Friday November 21, 2008
Biographies & Memoirs: Ethnic & National
Displayed below are the top selling items for today, Friday November 21, 2008 along with the review customers have voted "most useful".
To find top selling items in for a specific category, use the menu on the left or click here to see all categories.
- The Audacity of Hope : Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
- Dreams from My Father : A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
- The Audacity of Hope : Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) by Barack Obama
- The American Journey of Barack Obama by The Editors of Life Magazine
- The Hemingses of Monticello : An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed
- Same Kind of Different As Me : A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall
- Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou
- Dreams from My Father : A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
- The Audacity of Hope : Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
- Dreams from My Father : A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
-
The Audacity of Hope
Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
by Barack Obama
(based on 626 customer reviews)
-
(Hardcover)
Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Crown
Price: $15.00
You save: $10.00 (40%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
1884 out of 2167 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/18/06
A conservative reviews Senator Obama's latest book ....
All too often here on Amazon, we review only those books and authors with which we totally agree...or totally disagree...and give little regard to the quality of the actual contents of the book. And then, our fellow Amazon viewers come along and rate our reviews strictly on the basis of their own partisan biases. This is not very helpful.
I set out to read and review Senator Barack Obama's latest book, not because I agree with everything he has to say, but because I respect and admire him as a thoughtful and eloquent American with a compelling story. His previous book, DREAMS FROM MY FATHER, was a stirring and deeply personal memoir; personal, yes, but also appealing and touching to anyone who aspires to acheive.
The Senator has a warm and inviting style of communicating that clearly communicates his sincerity and optimism. In short, THE AUDACITY OF HOPE is a good and uplifting read. Unlike many of his political contemporaries, Obama discusses values and faith in a manner that is not forced, uncomfortable, or put on...what he says is from the heart. And, he cogently articulates why and how his faith and values cause him to think and act in the way that he does.
He is passionate, but also humble and self-effacing. Perhaps he would not appreciate the comparisons, but his hopeful, non-cynical, and sincere tone, coupled with his large vision, remind me in a positive way of Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush.
That is not to say that he would be often in the same political boat as either Reagan or Bush...or Dr. Emil Shuffhausen. I would take issue with some of the Senator's policies (though I believe his goals are noble). For example, I think he over-reaches on the idea of universal health care, and while I do believe there is strong evidence to suggest a warming in the earth's climate, Senator Obama and I would disagree on the primary causes and "cures" for this warming. I don't believe that cutting taxes for those who pay taxes (aka "the rich") is unfair; I don't believe that a "pro-choice" position offers adequate choice for the unborn child. But, I recognize that Senator Obama is--in general--respectful and gracious towards those with whom he disagrees.
I do agree with him that America must overcome our addiction to foreign oil and to oil in general. I do agree that more emphasis needs to be placed on strengthening families and upholding traditional values; on reducing teen pregnancy and the root causes of poverty. Obama's brand of "liberalism" is much closer to Bill Clinton's "third way" than to the Michael Moore/George Soros school of delusional hatred.
Senator Obama's stated efforts to transcend partisanship are laudable; the reality of his words and his intentions will surely be tested in years to come. (It would be helpful, perhaps, if he acknowledged more that partisanship is not only the province of "right wing Republicans" but also a staple of many of his Democratic brethren, but, I quibble.)
In the meantime, whether one is a "conservative" or a "liberal," there is much to gain in terms of insight into one of the brightest lights on the American political stage today by reading this book.
Click here to see more reviews for: The Audacity of Hope
-
Dreams from My Father
A Story of Race and Inheritance
by Barack Obama
(based on 321 customer reviews)
-
(Hardcover)
Edition: Reprint
Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Crown
Price: $15.57
You save: $10.38 (40%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
293 out of 328 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 8/31/04
Inspiring Life Story...Somewhat Less Than Complete
U.S. Senate hopeful Barack Obama has an inspiring story to share, and yet he doesn't simply rest on his laurels in this critical evaluation of his life and in his continuing search for himself as a black American. He wrote "Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" almost ten years ago, but his stock has obviously surged since his star-making speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, perhaps to the chagrin of Hillary Clinton...unless she is dreaming of a Clinton-Obama ticket in 2008! Growing up mulatto in Hawaii and Indonesia, Obama discusses trying to come to grips with his racial identity through a period of rebellion that included drug use, becoming a community activist in Chicago and traveling to Kenya to understand his father's past. It is in Kenya where he discovers a nation with 400 different tribes, each of them saddled with stereotypes of the others. It is also in Kenya where he recognizes the dichotomy that has been his lifelong existence between the graves of his father and his grandfather. His description of this defining moment is worthy of a passage in Alex Haley's "Roots".
Obama is also candid about racism, poverty and corruption in Chicago, and he pulls no punches in his account of this period. Because the book stops in 1995, it does not get into much detail on his learning experiences, culminating in both missteps and triumphs, as a state legislator. For all the value the book provides on Obama's history, I would have appreciated a more substantive update than the preface on the last decade, as he gained political prominence in Illinois, so that we understand more why his time in the spotlight has come at this moment. Perhaps that will be Volume 2. I was also disappointed he spent so little time writing about his mother and the influence her side of the family has had on him, a narrative gap Obama acknowledges and over which he expresses regret in the preface. Perhaps inclusion of such details would have made for a less compelling story from his originally intended Afro-centric perspective; but at the same time, I think a more balanced look at his own racial dichotomy would have made his story resonate all the more given where he is now.
Obama is open in the preface about using changed names and composite characters to expedite the flow and ensure privacy of those around him, but it does somewhat lessen the impact of his story when one starts to wonder who was real and who was a fictionalized character. Regardless of these literary devices, this book is still a very worthwhile look into the background of someone who is on a major upward trajectory in the current national political scene.
Click here to see more reviews for: Dreams from My Father
-
The Audacity of Hope
Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage)
by Barack Obama (based on 626 customer reviews)
-
(Mass Market Paperback)
Edition: Reprint
Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Vintage
Price: $4.39
You save: $3.60 (45%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
1884 out of 2167 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/18/06
A conservative reviews Senator Obama's latest book ....
All too often here on Amazon, we review only those books and authors with which we totally agree...or totally disagree...and give little regard to the quality of the actual contents of the book. And then, our fellow Amazon viewers come along and rate our reviews strictly on the basis of their own partisan biases. This is not very helpful.
I set out to read and review Senator Barack Obama's latest book, not because I agree with everything he has to say, but because in many ways, I respected and admired him as a thoughtful and eloquent American with a compelling story.
In this best-selling book, the Senator has a generally warm and inviting style of communicating that conveys a seemingly heartfelt optimism about changing business as usual in American political discourse. In short, THE AUDACITY OF HOPE is a good, and sometimes even inspiring, read. Unlike many of his political contemporaries, Obama discusses values and faith in a manner that is not forced or uncomfortable. His faith appears to be an integral part of his life, rather than a convenient add-on. And, in the book, he does a reasonable job of articulating why and how his faith and values cause him to think and act in the way that he does.
His writing style, like his speaking style, is passionate, but also self-effacing. However, at times, the reader may wonder if he is too ambitious - or even naive. But, I did at least respect his energy and commitment to change.
None of this is to say that I agree with all - or most - of his political ideas. I would take issue with some of the Senator's actual policies (though I believe many of his goals sound noble). For example, I think he way over-reaches on the idea of universal health care, and while I do believe there is strong evidence to suggest a warming in the earth's climate, Senator Obama and I would disagree on the primary causes and "cures" for this warming. I don't believe that cutting taxes for those who pay taxes (aka "the rich") is unfair; I don't believe that a "pro-choice" position offers adequate choice for the unborn child. But, I recognize that Senator Obama is, in this book, generally respectful and gracious towards those with whom he disagrees.
I do agree with him that America must overcome our addiction to foreign oil and to oil in general. I do agree that more emphasis needs to be placed on strengthening families and upholding traditional values; on reducing teen pregnancy and the root causes of poverty. However, it is difficult to align many of Obama's expressed ideas here with the numerous radical and ridiculous statements of Obama's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright - a man who preached one sermon that inspired the title of this book.
Senator Obama's stated efforts to transcend partisanship are laudable; the reality of his words and his intentions will surely be tested in years to come. (It would be helpful, perhaps, if he acknowledged more that partisanship is not only the province of "right wing Republicans" but also a staple of many of his Democratic brethren, but, I quibble.)
In the meantime, whether one is a "conservative" or a "liberal," there is much to gain in terms of insight into one of the brightest lights on the American political stage today by reading this book.
Click here to see more reviews for: The Audacity of Hope
-
The American Journey of Barack Obama
by The Editors of Life Magazine (based on 8 customer reviews)
-
(Hardcover)
Author: The Editors of Life Magazine
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Price: $14.99
You save: $10.00 (40%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
13 out of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/23/08
The Simple Life of a Great Man
Many times has it has been said, Barack Obama comes from humble roots: an absent father, being raised by his grandparents in Hawaii, excels and acheives all the way to Harvard. His meteoric rise, the result of a supportive extended family, and a fierce intellect, is inspirational enough. Life has taken that story, and told it again, this time, accompanied by some of the most touching and revealing pictures I have seen of Obama yet.
The pictures span his own life, from childhood to the present, and offer a glimpse into the world of this man who might be about 44th president. The pictures of his childhood are absolutely endearing, and show what a diverse world Obama came from. Growing up in Hawaii, he was often the only student with partial African-American heritage in his classes, and he recounts how kids wanted to touch his hair because it was so different. One picture of his grandmother hugging him at his graduation reveals intense love and pride she had; it's one of my favorites just because of the look on her face.
As Barack grows up, the man that we see today starts to take shape; out of college, this gangly community organizer meets his future wife Michelle Obama, and a glimpse into their love and their relationship shows up in the book. I am always particularly touched by any picture of Barack and his girls. They are poignant, fun, and show Obama in the role he probably loves best: dad.
One final photo in a book of trememdous photos really brings Barack to the everyday man: a picture of him with his feet up, and holes in the bottom of the soles of his shoes. I look in my closet, and see most of my shoes with the same problem, and I realize how much like me, like all of us, this man truly is. Life has created a book that anyone, Barack Obama voter or not, would be proud to have on their shelf, in their collection.
Click here to see more reviews for: The American Journey of Barack Obama
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The Hemingses of Monticello
An American Family
by Annette Gordon-Reed (based on 13 customer reviews)
-
(Hardcover)
Author: Annette Gordon-Reed
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.
Price: $23.10
You save: $11.90 (34%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
48 out of 57 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 9/17/08
Extraordinary insights in early American history
Opening disclaimer: Annette Gordon-Reed is my faculty colleague at NY Law School, and I originally introduced her to Bob Weil, the editor at W.W. Norton who contracted with her to produce this book. As a result, I had an opportunity to read it in final galleys this summer prior to publication. What I have to say is naturally biased by my respect and affection for my faculty colleague. I went out on a limb to make the introduction after reading an early draft of Prof. Gordon-Reed's first book on Jefferson and Hemings, which was subsequently published by the University of Virginia Press and established her credentials as a historian of the relationship between Jefferson and Hemings.
This book is a logical outgrowth of the earlier one. I think anybody interested in Jefferson or this period in American history owes it to themselves to read both books. The first is a critical dissection of the way historians had dealt (or avoided dealing) with the rumored Jefferson-Hemings connection, and is a masterpiece of investigative history. This new volume is a masterpiece of group biography, taking the Hemings as an interesting family, most of whose details were difficult to discover, and creating an engrossing account of their lives as part of the extended Jefferson community at Monticello. Jefferson began building his dream house there about the time he married Martha Wayles, and Elizabeth Hemings and several of her children came to Monticello as slaves as part of Martha's inheritance when her father died. Sally Hemings was a daughter of Elizabeth and John Wayles, Martha's father, and thus was the half-sister of Jefferson's wife. From there the complications of family interrelationships build and compound on each other.
What I love about this book is the vivid way that Gordon-Reed reconstructs a lost past, immersing the reader in details of everyday life. My favorite chapter is the one describing the process by which Sally Hemings, newly arrived in Paris to attend to Jefferson's daughters during his period as US Ambassador to the royal court of France, was innoculated against smallpox at Jefferson's instigation. That sounds like a simple thing, but it wasn't at the time, and Gordon-Reed has uncovered previously obscure original sources to describe the unusual, lengthy process in those days before modern medicine. It is utterly fascinating.
Click here to see more reviews for: The Hemingses of Monticello
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Same Kind of Different As Me
A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
by Ron Hall (based on 207 customer reviews)
-
(Paperback)
Author: Ron Hall
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Price: $10.19
You save: $4.80 (32%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
90 out of 95 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 5/3/07
Better Than Fiction
At a recent conference I met a gentleman who happens to edit one of those airline magazines that always competes with your legroom in an airplane. A short time ago he sent me an email and asked if I had heard of a book called Same Kind of Different as Me and recommended that I read it. He seemed like a good enough guy and the book had a great cover, so I went ahead and ordered it sight unseen (or nearly so). And what a book it turned out to be.
Same Kind of Different as Me, a book that is factual but could just as easily be fiction, tells the unlikely story of the unlikeliest of friends--Ron Hall and Denver Moore. Told in two voices, the book alternates between telling the story from the perspective of Ron and Denver.
Ron Hall is a wealthy international art dealer who travels the world buying and selling rare and expensive works of art. He has grown rich but has also grown selfish and has grown away from his family. When Ron Hall reluctantly volunteers at a homeless shelter (at the insistence of his wife) he soon comes into contact with Denver, a man his wife is convinced is going to change the city. Denver grew up as a sharecropper in Louisiana, living a life that seemed little different from the life of his ancestors one hundreds years before. He eventually walked away from the cotton fields and found that, while life on the streets of Fort Worth was difficult, it was easier than being a sharecropper. It was here, in a homeless shelter, that the two men met, one serving food and the other being a reluctant recipient of this charity.
Chef Jim and Deborah chatted easily while I mentally balanced the ledger between pleasing my wife and contracting a terminal disease. I had to admit that his idea seemed like an easy way to start--serve the evening meal once a week, and we'd be in and out in three, four hours max. We could minister from behind the rusty steel serving counter, safely separated from the customers. And we could enter and leave through the rear kitchen door, thereby minimizing contact with those likely to hit us up for money. The whole arrangement seemed like a good way for us to fulfill Deborah's desire to help the homeless without our touching them or letting them touch us.
Her bright laugh pulled my attention back into the room. "I think that sounds great, Jim!" she was saying. "I don't see any reason why we can't start tomorrow. In fact, let's just say you can count on us to serve every Tuesday until you hear otherwise."
"Praise the Lord!" Chef Jim said, this time giving Deborah a great big Baptist hug. It did not sound great to me, but Deborah had not asked me what I thought. She never did do much by committee.
At first unable to crack Denver's stony personality, Hall eventually prevails and strikes up a friendship with a man worlds apart. They become fast friends who endure a tragedy together and who soon grow in their love, respect and admiration of each other. Each man teaches the other about life and faith. Somehow the story of the relationship between these two men is fascinating and inspiring. It offers a glimpse into two worlds that are nearly opposite and shows what happens when these worlds come into contact with each other. I can still hardly believe this was not a novel.
While the book showcases a fun sense of humor, there is also plenty of heart.
And yet for all the courage I knew she had, she had shown this glimmer of fear. Oh, how I loved her then. Fiercely. The passion you feel down in your guts where no one else can see and only you know its frightening force. I could remember that there were times in our nearly three decades of marriage that I had loved her less than at that moment, and guilt pierced me like a spike. Though she had always given unconditionally, I had often not been willing to do so in return, She has deserved better than she's gotten from me, I thought, and nearly drowned in a wave of regret thirty years deep.
Between the heart and the humor is some good theology, but, unfortunately, also some that would require believing the word of the author rather than finding any basis in Scripture. For example, there is talk of a "visitation" where a dead person returns to earth, however briefly, to offer comfort and encouragement. This is not something the Bible tells us we can or should expect. There was also some theology that was suspicious and seemed to reveal an understanding of the gospel that was somewhat incomplete. I found these distracting and disappointing, but not fatal to the book.
So while Same Kind of Different as Me is not necessarily a book I'd recommend for its theology, it is a book that I'd recommend for a stirring and unforgettable story, and for the pure joy of reading it. This one caught me by surprise and I enjoyed every minute of it. I can pretty well guarantee that someone will buy the movie rights to this story, so why not buy it now so you can say that you read the book before you ever heard of the movie!
Click here to see more reviews for: Same Kind of Different As Me
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Letter to My Daughter
by Maya Angelou (based on 20 customer reviews)
-
(Hardcover)
Edition: 1
Author: Maya Angelou
Publisher: Random House
Price: $15.00
You save: $10.00 (40%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
72 out of 72 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/10/08
Absolutely inspiring; I couldn't put it down
"I gave birth to one child, a son, but I have thousands of daughters. You are Black and White, Jewish and Muslim, Asian and Spanish-speaking, Native American and Aleut. You are fat and thin and pretty and plain, gay and straight, educated and unlettered, and I am speaking to you all. Here is my offering to you," writes Maya Angelou in the introduction of her inspirational new book Letter to My Daughter. The following pages are full of stories and life lessons Angelou has learned over eighty years. "I have only included here events and lessons which I have found useful," the famous poet writes. "I have not told you how I have used the solutions, knowing you are intelligent and creative and resourceful and will use them as you see fit."
There are few books that I love so much I would read again. This is one of them. I got Angelou's Letter to My Daughter in the mail around 4 p.m. and finished it before bed. I read it to my children as they played, read it after they had gone to sleep, and far into the evening hours. Angelou's words were so poetic and musical I felt as if she were speaking directly to me. I learned of her best and worst moments in life, her ideas about love, death, violence, patriotism and spirituality. I really liked how she illustrated an important situation in her life without telling the reader what to take away from the scene.
My favorite story was when Angelou visited the famous actress Samia in Sengal. Angelou had heard that women in Egypt did not let their guests walk on their gorgeous Persian rugs and decided to test her hostess. She noticed the other guests at Samia's party were not stepping on the rugs and believed Samia had informed them not to do so. So Angelou walked on them, back and forth, back and forth. The other guests smiled at her weakly. Angelou engaged in a conversation with a fellow writer and barely noticed the maids rolling up the rug and replacing it with an equally beautiful floor covering. The maids covered the rug with place settings and dinner. Angelou had been walking all over their table cloth! She was so embarrassed she could barely eat. "In an unfamiliar culture, it is wise to offer no innovations, no suggestions, or lessons," Angelou wrote.
Here is one of my favorite paragraphs in the book: "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution."
Letter to My Daughter is a gem of wisdom and inspiration. Every woman should read it at least once. This book has become a permanent fixture in my personal library.
by Jennifer Melville
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Click here to see more reviews for: Letter to My Daughter
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Dreams from My Father
A Story of Race and Inheritance
by Barack Obama (based on 321 customer reviews)
-
(Paperback)
Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Price: $8.22
You save: $6.73 (45%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
293 out of 328 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 8/31/04
Inspiring Life Story...Somewhat Less Than Complete
U.S. Senate hopeful Barack Obama has an inspiring story to share, and yet he doesn't simply rest on his laurels in this critical evaluation of his life and in his continuing search for himself as a black American. He wrote "Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" almost ten years ago, but his stock has obviously surged since his star-making speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, perhaps to the chagrin of Hillary Clinton...unless she is dreaming of a Clinton-Obama ticket in 2008! Growing up mulatto in Hawaii and Indonesia, Obama discusses trying to come to grips with his racial identity through a period of rebellion that included drug use, becoming a community activist in Chicago and traveling to Kenya to understand his father's past. It is in Kenya where he discovers a nation with 400 different tribes, each of them saddled with stereotypes of the others. It is also in Kenya where he recognizes the dichotomy that has been his lifelong existence between the graves of his father and his grandfather. His description of this defining moment is worthy of a passage in Alex Haley's "Roots".
Obama is also candid about racism, poverty and corruption in Chicago, and he pulls no punches in his account of this period. Because the book stops in 1995, it does not get into much detail on his learning experiences, culminating in both missteps and triumphs, as a state legislator. For all the value the book provides on Obama's history, I would have appreciated a more substantive update than the preface on the last decade, as he gained political prominence in Illinois, so that we understand more why his time in the spotlight has come at this moment. Perhaps that will be Volume 2. I was also disappointed he spent so little time writing about his mother and the influence her side of the family has had on him, a narrative gap Obama acknowledges and over which he expresses regret in the preface. Perhaps inclusion of such details would have made for a less compelling story from his originally intended Afro-centric perspective; but at the same time, I think a more balanced look at his own racial dichotomy would have made his story resonate all the more given where he is now.
Obama is open in the preface about using changed names and composite characters to expedite the flow and ensure privacy of those around him, but it does somewhat lessen the impact of his story when one starts to wonder who was real and who was a fictionalized character. Regardless of these literary devices, this book is still a very worthwhile look into the background of someone who is on a major upward trajectory in the current national political scene.
Click here to see more reviews for: Dreams from My Father
-
The Audacity of Hope
Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
by Barack Obama (based on 626 customer reviews)
-
(Kindle Edition)
Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Crown
Price: $4.39
You save: $0.56 (11%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
1884 out of 2167 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/18/06
A conservative reviews Senator Obama's latest book ....
All too often here on Amazon, we review only those books and authors with which we totally agree...or totally disagree...and give little regard to the quality of the actual contents of the book. And then, our fellow Amazon viewers come along and rate our reviews strictly on the basis of their own partisan biases. This is not very helpful.
I set out to read and review Senator Barack Obama's latest book, not because I agree with everything he has to say, but because I respect and admire him as a thoughtful and eloquent American with a compelling story. His previous book, DREAMS FROM MY FATHER, was a stirring and deeply personal memoir; personal, yes, but also appealing and touching to anyone who aspires to acheive.
The Senator has a warm and inviting style of communicating that clearly communicates his sincerity and optimism. In short, THE AUDACITY OF HOPE is a good and uplifting read. Unlike many of his political contemporaries, Obama discusses values and faith in a manner that is not forced, uncomfortable, or put on...what he says is from the heart. And, he cogently articulates why and how his faith and values cause him to think and act in the way that he does.
He is passionate, but also humble and self-effacing. Perhaps he would not appreciate the comparisons, but his hopeful, non-cynical, and sincere tone, coupled with his large vision, remind me in a positive way of Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush.
That is not to say that he would be often in the same political boat as either Reagan or Bush...or Dr. Emil Shuffhausen. I would take issue with some of the Senator's policies (though I believe his goals are noble). For example, I think he over-reaches on the idea of universal health care, and while I do believe there is strong evidence to suggest a warming in the earth's climate, Senator Obama and I would disagree on the primary causes and "cures" for this warming. I don't believe that cutting taxes for those who pay taxes (aka "the rich") is unfair; I don't believe that a "pro-choice" position offers adequate choice for the unborn child. But, I recognize that Senator Obama is--in general--respectful and gracious towards those with whom he disagrees.
I do agree with him that America must overcome our addiction to foreign oil and to oil in general. I do agree that more emphasis needs to be placed on strengthening families and upholding traditional values; on reducing teen pregnancy and the root causes of poverty. Obama's brand of "liberalism" is much closer to Bill Clinton's "third way" than to the Michael Moore/George Soros school of delusional hatred.
Senator Obama's stated efforts to transcend partisanship are laudable; the reality of his words and his intentions will surely be tested in years to come. (It would be helpful, perhaps, if he acknowledged more that partisanship is not only the province of "right wing Republicans" but also a staple of many of his Democratic brethren, but, I quibble.)
In the meantime, whether one is a "conservative" or a "liberal," there is much to gain in terms of insight into one of the brightest lights on the American political stage today by reading this book.
Click here to see more reviews for: The Audacity of Hope
-
Dreams from My Father
A Story of Race and Inheritance
by Barack Obama (based on 321 customer reviews)
-
(Kindle Edition)
Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Crown
Price: $5.99
You save: $8.96 (60%) off the list price!
click for more info
Most useful review as voted by customers:
293 out of 328 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 8/31/04
Inspiring Life Story...Somewhat Less Than Complete
U.S. Senate hopeful Barack Obama has an inspiring story to share, and yet he doesn't simply rest on his laurels in this critical evaluation of his life and in his continuing search for himself as a black American. He wrote "Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" almost ten years ago, but his stock has obviously surged since his star-making speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, perhaps to the chagrin of Hillary Clinton...unless she is dreaming of a Clinton-Obama ticket in 2008! Growing up mulatto in Hawaii and Indonesia, Obama discusses trying to come to grips with his racial identity through a period of rebellion that included drug use, becoming a community activist in Chicago and traveling to Kenya to understand his father's past. It is in Kenya where he discovers a nation with forty different tribes, each of them saddled with stereotypes of the others. It is also in Kenya where he recognizes the dichotomy that has been his lifelong existence between the graves of his father and his grandfather. His description of this defining moment is worthy of a passage in Alex Haley's "Roots".
Obama is also candid about racism, poverty and corruption in Chicago, and he pulls no punches in his account of this period. Because the book stops in 1995, it does not get into much detail on his learning experiences, culminating in both missteps and triumphs, as a state legislator. For all the value the book provides on Obama's history, I would have appreciated a more substantive update than the preface on the last decade, as he gained political prominence in Illinois, so that we understand more why his time in the spotlight has come at this moment. Perhaps that will be Volume 2. I was also disappointed he spent so little time writing about his mother and the influence her side of the family has had on him, a narrative gap Obama acknowledges and over which he expresses regret in the preface. Perhaps inclusion of such details would have made for a less compelling story from his originally intended Afro-centric perspective; but at the same time, I think a more balanced look at his own racial dichotomy would have made his story resonate all the more given where he is now.
Obama is open in the preface about using changed names and composite characters to expedite the flow and ensure privacy of those around him, but it does somewhat lessen the impact of his story when one starts to wonder who was real and who was a fictionalized character. Regardless of these literary devices, this book is still a very worthwhile look into the background of someone who is on a major upward trajectory in the current national political scene.
Click here to see more reviews for: Dreams from My Father
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