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Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box
Part illustrated memoir, part social history, "Read My Pins" provides an intimate look at Albright's life through the brooches she wore. Her collection is both international and democratic--dime-store pins share pride of place with designer creations and family heirlooms. Included are the antique eagle purchased to celebrate Albright's appointment as secretary of state, the zebra pin she wore when meeting Nelson Mandela, and the Valentine's Day heart forged by Albright's five-year-old daughter. "Read My Pins" features more than 200 photographs, along with compelling and often humorous stories about jewelry, global politics, and the life of one of America's most accomplished and fascinating diplomats.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2009
About the author
Madeleine K. Albright
41 books897 followersCzechoslovakian-born American diplomat Madeleine Korbel Albright, the first such woman, appointed secretary of state of United States in 1997, served in that position until 2001.
Bill Clinton, president, nominated her, born Marie Jana Korbelová, on 5 December 1996, the Senate unanimously confirmed her, 99-0. People swore her in office on 23 January 1997.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madelei...
Bill Clinton, president, nominated her, born Marie Jana Korbelová, on 5 December 1996, the Senate unanimously confirmed her, 99-0. People swore her in office on 23 January 1997.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madelei...
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June 16, 2022A coffee table book about brooches, but don't let that frivolous description stop you. Madeleine Albright, first woman secretary of state, accessorized with pins all her life, but it wasn't until Saddam Hussein called her "an unparalleled serpent" in a poem he allegedly wrote himself that she retaliated by wearing a pin in the shape of a gold snake coiled around a branch, a tiny diamond hanging from its mouth, to their next meeting. "...leaving the meeting," she writes
I encountered a member of the UN press corps who was familiar with the poem; she asked why I had chosen to wear that particular pin. As the television cameras zoomed in on the brooch, I smiled and said that it was just my way of sending a message...Before long, and without intending it, I found that jewelry had become part of my personal diplomatic arsenal. Former President George H.W. Bush had been known for saying, "Read my lips." I began urging colleagues and reporters to "Read my pins."
This book is a lavishly illustrated collection of Albright's pins strung together with a series of remembrances of the times she wore them. She wore a blue diamante dove, head down, when addressing the downing of two American planes by Cuba. She wore an elaborate bee pin to meetings with Yasir Arafat. "My pin," she writes, "reflected my mood." She wore a gold angel pin during public remarks on the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. She frequently matched her pins to the country she was visiting, as in wearing her zebra pins to meet with Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
At the end there is even a Pindex, which is where I went to find the page number for the photograph of the miniature silver and amber saxophone, trumpet, electric guitar, cello and piano, which she wore at the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz event honoring Stevie Wonder. She writes
It's hard to tell from the picture, but I managed to get an entire jazz band onto my jacket.
Her collection is certainly eclectic, some pins encrusted with gemstones in the fashion of Fabergé, others looking like they came out of a Crackerjack box. Some of them are fabulous, like the green dragon and sword from Turkey, and all of them are charming, including her favorite, a heart-shaped clay pin created by her five-year old daughter Katie and given to Albright on Valentine's Day. "I have often worn it since," Albright writes.
The pin reflects one of the indispensable purposes of jewelry: to bind families together and connect one generation to the next."
And you will love the ants scampering around on the very last page. Delightful.
I encountered a member of the UN press corps who was familiar with the poem; she asked why I had chosen to wear that particular pin. As the television cameras zoomed in on the brooch, I smiled and said that it was just my way of sending a message...Before long, and without intending it, I found that jewelry had become part of my personal diplomatic arsenal. Former President George H.W. Bush had been known for saying, "Read my lips." I began urging colleagues and reporters to "Read my pins."
This book is a lavishly illustrated collection of Albright's pins strung together with a series of remembrances of the times she wore them. She wore a blue diamante dove, head down, when addressing the downing of two American planes by Cuba. She wore an elaborate bee pin to meetings with Yasir Arafat. "My pin," she writes, "reflected my mood." She wore a gold angel pin during public remarks on the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. She frequently matched her pins to the country she was visiting, as in wearing her zebra pins to meet with Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
At the end there is even a Pindex, which is where I went to find the page number for the photograph of the miniature silver and amber saxophone, trumpet, electric guitar, cello and piano, which she wore at the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz event honoring Stevie Wonder. She writes
It's hard to tell from the picture, but I managed to get an entire jazz band onto my jacket.
Her collection is certainly eclectic, some pins encrusted with gemstones in the fashion of Fabergé, others looking like they came out of a Crackerjack box. Some of them are fabulous, like the green dragon and sword from Turkey, and all of them are charming, including her favorite, a heart-shaped clay pin created by her five-year old daughter Katie and given to Albright on Valentine's Day. "I have often worn it since," Albright writes.
The pin reflects one of the indispensable purposes of jewelry: to bind families together and connect one generation to the next."
And you will love the ants scampering around on the very last page. Delightful.
January 1, 2010
I loved this book. Note to self: get job where pins on suit jacket would not be freakishly out of place. Proceed to wear pins.
April 3, 2022
What a fascinating read! It was so much more than I was expecting. And, the pins are amazing! I loved learning about how she selected pins carefully to fit each occasion.
My favorite might be the gorgeous set of zebra pins, made from yellow gold-plated metal with alternating stripes of black enamel and rhinestones that she wore to meet Nelson Mandela at his estate in Pretoria, South Africa, in December 1997.
The trio of zebra are arranged in size from small to large and have different poses, with the largest one straddling the top of her left shoulder, which I found most unusual and striking.
I also thoroughly enjoyed learning about what jewelry signified to each stage of her life. For example Madeleine Albright writes:
"Early in my life, my mother's ring served as a means for connecting one generation to another. When I was a young woman, the gift of a fraternity pin was an emblem of romance. In maturity, the brooches I bought for myself were signs of growing confidence and independence. In government, I used pins as a diplomatic tool. Now that I am out of office, my hobby often serves as an icebreaker."
It was very evident that Albright was very proud of her daughters. I loved that she bought a trio of sailing ship pins "with [her] three daughters in mind; the ships are beautiful, graceful, and moving along at a full sail, having long since left home port."
My favorite might be the gorgeous set of zebra pins, made from yellow gold-plated metal with alternating stripes of black enamel and rhinestones that she wore to meet Nelson Mandela at his estate in Pretoria, South Africa, in December 1997.
The trio of zebra are arranged in size from small to large and have different poses, with the largest one straddling the top of her left shoulder, which I found most unusual and striking.
I also thoroughly enjoyed learning about what jewelry signified to each stage of her life. For example Madeleine Albright writes:
"Early in my life, my mother's ring served as a means for connecting one generation to another. When I was a young woman, the gift of a fraternity pin was an emblem of romance. In maturity, the brooches I bought for myself were signs of growing confidence and independence. In government, I used pins as a diplomatic tool. Now that I am out of office, my hobby often serves as an icebreaker."
It was very evident that Albright was very proud of her daughters. I loved that she bought a trio of sailing ship pins "with [her] three daughters in mind; the ships are beautiful, graceful, and moving along at a full sail, having long since left home port."
April 28, 2013
This book is such a great read. Interesting that I say this, considering that it is 161 pages of mostly pictures. Call me of the magazine-reading whiz-bang generation, but I appreciated that I could meander through the pictures and stories from cover to cover within the span of a couple of hours (because: meandering reader. *You* on the other hand can probably finish it in under an hour, speedy). Nevertheless, I finished reading it with a profound desire to read more of her books and contemplate the life of this amazing woman.
Mme. Albright became Secretary of State during my high school years, when I was blissfully unaware of little else beyond my high school circles, and back in the days when I took female empowerment for granted. (That is to say, I had associated feminine empowerment with a certain encouragement to act like a man.) Now that I'm older, it's with great relish that I can read books about intelligent, powerful women navigating what is still generally a man's world, without losing their femininity in the process. Through her gorgeous bejeweled pins and personal anecdotes, I was able to make a quick journey through bits and pieces of the current events I had missed growing up. And she wrote not just of her own personal use of pins, but of the wearing of jewelry throughout history -- from Cleopatra and the Indian maharaja, to diplomatic gifting of jewelry in the present time.
What interested me was the personal journey of her life, through the expressions in her pins. They're not just a feminine embellishment in a masculine arena, but symbols of life transitions (she never bought jewelry for herself until after her divorce, because she was of the generation when women did not buy jewel trinkets for themselves with "the family money,") and emotional emblems of relationships. Her favorite brooch is still a painted clay one made at school by her daughter for Valentine's Day. She also has three beautiful sailboat pins, symbolizing her three daughters "full sail and long left from home-harbor." She also has a beautiful pin given by a man whose mother had died during Hurricane Katrina -- it had been a gift from his father to his mother for their 50th wedding anniversary, now given to her in memory of his mother's admiration for her as well as their shared love of pins.
I always find great pleasure in reading history and autobiographies through unconventional motifs. This colorful, lighthearted account of her pins is such a wonderful journey through her life as a diplomat's daughter, young woman and mother, and high-powered diplomat during some of the more interesting political events of my time. It's such a pleasure to read, and of course, great fun to marvel at the gems as well!
Mme. Albright became Secretary of State during my high school years, when I was blissfully unaware of little else beyond my high school circles, and back in the days when I took female empowerment for granted. (That is to say, I had associated feminine empowerment with a certain encouragement to act like a man.) Now that I'm older, it's with great relish that I can read books about intelligent, powerful women navigating what is still generally a man's world, without losing their femininity in the process. Through her gorgeous bejeweled pins and personal anecdotes, I was able to make a quick journey through bits and pieces of the current events I had missed growing up. And she wrote not just of her own personal use of pins, but of the wearing of jewelry throughout history -- from Cleopatra and the Indian maharaja, to diplomatic gifting of jewelry in the present time.
What interested me was the personal journey of her life, through the expressions in her pins. They're not just a feminine embellishment in a masculine arena, but symbols of life transitions (she never bought jewelry for herself until after her divorce, because she was of the generation when women did not buy jewel trinkets for themselves with "the family money,") and emotional emblems of relationships. Her favorite brooch is still a painted clay one made at school by her daughter for Valentine's Day. She also has three beautiful sailboat pins, symbolizing her three daughters "full sail and long left from home-harbor." She also has a beautiful pin given by a man whose mother had died during Hurricane Katrina -- it had been a gift from his father to his mother for their 50th wedding anniversary, now given to her in memory of his mother's admiration for her as well as their shared love of pins.
I always find great pleasure in reading history and autobiographies through unconventional motifs. This colorful, lighthearted account of her pins is such a wonderful journey through her life as a diplomat's daughter, young woman and mother, and high-powered diplomat during some of the more interesting political events of my time. It's such a pleasure to read, and of course, great fun to marvel at the gems as well!
March 25, 2022
Hadn't realized that I hadn't finished this book. On hearing of Ms. Albright's death today I thought it was about time that I finish at least one of her books. Not sure that I've even started the other books I have of hers.
Very interesting how she used her pins to endeavor to affect diplomacy. And most of them are very nice pins. And this is illustrated with her pins.
Very interesting how she used her pins to endeavor to affect diplomacy. And most of them are very nice pins. And this is illustrated with her pins.
October 31, 2019
Wow! What a gem, what a beautiful, beautiful book. 10*.
Well written, rich, interesting, educational and a really beautiful book.
So many pins, so many meanings, excellent photographs. And many interesting stories from Madeleine Albright's life and career.
Really greatful to the old lady, my neighbour who always recommends such exceptional books.
Brilliant!
Well written, rich, interesting, educational and a really beautiful book.
So many pins, so many meanings, excellent photographs. And many interesting stories from Madeleine Albright's life and career.
Really greatful to the old lady, my neighbour who always recommends such exceptional books.
Brilliant!
September 24, 2017
When I was in business, I wore ties that would generate conversation with others. Strangers would comment on my ties and we would begin a conversation. I wrote and published an article about how my ties created my image. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-my...
Then I stumbled across Read My Pins by Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001. Albright, almost by accident, became a collector of decorative pins. As people learned that she loved decorative pins, they began to give them to her as gifts.
During Bill Clinton's first term in office, Albright served as ambassador to the United Nations where she criticized Saddam Hussein for not complying with the UN inspections. An Iraqi poet published a poem in a government-controlled Iraqi newspaper calling her a snake. When Albright became Secretary of State, she often used the pins she wore to send subtle and not so subtle messages to the people she was meeting with. In her first meeting with the Iraqis she wore a pin shaped like a snake.
I recommend this book to people who love jewelry and understand personal branding.
Then I stumbled across Read My Pins by Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001. Albright, almost by accident, became a collector of decorative pins. As people learned that she loved decorative pins, they began to give them to her as gifts.
During Bill Clinton's first term in office, Albright served as ambassador to the United Nations where she criticized Saddam Hussein for not complying with the UN inspections. An Iraqi poet published a poem in a government-controlled Iraqi newspaper calling her a snake. When Albright became Secretary of State, she often used the pins she wore to send subtle and not so subtle messages to the people she was meeting with. In her first meeting with the Iraqis she wore a pin shaped like a snake.
I recommend this book to people who love jewelry and understand personal branding.
August 13, 2023
My kindle notes are posted. . .this was a lovely romp on this possibly hottest day in the world. . .remembering this public servant and hoping she's enjoying whatever passes for the pin equivalent in the next dimension.
Definitely recommended is a physical copy or e-book with a nice big screen for all the many photographs.
Definitely recommended is a physical copy or e-book with a nice big screen for all the many photographs.
April 1, 2014
A gem of a book (bad pun deliberate). I loved looking at the beautiful pins - brooches in my part of the world - and was fascinated by the brief snippets on the symbolism of jewellery in many cultures and Albright's own symbolic use of her pins in diplomatic life.
I bought it on kindle and read it on an iPad. The all important images disappear from the kindle version and though they are all there in the kindle app for iPad, their resolution is very low and they don't stand being expanded. If you can get hold of a hard copy I'd recommend it as an option.
Albright has generously, and properly, acknowledged three other people as authors because they helped with research, editing and writing. She has included possible the longest acknowledgements section I have ever seen in a book, something I appreciated seeing and I'm sure the people she thanked appreciated it too.
I have already recommended Read My Pins to two of my friends who are passionately interested in jewellery and its meanings.
A great chance discovery, made when I was looking at her memoirs.
I bought it on kindle and read it on an iPad. The all important images disappear from the kindle version and though they are all there in the kindle app for iPad, their resolution is very low and they don't stand being expanded. If you can get hold of a hard copy I'd recommend it as an option.
Albright has generously, and properly, acknowledged three other people as authors because they helped with research, editing and writing. She has included possible the longest acknowledgements section I have ever seen in a book, something I appreciated seeing and I'm sure the people she thanked appreciated it too.
I have already recommended Read My Pins to two of my friends who are passionately interested in jewellery and its meanings.
A great chance discovery, made when I was looking at her memoirs.
December 17, 2023
The concept for this coffee table book gets an A+. The narrative a C+. The illustrations and explanations an A+. What a delightful gift this was for a confirmed jewelry lover...particularly lapel pins. My biggest take away from this is that the cost of the piece has little to do with its impact or with the emotional and aesthetic attachment to it. Albright will be remembered for many things, but her signature lapel pins probably top that list.
April 13, 2022
Until her recent death, I was unaware of Madeleine Albright's habit of wearing meaningful pins in her life as a diplomat. This book was a lot of fun! She never says how many pins she has, but it was interesting to read how and why she started wearing them and how she acquired them. Most of them are not expensive pieces.
The photography is lovely. Her text really only scratches the surface; I felt like there was so much more she could have shared, but reading the book is like spending an afternoon with a thoughtful, interesting person who has something meaningful to tell you about her collection.
The photography is lovely. Her text really only scratches the surface; I felt like there was so much more she could have shared, but reading the book is like spending an afternoon with a thoughtful, interesting person who has something meaningful to tell you about her collection.
May 20, 2022
What a fascinating and quick read! As someone with a communications background I was nerding out over her use of pins to communicate various messages of support or disapproval during her time in politics and beyond.
Read
September 21, 2012 Product Description
Before long, and without intending it, I found that jewelry had become part of my personal diplomatic arsenal. Former president George H. W. Bush had been known for saying "Read my lips." I began urging colleagues and reporters to "Read my pins."
It would never have happened if not for Saddam Hussein. When U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine Albright criticized the dictator, his poet in residence responded by calling her "an unparalleled serpent." Shortly thereafter, while preparing to meet with Iraqi officials, Albright pondered: What to wear? She decided to make a diplomatic statement by choosing a snake pin. Although her method of communication was new, her message was as old as the American Revolution—Don't Tread on Me.
From that day forward, pins became part of Albright's diplomatic signature. International leaders were pleased to see her with a shimmering sun on her jacket or a cheerful ladybug; less so with a crab or a menacing wasp. Albright used pins to emphasize the importance of a negotiation, signify high hopes, protest the absence of progress, and show pride in representing America, among other purposes.
Part illustrated memoir, part social history, Read My Pins provides an intimate look at Albright's life through the brooches she wore. Her collection is both international and democratic—dime-store pins share pride of place with designer creations and family heirlooms. Included are the antique eagle purchased to celebrate Albright's appointment as secretary of state, the zebra pin she wore when meeting Nelson Mandela, and the Valentine's Day heart forged by Albright's five-year-old daughter. Read My Pins features more than 200 photographs, along with compelling and often humorous stories about jewelry, global politics, and the life of one of America's most accomplished and fascinating diplomats.
About the AuthorMadeleine Albright served as U.S. secretary of state from 1997 to 2001 and as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 1993 to 1997. She is the author of three New York Times bestselling books: Madam Secretary; The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs; and Memo to the President: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership. She is founder of The Albright Group LLC and Albright Capital Management LLC.
July 20, 2015
During the years I've worked in media, I've been in highly visible mode and in standard business wear for much of it. Most times a necklace didn't work but almost always pins/brooches spiffed up a jacket,blazer or coat and didn't get in the way of microphones or any of the other detritus of the job. I never realized how much they added to the look until I saw some family I hadn't seen in awhile who all commented on the fact that I seemed to have an endless collection of jackets and pins. I don't, the mix and match factor just makes it seem so.
Therefore, when I saw a blurb on Madeleine Albright's book and the accompanying exhibit, I was intrigued.
This is mostly a coffee table book with beautiful pictures of lapel wear from the simple campaign button to elaborate handmade tributes to the military and then turn the page to find an elaborate bejeweled animal or enamel flower. A fascinating collection the tightly worded spare prose accompanying the box keeps it simple focusing on the beauty of the pins. But like the jackets, without the prose to tell us more about this diplomat who defied glass ceilings and world leaders the pins would just be hunks of rocks and metal in their raw state.
I'm hoping the exhibit comes to town because I'd like to see some of these beauties close up. Her recollections of how some of the items came to be hers or the circumstances worn will move you to tears. Plus, some laughter too.
Therefore, when I saw a blurb on Madeleine Albright's book and the accompanying exhibit, I was intrigued.
This is mostly a coffee table book with beautiful pictures of lapel wear from the simple campaign button to elaborate handmade tributes to the military and then turn the page to find an elaborate bejeweled animal or enamel flower. A fascinating collection the tightly worded spare prose accompanying the box keeps it simple focusing on the beauty of the pins. But like the jackets, without the prose to tell us more about this diplomat who defied glass ceilings and world leaders the pins would just be hunks of rocks and metal in their raw state.
I'm hoping the exhibit comes to town because I'd like to see some of these beauties close up. Her recollections of how some of the items came to be hers or the circumstances worn will move you to tears. Plus, some laughter too.
January 15, 2021
This was a fun read. At a temp job a long time ago, there was a woman there who loved Madeline Albright and her pins. She was the first person to mention her pins to me. She was so right that our former Secretary of State used pins as an extra way to communicate and would receive them as gifts.
This was a fun book to read and peruse. Madeline Albright is quite witty and told some funny stories about her time as a diplomat.
With all that is going on, it was nice to be reminded of the history of diplomacy in this country and that intelligent, compassionate humans helped steer history.
This was a fun book to read and peruse. Madeline Albright is quite witty and told some funny stories about her time as a diplomat.
With all that is going on, it was nice to be reminded of the history of diplomacy in this country and that intelligent, compassionate humans helped steer history.
September 1, 2012
Wonderful romp through beautiful pins and Albright's life. She makes me smile.
August 3, 2016
Light but humorous read from one of the most important women in recent American politics.
July 27, 2016
Beautiful and charming!
August 18, 2018
Beautiful pins, loved seeing them and learning about the history of many of them and when Madeleine Albright wore them. Some of the best were very inexpensive and all are memorable.
March 24, 2021
This book came across my desk at the library as I filled curbside orders during "COVID Season," and the reason I checked it out and read it was because some years ago, Albright's story about her pins was featured on CBS Sunday Morning (my favorite weekend tv), and it fascinated me!
In fact, I enjoyed hearing about how she wore certain pins when she met with various country leaders to show her feelings. If she did not agree with other leaders and their country's way of life, she would wear a serpent or wasp -- something intimidating. She has stories about pins people sent or gave to her; not just other country leaders, but every day people like the gentleman who lost his wive during Hurricane Katrina, who sent her a favorite pin.
During this piece, it was stated that the exhibit of her pins and their stories were on display at New York City's MOD (Museum of Arts & Design), so I flew to NYC to go see it!!!
It was a fabulous fall weekend that offered more than this exhibit visit, as it was Halloween (Grenwich Village Parade), the New York Marathon, and the World Series being played at the brand new Yankee's Stadium (with the old one standing in the dark right next to it). It was one of the best weekends ever thanks to Madeleine Albright and her pins!
In fact, I enjoyed hearing about how she wore certain pins when she met with various country leaders to show her feelings. If she did not agree with other leaders and their country's way of life, she would wear a serpent or wasp -- something intimidating. She has stories about pins people sent or gave to her; not just other country leaders, but every day people like the gentleman who lost his wive during Hurricane Katrina, who sent her a favorite pin.
During this piece, it was stated that the exhibit of her pins and their stories were on display at New York City's MOD (Museum of Arts & Design), so I flew to NYC to go see it!!!
It was a fabulous fall weekend that offered more than this exhibit visit, as it was Halloween (Grenwich Village Parade), the New York Marathon, and the World Series being played at the brand new Yankee's Stadium (with the old one standing in the dark right next to it). It was one of the best weekends ever thanks to Madeleine Albright and her pins!
September 26, 2023
Years ago I saw the exhibit that accompanied this book, and was delighted with the pins on display.
I'm not especially interested in politics, but I am interested in how women navigate in jobs that have previously only been held by men, how they make their presence felt, and how they express themselves within a culture that is not given to personal expression.
This book might seem like a coffee table book, but it's full of intelligence and wit, and many, many thoughtful pins.
I'm not especially interested in politics, but I am interested in how women navigate in jobs that have previously only been held by men, how they make their presence felt, and how they express themselves within a culture that is not given to personal expression.
This book might seem like a coffee table book, but it's full of intelligence and wit, and many, many thoughtful pins.
September 16, 2017
Quick, fun read! Big fan of hers and her pins!
October 12, 2017
Fascinating book - stories and pictures say so much. Brooches and pins as language statements. Non-verbal at its best! Makes me want to dig out some old pins myself and resurrect them.
August 5, 2018
Enjoyable from start to finish. The pin descriptions, brief histories, and stories about when they were worn, are delightful. Jill Wine-Banks is continuing this pin frolic with entertaining panache.
April 27, 2020
1. I want to be her when I grow up
2. I now want a pin collection
2. I now want a pin collection
November 29, 2022
About diplomacy, political and economical environment and pins...
June 12, 2020
Facinating book about Secretary Albright's pin collection and how she uses them to deliver a message. Her biography is intertwined with history and jewelry.
April 28, 2018
Delightful. Quick read but very entertaining. I admire Ms Albright and enjoyed her telling of how she used pins as opposed to “power ties” in diplomacy. Made me pull out the pins I inherited from my grandmother and great aunt
September 10, 2017
Read my Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box by Madeleine K. Albright
August 2017
3.5/5
My mother first read this book when it came out in 2009, and absolutely fell in love with it. As a lawyer, she strongly identified with this woman who was the first woman to the Secretary of State for the United States of America. As a MUNer and a young woman trying to get into the realm of diplomacy, my mom bought me and my sister a copy of the book. Following Hillary Clinton’s defeat, I felt like seeing woman who broke the glass ceiling and lead crucial negotiations between North Korea, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China and the Middle East.
Read my Pins is a gorgeously illustrated book full of anecdotes about Albright’s life. I loved how she told messages simply by using art. It’s a beautiful way to empower yourself, and to make a statement about your country’s position without using words. Immediately after finishing her book, my best friend bought me a pin, a peacock that I will gladly wear to my future Model United Nations conference, and think of Albright. Her story, coming to America from Czechoslovakia, was inspiring, and one day I can only hope to match her political genius and intelligence. This book doesn’t provide the most detailed picture of her career, but it trusts you into better understanding the woman behind the deals. I would recommend Read my Pins to women looking for a role model and a little inspiration in these dark times.
Further recommendations
Same genre: Tolstoy, Rasputin, and Me by Teffi
Wild card: The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
August 2017
3.5/5
My mother first read this book when it came out in 2009, and absolutely fell in love with it. As a lawyer, she strongly identified with this woman who was the first woman to the Secretary of State for the United States of America. As a MUNer and a young woman trying to get into the realm of diplomacy, my mom bought me and my sister a copy of the book. Following Hillary Clinton’s defeat, I felt like seeing woman who broke the glass ceiling and lead crucial negotiations between North Korea, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China and the Middle East.
Read my Pins is a gorgeously illustrated book full of anecdotes about Albright’s life. I loved how she told messages simply by using art. It’s a beautiful way to empower yourself, and to make a statement about your country’s position without using words. Immediately after finishing her book, my best friend bought me a pin, a peacock that I will gladly wear to my future Model United Nations conference, and think of Albright. Her story, coming to America from Czechoslovakia, was inspiring, and one day I can only hope to match her political genius and intelligence. This book doesn’t provide the most detailed picture of her career, but it trusts you into better understanding the woman behind the deals. I would recommend Read my Pins to women looking for a role model and a little inspiration in these dark times.
Further recommendations
Same genre: Tolstoy, Rasputin, and Me by Teffi
Wild card: The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
December 13, 2009
This was worth a look-through- and really is more like a 3.5 star rating. The photography of the pins themselves (now showing as a collection about to tour the US) are exquisite, and the brief stories of diplomatic moments with/of individual pins is really interesting. The bits about her personal connection to pins and some sweeping historical connections, not so much. Really, if this were a picture book with captions, it would have been a 4 or 5 for me, but biographical/historical overtones muddled the collection-program sense of the project, but didn't add enough to make it a good historical-biographical project, either. Also, I'm supremely uninterested in Albright's personal life (and this is coming from a die-hard blue-dem feminist who probably *should* be interested in the personal details of the first female Secretary of State... I just can't get excited about biography... exceptions being some literary figures I work on, naturally).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 378 reviews