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eamcmahon3's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Sarah for the rec!
I didn't know anything about Samantha Power going into this, but I loved her by the end. This book does a good job of being political without being distasteful. I appreciated getting insight into her decision-making and though processes.
This book is long so be prepared. Would recommend
I didn't know anything about Samantha Power going into this, but I loved her by the end. This book does a good job of being political without being distasteful. I appreciated getting insight into her decision-making and though processes.
This book is long so be prepared. Would recommend
georgia29's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
dkatreads's review against another edition
4.0
Mad respect for Samantha Power. Proud to know she continues to represent the US abroad as Director of USAID. I loved reading her backstage experiences of US foreign policy, and her candor was remarkably refreshing. I would absolutely consider her something of an inspiration and a role model to me after reading this.
I left this book experiencing a range of emotions though. In some cases, deep pride in the capacity of the US to do good in the world. But also, naturally, immense shame, betrayal, and heartache at not only our impotence, but also our abandonment of the vulnerable across the world.
Much of Samantha’s own frustration and grief of this stemmed from the Obama Administration’s non-response on Syria. Reading more about the Administration’s agonizing paralysis on Syria, which left millions of Syrians to suffer the greatest humanitarian catastrophes and violence seen in the modern world, only deepened my anguish and sense that the world abandoned Syria, where my family is from. This book pressed in on that wound.
And yet I’m grateful for it. It was a reminder of the constraints of “hegemony” and the limits of state power. And it was a spur to do more to reverse the abandonment of Syrians and fight for their dignity. I intend to follow through with that challenge.
I wasn’t particularly wowed with her writing, but I think this book was a wonderful read and well worth your time, simply because Samantha is a deep thinker and passionate advocate. We need more people like her.
I left this book experiencing a range of emotions though. In some cases, deep pride in the capacity of the US to do good in the world. But also, naturally, immense shame, betrayal, and heartache at not only our impotence, but also our abandonment of the vulnerable across the world.
Much of Samantha’s own frustration and grief of this stemmed from the Obama Administration’s non-response on Syria. Reading more about the Administration’s agonizing paralysis on Syria, which left millions of Syrians to suffer the greatest humanitarian catastrophes and violence seen in the modern world, only deepened my anguish and sense that the world abandoned Syria, where my family is from. This book pressed in on that wound.
And yet I’m grateful for it. It was a reminder of the constraints of “hegemony” and the limits of state power. And it was a spur to do more to reverse the abandonment of Syrians and fight for their dignity. I intend to follow through with that challenge.
I wasn’t particularly wowed with her writing, but I think this book was a wonderful read and well worth your time, simply because Samantha is a deep thinker and passionate advocate. We need more people like her.
kathywadolowski's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Samatha Power is, no doubt, a force and an inspiration. Her life story is well worth the read, as are her insights into the unrelenting effort it takes to generate impactful change. I was gripped by many of her accounts of major world events through the lens of her role as US ambassador to the UN—the handling of the Ebola outbreak and her repeated clashes with the Russian ambassador were particularly interesting to me—and it was strangely relatable to see how her perspective necessarily shifted from her journalist days in Bosnia to being in the position to affect the same policies she'd previously been able to question and criticize from a distance.
However, I thought the book was a bit too long and spent some unnecessary time/effort tracing details that weren't all that interesting. There were even times I felt like I was reading a history textbook rather than a personal testimonial; though facts are OF COURSE important in a book of this nature, I did also speed through some drier sections to hear more of her unique intel about given situations and events.
I also found Power to be a little preachy and judgmental from time to time. She did recognize her privileged position often, and acknowledged when she was being hypocritical; but even with all her international experience, I was sometimes put off by the presumption that she could really understand the nuances of other countries' situations and policies. For instance, she mentioned that when she visited other countries, she often met with survivors of various types of violence before meeting with country leaders so she could lecture them about the suffering happening on their watch. Though the goal sounds noble, it *feels* patronizing to presume that leaders don't know or care about such issues... and felt a bit illustrative of America's inflated ego on the world stage.
Though to counter-point myself, it's also clear from Power's experiences that America's posturing can be either bolstering or devastating, depending on our decision to act or not. And though this realization made me nervous given all the nationalism/isolationism that flooded the country in a Trumpian world, I was also heartened to know that many American diplomats remained committed to their cause no matter the administration in charge.
Though at times Power got on my nerves during this read, she is also a clear champion for the ideals that America was founded on and makes a strong case for the importance of decisive leadership in the interest of helping others. Though the path to that end might not always be obvious and is never easy, the worst thing you can do is just sit by and watch when you have the power to do something.
However, I thought the book was a bit too long and spent some unnecessary time/effort tracing details that weren't all that interesting. There were even times I felt like I was reading a history textbook rather than a personal testimonial; though facts are OF COURSE important in a book of this nature, I did also speed through some drier sections to hear more of her unique intel about given situations and events.
I also found Power to be a little preachy and judgmental from time to time. She did recognize her privileged position often, and acknowledged when she was being hypocritical; but even with all her international experience, I was sometimes put off by the presumption that she could really understand the nuances of other countries' situations and policies. For instance, she mentioned that when she visited other countries, she often met with survivors of various types of violence before meeting with country leaders so she could lecture them about the suffering happening on their watch. Though the goal sounds noble, it *feels* patronizing to presume that leaders don't know or care about such issues... and felt a bit illustrative of America's inflated ego on the world stage.
Though to counter-point myself, it's also clear from Power's experiences that America's posturing can be either bolstering or devastating, depending on our decision to act or not. And though this realization made me nervous given all the nationalism/isolationism that flooded the country in a Trumpian world, I was also heartened to know that many American diplomats remained committed to their cause no matter the administration in charge.
Though at times Power got on my nerves during this read, she is also a clear champion for the ideals that America was founded on and makes a strong case for the importance of decisive leadership in the interest of helping others. Though the path to that end might not always be obvious and is never easy, the worst thing you can do is just sit by and watch when you have the power to do something.
izzysunby's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0