The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage)
by Barack Obama
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Book Summary Information
Author: Barack ObamaEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-07-15
ISBN: 0307455874
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Vintage
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780307455871
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage)
Book Review: A fascinating introduction to the political views of Barack Obama
Summary: 5 Stars
I still vividly remember when I first discovered Barack Obama. It was the fall of 2003. At work I always listen all day long to NPR. From 9 to 10 there is a show entitled 848 (in 2003 I believe it had slightly longer hours), which focuses on local (primarily Chicago but also in Illinois as a whole) affairs. I got back to my desk with an interview already in progress. The interviewee was discussing the Iraq War (which he opposed) and universal healthcare (which he thought crucial for the well-being of the country). Even though he explained that he was not in favor of a single payer healthcare system (he felt the structures were not in place for that), I was impressed with his intelligence and how articulate he was. During the course of the interview I realized that he was a candidate for the senate seat that Peter Fitzgerald was vacating (848 was doing an hour long interview with all of the Democratic and Republican candidates for the senate seat). I had been leaning towards Dan Hynes, but I was so impressed listening to this individual that I stayed glued to my radio waiting to hear what his name was. Then, at the conclusion of the very impressive interview, I heard the announcer thank Barack Obama for participating in the interview. I was so taken with the candidate that I instantly knew that I was now leaning towards Obama. I voted for him both in the primary and in the general election.
When Barack Obama wrote this book it is pretty obvious that he intended someday to run for president. It became a commonplace after his electrifying keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention to ponder whether he might one day become president. The only question would be whether he would run in 2008 or 2012 or 2016. He was young enough that any of those years were possible. I personally was hoping for 2008, primarily because I did not believe (and still don't) that Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton's economic views differed substantially from all the presidents from Carter through Bush 43 (Clinton and Reagan are closer in their economic policies than either is to Nixon, who has more in common with all of the presidents on economics from FDR through LBJ than he does to any who came before Obama). I felt that the number one need for the country was to get away from the string of presidents who contradictorily advocated smaller government (even while people like Reagan and Bush 43 dramatically expanded the size of government), nonprogressive tax cuts (in nearly every instance except one by Clinton shifting the tax burden from the rich to the middle class and working poor), and abandonment of progressive federal programs that had served to empower the middle class from FDR through Nixon. In other words, we had tried the kinds of free market, small government (even if it wasn't actually smaller government, it was the myth Reagan pushed) policies for decades, and they didn't work.
I knew a great deal about Obama's positions on a wide range of issues so at the time I didn't feel that I needed to read this book. I did know that it stood out from other such books. Over the past few decades there have been a vast number of books similar to this one published by individuals hoping or planning to run for president. Most are forgettable. Does anyone remember that Bush 43 and John McCain wrote similar books? Though in fairness to Obama, the vast majority of these books are ghostwritten. THE AUDACITY OF HOPE is unique in that Obama actually wrote it and that it is the rare campaign book that is likely to be remembered. It is distinguished both by Obama's wonderfully lucid prose style and the breadth of his political vision. On the former, this is not as well written as his earlier book DREAMS FROM MY FATHER, which almost reaches the level of prose poetry at times. But that is not surprising. The earlier book was far more personal and far more literary; the newer book was more of a political credo addressed to the electorate.
What is impressive to me is that despite the various things that were said by Obama during his presidential campaign, as president (so far) his agenda is completely consistent with the views expressed in this book. If you want to understand Barack Obama and the political values he holds dear, you need to read this book. In contrast with other political candidates, like Reagan and Bush 43, he isn't the tiniest bit ideological. He truly does hearken back to FDR (whom he resembles in many ways), in that he is driven not by ideology but values. Unless one wants to call the generalized belief that all Americans should be well off an ideology. He is obviously of the opinion that the policies that have driven government the past few decades have not worked and he lays out the nature of the various problems facing the nation and explains what he believes are possible solutions. Now, as president, he is putting many of these solutions into place. He definitely looks back to FDR as his political role model. Though conservative radio talk show hosts disagree, virtually everyone acknowledges that the foundation that FDR laid down in the thirties helped pull the country out of an economic morass and created the longest sustained period of economic success in American history. Carter began abandoning those policies (it was Carter and not Reagan who began the mania for deregulation) and Reagan accelerated them, leading to three decades of middle class decline (though the decline was slightly reversed during the Clinton years). Obama more than anything wants a politics centered on the vast majority of Americans and not merely the top 2% of the population.
Obama writes with a rare eloquence and intelligence on the problems facing America. His reflections are also wonderfully nuanced. He possesses a rare ability to evaluate both himself and the world around him and achieve a balanced and fair view of things. In the book Obama frequently expresses dissent (he clearly is not fan of George W. Bush) with other views, but at no point is his tone combative or polemical. He manages to see both sides of every argument, even while coming down strongly on one side of that argument. To opponents of abortion, he "gets" their opposition, even while he disagrees. He understands why many are sceptical of government programs, even while he touts a crucial role for government helping to correct the problems in our society.
It is clear from this book that Obama has read deeply in American political history. He has a profound grasp of the political issues that dominated each era of our nation's history and how they translate into today. This is hardly surprising, given that he was a constitutional law professor at one of the most prestigious law schools in America, but he doesn't discuss these issues like a professor. You get the sense that he has mastered an immense body of knowledge about the United States, but has taken a further step to ponder how it all relates to today's political scene. I have for many years been a fairly serious armchair student of the American presidency. I've read biographies on most of the American presidents, and sometimes (especially with Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln, the Roosevelts, and more recent presidents) more than one. Of all of them, Obama seems to have the most overarching view of America of any since Lincoln (FDR is my favorite president, but he didn't possess the global understanding of either Lincoln or Obama--anyone wanting to see how profound Lincoln's understanding of America was should read his second annual report to congress, now known as the State of the Union Address). He understands the country in its diversity and complexity. Although I've long been a supporter of Obama, seeing just how wide-ranging his knowledge of and love for America truly is made me more confident than ever that Obama has a true shot at being a great president. Whether he will be a truly great president depends on a host of factors, but he certainly seems to be different. As a student of the presidency, I've often been frustrated reading earlier presidential biographies. Since becoming an adult I've had to suffer through a long string of average to mediocre presidents. The presidents from FDR through LBJ were all remarkable, strong, gifted presidents, Democrat and Republican alike. From Nixon through Bush 43 we've suffered through a string of weak (though in the case of Reagan ridiculously over-hyped) presidents. This has often happened in American history. Lincoln was preceded by a string of weak presidents. McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt were preceded by an equally long string of mediocre presidents while FDR was preceded by a shorter string. Historically, many of our best presidents have followed weak ones. I only know that in my adult life this is the first time I've looked at my president with pride and hope. As a native of Arkansas, I was happy to see an fellow Arkansan in the White House, but while his economic policies were a slight improvement over Reagan and Bush (and certainly the middle class did better under Clinton), he largely to me seemed to be GOP Lite. Obama just might end up the most exciting president in my lifetime, and hopefully someone that future generations of Americans will envy us for having, just as I've envied others for having presidents like Lincoln and the Roosevelts.
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Summary of The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage)
The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obama's call for a new kind of politics?a politics that builds upon those shared understandings that pull us together as Americans. Lucid in his vision of America's place in the world, refreshingly candid about his family life and his time in the Senate, Obama here sets out his political convictions and inspires us to trust in the dogged optimism that has long defined us and that is our best hope going forward.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.
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