When Are You Going to Get a Proper Job? - (Edition Noema) by Jonathan Power (Paperback)

About the Book

Jonathan Power tells the story of his life and what it was like to be a foreign affairs journalist for sixty years.

Book Synopsis

A foreign affairs journalist for 60 years, Jonathan Power has traveled all over the world, writing, besides his column in the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times, long articles for Encounter and Prospect magazines, eight books on foreign affairs and many TV and radio documentaries, mainly for the BBC, one of which won the silver medal at the Venice Film Festival. He has interviewed over 70 of the world's most famous and influential presidents, prime ministers, and political and literary icons including Ignacio Lula da Silva, Indira Gandhi, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Georgi Arbatov, Sonia Gandhi, Willy Brandt, Helmut Schmidt, Olusegun Obasanjo, Julius Nyerere, James Baldwin, Andy Young, Jesse Jackson, Manmohan Singh and Paul McCartney. Notably, Power was the first journalist to report at length in English on the trafficking of African migrants across the Sahara and into France. This inspired his first novel, "The Human Flow"- a love story set against the backdrop of the migrant flow from West Africa to Paris and London. In addition to his writing, Power has consulted for organizations such as the Aspen Institute, the International Red Cross, the World Council of Churches, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, UNICEF, and the Catholic Churchʼs Commission for Justice and Peace in England and Wales.

Review Quotes

The book is more than a failed love story told by a journalist with a heartfelt, almost naïve honesty. Power's travel diary is remarkable, not just for his travels but also for the purpose, people, sights, sounds, and smells, as well as the impact of a few of the dramatic moments, like when he was almost stranded in the Caribbean after losing his guide, and later, his wallet.--Azu Ishiekwene, Editor-in-Chief, LEADERSHIP "azuishiekwene.com"

I was delighted to see that Jonathan's path had in one main aspect been similar to mine. That path was faith in the potential goodness of humanity. He had documented the atrocities of civil rights abuse. I had suggested the same idea in my music and somehow we had both come together many years later to compare notes.--Paul McCartney (School friend at the Liverpool Institute for Boys.)

About the Author

Jonathan Power is a renowned journalist, filmmaker, and broadcaster, best known for his weekly column and commentary on foreign affairs that appeared in the International Herald Tribune (now The New York Times) for 17 years. Power has probably been published on the opinion pages of the principal US newspapers more than any other European. With a global following, his column is syndicated to newspapers worldwide. He is also the author of eight books on foreign affairs, including "Like Water on Stone: The Story of Amnesty International", published by Penguin. Prior to earning his Master's degree at the University of Wisconsin, Power worked in Tanzania, where he provided advice to peasant farmers while living in a local village. He later joined the staff of Martin Luther King, living in the West Side ghetto, working with Jesse Jackson in the "End the Slums" campaign in Chicago. Notably, Power was the first journalist to report at length in English on the trafficking of African migrants across the Sahara and into France.