In her new memoir The Education of an Idealist, Pulitzer Prize winner Samantha Power traces her distinctly American journey from Irish immigrant to human rights activist to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. President Barack Obama heralded Power as one of America’s “foremost thinkers on foreign policy.” Power began her career as a war correspondent and put her ideals into practice while working with Obama in the Senate, on the campaign trail, and throughout his presidency. Power’s perspective on government is unique, transporting us from the streets of war-torn Bosnia to the Situation Room and into the world of high-stakes diplomacy.

In gripping prose, Power illuminates the complex worlds of politics and geopolitics while laying bare the battles and defining moments of her life, such as juggling a demanding job with the challenge of raising two small children. She reminds us how the United States can lead, and why there is always something each of us can do to advance the cause of human dignity. The Education of an Idealist is a humorous, stirring, and unforgettable account of the world-changing power of idealism, and of one person’s fierce determination to make a difference.