INSIDE A Public and Private Life JOSEPH A. CALIFANO, JR.

"Califano, if not Yoda, is an Obi-Wan Kenobi among Democrats, his book filled with frank lessons about power, its dark pull as well as the good that can be done with it."
Chicago Sun-Times Red Streak Edition

"Unless I overlook a figure of comparable magnitude, Joe Califano has had a finger in more, and bigger, pies in Washington than anyone else of his generation. . . . Califano is one of a dwindling tribe of public men who write their own memoirs (and are capable of doing so); and this is a readable and valuable book. . . . Happily, Califano's withdrawal into a quieter life has neither dulled his sense of mischief nor clouded his memory of many colorful maneuvers and manipulations whose recall makes this book memorable."
Washington Post Book World

"the lesson of Inside is that power is neither inherently good, as some of Califano's contemporaries who felt they were doing God's work in Vietnam saw it, nor inherently evil, as the younger generation of liberals believed. It is a tool. Califano did far more good with it than bad. In an election year when Democrats finally seem to have dropped their ambivalence about power, Inside arrives as an invaluable guide as to how they might use it if the voters hand it to them in November."
New York Times Book Review

"engrossing…Faith and family are the cornerstones of Califano's life and the anchors of his book."
San Antonio Express-News

"Califano's book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding American history in the latter part of the 20th century. It's full of golden tidbits. It's a terrrific book."
The National Catholic Reporter

"This memoir is a testimonial to reflective, intelligent, courageous, Catholic living."
The Catholic News Service

"Califano presents a fascinating memoir of his experiences inside high levels of government. . . . He also takes the reader inside his personal life. . . . Califano offers an engaging and often introspective firsthand account of the important events of post-World War II America. Highly recommended for most public libraries."
Library Journal

"From Vatican II to Watergate, Califano makes his recollections intimate and interesting."
Booklist

"This book is an extraordinary chronicle of recent times by someone truly on the inside. . . . It is a brilliantly personal account as well and perhaps that is why it resonates so strongly. This is an important book for lawyers to read. It is about success, challenge, disappointment, and resolve in the life of a fine human being."
The New York Law Journal

"Ambition and moral zeal were his propellants, and Califano never slowed down. His memoir, Inside: A Public and Private Life, is as jam-packed and energetic as his life so far."
Time

"In this memoir, it is the sensitive and frank writing that is most striking. Joe describes struggles between demanding public service and being a committed Catholic. His account of his courtship of the late William Paley's daughter, Hilary Byers (one of my favorite people), is moving, as are his revelations of his battles with cancer. This book reads like a novel. Give it a look."
Syndicated columnist Liz Smith

"This is the most revealing political memoir from a Washington insider since Katharine Graham's Personal History . . . a running theme of this frank autobiography is Califano's inner struggles to reconcile the demands of politics with the dictates of his Catholic upbringing. . . . In sum, this is a revealing self-portrait filled with vivid scenes from four decades near the center of American government."
Publishers Weekly, March 15, 2004

"Lyndon Johnson once told young Joe Califano that what he learned growing up in Brooklyn would help him navigate Washington better than a Harvard Law degree. It did. But Califano packed a lot of learning into a remarkable career, and in this engrossing memoir he shares the excitement and the heartache of the power he enjoyed. Califano has not written a this-is-what-I-did testimonial. With modesty and grace, he has crafted a rich, absorbing history of our times."
Ken Auletta

"Joseph Califano has lived many fascinating lives, and this important book takes you into each -- growing up in hardscrabble Brooklyn, working alongside LBJ and Jimmy Carter, the experiences of a master Washington lawyer. Most inspiring of all is Califano's frank and sensitive account of how, after rising to the top of the American Establishment, he asked himself whether there was something missing in his life and decided to change it." Michael Beschloss