Lauren Oyler – författare

I heard this crazy story, and I want you to know. It is the age of internet gossip; of social networks, repackaged ideas and rating everything out of five stars. Mega-famous celebrities respond with fury to critics who publish less-than-rapturous reviews of their work (and then delete their tweets); CEOs talk about reclaiming ''the power of vulnerability''; and in the world of fiction, writers eschew actually making things up in favour of ''always just talking about themselves''.In this blistering, irreverent and very funny first book of non-fiction, Lauren Oyler takes on the bizarre particularities of our present moment in a series of interconnected essays about literature, the attention economy, gossip, the role of criticism and her own relentless, teeth-grinding anxiety.

''Always fascinating and very funny, Alyssa''s book is full of juicy stories from one of the world''s most glamorous jobs'' Mindy KalingIf your funny older sister were the former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama, her behind-the-scenes political memoir would look something like this . . .Alyssa Mastromonaco worked for Barack Obama for almost a decade, and long before his run for president. From the then-senator''s early days in Congress to his years in the Oval Office, she made Hope and Change happen through blood, sweat, tears and lots of briefing binders.But for every historic occasion - meeting the queen at Buckingham Palace, bursting in on secret climate talks, or nailing a campaign speech in a hailstorm - there were dozens of less-than-perfect moments when it was up to Alyssa to save the day. Like the time she learned the hard way that there aren''t nearly enough bathrooms at the Vatican.Full of hilarious, never-before-told stories, Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? is an intimate portrait of a president, a book about how to get stuff done, and the story of how one woman challenged, again and again, what a ''White House official'' is supposed to look like. Here Alyssa shares the strategies that made her successful in politics and beyond, including the importance of confidence, the value of not being a jerk, and why ultimately everything comes down to hard work (and always carrying a spare tampon).Told in a smart, original voice and topped off with a couple of really good cat stories, Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? is the brilliantly funny, frank and inspirational memoir from a savvy political star.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? comes a fun, frank book of reflections, essays and interviews on topics ranging from politics and career to motherhood, sisterhood and making and sustaining relationships of all kinds in the age of social media.Alyssa Mastromonaco is back with a bold, no-nonsense and no-holds-barred twenty-first-century girl''s guide to life, tackling the highs and lows of bodies, politics, relationships, parents, education, life on the internet and pop culture. Whether discussing Barbra Streisand or The Bachelor, working in the West Wing or working on finding a wing woman, Alyssa leaves no stone unturned . . . and no awkward situation unexamined.Like her bestseller Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?, So Here''s the Thing brings a sharp eye and outsize sense of humor to the myriad issues facing women the world over, both in and out of the workplace. Along with Alyssa''s personal experiences and hard-won life lessons, interviews with women like Monica Lewinsky, Susan Rice and Chelsea Handler round out this modern woman''s guide to, well, just about everything you can think of.