Lamar Alexander once walked more than 1,000 miles from one end of Tennessee to the other, won election as governor as a Republican when Democrats ruled the statehouse, and served in Congress in a period of relative bipartisanship. Throw in time served as U.S. secretary of education and president of the University of Tennessee and you've got the makings of a new memoir: The Education of a Senator.

Those with a longer memory might remember a slimmer volume by the same author: The Little Plaid Book: 311 Rules, Reminders, and Lessons About Running for Office and Making a Difference. Trading on Alexander's signature red-and-black plaid shirt, it's a compendium of truisms and, one might say, homespun wisdom.

Guest: Lamar Alexander, former U.S. senator and Tennessee governor

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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