Obama: From Promise to Power
by David Mendell
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Book Summary Information
Author: David MendellEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-04-01
ISBN: 0060858214
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Amistad
Book Reviews of Obama: From Promise to Power
Book Review: Great book to learn about Obama's political rise to power
Summary: 5 Stars
Barack Obama has written two books. The first, Dreams From My Father, has been highly praised as one of the best autobiographies written by a politician. Obama's 2nd book, The Audacity of Hope, was commented on by critics as being not as fortright as the 1st book, and that it was written by a politician who was more conscientious of what he writes. Note that Dreams From My Father was written before Obama joined politics. Nevertheless, his 2nd book hit the bestsellers list and was #1 on Amazon for many weeks. I read Dreams From My Father and thought it was a great book to learn about Obama's personal life. And it is - it tells you all about Obama, his family history and his journey to learn about his father and about himself. It is about how he comes to term with what he is - a son of a Black Kenyan man and a White Kansas woman.
Despite critics (especially Republicans during the Presidential campaign) saying that Obama has written 2 autobiographies, Obama's 'The Audacity of Hope' isn't really an autobiography. It is more about his philosophical thinking on various subjects like health care, education, abortion, etc. Though he mentions bits and pieces of his life after where he left off from Dreams From My Father, the book isnt a description of his life. I did wish the book would have been an autobiography, but it wasn't. Which is a shame, because it would have been great to learn about Obama's background in politics. Which is where this book comes in.....
As a reviewer, I can say that this book is fantastic. The main purpose of this book is to discuss Obama's rise to power;his rise to stardom. The book fills in the gap from when Obama went to Harvard up to the point he decides to run for President in Feb 2007. This was the book I had been waiting for. It's a shame Audacity of Hope wasnt about Obama's journey in politics. And though Obama will probably write about his political rise in his memoirs, which is probably another 10 years away, this book is the next best thing thats available. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to all those political geeks out there. And for Obama lovers like me, this book is very enlightening. Very!
As indicated in the DJ of the book, it is the biography of America's hottest political superstar - from a journalist who has been covering Obama and his career since his successful run for the U.S. Senate. It is also good to get to read from a voice aside from Obama's. This book is 95% positive on Obama, but the author doesn't hesitate to complain about Obama when he has felt the need to do so. Most people have been willing to let Obama have a pass on the mistakes he has made, and this book picks up on those mistakes and makes it to point them out. The author however notes how the American people were willing to let them be, without making much of an issue. Case in point, the Rezko involvement in the purchase of his house in Chicago.
Chapters 1 to 5 of this book covers the lifespan of the years covered by Obama in his first book. But from chapter 6 onwards, it is all new. His life at Harvard, his entry to politics, his time as a State senator, his failed bid for the Congress, his bid for the US Senate, his victory in the Senate race, his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 that gave him national name recognition, his years as a senator, his visit to Africa and his father's country Kenya as a member of the US Senate delegation, and finally his decision to run for the Presidency.
The book has vivid descriptions of how he managed to become a State Senator. It describes how 'lucky' he was that the incumbent had decided to run for Congress and Obama was able to run for her seat. She eventually decides that she wants to retain her seat as she knows she cannot win the bid for Congress, and so there is a tussle between Obama and her (even though she had supported him earlier on to take her seat). Obama is able to win the seat by a technicality, because the incumbent wasnt able to get enough signatures on time.
It is great to learn about Obama's failed bid for Congress against Bobby Rush. There are descriptions of how Blacks in Chicago did not think Obama was one of them but a stooge of the rich white folks. Obama's run for the nomination of his party for the US Senate is also interesting. And I am glad that we have a book that discusses this. It is interesting to note that Obama would not have run for the Senate had Carol Mosely Braun run. Instead she decides to run for President (and fails, as we know) leaving the path open for Obama. Obama's opponents in both the primaries in both the Democratic and Republican party self destruct.
It is interesting that I hadn't heard about Obama until the Democratic Convention of 2004, and yet I had heard about the Republican primary race and the scandal of the party's nominee, Jack Ryan and his wife, Jerri Ryan (7 of 9 in Star Trek: Voyager). I have been amazed at Obama's rise, his stardom in such a short span of years. But it seems even the author of this book has too, even though he has been following Obama very closely. One good thing about this book is that we also get to hear about Obama from not just his opponents and friends, but also his family members like his wife, his sisters, his grandmother, his brother in law, etc. So this book is not just about Obama's views on himself.
The book has been a great read. And is the story behind Obama's rise to power. Even the title is perfect: From Promise to Power. Having read both books written by Obama, and this book by David Mendell, I would like to see a book come out that describes in detail the story behind the presidential campaign of 2008. That would be a great book to read, before reading about Obama's White House Years. I still regret the fact that in 2006 when Obama had an organized event in New York, I attended the event, listened to his speak, but didn't stick around to shake his hand because I was late for work - I was also annoyed that the line was so long, even though lines weren't as long for events for other likely presidential candidates like Hillary, McCain or Giuliani. My justification then (in 2006) was that I was sure he wasn't going to President in 2008 since he just didn't have enough experience and that I would still get a chance to meet him sometime in the future when he makes a successful bid for the presidency. And now, here I am regretting my own misjudgement.I wonder if I will ever get to meet face to face this political superstar. The author noted back in 2006 how crowds would just form to see this guy. He thinks - "who do they think he is? The Messiah? The Saviour?" Judging by all the problems left by his incompetent predecessor, Obama could well be just that. He definitely is this nation's glowing hope. He has the power to make full use of his potential promise.
It isnt only in the US that Obama is so popular, but throughout the world. I would highly recommend that everyone around the world read his book Dreams From My Father to learn about the man's personal history, and then this book to learn about his polical life. This is the man who has the task in hand to save not only this nation from declining, but also to save this planet which is currently in peril.
If there is one good thing about the Bush presidency is that it aided in bring about Obama to power.
Summary of Obama: From Promise to Power
Barack Obama is arguably the most dynamic political figure to grace the American stage since John F. Kennedy. His meteoric rise from promise to power has stunned even the cynics and inspired a legion of devout followers. For anyone who wants to know more about the man who would be president, David Mendell's Obama is essential reading. Mendell, who has covered Obama for the Chicago Tribune since the beginning of Obama's campaign for the Senate, had far-reaching access to the senator, the details of which he shares in this compelling biography. Positioning Obama as the savior of a fumbling Democratic party, Mendell shows how Obama conquered Illinois politics and paved the way brick by brick for a galvanizing, historic presidential run. With exclusive contributions by family members and advisers, and details on Obama's voting record, this is a complete, complex, and revealing portrait, a must read for anyone interested in American politics in general and Senator Barack Obama in particular.
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