Condoleezza Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me

Condoleezza Rice writes about her life up to the point where she became the Ntional Security Advisor to President G W Bush. Many historians will be disappointed that she did not take her autobiography beyond this point. However, she has given us a detailed account about her early life and attitudes. Many of the great and the good avoid doing that, preferring to concentrate on their time in office, so this book is unusual. Paying homage not only to her parents but to her grandparents and others as well, she also describes what it was like to be growing up in a black neighbourhood in the 1960s. Living through the the civil rights troubles, she followed advice to be twice as good to succeed in the wider world by studying hard. Her dedication to music and the piano in particular is also explained, along with her love of watching sport. She describes the sacrifices her family made for her, the challenges and decisions she faced and her mistakes and faults with a refreshing frankness. But then, she always appeared to this reviewer to be the most self-effacing yet technically competent Secretary of State when she held that post (not covered in this book). If you are interested in recent history or social mobility, then you will probably read this more than once.

Enjoyable read. Ms Rice and her family's story is very touching and inspiring. She's obviously brilliantly smart and extremely hard working, but I still find her experience a little incredible, so the book would be even better if it gives a bit more about how she achieved what she achieved.

This was a really insightful expose on who Ms Rice is, her background and professional contributions and accomplishments - written in easy to read prose and humanising momentous times in the history of this generation (i.e break up of the soviet union). This is a biography I will certainly be reading again.

This looks like a good book for my mothers Xmas. It also arrived well within the dates they gave me. Thanx and she should enjoy it as its a non fiction account of the American political system.

Very good book!!!

This kindlebook of Condoleeza Rice: A Memoir Of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me by Condoleeza Rice touches on various facets of her family life and how they positively influenced other areas of her life. Rice shares how both of her parents met each other. Additionally, I like the candid details included on how certain moves across schools andor states affected each of them (her parents, herself etc.). A person does get the sense that Condoleeza greatly loves both of her parents from this kindlebook and she kindly acknowledges the blessing of having the love of both of her parents. Condoleeza Rice also indirectly shares her love of learning throughout this book and indirectly makes the connection from how her family life influenced her ambition. Rice also shares how the hardships of what she had survived and lived through propelled her determination (such as how a certain tragic event involving her dad’s church affected not just her dad, but her own feelings about what was happening at the time, and she shares details in a way that a person can guess how others around her must have also felt). There is so much more in this kindlebook that makes it a meaningful read.