A Different Kind of Power

About the book

The Sunday Times bestseller
The New York Times bestseller

This is not just a book for people who follow politics, but for anyone who has ever doubted themselves, or wanted to make a difference.

‘An essential, inspiring read’ – Natalie Portman
'Fascinating and engaging . . . makes us yearn for an era of courage and hope' - Nicola Sturgeon, The Observer

The deeply personal memoir from the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to become a mother in office.

Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she became a global icon for her empathetic leadership that put people first. She guided her country through unprecedented challenges, from the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks to a global pandemic. She advanced visionary policies to address climate change and child poverty. And all while juggling first-time motherhood in the public eye.

This is the inspiring story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt changed our assumptions of what a leader can be. A Different Kind of Power is more than a political memoir. Powerfully evocative and refreshingly open, it is a profound insight into how it feels to lead, it asks: what if you, too, are capable of more than you ever imagined?

'Clear-eyed and luminous' – Bill Bailey
'Warm and funny . . . emotionally rich and candid' - The Guardian
'Wonderfully frank and open' - The Rest is Politics: Leading