Andrew Cuomo saw no issue with writing a book about how he handled the pandemic while the pandemic still raged. It’s called American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic, and it was published in October of last year, before the weather in New York, the state he governs, got cold, before cases went slightly back up, before the vaccines had a disastrous initial roll-out. And it was before he was the subject of two major scandals: One involving him and his aides manipulating data about the scale of nursing home deaths, and another involving allegations of sexual misconduct involving multiple younger women.
Amidst the scandals, Penguin Random House announced they were putting a hold on the book’s promotion. Moreover, the publishing giant told The New York Times there were “no plans” to reprint the book, nor to reissue it in paperback. They cited as a motivating factor not both cases but “the ongoing investigation into N.Y.S. reporting of Covid-related fatalities in nursing homes.”
American Crisis was rushed into print, arriving only seven months into a once-in-a-century pandemic that is, as of this writing, about to turn one year old. The book, as Penguin Random House statement put it, found him elaborating “in his own voice” about “the decision making that shaped his political policy.”
Cuomo, who has always been a controversial figure, especially amongst those who live in New York City, earned raves in the early months of the pandemic for his calm and reasoned daily press conferences. That reputation soured even before the twin scandals took root, which have led some to demand his retirement. Moreover, sales of the book plummeted even before allegations came forth. According to NPD BookScan, between January 23 and February 27, Cuomo’s tome sold a mere 400 copies.
(Via The New York Times)