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trin's review against another edition
4.0
Probably if enough time passes, I will eventually be able to speak objectively about Barack Obama, but at this point he’s only been President-Elect for two weeks, so nope, we’re not there yet. So instead I’ll say, first of all, how wonderful and incredible it is to have a president who can write. This is not the best book I’ve ever read, nor the best memoir, but it’s still head and shoulders above the pack—just like the man who wrote it. It’s fascinating just as a story, but especially in terms of the person we all know Obama to be today. During the campaign, everyone (rightly) remarked upon his sense of calm—“No drama Obama”—and this made me especially glad to have read this book, because in talking about his youth here, Obama makes it clear that he spent a lot of time (rightly) being angry. His ability to stay calm, to stay reasonable, to be a leader—these are all things he clearly had to work for, and that only impresses me more.
It also delights and amuses me to think of this book in the context of all the superhero stuff I’ve been reading lately—does Obama have an origin story here or what? In some ways it really is comic book perfect: the son of two different worlds and how he gained the strength and experience to…well, save us all. You know. In a non-spandex-y way.
Okay, now I feel a little goofy. But Obama’s a comic book fan! I’m sure he’d appreciate the analogy.
It also delights and amuses me to think of this book in the context of all the superhero stuff I’ve been reading lately—does Obama have an origin story here or what? In some ways it really is comic book perfect: the son of two different worlds and how he gained the strength and experience to…well, save us all. You know. In a non-spandex-y way.
Okay, now I feel a little goofy. But Obama’s a comic book fan! I’m sure he’d appreciate the analogy.
rachd24's review against another edition
3.0
3.5* Review - Check out my full review here:
http://confessionsofabookgeek.com/2016/11/28/review-dreams-from-my-father/
The really interesting thing about this book is that it was written before Obama was even involved in politics, and long before he had aspirations of becoming President. I appreciated this, I felt like there was no hidden agenda, and he could be much more honest with his thoughts and memories - he didn't have to overtly censor himself for fear of public perception and backlash. This made it feel as though I was genuinely getting an insight into the man, not the politician.
http://confessionsofabookgeek.com/2016/11/28/review-dreams-from-my-father/
The really interesting thing about this book is that it was written before Obama was even involved in politics, and long before he had aspirations of becoming President. I appreciated this, I felt like there was no hidden agenda, and he could be much more honest with his thoughts and memories - he didn't have to overtly censor himself for fear of public perception and backlash. This made it feel as though I was genuinely getting an insight into the man, not the politician.
lizzycatslibrary's review against another edition
3.0
Well, I went into this book expecting it to be quite different from what it turned out to be. I was hoping it would address Barack Obama's biracialness more. While it does talk about this it focuses very much on Obama reclaiming his Kenyan roots and what it means for him to be black in America. There were parts where I recognized the double bind of being mixed race and the pull to try and adhere and fit into one box but I felt that rather than coming to terms with this he pushed himself further into a box. Now that is not to say that this wasn't an important and introspective memoir. I felt it very deeply explored what it means to be black in America and where Barack Obama's place is within this spectrum. I really enjoyed the second part of the book where he takes his first trip to Kenya and meets all his relatives. The stories and the roots are fascinating and I wonder whether he still holds the bonds that he formed with his family. I really want to read Auma Obama's memoir because I think it would be really interesting to compare and contrast the two. Overall, I am glad I read this book even though it was not quite what I was expecting. It was interesting to see this side of the now current President of the United States. It made me admire and respect him even more.
allieypop's review against another edition
5.0
“That's what the leadership was teaching me, day by day: that the self-interest I was supposed to be looking for extended well beyond the immediacy of issues, that beneath the small talk and sketchy biographies and received opinions, people carried with them some central explanation of themselves. Stories full of terror and wonder, studded with events that still haunted or inspired them. Sacred stories.”
knittingknerd's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
kdawn999's review
3.0
I normally wouldn’t dream of reading anything abridged, but that was the only audio option I could find with Obama reading it himself, and I really couldn’t imagine listening to someone else. He is a good reader, and I was drawn in to any family details—especially of his years growing up in Indonesia, which I hadn’t given much thought to before. The part about community organizing dragged for me, and I wish that bit had felt more personal than politically motivated. But this did remind me of all the hope felt about Obama in 2008 and this uniquely global citizen we were lucky to call president once.
celtic67's review against another edition
5.0
This book is well written and you can see the progression to the politician he became.