Samantha Power

An intimate and powerful memoir by Pulitzer Prize–winner and former U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power.

A Memoir

The Education of an Idealist

‘Her highly personal and reflective memoir ... is a must-read for anyone who cares about our role in a changing world’ Barack Obama THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR A TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR

linda

This book took me a while to get through, but it’s probably the best book I’ve read all year. Power’s writing gave me a fascinating insider look at American foreign policy (I didn’t know about the NSC before reading this book) and the Obama cabinet; it also offered many valuable insights on work-life balance for women, the civil service career path, and as the title suggests, reconciling one’s ideals with reality. 

Power is a great storyteller. I was impressed by her fearlessness, tenacity, integrity, and compassion. Several parts of the book (especially about her father’s death) brought me to tears; others made me laughed out loud. Though I was fascinated by her detailed accounts of how the Obama administration developed its platforms on Libya, Syria, Ebola, and LGBT rights, etc., I especially loved the anecdotes that she inserted into the memoir. I appreciated her frankness, whether owning up to her disastrous blunder as an Obama staffer (called Hillary Clinton a monster during her book tour in Ireland) or sharing candidly about John Kerry’s surprise at the other end of the phone when he found out that she was breastfeeding her daughter before a conference call. I loved that Samantha Power rapped along to Drake with her husband (Cass Sunstein) the day before her senate hearing (“started from the bottom, now we here”). What a queen.

And there is so much good stuff in this book, and I’m sure I will be coming back to it again (when I’m doing another policy related internship, applying to law school, going to le school). This book is also filled with book recommendations, all of which I have added to my burgeoning list: 1L by Scott Turow; Switch by Chip and Dan Heath; Exit Voice and Loyalty by Alan Hirschman; Every Day is Extra by John Kerry; The Confidence Code by Kay and Shipman; The Audacity of Hope by Barack and Obama. 

1. Leadership is service and responsibility, not just a position to aspire to. As president, it means ensuring the needs of all 300 million Americans; As a Congressman, it means being responsible for advocating every constituent at home. As Ambassador to the UN, it means standing up for the hundreds of millions of people around the world who are persecuted or displaced, while balancing their lives with the foreign policy initiatives of the national government (I.e. Assad’s use of chemical weaponry and Obama’s inability to intervene in Syria). 

2. There will always be a gap between our objectives and the reality. Being an idealist means trying to broach this gap as much as we can and doing good in the process. Being a public servant requires making decisions every day—decisions that can have unintended outcomes, even life or death consequences. But governments and institutions are made of people, and change happens because of human decisions. Power was able to help spur actions that improved people’s lives.

3. America is the most powerful country in the world - this was evident through Power’s interactions with the other ambassadors in the UN. While America has been embroiled in messy, peripheral conflicts around the world (in its entire history - note connection to Rome as well), other countries also look to the US to maintain and negotiate peace, to save civilians from the scourge of war. I was surprised while reading some parts of this book that Power (as UN ambassador) advocated for military action. Here’s her defense: “I cared above all about consequences. I believed that the most important part of decision-making was not the justness of one’s intentions but the effectiveness of one’s actions.” According to Power, the US can use its military to create good: a no-fly zone or military support could create stability and save civilian lives. 

I felt very, very inspired after reading this book. I have a new role model. :) Power is a mother of two young children and an immigrant at one of the highest levels of government. I was most impressed by her humility, integrity, and kindness towards the people around her. She’s the type of leader I aspire to be.

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

The Education of an Idealist A Memoir

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