Speaking Freely: My Life in Publishing and Human Rights

Bernstein, former president of Random House and founder of the organization now known as Human Rights Watch, has written two memoirs in one—hardly surprising since he’s led two extraordinary careers in one lifetime. In the first half of the book, Bernstein recounts his work in publishing, starting as an office assistant in 1947 at Simon & Schuster and eventually serving as president of Random House for 25 years. This section is a hodgepodge of amusing anecdotes about famous writers and publishers hobnobbing during the publishing industry’s heyday. A trip to Moscow in 1973 with the Association of American Publishers (AAP) to meet with Soviet publishers is a turning point in Bernstein’s career and encourages his foray into human rights advocacy, first publishing the books of dissidents from Russia and China, and then running Human Rights Watch. The second half benefits from a smoother narrative about the beginnings of the worldwide movement to protect freedom of speech. Bernstein’s story demonstrates the vital role played by the publishing industry in the global fight for human rights. (May)