Scan barcode
cdisposti's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
lsparrow's review against another edition
5.0
I love when I read a book recommended by someone I only know vaguely that turns out to be so great. In general I tend to not like autobiographies especially of famous people - just because someone is well known does not mean that their life story is interesting, relevant or that they can write. There are some exceptions to the rule and this is one of them.
lewreviews's review
5.0
It's pretty cool to read a memoir of a President before they even thought about becoming President. But even back when this book was written, you could surely tell that Obama had the potential for greatness.
And that's because what we have here is an eloquent and deeply personal memoir which expresses Obama's vision for and views of the world. There are some absolutely beautiful moments dispersed throughout, in which Obama explores what it means to be African American, and the roots that keep him attached to the African continent.
The key themes of identity and family run strong throughout, which all tie in together when Barack finally visits Kenya and has to discover who his family is - a key moment of self-discovery for him. I left the book with tremendous respect for his journey and was equally amazed at how humble his beginnings were.
Very satisfied with this book, and I found it much better than I expected. I can only wish that he releases another one recounting his time in the White House, as Michelle did. I need some more Obama penmanship in my life.
And that's because what we have here is an eloquent and deeply personal memoir which expresses Obama's vision for and views of the world. There are some absolutely beautiful moments dispersed throughout, in which Obama explores what it means to be African American, and the roots that keep him attached to the African continent.
The key themes of identity and family run strong throughout, which all tie in together when Barack finally visits Kenya and has to discover who his family is - a key moment of self-discovery for him. I left the book with tremendous respect for his journey and was equally amazed at how humble his beginnings were.
Very satisfied with this book, and I found it much better than I expected. I can only wish that he releases another one recounting his time in the White House, as Michelle did. I need some more Obama penmanship in my life.
shoshin's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.0
This was an abridged version. I probably would have preferred the full version.
booksteader's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
claudia_elisabeth's review against another edition
3.0
Gut gemeinte 3 Sterne.
Der 1. Teil über seine Kindheit auf Hawaii und in Indonesien hat mir gut gefallen.
Der 2. Teil über seine Stadtteilarbeit als Sozialarbeiter in Chicago war trocken und langatmig. Ich frage mich, wovon er in den 3 Jahren seinen Lebensunterhalt bestritten hat.
Im 3. Teil über seine Zeit in Kenia waren viel zu viele Namen im Spiel.
Insgesamt hätten dem Buch ein paar Seiten weniger gut getan.
Der 1. Teil über seine Kindheit auf Hawaii und in Indonesien hat mir gut gefallen.
Der 2. Teil über seine Stadtteilarbeit als Sozialarbeiter in Chicago war trocken und langatmig. Ich frage mich, wovon er in den 3 Jahren seinen Lebensunterhalt bestritten hat.
Im 3. Teil über seine Zeit in Kenia waren viel zu viele Namen im Spiel.
Insgesamt hätten dem Buch ein paar Seiten weniger gut getan.
atruthuniversallyacknowledged's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
ninevehthecat's review against another edition
3.0
This was more of a 3.5 for me but I had to round it down because I didn’t find it all that interesting until about halfway in. There is some great commentary on race and by the end I did find its message to be quite insightful. However, reading this post-presidency, you have certain expectations from an accomplished speaker such as Obama, but it’s evident he was not as seasoned in his ways with words at the time of writing this. And after reading Michelle’s book—which I thought was phenomenal—it just felt a bit lackluster.
michelleloretta's review against another edition
3.0
The first third of this book is fantastic! Obama’s youth is fascinating... his upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia was such a unique experience. But after that it got repetitive and wordy. I love Obama’s diatribes but his effort to make everything poetic felt too forced. (By the way, I listened to this... his voices impersonating his relatives and friends are so good! Loved listening to his flair on everything.)