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An interesting, touching andvery instructive read. Surprisingly well written personal history.not always a page-turner, but Obama gives real and honest insight about the very specific emotions of growing upthe way he did. As such, it really reveals the kind of man he is.and the point view he's likely to bring to the presidency.
His background contributes to his greatness. Barack Obama(Mr President) is a great man. This book is great.It gives insite into the life of Barack Obama. I bet no other president has EVER been so read about, or sold so many books, tapes and buttons.
All the way through the book that's what I kept thinking. So if I had to sum it up I would use words like: inspiring, informative, honest, a journey -that even caused me to do a little soul searching myself. With that being said, I must whole-heartedly recommend this book. I am no literary giant but I found it engaging, well paced and easy to read. I finally finished Dreams From My Father last night.
My only regret is that I did not buy a hardcover copy. I AM AN OBAMA FAN. Because for me it's definitely a keeper, a book I want to add to my permanent library. He was the right choice for president.Chicago seemed a real microcosm of the problems the President is now facing in the US. The other thing I like about the book is that it takes a lot of the media sound bites we've heard over the past couple of years and puts them in perspective of the life of a real person, struggling to come to terms with identity and self - as we all are - if we are honest about it.The surprising thing for me was that President Obama is also a gifted writer at that.
And while I confess I rarely leave reviews. I fully acknowledge that, but I think this book will even help the skeptics among us. I could hardly put the book down. I realized this morning how important these reviews are at helping me make decisions to buy a book or not. Somehow you gain a since that it was his practice run. We have elected a man, not a god certainly, but someone who is willing to be transparent, with real substance and a passion for people based on a very diverse background.
If you are at all interested in the nature and character of our 44th President - it is a must read. By all indications we have done well America.
When reading the book I thought at time Obama was concentrating on the US Black / White issue as he said he might in the introduction. It is great that he has had such experience in some many environments hawaii, Indonesia, Kenya, New York , Chicago to bring to the presidency. I decided to read this book to find more about the man the world has enthusiatically endorsed as its new leader. But thinking more I believe the book is more about the human condition. I felt empathy to all the people he described so well even thought I have not had his experience as a white middle class australian.He writes as weel as his speeches and I truly hope HE CAN bring new hope to a trouble world. That may seem funny to US citizens but in a survey in Australia over 70 percent of people said they supported Senator Obama. With all its power and influence the US calls the shots certainly it does in Australia.
This is an engaging memoir of confronting the past in the process of self-discovery, of growing up "fatherless" in a single parent world. As such, it is about a courageous journey of self-discovery, one that inspires and encourages.This text is Barack Obama defining himself in his earlier years; for his years in the political arena, THE AUDACITY OF HOPE is an engaging read that picks up the thread of his fascinating life. The pain (and painful honesty) of Barack Obama's life growing up in Indonesia and Hawaii are offset by his personal and astute observations of the racial terrain in America.
I agree with the reviewer from Ankeny, Iowa about how the reader needs to be listening to the core messages in this text, regardless of political orientation. There are excerpts from this book at the end of the 2004 revised edition of DREAMS FROM MY FATHER. This is about a man who has overcome much in his pursuit of an absent father and the quest to reconcile with that absence.
A very candid and revealing look at the background and genesis of our new president. Although this book was penned 14 years ago, it remains indispensable for the fundamental understanding of this man who is to now to lead this country. Highly recommended.ParataxisThe Cloud ReckonerExtracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
As someone in both black and white worlds, he has a rare viewpoint of the ways of these two conflicting cultures. Obama's struggle and coming to terms with his absent father and his candor of this as he travels to Kenya to find answers - this has been written up in compelling and eloquent language.
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