The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir

I am happy I read this book. Excellent journalism and foreign policy experience by the author! Such brilliant storytelling on the account of her personal and professional experiences. She is one of few authors who have me constantly in the dictionary as I read her book. She uses vibrant words to describe her experiences and writes quite engagingly—I was never bored, loss, or confused reading all 580 pages of this book.I learned so much about the challenges under the administration she served in and her journey as a journalist gave me ideas on navigating career paths as a journalist myself, someone who has moved away from journalism but uses my journalistic skills to maintain a successful career.In photo. I took the book on a vacation and read most of it while I enjoyed a glass of wine. ☺️

Samantha Power became a war correspondent in Bosnia, then a lawyer working on human rights issues. She wrote a very critical book of how the United States failed to address properly a century of genocides; the book struggled to find a publisher but ended up winning the Pulitzer Prize. She became friendly with Senator Barack Obama, then a high-ranking official responsible for human rights issues in his administration. She served as US Ambassador to the United Nations in Obama’s second term, where she had a voice in how the US should respond to genocide in Syria’s civil war. It is noteworthy that Obama wanted a genocide expert on his foreign policy team, even if he didn’t always (or usually) follow her advice.Powell is well aware of how US officials rationalize their decisions not to intervene with military force when faced with genocide. She had a reputation for always advocating military options in cases of potential genocide, but this book tells of the various military and non-military options she actually supported. She generally was not on the winning side, and even if her proposals won, they didn’t necessarily work. To her credit, she admits these limitations and failings, even though I suspect she regularly shades the stories in her favor.This book also includes her personal back story that includes a broken family and alcoholic father, years of therapy, and starting a much happier family with Cass Sunstein, an Obama advisor known for policy “nudges.” If Power ever thought of using nudges in genocide policy, she doesn’t tell that story. Her family life included raising two highly successful professionals living a few hours apart, raising two young children in the UN ambassador’s apartment in New York City. It’s not as easy as it soundsPowell writes very well – she did win a Pulitzer, after all. She admits her mistakes and foibles more readily than most cabinet-level officials do. Highly recommended.

A fascinating story of how a freckled redhead who immigrated from Ireland to become Barack Obama’s UN Ambassador. Samantha Power is someone I would call an overachiever. She is empathetic, intelligent, thorough in her work & responsibilities. I learned much about the UN and it’s purpose to exist. I had no idea exactly what they did & why they exist. This lays out the day to day problems & questions that must be dealt with. She also had recently gotten married and became a mother with 2 young children that added to her many obligations. My impression of Samantha Power is to wish we could have had her representing us much longer. She left her mark on the organization & it will be one more thing the History books will proclaim that Barack Obama knew what he was doing. I loved this book. I found it very interesting.

From a little girl in Ireland, the war zones of Bosnia to the chamber of the United Nations Security Council, Samantha Power in "The Education of an Idealist" tells her extremely captivating story. In the midst of a personal memoir Ambassador Power strongly principled convictions, that I have long admired about her also come across. Her advocacy against genocide and commitment to making human rights apart of U.S Foreign Policy is most admirable, she comes across as genuine and passionate. Her story is inspirational, it shows so much is possible despite how hard things may seem at first. I particularly like the use in her title "idealist" a term often used in derogatory fashion, but one I like her see more positively, that we can aspire to do big things while recognizing the frustrating realities. She is super smart, the book is extremely well written, the pages fly by and you will love her story, give it a read.

A great story of a woman having it all. Her writing is wonderful, I love that the book has pictures, it’s a book I want my daughter to read.

This is no ghost-written politician’s memoir. Samantha Power is a Pulitzer Prize-winner, and it shows. She has written a very personal book. To define it as honest, open or candid, would fall short of doing justice to the frankness and depth with which she tackles her life, principles, dreams, aspirations, realizations, successes and failures. As revealing of a fascinating life as her personal trajectory is, and as fascinating as the glimpses into war-zone journalism, or the life within the inner circles of power are, it is her broader reflections, principled conundrums and ethical questions that resonated most with me. She gives you plenty of facts to draw your own conclusions, as she struggled to reconcile the aspirations of an activist with the limitations of government, even those of the most powerful country on earth. As a side-effect, this book is also a palpable reminder of the intellectual stature of the main players in the previous U.S. administration.

Buen libro y llego al otro día

I bought the book, wanting to learn how things work behind the scenes, in the White House, at the UN, in her work, and learned a lot. But I also discovered a wonderful person, both humanitarian and political, who has done much for our world. Reaching out to so many, listening, and acting.Samantha Power has a moral compass, her life has been guided by it, and she has been very successful in touching POSITIVELY the lives of many, many people.So well written too. A Must-Read. I recommend the print version, as opposed to audio, for the many photos she includes in the book.

A charming insight into the world of diplomacy and US politics written by a modest and decent person who is as honest and principled as one could hope from a government official. Well worth reading.