Rep. Steve Israel served in the U.S. Congress between 2001–2017, including 4 years as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (2011–2015). He left Washington — unindicted and undefeated — to pursue new passions. In 2021 he opened a small independent bookshop, Theodore’s Books, in his historic hometown of Oyster Bay, fulfilling a lifelong dream. He also directs the nonpartisan Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at the Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University, which serves as a platform for civic engagement and bipartisan dialogue. He has written three widely praised novels — most recently, The Einstein Conspiracy, a historic thriller. His other books include The Global War on Morris (2014) and Big Guns (2018).