Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead--My Life Story

Written by Cecile Richards and Lauren Peterson

Narrated by Cecile Richards

From Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood for more than a decade, daughter of the late Ann Richards, featured speaker at the Women’s March on Washington, and “the heroine of the resistance” (Vogue), comes “an enthralling memoir” (Booklist, starred review) filled with “practical advice and inspiration for aspiring leaders everywhere” (Hillary Rodham Clinton).

Cecile Richards has been an activist since she was taken to the principal’s office in seventh grade for wearing an armband in protest of the Vietnam War. Richards had an extraordinary childhood in ultra-conservative Texas, where her civil rights attorney father and activist mother taught their kids to be troublemakers. She had a front-row seat to observe the rise of women in American politics and watched her mother, Ann, transform from a housewife to an electrifying force in the Democratic party.

As a young woman, Richards worked as a labor organizer alongside women earning minimum wage, and learned that those in power don’t give it up without a fight. She experienced first-hand the misogyny, sexism, fake news, and the ever-looming threat of violence that constantly confront women who challenge authority.

Now, after years of advocacy, resistance, and progressive leadership, she shares her “truly inspiring” (Redbook) story for the first time—from the joy and heartbreak of activism to the challenges of raising kids, having a life, and making change, all the while garnering a reputation as “the most badass feminist EVER” (Teen Vogue).

In the “powerful and infinitely readable” (Gloria Steinem) Make Trouble, Richards reflects on the people and lessons that have gotten her through good times and bad, and encourages the rest of us to take risks, make mistakes, and make trouble along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Apr 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9781508250791

Cecile Richards

Cecile Richards was a national leader for women’s rights and social and economic justice. She began her career fighting for better wages and working conditions in the labor movement, then moved back home to Texas to help elect the state’s first Democratic woman governor: her mother, Ann Richards. She went on to start her own grassroots organizations, and later served as deputy chief of staff to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. In 2011 and 2012, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. As president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund for more than a decade, Richards worked to increase affordable access to reproduction health care and strengthen the movement for sexual and reproductive rights. She was a frequent speaker and commentator on issues related to women’s rights and activism. She and her husband, Kirk Adams, have three children and resided in New York City and Maine. 

Reviews for Make Trouble

[Patricia Delfin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very tangible, inspiring and touching true story of women's power to create lasting change. May it continue to be so and grow exponentially.

[Rachel Schultz Dickerson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very inspiring and very interesting! I want to be like her when I grow up! I’m 45!

[billsearth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book on both Cecile Richards life, and on how to organize an activist group and fight for human rights. Abundant quotable thoughts and opinions. Cecile is aiming for a broader human rights force. The author has many flashbacks to how her mom did things and how she is both following in her footsteps as a leader but also increasing the range of possibilities for women and workers expectations. A very positive approach to activating the general population to do what is best for everyone.

[cassandrat-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cecile Richards started working in politics and activism when she created her own recycling organization as a kid, she did internships during college, she worked on her mom's campaign for Governor, she started the Texas Freedom Network to fight changes to remove facts from history and science textbooks, she cofounded America Votes, and was President of Planned Parenthood.

Don't skip the epilogue: Cecile says she gets asked almost every day by CEOs and people on the street, "What can I do?" She says this question is really: "Now that we can no longer take for granted that America will slowly but surely make progress our entire world seems to be spinning out of control and were fighting tooth-and-nail to protect our most human rights, how do we make it all better?"

This book is her response using her own experiences as examples; from the epilogue: "Right now, our country has some major soul-searching to do. We have to figure out how to address the fear and disruption that many people are feeling and continue to fight for the rights of women, immigrants, LGBTQ people, people of color, and anyone else who needs support. To do that we're going to have to ask tough questions speak clearly about what we believe and maybe even let of the political labels that have defined these kinds of debates for too long. Here's the good news, there's never been a better time to become an activist agitator or trouble maker. I promise you, doing something whether it's showing up at a town hall meeting, getting some friends together to start your own organization, or just refusing to keep quiet about what you believe feels infinitely better than sitting on the sidelines."

Of course, the people she mentions have always been in this position, and there have always been a few white men or people in positions of power who have been allies or accomplices to women, people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ. Hopefully what we see is that number of people allies and accomplices is rising as the vestiges of racism and sexism engage in their long drawn out death throws over the next 100 years or so (since that seems to be how long steps in human rights take). We need to be more.

As Cecile says, "Looking back on my life so far, the moments I regret most are the ones when I was too scared to take a chance. The moments when I didn't know what to do and so did nothing. In some ways, being an activist in public is easy. Standing up for yourself in your own life can be much harder." As an example, Cecile regrets not saying something when sexually harassed or finding out she was paid less for fear of losing opportunities to learn and grow in her career - and hopes that women soon won't have to experience the same.

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I wish the book had had less detail about the 2016 campaign. I enjoyed hearing about the Planned Parenthood testimony, Ann Richards's campaign, the Texas Freedom Network, and America Votes, but felt the 2016 campaign had too much detail comparatively. It was very important that she gave the names of Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, Lucy McBath, mother of Jordan Davis, Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, Geneva Reed-Veal, mother of Sandra Bland, Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontre Hamilton. But other places it just dragged.

[brangwinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I found out Cecile Richards was Ann Richards daughter, this immediately became my favorite book of the summer. Cecile comes by her ability to stand up for the underdog naturally.