The Education of an Idealist - by Samantha Power (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

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 political 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 look at recent diplomatic history and a 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 in the world of international relations.

"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

How does an idealist change the system from within without losing her moral compass?

• The Obama Administration: Trace Power's incredible journey from a critic of US foreign policy to a trusted adviser in the White House Situation Room.
• Women in Politics: Get a rare and honest glimpse into the challenges of juggling a 24/7 national security job while raising two young children.
• High-Stakes Diplomacy: Go behind the scenes at the United Nations as Power, the youngest-ever US Ambassador, navigates complex global challenges.
• Human Rights Advocacy: A deeply personal and inspiring case for how we each can put our ideals into practice to advance the cause of human dignity.

Review Quotes

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

Aided by the strangely sweet love story at its core...a joyous counterpoint to the stresses of political life. . . . A fascinating read. - Vanity Fair

Refreshingly frank and self-deprecating, Power's memoir is an energizing reminder that conscience has a place in the process of shaping foreign policy. - Time

The Education of an Idealist is that rare political memoir: startlingly honest, funny and beautifully written. - NPR

"[Power] stresses the necessity of caring, acting, and not giving up when seeking to change people's lives. Power's vibrant prose, exuberant storytelling, and deep insights into human nature make for a page-turning memoir." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"In this gripping and revelatory memoir, Power chronicles, with vibrant precision and stunning candor, her best and worst moments navigating the obstacle courses within the White House and the UN, daunting global crises, and personal struggles. She is utterly compelling in her eye-witness accounts of violence and political standoffs and shrewdly witty in her tales about balancing diplomacy and motherhood." - Booklist, starred review

"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

"The Education of an Idealist is that rare political memoir: startlingly honest, funny and beautifully written." - NPR

"An illuminating and engaging account of [Power's] journey from would-be sports journalist to award winning author, from Irish immigrant to presidential cabinet member... This engrossing memoir will appeal to informed readers and will inspire women contemplating careers in public service." - Library Journal

"A foreign policy guru reveals her many selves in a sweeping autobiography" - O Magazine

"Power writes with heart about her upbringing -- in Ireland, Pittsburgh and Atlanta -- and she is especially poignant when recounting a few traumatic episodes... Still, the book is suffused with humor, and [President Obama] furnishes the funniest anecdotes that don't come from her charming children...The Education of an Idealist is a moving account of how to serve righteously, or at least how to try." - The Washington Post

"Amid the flood of memoirs from Obama administration veterans, Power's stands out as worth reading. For starters, she's a better writer than a lot of them--she was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author long before she got into government. She's also done more that's worth reading about. Like the best journalists, Power has a gift for finding the perfect anecdote to illustrate a larger idea or theme, and this is the rare political memoir where you definitely shouldn't skim the "early years" chapters. - Slate

"Engaging....Power's memoir is an insider's account of foreign-policy-making, and an intensely personal one." - The Economist

"Power writes movingly about everything...and she delivers one of the best-written political memoirs of recent years." - Fareed Zakaria, CNN

"Power is a master story-teller . . . a brilliant self-portrait of an outsider turned insider, who is forced to grapple with the challenges that brings, and does so honestly." - The Independent (Ireland)

"Honest, personal, revealing. . . about the development of a young woman's inner strength and self-knowledge." - COLM TÓIBÍN, author of Brooklyn and Nora Webster

"Samantha Power's captivating memoir is a rare and intimate revelation of the inner workings of international diplomacy as well as a heartening beacon of a book for young women and men everywhere. Its stories of dignity, kindness, empathy, and inclusiveness are needed today as never before." - DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author

"Problem solving in a complex world can challenge idealism. Samantha 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, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy

"A celebrated writer and an accomplished diplomat, Samantha Power is one of the most outspoken and important voices in world affairs today. Her absorbing, heartfelt, and remarkably candid memoir provides vivid new details about the difficult strategic questions that arose during her years in the Obama administration, and offers essential lessons to anyone aspiring to follow in her footsteps in shaping the world for the better." - Secretary of State MADELEINE ALBRIGHT

"Lively...and strikingly personal...[Power] writes vividly and lucidly here about her turn in the international spotlight." - Vogue

"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."

"[Power] is a very good writer, which makes it more fun and truly engrossing to read a memoir about a former U.S. official....A pleasure to read." - Rachel Maddow, MSNBC