This timely life-story of Michelle Obama presents her as an inspiration in her own right: both to the power of education and its relation to social change. It describes how she came from a working class background and overcame low expectations and racial prejudice to gain degrees form the most prestigious universities - only to turn away from the financial rewards of a career in law to devote herself to public service, a choice which mirrored that of her husband and was to play an important role in his own achievements. The accessible text is interspersed with explanatory 'factfiles' and 8 pages of colour photographs.