I couldn't put this book down. First ,it's a story that had to be told. Carr is an amazing person and has an incredible, until-now untold story. I feel like I unearthed a historical gem by reading about him. Second, Carr's story is incredibly timely in this era of partisanship and the breakdown of politics. It's inspiring that a significant elected official like him could take a principled stand on such an important issue, and he has lessons for politicians today on all issues. Third, Schrager is a terrific writer. It was like reading fiction in a good way, in that I felt like I was reading a novel even though I wasn't. The combination of dialogue and quotes and events, in an accessible but not at all condescending style, was great. Fourth, Schrager obviously poured his heart and soul and time into this -- the amount of work reflected by it ,both in the sources and the care with which he writes, is evident.