Over a decade in broadcasting, then public relations, television again, and back to PR. What exactly is my calling? Why this rather strange dance to figure out where I stand on the continuum of communication specialisations?

On a much needed sabbatical to figure it all out, I picked up this bean-spilling memoir of one of America’s television doyens. A massive 600-page treatise, Barbara Walter’s story spans five decades.... and it all resonates.

From a fledgling literature student grappling with content in a PR agency under William Safire (yes Nixon’s speech writer and New York Times language and political commentator) to producer, reporter, co-host and undisputed queen of television talk, Ms Walters has done it all!

Some would say what hubris! Yet, it’s a scenario that is not unusual in the broadcasting industry. That proverbial glass ceiling and gender or skills bias that only finely honed social skills, persistence, and sharp on-air reporting can breach. Every day IS an ‘Audition’

With typical American candour, Walters cuts to the chase: a difficult relationship with her nightclub owner father, her differently-abled sister and troubled daughter, three failed marriages, numerous affairs with America’s famous - a list that includes Alan Greenspan and African-American senator Edward Brooke, among others.

Very Oprah (oh yes, she also claims credit for Oprah’s phenomenal run) it may be but Barbara Walters isn’t about wringing her hands in despair. She was and remains a fierce competitor. From the 5 am wake up calls to running across the globe to beat Walter Cronkite to an Anwar Sadat- Menachim Begin interview, this is a woman who is not easily defeated.

My favourite parts of the book were the descriptions of her interactions with heads of state (she has interviewed more than thirty including the two Presidents Bush, Morarji Desai, and Indira Gandhi), entertainers ( Streisand, Hepburn, Bing Crosby), as well as criminals – convicted or otherwise (OJ Simpson). Walters is privy to the lives of the powerful, rich, famous, and notorious. Sometimes she gets close and sometimes a little personal.

To quote The New York Times “Woe to the men who underestimated her, even in the days when she was the only woman writing for ‘Today’ and wrote for the show’s only female on-the-air personality.”

For those looking for tips on achieving work-life balance, Ms. Walter’s life may not be exemplary. But then again, we’ve all been there, haven’t we? The irregular hours, the struggle to meet the demands of others – it’s a pattern that anybody with ambition is familiar with.

I took a break to get perspective. Barbara Walter’s account of her life certainly helped in the process. The key to success, I now believe, is taking a step back every now and then to ask the right questions of ourselves.

Other books the club has discussed: