Madame Secretary

One thing I am really enjoying about being unemployed - oh, excuse me, between jobs - is the chance to read as much as possible. I have been finding some new authors, but more frequently, since used bookstores and clearance sales are my friends right now, discovering authors and books that are older, or new to me. Some of the books have been on my shelves for a few years. Madame Secretary, by Madeleine Albright, is an example of this. My ex gave me this book for the last Christmas - so I have had it about two years. And I am fairly certain it was not brand new and full-price at the time (no reflection on her, but who doesn't love a bargain?).

I have been reading lighter fare as I recovered from surgery in October. But the former Secretary of State has been in the news lately, so I decided to go back to non-fiction. What a pleasant surprise. Not only does this memoir discuss some of the foreign policy issues which I remember, sort of, from the Clinton era, and with which we are still struggling, but it does so in a manner that is as far from dry as I imagine Ms. Albright is. She discusses complex sociopolitical issues clearly, giving enough history so that issues can be understood, but not getting bogged down in details. She uses stories to illustrate many points, and most of the stories are amusing. She genuinely enjoyed working with people and seemed to invite their confidence and camaraderie.

I like the occasional biography or memoir, and I have always admired Madeleine Albright, but I did not expect to enjoy this book so much. By the end, you agree with the young boy quoted in the last chapter. When he saw the new Secretary of State, Colin Powell, he expressed surprise that the job was given to him. His father lectured him about diversity, etc., and the boy looked up at him, bewildered, and said, "It's not that. It's just I never thought the Secretary of State could be a man." This is definitely a book to read to start to understand the Middle East, the Balkans and even North Korea.