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The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage)

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Author - Barack Obama ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Mass Market Paperback Book item from Vintage was reviewed on 17-Oct-2008.

Search ISBN:0307455874 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) Reference Book. Classifications : African-American & Black Ethnic & National Biographies & Memoirs 4-for-3 Books Store Custom Stores Specialty Stores Books General Politics Nonfiction 4-for-3 Books Store Custom Stores Specialty Stores . Click the following link to view the cover of The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage).

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1) Mass Market Paperback Book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) by Vintage. I am tired of this loser´s book popping up om my recommendation list from Amazon, with no way to remove it.. so I am giving it a bad review. I am a conservative that wishes this fool had never been born.¤

2) Mass Market Paperback Book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) by Vintage. Obama´s grand duo of books seem to have resurged themselves on bestseller lists, and of the two books, "The Audacity of Hope" is the less interesting. This is only because his other book "Dreams from my Father" was so much more compelling, and this book reads more simplistically when compared to the more ´serious´ issues at hand in the other.

"The Audacity of Hope" is Obama´s commentary on all things America, its´ place in the world, and where he sees the Nation. If you want to know what he as a President has to offer in terms of a) Domestic Policy and b) Foreign Policy, then this is the book for you (of course, whether or not most of these come true is another story entirely). What this is NOT, is a personal recollection of childhood days/growing up, etc. All of that is more explicitly covered in his other book. This one is definitely of a more ´political´ nature.

In Chapter 2, "Values", I found Obama to be more centrist than either Left or Right. He struck me as someone with values of the Democratic Party, but on a lot of issues he didn´t sound very radically different than the Republican Party. One area I did agree was his take on Oil, and how America needs to become a self sustaining entity capable of providing oil and energy to itself without foreign dependence. What I am glad about is that he didnt quite ´hit you over the head´ with pleas for a ´traditional family´ with ´conservative value systems´, though at heart he does seem to embody those values.

What a great read. As someone entirely new to Obama, this was a great insight into a great mind. Its a short book, mind you, and if youre a pretty quick reader, then you´ll be done with it within an evening of solid investment. Highly Recommended.

Note - While Obama does not specifically tackle the issue of race in this book (in fact, he seems almost coy about it), try his other book for a fascinating look at how growing up as a biracial child moulded him into what he is today.¤

3) Mass Market Paperback Book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) by Vintage. I began reading this book at a friend´s house and found it so interesting that I immediately purchased it as an audiobook. However, I quickly realized that I preferred the text version. Though much has been made of Mr. Obama´s incredible speaking skills (I think he even won a Grammy for the audiobook), in my opinion, his words and writing style are much better on the page. (Which is, perhaps, saying a lot?)

Other reviewers have covered the content of the book, so I won´t repeat their efforts here, except to say that Mr. Obama shows a clear talent for (and refreshing respect for) thoughtful problem-assessment. Though he offers few concrete solutions to the problems he discusses, I do not think that´s a negative, as it is clearly not his intention to solve. After all, the book is not subtitled "How to Reclaim the American Dream." Instead, his essays are presented as substantial food-for-thought (and hopefully fuel for action).

The fact that so many reviewers have complained of the lack of solutions just goes to show how desperately we want them, and how important we think real solutions are. And yet every day, we perpetuate a style of politics and political discourse that doesn´t seem able to produce those solutions. Mr. Obama´s book reminds us that the solutions we hope for are not going to magically come about unless we find a new (or perhaps old?) way to talk about, and achieve, what we want.

The thesis of the book is not so much "we need to do this, this and this!!" as it is "our problems are real but solvable-- if we can manage to think clearly."¤

4) Mass Market Paperback Book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) by Vintage. In essence this is a summary of his vision of what ails America and what will fix it. It´s almost in his own words a draft of his presidential campaign that just ended...about his hope of restoring this country to greatness by fixing a very broken government. It´s about bringing health care to all, responsibly leaving Iraq and turning us back into a respected global power.Throughout the book he writes about his goal to end the divisiveness and bring unity to America as he so beautifully articulated in his 2004 speech at the Democratic convention.

Hope is the major theme. You do believe his desire to reclaim the American Dream is authentic and in fact that he will. His writing style is as warm and embracing as his persona when he speaks. Every American needs to read this book.¤

5) Mass Market Paperback Book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) by Vintage. Great series of essays on relevant topics to the American public. Obama´s command of history, law, logic, philosophy and English shine through clearly as he points out cultural and historical patterns that have led the country to the point where it is today. The author emphasizes a centrist approach of open dialogue and compromise as a path to correcting many problems that have stimied American politics for years. A good and accessible read.¤

6) Mass Market Paperback Book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) by Vintage. “A government that truly represents these Americans–that truly serves these Americans–will require a different kind of politics. That politics will need to reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won’t be pre-packaged, ready to pull off the shelf. It will have to be constructed from the best of our traditions and will have to account for the darker aspects of our past. We will need to understand just how we got to this place, this land of warring factions and tribal hatreds. And we’ll need to remind ourselves, despite all our differences, just how much we share: common hopes, common dreams, a bond that will not break.”
–from The Audacity of Hope


In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners’ minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Senator Obama called “the audacity of hope.”

Now, in The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics–a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the “endless clash of armies” we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of “our improbable experiment in democracy.” He explores those forces–from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media–that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.

At the heart of this book is Senator Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats–from terrorism to pandemic–that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy–where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, members of the Senate, even the president, is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.

A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Senator Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writes–“waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.”


From the Hardcover edition.¤

7) Mass Market Paperback Book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) by Vintage. Barack Obama´s first book, Dreams from My Father, was a compelling and moving memoir focusing on personal issues of race, identity, and community. With his second book The Audacity of Hope, Obama engages themes raised in his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, shares personal views on faith and values and offers a vision of the future that involves repairing a "political process that is broken" and restoring a government that has fallen out of touch with the people. We had the opportunity to ask Senator Obama a few questions about writing, reading, and politics--see his responses below. --Daphne Durham

20 Second Interview: A Few Words with Barack Obama

Q: How did writing a book that you knew would be read so closely by so many compare to writing your first book, when few people knew who you were?
A: In many ways, Dreams from My Father was harder to write. At that point, I wasn´t even sure that I could write a book. And writing the first book really was a process of self-discovery, since it touched on my family and my childhood in a much more intimate way. On the other hand, writing The Audacity of Hope paralleled the work that I do every day--trying to give shape to all the issues that we face as a country, and providing my own personal stamp on them.

Q: What is your writing process like? You have such a busy schedule, how did you find time to write?
A: I´m a night owl, so I usually wrote at night after my Senate day was over, and after my family was asleep--from 9:30 p.m. or so until 1 a.m. I would work off an outline--certain themes or stories that I wanted to tell--and get them down in longhand on a yellow pad. Then I´d edit while typing in what I´d written.

Q: If readers are to come away from The Audacity of Hope with one action item (a New Year´s Resolution for 2007, perhaps?), what should it be?
A: Get involved in an issue that you´re passionate about. It almost doesn’t matter what it is--improving the school system, developing strategies to wean ourselves off foreign oil, expanding health care for kids. We give too much of our power away, to the professional politicians, to the lobbyists, to cynicism. And our democracy suffers as a result.

Q: You´re known for being able to work with people across ideological lines. Is that possible in today´s polarized Washington?
A: It is possible. There are a lot of well-meaning people in both political parties. Unfortunately, the political culture tends to emphasize conflict, the media emphasizes conflict, and the structure of our campaigns rewards the negative. I write about these obstacles in chapter 4 of my book, "Politics." When you focus on solving problems instead of scoring political points, and emphasize common sense over ideology, you´d be surprised what can be accomplished. It also helps if you´re willing to give other people credit--something politicians have a hard time doing sometimes.

Q: How do you make people passionate about moderate and complex ideas?
A: I think the country recognizes that the challenges we face aren´t amenable to sound-bite solutions. People are looking for serious solutions to complex problems. I don´t think we need more moderation per se--I think we should be bolder in promoting universal health care, or dealing with global warming. We just need to understand that actually solving these problems won´t be easy, and that whatever solutions we come up with will require consensus among groups with divergent interests. That means everybody has to listen, and everybody has to give a little. That´s not easy to do.

Q: What has surprised you most about the way Washington works?
A: How little serious debate and deliberation takes place on the floor of the House or the Senate.

Q: You talk about how we have a personal responsibility to educate our children. What small thing can the average parent (or person) do to help improve the educational system in America? What small thing can make a big impact?
A: Nothing has a bigger impact than reading to children early in life. Obviously we all have a personal obligation to turn off the TV and read to our own children; but beyond that, participating in a literacy program, working with parents who themselves may have difficulty reading, helping their children with their literacy skills, can make a huge difference in a child´s life.

Q: Do you ever find time to read? What kinds of books do you try to make time for? What is on your nightstand now?
A: Unfortunately, I had very little time to read while I was writing. I´m trying to make up for lost time now. My tastes are pretty eclectic. I just finished Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead, a wonderful book. The language just shimmers. I´ve started Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which is a great study of Lincoln as a political strategist. I read just about anything by Toni Morrison, E.L. Doctorow, or Philip Roth. And I´ve got a soft spot for John le Carre.

Q: What inspires you? How do you stay motivated?
A: I´m inspired by the people I meet in my travels--hearing their stories, seeing the hardships they overcome, their fundamental optimism and decency. I´m inspired by the love people have for their children. And I´m inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.

¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 14-Nov-2008, 03074558749780307455871, 6X0-740-520-910-180-770-731-681-2WB-8


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