The Education of an Idealist

Publisher's Summary A New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and USA Today best seller One of Audible’s Best Audiobooks of 2019 A New York Times Notable Book of 2019  An NPR Best Book of 2019  One of Time ’s Must-Read Books of 2019  An Economist Book of the Year  A Washington Post Notable Book of 2019  A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019 “Her highly personal and reflective memoir...is a must-read for anyone who cares about our role in a changing world." (President Barack Obama) An intimate, powerful, and galvanizing memoir by Pulitzer Prize winner, human rights advocate, and former UN Ambassador Samantha Power. In her memoir, Power offers an urgent response to the question "What can one person do?" and a call for a clearer eye, a kinder heart, and a more open and civil hand in our politics and daily lives. The Education of an Idealist traces Power’s distinctly American journey from immigrant to war correspondent to presidential Cabinet official. In 2005, her critiques of US foreign policy caught the eye of newly elected senator Barack Obama, who invited her to work with him on Capitol Hill and then on his presidential campaign. After Obama was elected president, Power went from being an activist outsider to a government insider, navigating the halls of power while trying to put her ideals into practice. She served for four years as Obama’s human rights adviser, and in 2013, he named her US Ambassador to the United Nations, the youngest American to …