No Room for Small Dreams

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‘Shimon Peres was a giant of Israel’s founding generation, a tireless advocate for peace, and an eternal optimist who lived his life with a sense of hope and possibility. He also became a treasured friend to me and source of wisdom for me. All of us have much to learn from his story, which now belongs to the ages’ Barack Obama

‘This book captures my friend’s lifelong belief in our potential to rise above our wounds, our resentments and our fears to make the most of today and claim the promise of tomorrow’ Bill Clinton

‘Shimon Peres was a visionary optimist to his dying day, and his last words of hope were addressed to the young. For all our sakes, let them be heard!’ Daniel Kahneman

In 1934, eleven-year-old Shimon Peres emigrated to the land of Israel from his native Poland, leaving behind an extended family who would later be murdered in the Holocaust. Few back then would have predicted that this young man would eventually become one of the towering figures of the twentieth century. Peres would indeed go on to serve the new state as prime minister, president, foreign minister, and the head of several other ministries. In this, his final work, finished only weeks before his passing, Peres offers a long-awaited examination of the crucial turning-points in Israeli history through the prism of having been a decision-maker and eyewitness. Told with the frankness of someone aware this would likely be his final statement, No Room for Small Dreams spans decades and events, examining pivotal moments in Israel’s rise. Peres explores what makes for a great leader, how to make hard choices in a climate of uncertainty and distress, the challenges of balancing principles with policies, and the liberating nature of imagination and unpredicted innovation. In doing so, he not only charts a better path forward for his beloved country but provides deep and universal wisdom for younger generations who seek to lead – be it in politics, business or the broader service of making our planet a safer, more peaceful and just place.

Reviews

Shimon Peres, one of the great leaders of Israel for more than half a century, was an unusual statesman: a combination of a dreamer and a pragmatist, a thinker and a doer, a fearless campaigner for peace and compromise and a tireless builder of Israel's armed forces. He was also a unique storyteller. This book is a special treat for any reader who is excited by history, by politics, by Israel in the Middle East, by changing realities and by amazing dreams and visions
Amos Oz
Shimon Peres was a visionary optimist to his dying day, and his last words of hope were addressed to the young. For all our sakes, let them be heard!
Daniel Kahneman
By his unyielding determination and principle, Shimon Peres time and again helped guide his beloved country through the crucible of mortal challenge. But it was by his innate humanity, his decency, that Shimon inspired the world over and helped pave a path to peace broad enough that future generations will walk it one day, side-by side
George H. W. Bush
The true secret to success, no matter how difficult things seem, is to face challenges with gratitude and forgiveness. That's how President Shimon Peres became a transformational global leader. Reflecting on his life, he provides not only a gripping story but a hands-on guide to creative thinking and courageous decision making
Arianna Huffington
Israel has made a tremendous contribution to global technological innovation, and its moniker of 'start-up nation' is well earned. But the leadership lessons in this book show why Shimon Peres was, in so many endeavors, able to glimpse opportunity when others predicted failure. If you don't try, you don't know- that's the secret of innovation. Shimon Peres understood that
Eric Schmidt
Shimon Peres was a giant of Israel's founding generation, a tireless advocate for peace, and an eternal optimist who lived his life with a sense of hope and possibility. He also became a treasured friend to me and source of wisdom for me. All of us have much to learn from his story, which now belongs to the ages
Barack Obama
Shimon Peres started life as Israel's brightest student, became one of its best teachers, and ended up its biggest dreamer. In his final book, completed just weeks before his death, Peres reflects upon his seventy years in politics and the defining moments in Israel's history that laid the foundation for a future of peace and possibility. This book captures my friend's lifelong belief in our potential to rise above our wounds, our resentments and our fears to make the most of today and claim the promise of tomorrow
Bill Clinton