{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://dennyheck.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/a-former-congressman-asked-his-old-colleagues-for-book-suggestions-here-s", "A former congressman asked his old colleagues for book suggestions. Heres their list.", "2017-12-05", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "WA", "Denny Heck", "H001064", "dennyheck.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "When I used to visit troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, I liked to ask an unexpected question: \u201cWhat are you reading?\u201d The responses weren\u2019t much different on the battlefield than at my local shopping mall. Lots of thrillers (Patterson, DeMille, Clancy), hobby magazines, continuing education texts and \u201cnothing really, sir\u201d \u2014 except nobody called me \u201csir\u201d at the mall.\nBut what about the political battlefield in Washington, where every day is another bombshell? Which books offer our lawmakers insight, knowledge and, yes, escape? I asked my former Democratic and Republican congressional colleagues to name the titles they have most enjoyed reading this year:\nSen. Sherrod Brown\u00a0(D-Ohio):\u00a0\u201cHow To Fight,\u201d\u00a0by Thich Nhat Hanh. Always instructive on staying grounded personally and professionally. He understands so well the suffering of others.\nRep. Matthew Cartwright\u00a0(D-Pa.): David McCullough\u2019s\u00a0\u201cThe Wright Brothers.\u201d\u00a0I like it because it\u2019s about tackling ridiculously hard, scary problems and figuring out how to solve them.\nRep. Tom Cole\u00a0(R-Okla.: Two great books for \u201cfun\u201d: David Grann\u2019s\u00a0\u201cKillers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI\u201d\u00a0and Kyle Harper\u2019s\u00a0\u201cThe Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire.\u201d\nRep. Charlie Dent\u00a0(R-Pa.): I\u2019ve always been intrigued by World War II and the events leading up to it. Erik Larson\u2019s\u00a0\u201cIn the Garden of Beasts\u201d\u00a0relates the fascinating perspective of the American ambassador to Berlin, William Dodd, in the 1930s during the run-up to war. His insider knowledge about Hitler\u2019s Germany is definitely worth reading.\nRep. Keith Ellison\u00a0(D-Minn.):\u00a0\u201cThe Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness,\u201d\u00a0by Sy Montgomery. A fun and fascinating diversion from the political stuff I usually read. It\u2019s about a biologist\u2019s relationship and attachment to octopuses. Amazing animals, octopuses possess powers of thinking and feeling far beyond anything I knew.\nRep. Anna G. Eshoo\u00a0(D-Calif.):\u00a0\u201cJournal of a Soul,\u201d\u00a0by Pope John XXIII. I read it years ago but needed something uplifting, so I went back to it.\nRep. Denny Heck\u00a0(D-Wash.):\u00a0\u201cFading Shadows,\u201d\u00a0by William Chance. This is part memoir and part history of a high school dropout who lies about his age and serves in the Korean War at age 15. Many years later, Chance earned his PhD and became a higher-education policy expert of national repute.\nRep. Brian Higgins\u00a0(D-N.Y.):\u00a0\u201cLeonardo da Vinci,\u201d\u00a0by Walter Isaacson. Da Vinci\u2019s relationship with Michelangelo, who was more than 20 years younger, was complicated in the love-hate nature of the Adams-Jefferson political relationship.\nRep. Joe Kennedy\u00a0(D-Mass.): The book that probably affected me most of late is\u00a0\u201cWhen Breath Becomes Air,\u201d\u00a0by Paul Kalanithi. It\u2019s about as gut-wrenching as it gets but asks important questions about priorities, quality of life and our health-care system.\nRep. Daniel Kildee\u00a0(D-Mich.):\u00a0\u201cBreaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon,\u201d\u00a0by Daniel C. Dennett. Dennett is a professor of philosophy. When I am not reading history, biography or current events literature, I tend to default to philosophy. I find it\u2019s abstract enough not to feel like work, but interesting. As you might surmise, I don\u2019t tend to read fiction. Except for the White House daily press briefing.\nRep. Barbara Lee\u00a0(D-Calif.):\u00a0\u201cBefore I Forget,\u201d\u00a0by B. Smith and Dan Gasby. About an African American woman\u2019s struggle with Alzheimer\u2019s. She had restaurants in D.C. at Union Station and in New York. Alzheimer\u2019s research related to African Americans has been absent. I\u2019m a member of the appropriations subcommittee on labor, health and human services. I\u2019ve led efforts for increased funding on health disparities research regarding people of color. This book is very well-written, informative and helps me make the case.\nRep. Ted Lieu\u00a0(D-Calif.): I am reading the \u201cNebula Awards Showcase 2017: The Year\u2019s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy\u201d because the truth coming out of the White House is weirder than science fiction.\nRep. Sean Maloney\u00a0(D-N.Y.):\u00a0\u201cThe Plot Against America,\u201d\u00a0by Philip Roth. Reason?\u00a0Duh. And that\u2019s on the record.Sen. Claire McCaskill\u00a0(D-Mo.):\u00a0\u201cManhattan Beach,\u201d\u00a0by Jennifer Egan. I love historical fiction, especially when it features nontraditional strong women heroines. This one is determined to be a diver repairing ships in New York\u2019s harbor during WWII. Secrets and double-crossing on a personal level kept me turning the pages.\nRep. Beto O\u2019Rourke\u00a0(D-Tex.): \u201cThe Iliad\u201d right now for no particular reason other than it\u2019s a great book.\u201d\nRep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen\u00a0(R-Guess Which State):\u00a0\u201cBest. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland,\u201d\u00a0by Dave Barry, and\u00a0\u201cOh, Florida!: How America\u2019s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country,\u201d\u00a0by Craig Pittman.\nRep. Adam B. Schiff\u00a0(D-Calif.): I like to be reading a work of fiction and nonfiction at the same time. The former is a great escape from the stresses of the day, and the latter contributes to what we know about history. Pierce Brown\u2019s Red Rising series is like \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d set in space. If you want all the mayhem of the House of Lannister in low gravity, this is the series for you. Imaginative and well-written.\nRep. Eric Swalwell\u00a0(D-Calif.):\u00a0\u201cHow the Good Guys Finally Won: Notes From an Impeachment Summer,\u201dby Jimmy Breslin. I don\u2019t think you need a description as to why I\u2019m reading it.\u201d\nAnd, in what is truly the most bipartisan and collegial response, here\u2019s\u00a0Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.)\u00a0: Actually just finished\u00a0\u201cGiant of the Senate,\u201d\u00a0by Al Franken, and now I\u2019m reading Chris Matthews\u2019s new\u00a0\u201cBobby Kennedy.\u201d\u00a0Big Steve Israel and Joe Kennedy fan, too.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://dennyheck.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/a-former-congressman-asked-his-old-colleagues-for-book-suggestions-here-s"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1498299427330494, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}