The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir
A NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER
An intimate, powerful, and galvanizing memoir by Pulitzer Prize winner, human rights advocate, and former US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power. Named one of the best books of the year:
The New York Times - National Public Radio - Time - The Economist - The Washington Post - Vanity Fair - Christian Science Monitor - Publishers Weekly - Audible
"Her highly personal and reflective memoir . . . is a must-read for anyone who cares about our role in a changing world."--President Barack Obama
Includes an updated afterword
Tracing her distinctly American journey from immigrant to war correspondent to presidential Cabinet official, Samantha Power's acclaimed memoir is a unique blend of suspenseful storytelling, vivid character portraits, and shrewd political insight. After her critiques of US foreign policy caught the eye of Senator Barack Obama, he invited her to work with him on Capitol Hill and then on his presidential campaign. When Obama won the presidency, Power went from being an activist outsider to serving as his human rights adviser and, in 2013, becoming the youngest-ever US Ambassador to the United Nations. Power transports us from her childhood in Dublin to the streets of war-torn Bosnia to the White House Situation Room and the world of high-stakes diplomacy, offering a compelling and deeply honest look at navigating the halls of power while trying to put one's ideals into practice. Along the way, she lays bare the searing battles and defining moments of her life, shows how she juggled the demands of a 24/7 national security job with raising two young children, and makes the case for how we each can advance the cause of human dignity. This is an unforgettable account of the power of idealism--and of one person's fierce determination to make a difference.
"This is a wonderful book. [...] The interweaving of Power's personal story, family story, diplomatic history and moral arguments is executed seamlessly and with unblinking honesty."--THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, The New York Times Book Review
"Truly engrossing...A pleasure to read."--RACHEL MADDOW
"A beautiful memoir about the times we're living in and the questions we must ask ourselves...I honestly couldn't put it down." --CHERYL STRAYED, author of Wild
"Power's compelling memoir provides critically important insights we should all understand as we face some of the most vexing issues of our time." --BRYAN STEVENSON, author of Just Mercy
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Community Reviews
In a few words: In her teens Power immigrates from Ireland with her mum and brother to Decatur, GA. In her 20's she becomes a Bosnian war correspondent and writes a Pulitzer Prize-winning book about modern-day genocides, gets a law degree, and founds a couple of humanitarian research organizations at Harvard. In her 30's she joins the Obama administration, gets married, has 2 kids, and gets nominated as US Ambassador to the UN. In her 40's she's the 2nd female US Ambassador to the UN, passes a bunch of resolutions, gets a few people freed from unlawful imprisonment, and hangs out with Presidents, Ambassadors, and cool people like Gloria Steinem.
Samantha Power is a truly impressive person and has led an amazing life. From her early days as a war correspondent to her time as US Ambassador to the UN, Power uses her unique blend of story-telling, investigative journalism, and hard-learned wisdom to convey her insights about how to affect change, both big and small.
As incredible as her story is, she often speaks with genuine humility, gratitude, and affection for her family and colleagues, even during stressful times. She doesn't shy away from the personal or professional mistakes she's made along the way, to include her early forays in relationships with emotionally unavailable men whom she and her friends affectionately call "lizards" for their cold blood and tendency to slither away as soon as a woman makes herself vulnerable. Eventually Power meets her (future) husband Cass with whom she has 2 kids while working 18 hour days at the White House. She is constantly torn between her duties as an Ambassador and those of motherhood, often with the Ambassador duties taking higher priority. But near the end of the book she confesses:
"If one lesson in my experience stands out above the others, it is that the people we love are the foundation for all else. I have never found the optimal balance between immersion in my work and the pull of home, love and laughter that are my fuel. But I do know that when we turn in out White House badge - or its equivalent in other fields - what is left is our own garden, and what we have sown and cultivated."
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for inspiration on how to be a badass and be a passionate, kind, and loving person while doing it. BUT, this book will not help you figure out what the f*ck to do with your life. There. You've been warned.
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