I had actually known very little about Eleanor Roosevelt before reading this book. It was wonderful to both learn about her and view the world through her eyes. She lived to be almost eighty and her life was never dull. One can only aspire to be a fraction as active as she. A biography of Eleanor Roosevelt is fascinating because you really get sense of how she developed as a person. It was a slow process for her and she didn't become the independent person we think of until well into her middle age. I particularly enjoyed the later part of the book where I learned about her work with the UN and the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She also shares more of her personal thoughts and ideas at the end. (These comments were sadly missing from earlier parts of the book that covered the Depression, WWII and FDR's presidency.) I also liked her accounts of visiting many newly independent nations in Africa and Asia. Many of Eleanor's thoughts about world affairs are still applicable today (despite being post-Cold-War). I was impressed with how humble yet fearless Eleanor Roosevelt was. She was a true inspiration.

By the way, I would give 4.5 stars out of 5 and have decided to round up. There were a few times I wished that ER had revealed her inner monologue more and not been quite so diplomatic but you can understand why she did/did not write what she did.