Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part One: Ireland -- America -- Loss -- Dignity -- Tank Man -- Doers -- Risk -- Heart 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

The Education of an Idealist combines gripping storytelling, vivid character portraits and deep political insight, tracing Power’s journey from Irish immigrant to war correspondent and 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 took one of the world’s most powerful diplomatic positions, becoming the youngest ever US Ambassador to the United Nations.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Power transports us from her early years in Dublin to the streets of war-torn Bosnia into the White House Situation Room and the arena of high-stakes diplomacy. The Education of an Idealist lays bare the searing battles and defining moments of her life and 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, and reminds that in the face of great challenges there is always something each of us can do to advance the cause of human dignity. Honest, inspiring and evocatively written, Power’s memoir is an unforgettable account of the world-changing power of idealism – and of one person’s fierce determination to make a difference. -- Publisher