Paperback Books by Ben Rhodes

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR To be born American in the late twentieth century was to take the fact of a particular kind of American exceptionalism as granted – a state of nature arrived at after all else had failed. In the span of just thirty years, this assumption would come crashing down. After the fall, we must determine what it means to be American again. In 2017, as Ben Rhodes was helping Barack Obama begin his next chapter, the legacy they worked to build for eight years was being taken apart. To understand what was happening in America, Rhodes decided to look outwards. Over the next three years, he travelled to dozens of countries, meeting with politicians, activists, and dissidents confronting the same nationalism and authoritarianism that was tearing America apart. Along the way, a Russian opposition leader he spends time with is poisoned, the Hong Kong protesters he comes to know see their movement snuffed out, and America itself reaches the precipice of losing democracy before giving itself a second chance. After the Fall is a hugely ambitious and essential work of discovery. Throughout, Rhodes comes to realize how much America''s fingerprints are on a world it helped to shape: through the excesses of the post-Cold War embrace of unbridled capitalism, post-9/11 nationalism and militarism, mania for technology and social media, and the racism that shaped the backlash to the Obama presidency. At the same time, he learns from a diverse set of characters – from Obama to rebels to a rising generation of leaders – how looking squarely at where America has gone wrong only makes it more essential to fight for what America is supposed to be – for itself, and for the entire world.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From one of Barack Obama’s most trusted aides comes a revelatory behind-the-scenes account of his presidency—and how idealism can confront harsh reality and still survive. “The closest view of Obama we’re likely to get until he publishes his own memoir.”—George Packer, The New Yorker NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN For nearly ten years, Ben Rhodes saw almost everything that happened at the center of the Obama administration—first as a speechwriter, then as deputy national security advisor, and finally as a multipurpose aide and close collaborator. He started every morning in the Oval Office with the President’s Daily Briefing, traveled the world with Obama, and was at the center of some of the most consequential and controversial moments of the presidency. Now he tells the full story of his partnership—and, ultimately, friendship—with a man who also happened to be a historic president of the United States. Rhodes was not your typical presidential confidant, and this is not your typical White House memoir. Rendered in vivid, novelistic detail by someone who was a writer before he was a staffer, this is a rare look inside the most poignant, tense, and consequential moments of the Obama presidency—waiting out the bin Laden raid in the Situation Room, responding to the Arab Spring, reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran, leading secret negotiations with the Cuban government to normalize relations, and confronting the resurgence of nationalism and nativism that culminated in the election of Donald Trump. In The World as It Is, Rhodes shows what it was like to be there—from the early days of the Obama campaign to the final hours of the presidency. It is a story populated by such characters as Susan Rice, Samantha Power, Hillary Clinton, Bob Gates, and—above all—Barack Obama, who comes to life on the page in moments of great urgency and disarming intimacy. This is the most vivid portrayal yet of Obama’s worldview and presidency, a chronicle of a political education by a writer of enormous talent, and an essential record of the forces that shaped the last decade. Praise for The World as It Is “A book that reflects the president [Rhodes] served—intelligent, amiable, compelling and principled . . . a classic coming-of-age story, about the journey from idealism to realism, told with candor and immediacy . . . His achievement is rare for a political memoir: He has written a humane and honorable book.”—Joe Klein, The New York Times Book Review

Edited and revised August 2015Patricia just received her college degree. With it, she is stepping into a good position. After years of putting her shoulder to the grindstone, she thinks she''s finally put her difficult years behind her. It isn''t long she realizes how wrong she was. Now her world is falling apart and she could really use a shoulder to cry on.Unfortunately, the only man offering his shoulder is a man she can''t trust. She knows nothing about him and he''s making sure it stays that way. If you plan on reading this one, you may as well get ready for a bunch of tears. You won''t need to add any of yours; Pat''s already shedding plenty.Oh, and by they way, I might also mention someone is trying to kill her. Then again, that''s a small matter considering everything else that has gone wrong.

Edited and revised July 2014CW02 Lester Morrison (Les) was about as level headed as they get. All he wanted to do was to spend his twenty in the Army and retire. Maybe he would get another job, but if he couldn''t, the retirement check would provide a very adequate living.Then, it looked like it was all gone in a moment of weakness. Well, the woman was very attractive, but that was still no excuse. She was in his chain of command and the regulations were very clear about that.His captain found a way to save his career and maybe let him stay near Jill too. Although it sounded like a good solution at first, it did have a problem. Jill had no intentions of ever marrying anyone in any of the services. Indeed, she refused to even go out with any.She had no animosity toward Les. She wasn''t even upset with the hug he gave her. She would have even tolerated the kiss he started to give her. She just wanted to put her four years in the Army, get married and raise children. Moreover, she wanted them to be brought up in one place, not all over the world.It is sort of strange how two and a half weeks can change that, and them.The setting of this book is a little in the future. Cars are only for a few and/or the wealthy. Drastic measures have been instituted to save energy. Indeed, even Les would not have his little electric cart, but it was a spare from those designated for the officers.The government has changed too. They frequently take bribes and those who win in the courts are usually those who can afford the bigger bribes. To be sure, there are still a few who try to do what they can, but the good land is getting scarce, and it is merely a small technicality when the wrong people own it. Well, usually, anyway.

It''s the year 2096 and the world is warming. That''s the line these people are using to sell apartments on the Nimitz. Suddenly, it becomes all too real and people all over are looking for a way to survive the giant heat wave. The Nimitz has two big advantages for surviving. It can go north, where it''s cooler and it can carry a bunch of people.Kyle is one of the survivors and he is called upon more than once to take key positions in their survival. He''s just eighteen years old. Are they asking too much of the man or is he up to the tasks. Will they survive, or will he fail them. It could turn out to be an expensive and disastrous experiment if he overlooks somethingKyle is a rule breaker from the beginning and eventually is sentenced to confinement for it. Then again, some rules are meant to be broken. Maybe, we can overlook his infraction, though the rule was made for their survival.Then too, he''s not the only one breaking rules. Some think they can break the rules regularly without consequence. Some think they don''t need to obey the rules, even the more serious ones.This one is one of my less believable books, but it sure is a lot of fun.

Edited and Revised October 2015I just know you''ve been waiting for it. A woman floater. I call her Kathy, but as with the other floaters, it''s not her real name. It''s for her safety. She had a real nice job flying for the Forestry Service until she saves a woman from falling off a cliff. Little did she imagine that it would drastically change her life so fast. It only stands to reason that she will have to deal with a controller. It is expected. What is not expected are some unusual trees.Some who read this story to the end just might be disappointed. Sorry. My characters have minds of their own. I can''t always keep them in control.

Edited 2018Edited and revised June 2015Contains a short preview of "Kip - The Pessimist.", just so you have an honest idea of the story length.Kip is at it again. He''s busy solving new crimes as well as some of the old ones. All the while he''s trying to make sense of the world around him.He wants so badly to resume his relationship with Janet, but she seems firm in her decision to never see him again. He figures if he could ever talk to her, he just might be able to change her mind. With 3000 miles between them, he realizes this is not likely.After all, Kip has become a realist in every respect. Not only because of the world of romance but also because of the crimes he sees and the people who commit them.To Kip it is a horrible world. Then again, he sees the worst of the world on a daily basis. He wants to put the horrible people in prison so badly. Yet it tears at his fabric to see what these people can and will do, sometimes without any reason other than convenience.In this story, we see him trying to find the killers of young boys, who are in turn, would be killers, if they had been allowed to live a little longer. He finds it horrible to see kids killed. Yet he knows well the destruction these two would have caused.We also see his romantic and personal life go in many directions, almost all at once. By the end of the story, it is easy for us to understand why he''s becoming more of a pessimist with every turn of events.As we join Kip, he already has two major frustrations in his personal life. He is about to have one added to his professional one.This book contains some violence. Parents might want to check it before letting a 12 or 13 year-old read it.

The terrorist has plans to terrorize. He has plans to kill people and destroy the national economy. He has friends and money. He also has two problems: a marine cross trained and his partner.In this story, lauging and smiling are not allowed. It''s dangerous. However, kissing is required. Maybe it''s not that funny but some will still find it very interesting.