The Education of an Idealist

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

Samantha Power is the Anna Lindh Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and the William D. Zabel Professor of Practice in Human Rights at Harvard Law School. From 2013 to 2017, Power served in the Cabinet of President Barack Obama and as US Ambassador to the United Nations. From 2009 to 2013, Power worked on the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights. Power's book "A Problem from Hell”: America and the Age of Genocide won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. She is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Sergio: One Man's Fight to Save the World. Power began her career as a journalist reporting from countries including Bosnia, East Timor, Rwanda, and Sudan, and she has been named by TIME as one of the world's 100 Most Influential People and by Forbes as one of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women. She immigrated to the United States from Ireland as a child, and lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Cass Sunstein, and their two children.