 2008-11-17 - Obama, a remarkable generalizer
I have rarely been so privileged to read a book such as DREAMS OF MY FATHER. Obama reveals his thought processes as he struggled to find his place in the larger sicial fabric. Were that all, this would not be so great a book. But, he describes his maturation in thinking as he interacted and learned from others. And, while personally growng, he was able to empathize with others from virtually all walks of life, to relate to them and to abstract the essence of their needs and being. Finally, he was able to integrate those observations into a larger vision of society and how to effect it in a positive way. All of this is written in the most compelling language. He is a great and poetic writer.
2008-11-17 - Get to know Obama
This man has a truly inspirational and amazing life and history. I devoured the book and came back for more. I've since recommended it to friends and family who have felt that they "don't really know the man".
Now that he's been elected, I hope everyone will seek out his books and get to know him a little better and let him touch your life as he's definitely touched mine.
2008-11-16 - Don't "know" Barack Obama?
It's hard to see how anyone could validly ask "Do you really know Barack Obama?" when this little book is readily available and so readable. In the Information Age we've got so many sources about most of our political candidates that ignorance is no longer an excuse in the voting booth (or elsewhere, if you opt for a mail-in ballot).
Barack's narrative is modest, self-disclosing and completely lacking in the hubris that has poisoned the administration in Washington for the last 8 years. In short, I found this book completely genuine and honest. It convinced me that "what you see is what you'll get" in President #44.
"No Drama Obama" is *so* cool under pressure, and sets such high standards for personal responsibility that I feel I know him. Those traits come through in this book. He raises the bar for all of us: Blacks, Whites, Democrats, Republicans, Men and Women, GLBTS's, and religious minorities. Isn't that what our great experiment in Democracy is supposed to be all about?
I read most of "Audacity of Hope". My interest waned when I realized Pres. Obama's policies were pretty much a carbon copy of my own. Dreams from My Father convinced me that I share his ultimate objectiives, values and worries as a father, husband and human being as well.
I am an unrepentant Progressive, concerned more about our grandchildren's futures than those of my own generation. If you are a hardcore social Darwinist who espouses economic "survival of the fittest" and "May the Devil take the Hindmost" this book is not for you.
2008-11-16 - Best book ever
a truly amazing book. an in depth look at Obama's life from childhood to adulthood. i recommand this book to young scholars who are curious about our next president's life.
2008-11-15 - A thoughtful new president
I am impressed by Obama's ability to analyze himself. In "Dreams from my Father," he readily points out his adolescent flaws, frustrations, and misunderstandings in a way no sitting politician ever could. Historians should be very grateful that he wrote this before he ran for elected office. I cannot think of another memoir by a politician that seemed so unfiltered and human.
By the way, Obama is a beautiful writer. His sentences are smooth and at times lyrical. I look forward to having a president so well versed in the English language.
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