A promised land, by Barack Obama

 

A great, must read book, inspiring, and eye opening. To understand the inspiration and motivation of one of the most influential American presidents .

A book from which we can derive great lessons, inspiration, understanding of our recent history and hope.

This is a fascinating and deeply personal account of the story in the making, of the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy.

In the poignant and highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his unlikely odyssey from the young man seeking his identity to the leader of the free world, describing in surprising personal detail both his political upbringing and historical moments of the first period of his historic presidency, a time of dramatic transformation and upheaval.

Obama takes readers on an exciting journey from his early political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the decisive night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th President of the United States. United, becoming the first African American to hold the nation's highest office.

Reflecting on the Presidency, it offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the staggering scope and limits of presidential power, as well as a singular insight into the dynamics of American partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama takes readers inside the Oval Office and Situation Room of the White House, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing and elsewhere. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, struggles with a global financial crisis, takes the action of Vladimir Putin, beats the seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals over US strategy in Afghanistan addresses Wall Street reform responds to devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout and authorizes Operation Spear of Neptune, leading to the death of Osama bin Laden.

A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective: the story of one man's bid for history, the faith of a proven community organizer on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as an African American, enduring the expectations of a generation fueled by messages of "hope and change," and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision making. He's outspoken about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, outspoken about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and he's not afraid to reveal doubts and disappointment. Yet he never wavers in his belief that within the great American experiment under way, progress is always possible.

This powerful and beautifully written book captures Barack Obama's conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high, but something that is based on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.

REVIEWS:

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reviewed the book for The New York Times.

It is not merely that this book avoids being ponderous, as might be expected, even forgiven, of a hefty memoir, but that it is nearly always pleasurable to read, sentence by sentence, the prose gorgeous in places, the detail granular and vivid.

Jennifer Szalai reviewed the book in The New York Times.

At a time of grandiose mythologizing, he marshals his considerable storytelling skills to demythologize himself. He addresses the book to the “next generation,” to young people who seek to “remake the world,” but the story he tells is less about unbridled possibility and more about the forces that inhibit it.

About the Author

Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States, elected in November 2008 and served two terms. He is the author of two New York Times best-selling books, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife Michelle. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

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