As the leader of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, I have been privileged to play a role in many legislative and political struggles. This new book is a summation of these lessons, many learned in public, some - perhaps the most difficult - learned behind closed doors.

To be useful, this kind of report must be candid. And, indeed, in it I recount some of the most challenging, even painful, moments of my career, including the controversial effort that led to the resignation of Speaker Jim Wright, my difficult encounter with the House Ethics Committee, public blunders such as my comments about Air Force One, and my personal reaction to the so-called coup efforts within the House Republican majority.

In writing about these and other topics, it is my intention to clear the air, to update Americans on the truth behind the headlines, and to give readers a much fuller understanding of who I am as a person and what I stand for.