated former president to the dominant force, yet again, in the Republican Party. From his exile in Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump has become more extreme, vengeful, and divorced from reality than he was on January 6, 2021. His meddling damaged the GOP’s electoral prospects and his legal troubles were mounting. Yet he re-emerged as the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and the president-elect.
-
-
Compelling and Terrifying
- By Shaz on 11-15-23
By: Jonathan Karl
-
The World as It Is
- A Memoir of the Obama White House
- By: Ben Rhodes
- Narrated by: Ben Rhodes, Mark Deakins
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For nearly 10 years, Ben Rhodes saw almost everything that happened at the center of the Obama administration - first as a speechwriter, then as deputy national security advisor, and finally as a multipurpose aide and close collaborator. He started every morning in the Oval Office with the President’s Daily Brief, traveled the world with Obama, and was at the center of some of the most consequential and controversial moments of the presidency. Now, he tells the full story of his partnership with a man who also happened to be a historic president of the United States.
-
-
An immersive read; a thoughtful book; a tribute to
- By Jonathan Callies on 06-06-18
By: Ben Rhodes
-
Becoming
- By: Michelle Obama
- Narrated by: Michelle Obama
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites listeners into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her - from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it - in her own words and on her own terms.
-
-
Didn't know what I was getting into
- By Kenneth Woodward on 12-05-18
By: Michelle Obama
-
The Audacity to Win
- The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory
- By: David Plouffe
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 19 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of the most important political campaign in modern times, by the man who went through it side by side with President Obama.
-
-
Fascinating book; don't care for the narration
- By Susan on 11-23-09
By: David Plouffe
-
Thanks, Obama
- My Hopey, Changey White House Years
- By: David Litt
- Narrated by: David Litt
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than any other presidency, Barack Obama's eight years in the White House were defined by young people - 20-somethings who didn't have much experience in politics (or anything else, for that matter) yet suddenly found themselves in the most high-stakes office building on earth. David Litt was one of those 20-somethings. After graduating from college in 2008, he went straight to the Obama campaign. In 2011 he became one of the youngest White House speechwriters in history.
-
-
A Refreshingly Irreverent Political Memoir
- By RLL on 10-09-17
By: David Litt
-
Believer
- My Forty Years in Politics
- By: David Axelrod
- Narrated by: David Axelrod
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The man behind some of the greatest political changes of the last decade, David Axelrod has devoted a lifetime to questioning political certainties and daring to bring fresh thinking into the political landscape. Whether as a child hearing John F. Kennedy stump in New York or as a strategist guiding the first African American to the White House, Axelrod shows in Believer how his own life stands at the center of the tumultuous American century.
-
-
Love letter to Obama
- By DaWoolf on 03-15-15
By: David Axelrod
-
Finding My Voice
- My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward
- By: Valerie Jarrett
- Narrated by: Valerie Jarrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"The ultimate Obama insider" (The New York Times) and longest-serving senior advisor in the Obama White House shares her journey as a daughter, mother, lawyer, business leader, public servant, and leader in government at a historic moment in American history.
-
-
Insightful
- By Jean on 05-05-19
By: Valerie Jarrett
-
After the Fall
- Being American in the World We've Made
- By: Ben Rhodes
- Narrated by: Ben Rhodes
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At a time when democracy in the United States is endangered as never before, Ben Rhodes spent years traveling the world to understand why. He visited dozens of countries, meeting with politicians and activists confronting the same nationalism and authoritarianism that are tearing America apart. Along the way, he discusses the growing authoritarianism of Vladimir Putin, and his aggression toward Ukraine, with the foremost opposition leader in Russia.
-
-
A must read, won’t regret it!!
- By Jerrold S. Gertzman on 06-03-21
By: Ben Rhodes
-
And There Was Light
- Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
- By: Jon Meacham
- Narrated by: Jon Meacham
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hated and hailed, excoriated and revered, Abraham Lincoln was at the pinnacle of American power when secessionists gave no quarter in a clash of visions bound up with money, race, identity, and faith. In him we can see the possibilities of the presidency as well as its limitations. This book tells the story of Lincoln from his birth on the Kentucky frontier to his leadership during the Civil War to his tragic assassination: his rise, his self-education, his loves, his bouts of depression, his political failures, his deepening faith, and his persistent conviction that slavery must end.
-
-
A Winner
- By Diane Moore on 10-31-22
By: Jon Meacham
-
I Swear
- Politics Is Messier than My Minivan
- By: Katie Porter
- Narrated by: Katie Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Never having run for office before, Katie Porter charted a new path in 2018 when she was elected to Congress as a Democrat in historically conservative Orange County, California. Underestimated as a single mom and chided for her progressive values, Katie defied expectations. Then, using her signature whiteboard, she began to take CEOs and corrupt government officials to task in Congressional hearings. The videos went viral, introducing Americans to her no-bullshit style, and making her a coveted guest on cable news and late-night television.
-
-
Truly Genuine Storytelling
- By LReeves on 04-25-23
By: Katie Porter
-
The Boys in the Boat
- Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
- By: Daniel James Brown
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The number one New York Times best-selling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany, the inspiration for the PBS documentary The Boys of '36, broadcast to coincide with the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 80th anniversary of the boys' gold medal race. Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times - the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.
-
-
Dear Publishers of Audio Books
- By Lynn on 08-04-14
-
On Writing
- A Memoir of the Craft
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Joe Hill, Owen King
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.
-
-
Who needs a print edition when King reads King?
- By Cather on 11-18-05
By: Stephen King
-
Team of Rivals
- The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 41 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war.
-
-
Beautiful, Heartbreaking, and Informative
- By JJ on 09-10-12
What listeners say about Power Forward
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- carol
- 12-18-18
Graduation Must Read
This book should be on the must read list for high school students as they make their way into the world of adulthood. It is also a wonderful reminder to people of all ages the difference they can make with a few attitude adjustments. The book is funny, insightful and endearing. Reggie’s respect and admiration for everyone he meets from the everyday joe to the president shows through.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Judy F
- 05-10-15
Great book
Very entertaining. Cool insight into the running of a presidential campaign. Well thought out and clearly written.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cheryl Walker-Robertson
- 03-12-15
A great adventure.
I really enjoyed Love! I felt like I was POTUS personal assistant. What a fantastic opportunity. I will buy this book for my brothers.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Eric
- 02-14-15
Truly a unique witness to History
A great insight to the early Obama years. Reggie shares his life's journey into adulthood.
A good read for a professional coming of age!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Derek
- 02-04-15
Worth a listen.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, the behind the scenes insight was fun. This book has is a unique production. Really enjoyed the few instances where Love offered some insight into an Obama exchange which led to an excerpt from a speech the current President made. That alone was worth the 6 hr listen.
What did you like best about this story?
The behind the scenes with Obama although I was expecting more to be included. The book is about 65% Obama relationship and 35% Love's life. Be prepared and you won't be disappointed.
Did Reggie Love do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
Pretty clear he's not a professional performer. At times his unprofessional presentation was distracting.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
The content was decent but after an hour and a half of listening I was ready to take a break from the narration.
Any additional comments?
At times it was difficult to follow the timeline of events. The story was told in chronological order; however, it broke from the timeline periodically.
Love spoke too much about his childhood basketball experience.
He's certainly an interesting man with a unique story. This book is worth your time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- C
- 10-10-16
Excellent
A great book written by someone who had an unique experience. The book touches on the author's personal growth while in the White House. I loved his personal stories with the President.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Thomas
- 03-22-15
Not much substance
Too little substance. Talks more about basketball and "coach 'K'" than the President. Lacks depth and actual stories about his "inside" life with Obama.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael
- 01-26-16
insightful
interesting , inspiring and of course insightful. you won't get better insight into the challenges President Obama faced in `08 or a look at how a twist of fate can change this yong man's life forever .
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Human
- 04-09-15
MUST READ LIFE LESSONS
IT WAS VERY EASY TO LISTEN TO THE AUTHOR'S JOURNEY.
I WISH THIS BOOK WAS REQUIRED READING IN SCHOOLS
EXCELLENT !
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- urban tech guy
- 07-13-15
Good read
Great insight to the life of Mr. Love and President Obama. Positive and inspiring book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!