Coming Up Short A Memoir of My America

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A powerful memoir from one of America’s most trusted political economists, Robert B. Reich, who takes us on an intimate journey through decades of American promise and disappointment.

Born nine months after World War II into a united nation brimming with possibility, Reich grew up witnessing firsthand how big money slowly hijacked our democracy. Standing at 4’11” as an adult, his early encounters with schoolyard bullies sparked a lifelong mission to stand up to American bullies of every stripe—from corporate giants wielding unchecked power to demagogues exploiting our divisions.

This deeply felt chronicle weaves together Reich’s remarkable personal story with the cultural and political turning points that shaped modern America. He shares memories of a friend lost in the civil rights movement, the electric energy of Berkeley’s free speech protests, and his work alongside Bobby Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy. We meet Hillary Rodham in college, Bill Clinton at Oxford, and follow Reich’s journey from teaching at Harvard with economist John Kenneth Galbraith to serving as labor secretary under Clinton and economic advisor to Barack Obama.

But Reich asks the hard question his generation must face: Did we make America more inclusive, more tolerant, more democratic? Or did we come up short?

With characteristic wit and unwavering spirit, Reich doesn’t leave us stranded in despair. Instead, he charts a hopeful path forward—showing how we can reclaim community, strengthen democratic capitalism, and salvage the American ideals still within our reach. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this moment in our nation’s story.

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