Patrick Andendall has always had an interest in politics and, being multicultural, he views issues from a more international perspective. In 2004, five days before the election, he flew to Cleveland and pitched in to help with the political process. What he discovered was the dissolution of the American Dream, which he writes about in his book, Stupidparty.
Educated at English boarding schools from the age of seven, Andendall went on to graduate from Lancing College. He started by sometimes working three jobs at once, trainee Underwriter/claim broker at Lloyd’s of London, his own one man cleaning Company (cleaning the very offices of a Reinsurance Company he would transact business at) plus doing seasonal work on various farms.
Having made some windfall profits by borrowing money in order to be a “Stag” to take advantage of opportunities created by Margaret Thatcher’s de nationalization policies of the mid 1980’s, Andendall evolved into an entrepreneur with a core specialty in Reinsurance in London and New York where he looks for patterns in numbers. Self-employed in a field not normally conducive to self-employment, he is able remain in control, juggle different jobs, travel and pursue his various interests.
Ending up in New York via romance in the African bush, Andendall now lives on Long Island with his wife, two children and two dogs.
For More Information
- Visit Patrick Andendall’s website.
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- Find out more about Patrick at Goodreads.
- Contact Patrick.
What made you decide to become a published author?
A book is a package of ideas that can be marketed to niche audiences. When done right, you can reach many more people than you can with Tweeting or using Facebook. I actually started out as a volunteer going door-to-door to talk to voters but realized my 
message had no chance competing with the money behind radio and TV pundits.
Would you consider your latest book, to be a one of a kind? How so?
Some political narratives are depressing, but I think my effort to highlight some of the outrageous elements of the Republican Party come with humor. As one reviewer put it, “It is possibly the funniest book with an agenda ever published.” The book uses analytical and quantitative precision to eviscerate some of the fallacious myths held by certain leaders of the Republican Party.
Where is your writing sanctuary?
My writing sanctuary is located in my hometown on Long Island. I like coffee shops with character: lots of seating options, a good view, and not too big.
What do you believe a writer should not do as far as getting his or her book published?
They should not be stubborn about the editing process. Hire a great editor, one who asks the right questions, and listen to him or her.
What inspires you?
My immediate family inspired me through the writing process. They are the set of ears that I use to keep myself honest about my writing.
What is one thing you learned about your book after it was published?
How hard it is finding book promotion tools that work for a specific book. There are lots of services, tools and strategies but not all of them work for every book. We’ve been experimenting with different ideas looking for the right combination. Once we find that I have no problem doing even more marketing.
Why do you love to write about politics?
For what I write about there is no shortage of stupid ideas, stupid statements or obvious pandering. The Internet also makes it easy to disprove and discredit these public statements. Politics is all around us and as such the success of political policies and initiatives has a profound impact on our lives and wellbeing. Unfortunately not everyone recognizes the importance of this.
You’re concocting a recipe for a best selling book. What’s the first ingredient?
The first ingredient is time. Time is important because the rest of the ingredients—the various types of content and design elements—need to marinate and become stirred in the right way before it is truly ready to be published.
What’s one fun fact about your book people should know?
The book is like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart….but in print. More than 1,500 hyperlinks take readers to the facts that substantiate or refute statements made in the book. It also has 1,055 full-color images and 121 graphs and charts.
Did any real life experiences find their way into your book?
The genesis of the book was my volunteer work for the 2004 Presidential campaign. I flew to Cleveland, camped in some motel, and pitched in to help in the poorer urban neighborhoods. That experience demonstrated that that one very real myth about our democracy is that everyone has equal access to voting. Poorer communities had fewer voting machines and had to wait in line longer. After that election, I started to become more active online so that I could get the word out to the public about how important it is to vote.
What’s next for you?
More blogging, more advertising, more tweeting and perhaps another book for the 2016 election. I hope your readers follow along at stupidpartyMathvMyth.com by joining our mailing list.
the book rack 