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The education of an idealist : a memoir / Samantha Power.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Dey St., an imprint of William Morrow, [2019]Copyright date: ©2019Edition: First editionDescription: xii, 580 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, portraits (chiefly color) ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
  • still image
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780062820693
  • 0062820699
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
Part one. Ireland -- America -- Loss -- Dignity -- Tank man -- Doers -- Risk -- Hearts of darkness -- "Tell Clinton" -- The secret to a long life -- "Go remember" -- "A problem from hell" -- Upstanders -- Going to Washington -- The bat cave -- Yes we can -- Monster -- Victory. Part two. No manual -- Can we go home now? -- April 24th -- Turnaround -- Toolbox -- Revolutions -- All necessary measures -- Let's pray they accomplish something -- One shot -- "Can't be both" -- The red line -- "Chemical weapons were used" -- When America sneezes -- Upside-down land -- Us and them -- Freedom from fear -- Lean on -- Toussaint -- The golden door -- Exit, voice, loyalty -- Shrink the change -- The end -- Afterword.
Summary: Pulitzer Prize winning humanitarian Samantha Power offers an urgent response to the question "What can one person do?" In this memoir, 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. In 2005, her critiques of U.S. 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 U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, the youngest American to assume the role. Power shows how she juggled the demands of a 24/7 national security job with the challenge of raising two young children. Along the way, she illuminates the intricacies of politics and geopolitics, reminding us how the United States can lead in the world, and why we each have the opportunity to advance the cause of human dignity.
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Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library Biography Power, S. P887 Available 33111009719119
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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

Includes bibliographical references (pages 557-568) and index.

Part one. Ireland -- America -- Loss -- Dignity -- Tank man -- Doers -- Risk -- Hearts of darkness -- "Tell Clinton" -- The secret to a long life -- "Go remember" -- "A problem from hell" -- Upstanders -- Going to Washington -- The bat cave -- Yes we can -- Monster -- Victory. Part two. No manual -- Can we go home now? -- April 24th -- Turnaround -- Toolbox -- Revolutions -- All necessary measures -- Let's pray they accomplish something -- One shot -- "Can't be both" -- The red line -- "Chemical weapons were used" -- When America sneezes -- Upside-down land -- Us and them -- Freedom from fear -- Lean on -- Toussaint -- The golden door -- Exit, voice, loyalty -- Shrink the change -- The end -- Afterword.

Pulitzer Prize winning humanitarian Samantha Power offers an urgent response to the question "What can one person do?" In this memoir, 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. In 2005, her critiques of U.S. 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 U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, the youngest American to assume the role. Power shows how she juggled the demands of a 24/7 national security job with the challenge of raising two young children. Along the way, she illuminates the intricacies of politics and geopolitics, reminding us how the United States can lead in the world, and why we each have the opportunity to advance the cause of human dignity.

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