For two and a half decades, Samantha Power has been an advocate for US intervention to prevent genocide around the world – as a war correspondent, as an author, and as a member of the Obama administration (2009–17). The Education of an Idealist is a deeply personal memoir of that experience.

The book is divided into two parts, reflecting the distinct stages of Power’s career before and after joining the Obama administration. The tensions and conflicts between the two stages echo throughout The Education of an Idealist, as Power’s early commitments clash with the limitations of being one part of the broader administration.