My Weekly Recommendations
It's like the week before Christmas.
For me, at least. My very first book, The Small and the Mighty, comes out on Tuesday! The anticipation is so exciting!
First, let’s catch you up on what you might have missed on The Preamble.
My Rejected Book Covers
This newsletter will make you laugh, I guarantee it. There are so many ridiculous options for a book cover: A tiny woman ready to jump off a cliff? Got it. Orange with a tie-dye eagle? Yup. A circus tent? Oh yeah. And my favorite…a young child picking her nose. That’s there too.
Who is Samuel Alito?
For the third installment of our Supreme Court series, we look at how Alito made it to the bench, even though he wasn’t George W. Bush’s first choice for a justice.
My Thoughts on “They’re Eating the Pets”
I know this is pretty much all anyone is talking about, so I shared my thoughts on Donald Trump’s comments about immigrants kidnapping and eating people’s pets. I also walk through some facts about immigration in our country.
Can You Trust the Polls?
I get it – polls are confusing. The constant updates about what polls are saying about this election can be exhausting, and it’s hard to know which polls you can trust. I explain how polling is conducted and what they mean.
What I’m Reading…
Sharon McMahon Did Not Plan to Be America’s Government Teacher
By Belinda Luscombe, Time Magazine
I can’t believe I am in Time this week. Me. ME.
The Actual Electoral Map Is Three States
By Jonathan Martin, Politico
This year’s election could come down to three states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina. Politico explains why.
I’m the Republican Governor of Ohio. Here Is the Truth About Springfield.
By Gov. Mike DeWine, The New York Times
DeWine was born in Springfield, Ohio, and he has lived within 10 miles of the city his whole life. He addresses the recent conspiracy theories about his city, writing, “it is disappointing to me that Springfield has become the epicenter of vitriol over America’s immigration policy, because it has long been a community of great diversity.”
Secret Service is responsible for multiple security failures in Trump attack July 13, report says
By Maria Sacchetti, The Washington Post
The agency’s internal report has been released and finds the Secret Service is to blame for the failures on July 13.
What I’m Listening To…
Y’all have asked me to put all the podcasts I am a guest on in one place, and here are some from this week:
Sharon McMahon on Unsung American Heroes
The crossover so many of you have waiting for: I am on
!
Sharon McMahon says moral narcissism is destroying society
I talk to Dr. Al Scott about the polarization in our country and the idea of moral narcissism. How can we instead all become world-changing humans?
The Exhausted Majority: How Hate Pays with Sharon McMahon
Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast
I explain in detail the complex business model behind the monetization of hate and how this troubling trend is driving division among communities and individuals. We also talk about why the majority of people are feeling exhausted and are craving something other than the constant polarization that seems to dominate our conversations today.
The Mary Marantz Show
It was so great to join Mary for the first episode of her podcast’s new season! We talk about what I call “the Auroras of History” and the hidden stories that are spectacular if we slow down long enough to see them… but are often eclipsed by “shinier” objects.
Behind the Scenes: The Small and the Mighty, Episode 1
Curious about the process of writing a book? Sharon takes us behind the scenes of The Small and the Mighty. From securing an agent to selecting the perfect title, she shares the highs, lows, and everything in between. Get a firsthand look at her three year journey as she tells us personal details and stories for the first time.
What I’m watching …
“With Malice Towards None”: Sharon McMahon encourages unity instead of division in speech
I gave the keynote address, titled after Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address, at Michigan Tech’s Rozsa Center this week about what we need to do to unite the country — here’s a local news story about it.
What I’m looking forward to…
My book comes out in TWO. DAYS. Three years of work has been reduced to only a two day wait. All book sold during the preorder period and during the first week after release (so, Tuesday, September 24, through Monday, September 30th) count toward the first week of sales, which determine if your book makes it onto the bestseller list.
September is the MOST competitive month of the year for book releases. (And no, I didn’t get to choose when to release it.) This means it’s exponentially more difficult to land on the list, because there are so many books written by household name celebrities and previously well-established authors coming out. It would be a HUGE upset for this book to land on the New York Times list at the end of September 2024… an election year, to boot.
I think we can do it, but I could really use your help! Buying the hardcover book (the NYT list only counts hardcovers, I know, I know…) before September 30th would be SO beneficial. It’s 32% off at Amazon right now, and I have wink wink been seeing that some of your local indie bookstores are already putting it out on shelves. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And don’t forget to claim your preorder bonuses here.
I will see you all so, so soon on tour, and we’ll laugh and cry and cheer each other on, together.
You can still grab tickets in these cities:
Austin (there are only a few tickets left!)
As always, this community is such a privilege. Thanks for being a part of it.
I pre-ordered "The Small and the Mighty." Eagerly awaiting its arrival. Cruising New England in a couple of weeks. Plenty of relax-with-a-good-book moments ahead.
I pre ordered four books total and plan to buy more next week when I am in CA. I can't help myself! Doing my small part here to help you land on the bestsellers list!