7 Books That'll Teach You About Hillary Clinton

Something tells me we're going to be hearing a lot more about Hillary Rodham Clinton in the remainder of this year: Clinton is officially running for president. But with the presidential race, full of hope and promises, comes lies, smear campaigns, and other things that make you yell at the talk shows on your television. These Hillary Clinton books speak louder than the noise, trying to really get at the heart of who she is.

Clinton has always been a polarizing figure, since even before she was thrust into the limelight with her husband Bill's presidency, and then again in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. But she's also a beloved figure, committed to social reform, who has earned the respect of much of the nation, and is an icon for all young women who have to elbow through men to earn their rightful places in power.

It's no wonder that journalists, reporters, writer, and pretty much every talking head on TV tries to get down to the "real" Clinton, who she is as a person. While you can never really know someone, many have certainly tried their darndest and come up with books that tell you stories you've never heard before about the potential future president of the United States. Amid all the noise, these 7 Hillary Clinton books are a great place to start to learn about some of the inner workings of HRC.

Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Clinton's second memoir, 2014's Hard Choices , tells in her own words the inside story of some of the major challenges she faced in her four-year term as Secretary of State. She navigates an incredibly complex web of political issues with a succinct and forward voice, yet with the kind of detail that will pull you into the stories as if they were short stories.

The Secretary by Kim Ghattas

To look at Clinton's term as Secretary of State from someone else's perspective, there's The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power. Kim Ghattas is a foreign correspondent for the BBC, and the author traveled with Clinton and her team for four years, interviewing Clinton and key members of the administration to paint a full picture of one of the most interesting contemporary politicians. Keep in mind, these travels included standing alongside Clinton during WikiLeaks, the Arab Spring, and so many other massive American political events.

A Woman in Charge by Carl Bernstein

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carl Bernstein shows his impressive, comprehensive investigatory skills with A Woman in Charge . Bernstein had crazy access to campaign records, family and friends, and political colleagues to pull together hundreds of interviews and data to create his book on Clinton. Like many Americans looking at politicians, he hopes to get down to the the bottom of who Clinton is and what she believes in her heart behind the platforms and speeches.

Bill and Hillary: Politics of the Personal by William Henry Chafe

Skip back to 1998: Bill Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal had propelled Hillary into the spotlight more than just the fact of being First Lady ever could. Suddenly, strangers were investigating her marriage and her private life. She was essentially exposed. William H. Chafe's Bill and Hillary makes the claim that this scandal freed Hillary in a way, and it allowed her to push herself into the politician that she wanted to be, even back in college. Chafe argues that Bill's presidency was really a co-presidency, influenced by Hillary's social reform ideals and commitments.

HRC by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes

Jumping forward to 2008, 10 years after the Lewinsky scandal, Clinton is again rocked when she's defeated by Barack Obama for the presidential nod. However, HRC follows Clinton in the years later as she finds a "rebirth" in her political career, which the author argues is even more powerful, inspirational, and influential than ever before. Seems like prime reading material now that we're in 2016 and Clinton is making an even stronger move toward the White House.

Her Way by Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr.

In Her Way, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporters Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta take a look at who they call the most divisive political figure in the current political landscape; Clinton is both beloved and respected and the target of vicious smear campaigns. The reporters, using interviews and political documents, try to get to the core of who Hillary is, and in that, try to find out what makes her so divisive. (I can give a small thought on the matter: Misogyny.)

Bill and Hillary: The Marriage by Christopher Andersen

Bill and Hillary: The Marriage is less a political story and more a love one. But it's a love that's built on an understanding of each other's values and ambitions, even through scandal and controversy. Christopher Andersen looks at how both Bill and Hillary contribute to and tarnish the legacy of the partnership and what the marriage has done to push each member forward in their own lives.