The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power

  THE SECRETARY: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Powerby Kim Ghattas   I am recommending a recently published book about the former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton called "The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power,” by Kim Ghattas. It is a firsthand account of how Clinton became the first secretary of state to implement smart power by reaching out and rebuilding relationships and repositioning America as a leader in a changed world. What makes this book a fascinating read are several reasons: first - Kim is from Lebanon, second - Kim is part of the press that traveled all over the world with Hillary, and last - you get to see first hand what a secretary of state really does. Kim is an excellent writer and she offers many observations and insights from a non-American point of view. The author describes how Clinton schmoozed with the world’s leaders because she believed in being accessible but also because availability was political capital. As Kim said, “Her personal contacts with ministers, presidents, and princes, either recent or decades-old, meant there was huge amount of bandwidth that allowed for communications not to clog up or break down when a major crisis erupted.” This book will help you understand how world politics work, especially using soft power tools such as charisma, vision, and communication.