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A review by shellballenger
So Help Me God by Mike Pence
2.0
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: I do truly enjoy reading autobiographies and first-hand accounts from public figures and celebrities but to be honest, I really just wanted to see how much of Pence's story seemed real and how much of it seemed to be soap box propaganda.
Overall rating: While reading 'So Help Me God,' I tried as much as I could to take my own political affiliations out of the mix. I have always felt that it is necessary to hear both sides and make informed decisions that work for your personal and professional self while remaining ethical, honest, and true to who you want to project and be. I don't think you have to like or agree with someone to want to see what they choose to tell as their experience or story. If we only read books by people we liked or knew we agreed with 100%, the world would be a very sad and boring place.
Pence opens the book with a scene from January 6, 2021. I distinctly remember sitting in my office that day, watching the Capitol riots unfold. Hearing Pence tell his first-hand experience was both interesting and nauseating, specifically because - whether he and I agree on what side of the aisle we're on or not - you can't tell me that that man wasn't near pooping his pants when his wife and daughter were sitting in his office and his secret service detail was telling him it's not safe and they need to move. His retelling came off aloof and hero-centric. I will admit, his tone and perspective may have impacted how I took in the rest of the book. I went into the meat of the book reading defensively because even before the first chapter, I felt like I was being sold to. *Side Note: You get to relive this entire telling again near the end of the book.*
As many others have mentioned, and from what I would conclude as obvious from the title, 'So Help Me God' includes religious themes, including bible verses at the beginning of each chapter. I am far from the best Christian out there. I often have times joked that I will burst into flames the next time I cross the threshold of a church; however, the individual that wrote this book and who tries to be present and be a politician in this book is not the same person that I saw or experienced during their vice presidency. There are morals and teachings Pence simply chooses to ignore from the bible and the direct words of God presented through his religion. You cannot claim to be of a religion and claim to live that religion wholeheartedly yet cherry-pick the teachings and readings that align with your agenda at the time.
One of the things I usually like most about books like 'So Help Me God' is that really break the author down to be human...or at least that's the intent. We get to see behind the veil and get a better understanding of what helped shape the individual they are today. Unfortunately, Pence's writing didn't really do that for me. As I mentioned from the beginning, I felt like I was on the defensive while I was reading. I didn't feel like Pence was being 100% authentic and I feel like there's always a difference in the way we remember things and the way they actually happened. That's a key thing to keep in mind while reading any autobiography. At the end of 'So Help Me God', I felt it was more of a conscious clearing exercise for Pence. A way for him to stand in front of his peers and say 'See! See this! This shows I did what I said I was going to do! I have the proof."
I'm giving 'So Help Me God' two stars because while I may not agree with the author and their viewpoints, I may not want to recommend the book, and I may still hold my own opinion about Pence, the administration he worked with, and his party mates - at the end of the day, it's a thought-out, well-written, well-edited book.
Reader's Note: I read this as an audiobook at 1.75 speed. I honestly don't know if I could have listened to the full 21 hours on the originally recorded speed but it's important to note, I typically listen to books anywhere from 1.5-2.0 depending on the narrator. There is some audio that was clearly recorded at different times and in different circumstances from the majority of the book. I understand there are circumstances where this has to happen, bad audio, book edits later on, and so on; however, it definitely takes you out of the timeline a bit. This will always be one of my biggest complaints about audiobooks in general, you don't always get continuous recordings and it can affect how you take in the storyline. Additionally, if I had to hear this man say the word 'Hoosier' one more time, I would stab my eardrums out.
What made me pick it up: I do truly enjoy reading autobiographies and first-hand accounts from public figures and celebrities but to be honest, I really just wanted to see how much of Pence's story seemed real and how much of it seemed to be soap box propaganda.
Overall rating: While reading 'So Help Me God,' I tried as much as I could to take my own political affiliations out of the mix. I have always felt that it is necessary to hear both sides and make informed decisions that work for your personal and professional self while remaining ethical, honest, and true to who you want to project and be. I don't think you have to like or agree with someone to want to see what they choose to tell as their experience or story. If we only read books by people we liked or knew we agreed with 100%, the world would be a very sad and boring place.
Pence opens the book with a scene from January 6, 2021. I distinctly remember sitting in my office that day, watching the Capitol riots unfold. Hearing Pence tell his first-hand experience was both interesting and nauseating, specifically because - whether he and I agree on what side of the aisle we're on or not - you can't tell me that that man wasn't near pooping his pants when his wife and daughter were sitting in his office and his secret service detail was telling him it's not safe and they need to move. His retelling came off aloof and hero-centric. I will admit, his tone and perspective may have impacted how I took in the rest of the book. I went into the meat of the book reading defensively because even before the first chapter, I felt like I was being sold to. *Side Note: You get to relive this entire telling again near the end of the book.*
As many others have mentioned, and from what I would conclude as obvious from the title, 'So Help Me God' includes religious themes, including bible verses at the beginning of each chapter. I am far from the best Christian out there. I often have times joked that I will burst into flames the next time I cross the threshold of a church; however, the individual that wrote this book and who tries to be present and be a politician in this book is not the same person that I saw or experienced during their vice presidency. There are morals and teachings Pence simply chooses to ignore from the bible and the direct words of God presented through his religion. You cannot claim to be of a religion and claim to live that religion wholeheartedly yet cherry-pick the teachings and readings that align with your agenda at the time.
One of the things I usually like most about books like 'So Help Me God' is that really break the author down to be human...or at least that's the intent. We get to see behind the veil and get a better understanding of what helped shape the individual they are today. Unfortunately, Pence's writing didn't really do that for me. As I mentioned from the beginning, I felt like I was on the defensive while I was reading. I didn't feel like Pence was being 100% authentic and I feel like there's always a difference in the way we remember things and the way they actually happened. That's a key thing to keep in mind while reading any autobiography. At the end of 'So Help Me God', I felt it was more of a conscious clearing exercise for Pence. A way for him to stand in front of his peers and say 'See! See this! This shows I did what I said I was going to do! I have the proof."
I'm giving 'So Help Me God' two stars because while I may not agree with the author and their viewpoints, I may not want to recommend the book, and I may still hold my own opinion about Pence, the administration he worked with, and his party mates - at the end of the day, it's a thought-out, well-written, well-edited book.
Reader's Note: I read this as an audiobook at 1.75 speed. I honestly don't know if I could have listened to the full 21 hours on the originally recorded speed but it's important to note, I typically listen to books anywhere from 1.5-2.0 depending on the narrator. There is some audio that was clearly recorded at different times and in different circumstances from the majority of the book. I understand there are circumstances where this has to happen, bad audio, book edits later on, and so on; however, it definitely takes you out of the timeline a bit. This will always be one of my biggest complaints about audiobooks in general, you don't always get continuous recordings and it can affect how you take in the storyline. Additionally, if I had to hear this man say the word 'Hoosier' one more time, I would stab my eardrums out.