Writers Bloc Presents Commentator Ben Rhodes with Jon Favreau

Our American story has been influenced and moved by persuasive, often momentous, rhetoric. Speeches given by presidents, social crusades on both sides of the equation often created social change from the ripples they caused in the moment. In Ben Rhodes' new book, All We Say: The Battle for American Identity, A History in 15 Speeches, we can trace American social and political movement through 15 specific speeches over the course of 250 years. From Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan, from abolitionist Maria Stewart to Frederick Douglass, from Martin Luther King Jr and Louis Brandeis to Donald Trump, we read the speeches that reflect powerful social movements-- and gauge the impact in front of our eyes. What a way to see the evolution and development of our nation's soul, at our best and at our worst. These speeches represent a crystallization of our highest and lowest moments as a nation-- from our most glorious idealism to our most repugnant extremism.

It's easy to see how Ben Rhodes appreciates these speeches that have directed the course of social and political change in our American history. He worked for Barack Obama during Obama's presidential campaign, and was President Obama's Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting. Since the end of his tenure with President Obama, Ben has been a commentator for NBC and MSNBC. He's the author of numerous books, and is the co-host of Crooked Media's Pod Save the World.

Jon Favreau was also an Obama speechwriter, after having worked on Obama’s first presidential campaign in that capacity. Jon is one of the geniuses behind Crooked Media, which hosts the landmark podcasts Pod Save the World and Pod Save America, among many others. Crooked Media is one of the most influential new media companies in the country, specializing in platforming progressive thought leaders.

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