Women communicate differently and process information differently, which leads them to resolve conflicts differently.

The exposed nature of life in the public square affects leaders' attitudes toward risk - and failure.

Obama has made America cool again - and more than that, he's made his own brand arguably the most powerful the world has ever known.

Bill Clinton sitting on Air Force One getting his hair cut while people around the country cooled their heels and waited for him, became a metaphor for a populist president who had gotten drunk with the perks of his own power and was sort of, you know, not sensitive to what people wanted.

You as the press secretary have to protect the president's interests and the White House's interests more broadly. And a lot of people inside the White House, as you learned, sometimes with painful experience, have competing agendas, have differing points of view, have priorities they're trying to protect.

No doubt, the White House thinks the American people know Obama's story. But since the Inauguration, we've seen only the president's present: his perfect family, his Ivy League elegance, his effortless mastery of complex issues. We never see him sweat. And we forget that he ever had to struggle.

Having a sense of humor has served me more than it has hurt me - just in the sense that it has allowed me to keep my sanity.