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What they're saying

Leaders across the divide agree

Endorsements for Rescuing the Idea of America

As described in Jake Harriman's important new book, America is neither a finished product nor a lost cause. Jake understands that democracies can and do die if citizens allow it. His book is a powerful call to action. I can't imagine a more important book for these difficult times.

General Jim Mattis

USMC (Retired)

Jake Harriman fought terrorists in Iraq and helped dismantle extreme poverty in Africa. Then he came home to find the same enemies. Extremism was tearing America apart. This book is his battle plan to save us. Urgent, personal, and impossible to put down.

Van Jones

CNN Host, Founder of DreamMachine.org and RAPPORT.co

Jake knows that America is an idea worth fighting for — and saving. Based on his vast life experiences, from leading troops in combat to eradicating extreme poverty in Africa, he knows that can only happen if we unify as a people. This book aims to do just that: bridge our differences and find our common ground.

Jocko Willink

retired Navy SEAL

Jocko Podcast host

This book is raw, honest, and clear-eyed about the mistakes he — and our country — have made, while holding onto a steady optimism that we can learn from them and do better. This is a book for anyone feeling lost or worried about our country's future and looking for a way to chart a better path forward.

Governor Mikie Sherrill

New Jersey

In a world of despair and division, Jake Harriman brings us unbridled optimism. He has experienced the worst of mankind and yet he sees the goodness in all of us. As Americans we can do better and Jake has a plan to get us there. We all need this book — now!

Admiral William H. McRaven

US Navy (Retired)

Jake Harriman has lived the American story from a farm in Appalachia to the front lines of war and the front lines of civic renewal. He argues that America's future will not be secured by louder politics, but by better citizens. A timely and hopeful reminder that the republic belongs to those willing to serve it.

General Stan McChrystal

US Army (Retired)

Jake reminds us we are in danger of forgetting a simple truth — our strength and greatness as a nation springs from our shared identity as Americans, and our willingness to measure up to the idea of America by striving to be the kind of citizen, neighbor, and friend we know we should be. This is a book of hope.

Mike Raiole

Retired CIA Officer

former Director of CIA Paramilitary and Covert Action Infrastructure

Jake Harriman has seen the worst of war and poverty yet continues to live a life of hope and patriotic service. I hope all Americans will heed his rejection of divisiveness and pessimism — and answer his call to serve.

U.S. Senator Dave McCormick

(R-Pennsylvania)

At a time when our politics too often divide instead of deliver, Jake Harriman reminds us what it means to put country first. Rescuing the Idea of America, offers a practical and hopeful path forward, reminding us that the strength of this nation has and always will come from its people, not its political parties.

Senator Joe Manchin III

(I-West Virginia)

Jake Harriman understands that America's future won't be decided by politics alone, but by people willing to serve, connect, and lead. A powerful call to action for anyone who believes this country is still worth fighting for.

U.S. Senator John Curtis

(R-Utah)

An urgent, compelling call for every citizen to step up and help bridge the gaps that are pulling us apart. It is a love letter to America and a roadmap for any American who still believes that our best days are ahead of us if we have the courage to reach across the aisle — and the street — to one another.

U.S. Senator Chris Coons

(D-Delaware)

Jake does not just diagnose what is broken in America — he offers a deeply human vision for how we begin to repair it. This is a book about service, citizenship, and the hard but necessary work of finding one another again. Wise, timely, and deeply needed.

Jen Easterly

CEO, RSAC

Former Director, U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Jake is a real visionary and American hero. At heart he is a builder, and this book is both a call to action and a blueprint for how to knit our country back together. This story might just bring America back from the brink and move us forward together.

Andrew Yang

Founder, Forward Party

Rescuing the Idea of America offers a timely and hopeful vision of national renewal rooted in civic virtue rather than political ideology. Jake Harriman's call for a new patriotism is a needed antidote to today's division and disillusionment.

Nick Troiano

Executive Director, Unite America