The Education of an Idealist

"What right has this woman to be so educated?" is a question an Irish judge asked of Samatha Power's mother, though the same question could be applied to Samantha's own life. A Pulitzer Prize winner, a war correspondent, an Irish immigrant, and a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Power's life has been an education in diplomacy, sorrow, resilience, determination, and humility. The Education of an Idealist is a memoir about these things, but also about idealism as a guiding principle of thought and action: where it comes from, how it gets challenged, and why it must endure. In his New York Times review, Thomas L. Friedman posits Power's book is perfect for course adoption, saying, "I can imagine a course for incoming diplomats [...] that would use Power's book as a text, and the final exam question would be: 'In 500 words or less, explain whether you identify with the younger Power or the older Power."