Hillary the history maker

Do you like to read? If so, what are some of your favorite books?

Hillary Clinton: I do like to read but find it harder and harder to find the time. My reading is eclectic, from biography to mystery to the classics. One book that had a profound effect on me was The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri J.M. Nouwen. It was given to me by a friend in 1994 after I had experienced some tragic and painful losses. I was reading a lot of Scripture and theology and other books of inspiration at the time. This book struck a responsive chord, because the story is such a moving and constructive parable about what matters in life.

Who was your inspiration?

Hillary Clinton: My mum, first and foremost. She overcame a very challenging childhood and is a great role model for me. I'm also inspired by women like Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth and the abolitionists as well as the suffragists who launched their movement in New York in 1848, and spent more than 70 years lobbying and protesting and fighting to get the vote. And of course, I think of the great Eleanor Roosevelt, who carved out a pioneering role as First Lady and whose extraordinary work on everything from poverty to racial equality to women's rights continues to inspire us today.

What would you like to see American women accomplish in the next 25 years?

Hillary Clinton: I hope we will see the break of the highest and hardest glass ceiling with the election of the first woman president! That will send a powerful message around the world. As I said at the UN Conference in Beijing in 1995, 'Women's rights are human rights.' When we speak out for the rights of women and girls to have access to health care, education and economic opportunities, we are also helping to build stable democracies and ensure a safe, more secure world.

What do you think is the biggest challenge in raising children in today's world?

Hillary Clinton: In some ways I think it is harder being a girl or young woman today than it was when I was growing up. There are so many competing messages now like 'You're not thin enough' or 'You're not sexy enough.' It's overwhelming. And very young girls spend time absorbing these messages from TV or music videos instead of just going out and playing.

Part of what adults have to do is stand up for certain values and standards. You may get push back from your children, but kids secretly, I believe, appreciate those boundaries. So I think parents ought to draw those boundaries and start early enough so they can help raise their children to believe that what's most important is what goes on inside their hearts and their minds.

What have you done on a personal level to support the environment?

Hillary Clinton: We have taken quite a few steps to make sure our house is as green as possible. For example, we have switched not only lamps to compact fluorescent light bulbs, but also downlights and track lights. We've installed motion-sensor light switches so lights automatically turn off when there is no one moving in the room.

We're also reducing our demand for energy by replacing windows and doors to keep more heat and cold in. This has taken our total [kilowatt-hour consumption per year] from about 14,000 to about 4,300. We're currently working with the Rocky Mountain Institute to determine how we can best incorporate solar energy into our home.

• The women who inspire us