Condi : The Condoleezza Rice Story - Hardcover

Felix, Antonia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1557045399 ISBN 13: 9781557045393

Publisher: Newmarket Press, 2002

Synopsis

The first biography on the most important woman in U.S. government today, National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush, by the author of Laura: America's First Lady, First Mother.

As National Security Advisor to the president and winner of the NAACP Image Award, Condoleezza Rice has never wasted time getting where she wants to go, and for the first time, this biography tells the story of her remarkable life—from her precocious childhood to her dreams of becoming a concert pianist to her role as the president's most trusted advisor, following a distinguished career as scholar, professor, provost, and foreign policy advisor—all by the age of 47.

Condi, as she is known, was named after a musical term, con dolcezza—to play "with sweetness"—by her music-loving parents who, both educators, set forth a standard of excellence for their only child that would give her the "twice as good" edge that was necessary to be on an even standing with her white peers in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, in 1954.

Topics covered include: • A sweeping, intriguing look at the Rice family legacy, from slave owners and slaves to "evangelists of education" and finally to a prominent government figure and presidential advisor
• The big switch: why Rice changed her career goal from concert pianist to scholar
• Point-by-point look at Rice's foreign policy outlook on Russia, China, Israel, Afghanistan, and other nations

About this title

About the Author

Antonia Felix is the author of thirteen nonfiction books including the biographies Laura: America's First Lady, First Mother; Christie Todd Whitman; and Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration. She has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, CNN, Oxygen, C-SPAN, and Fox News. Felix divides her time between New York City and Kingsville, Texas.

Reviews

Felix presents a well-written, highly readable portrait of national security adviser Condoleezza "Condi" Rice. It's hard to resist the story of a black woman born in segregated Birmingham, Ala., in 1954, who broke down every barrier to excel in an arena dominated by white men. Felix (Laura: America's First Lady, First Mother) credits an extraordinary upbringing-parents wholly devoted to their only child's achievement through education and public service. Her father, John Rice, a Presbyterian minister and academic, was her primary role model, while her mother, a pianist and teacher, instilled in her a continuing love for piano playing. Felix explores the woman behind the powerful position: her diverse passions, from football to music, weight training to Russia; a fluent reader by age five and at 38 the first black, first woman and youngest person to become provost at Stanford University; the first woman national security adviser. Although Felix didn't interview Rice, this informative biography draws on a thorough list of secondary sources and on interviews with family, friends and colleagues. Because her media profile has risen dramatically since September 11 and there has been talk of her running for office in the future, those wanting to find out more about the most prominent woman in foreign policy today won't be disappointed with this thorough and engaging profile. 16 pages of b&w photos.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In this portrait of President Bush's national security advisor, Felix (Laura: America's First Lady, First Mother) presents Rice as perhaps the most influential woman in the history of the U.S. government. Rice has had a distinguished career as scholar, professor, and provost, but here her passions for music, football, and Russia get equal play.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Newmarket Press
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1557045399
• ISBN 13: 9781557045393
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224