

She was raised by a father who was himself an owner of a school, and who pushed his daughter to fight for her right to be educated. Malala Yousafzai is a young woman was born in a small village in Northwest Pakistan, where the local Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. “This inspiring and empowering autobiography will introduce you to a different reality of what we know of education for women. “I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban” by Malala Yousafzai “I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban” by Malala Yousafzai (recommended by Marie Pier Allard, BU PISA Vice-President)

I would highly recommend reading Powers’ memoir if you’re looking for some not-so-light reading to transition from the spring semester into the summer!” As someone who is interested in pursuing a similar career path as Samantha Powers, and as someone who has grappled with interventionism and militarism and the overbearing power of Western voices, this book gave me an inside look at how decisions regarding a state’s actions in the international community are made. The “Education of an Idealist” details her journey from her own perspective, showing her confidence and at times her insecurities she writes about the difficulty of having to represent a government that she at times disagreed with, as well as the difficulty of raising kids while working in such a demanding (and at times dangerous) job. This book catapulted her towards then-Senator Barack Obama, and from there she worked on his Presidential campaign, sat on the National Security Council, and then became the U.S. When she returned from Bosnia, she wrote an 800-page analysis of the American involvement in Bosnia, and the issues surrounding interventionism. Samantha Power is an Irish immigrant to the United States, who decided to go to Bosnia during the height of the Bosnian war in order to be a war correspondent, something she had absolutely no experience in. “Not only this book is perfect for any politics OR international studies students, but is also, in my opinion, a great read for women who are interested in entering the male-dominated field that we are studying. “The Education of An Idealist” by Samantha Power
