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sim_96's review against another edition
5.0
This book takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. Anger, despair, hatred, fear, an aching sadness you can't describe and hope. All these emotions felt by the American people before, during and after Obama's Presidency.
You are taken on a journey not many people knew about. A journey through The Mailroom of the White House. A place where people's fears, dreams and heartache are expressed in letters to President Obama. You get to know the people behind the mission, you get to know the reason behind the mission and you get to know the man that started it all a little better.
I cried in this book a lot. I laughed in this book a lot. I felt a bittersweet emotion reading this book knowing how it ends. I felt a connection to Obama, to the American people, and most importantly the people and their letters.
You are taken on a journey not many people knew about. A journey through The Mailroom of the White House. A place where people's fears, dreams and heartache are expressed in letters to President Obama. You get to know the people behind the mission, you get to know the reason behind the mission and you get to know the man that started it all a little better.
I cried in this book a lot. I laughed in this book a lot. I felt a bittersweet emotion reading this book knowing how it ends. I felt a connection to Obama, to the American people, and most importantly the people and their letters.
catmeghum's review against another edition
5.0
You know that saying about the right book finding you at the right time? This was the right book for me today. I've had it waiting in my review list for ages (like, a year, which is embarrassing), but today I sat down and read the whole thing cover to cover. I couldn't put it down.
This is an intimate, empathetic, humble look at the Obama administration through the eyes of the people it served. As a Brit, I'm sort of detached from American politics despite the impact they have on my life (I could do with being a bit more detached these days, to be honest). This is the sort of glimpse into America that I really treasure. It's a country that I admire in some ways but despair of in many more. There are mindsets that seem common in the US which baffle the majority of Brits, but because of our shared history we expect to always understand one another.
I think for me, this book was a paean to true democracy. When the US was first founded, there was a lot of debate between the Founding Fathers about how their democracy would work. True democracy was like the Brexit referendum - people voted individually and each individual vote was counted and the person (or issue, or opinion) that had the highest number of votes was taken forward. The Founding Fathers thought this would be too chaotic and impossible to enforce, and came up with a representative system instead. But even then much of the debate was carried out in the papers and pamphlets, and on the streets, by ordinary American citizens. Obama's decision to read 10 letters every day of his presidency is the modern version of that ongoing dialogue between people and state.
There are letters here that made me cry, letters that made me angry, letters that made me feel proud. Families dealing with loss - from drugs, from suicide, from 9/11. Gay couples writing to say thanks for the marriage. Kids who wanted homework help. It's a book that gives a very good impression of Obama, but the overwhelming impression I came away with wasn't an image of him, but of America, in all its messy glory. There are very few books which capture the modern country as well as this one does, and even fewer that do it with such grace and dignity. Three years on, it was a much needed dose of hope and positivity.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of this book.
This is an intimate, empathetic, humble look at the Obama administration through the eyes of the people it served. As a Brit, I'm sort of detached from American politics despite the impact they have on my life (I could do with being a bit more detached these days, to be honest). This is the sort of glimpse into America that I really treasure. It's a country that I admire in some ways but despair of in many more. There are mindsets that seem common in the US which baffle the majority of Brits, but because of our shared history we expect to always understand one another.
I think for me, this book was a paean to true democracy. When the US was first founded, there was a lot of debate between the Founding Fathers about how their democracy would work. True democracy was like the Brexit referendum - people voted individually and each individual vote was counted and the person (or issue, or opinion) that had the highest number of votes was taken forward. The Founding Fathers thought this would be too chaotic and impossible to enforce, and came up with a representative system instead. But even then much of the debate was carried out in the papers and pamphlets, and on the streets, by ordinary American citizens. Obama's decision to read 10 letters every day of his presidency is the modern version of that ongoing dialogue between people and state.
There are letters here that made me cry, letters that made me angry, letters that made me feel proud. Families dealing with loss - from drugs, from suicide, from 9/11. Gay couples writing to say thanks for the marriage. Kids who wanted homework help. It's a book that gives a very good impression of Obama, but the overwhelming impression I came away with wasn't an image of him, but of America, in all its messy glory. There are very few books which capture the modern country as well as this one does, and even fewer that do it with such grace and dignity. Three years on, it was a much needed dose of hope and positivity.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of this book.
bertthelamb's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a treasure. Reading this is a glimpse into Obama’s presidency, the behind-the-scenes work of the mail room, and most importantly, the voices of America from 2008 to 2017. The writing style and the organization scheme was creative but also a little disjointed or abrupt. Unsurprisingly as I read, I found myself nostalgic for a president who cared so deeply for the United States and all its citizens. I’m grateful to the author for taking on this project and the letter writers for sharing their stories. Hopefully more of these letters will be on display in a museum or digital archive someday.
sarahmkennedy32109's review against another edition
5.0
The absolute best book I’ve read in a long time. I laughed, I sobbed, I learned so much about America—her citizens, their stories and what inspires it compels a person to write to the president. I learned a lot about Mr Obama, and how the mail he received directly impacted policies. I learned about the unsung heroes who read thousands of letters every day, sitting in the midst of painful stories, replying and giving people the knowledge that someone was listening. This book was incredible and one I think everyone, whether you liked Obama as a president or not, should read.
luap's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
tx2its's review against another edition
3.0
Reading 2019
Book 34: To Obama: With Love, Joy, Anger, and Hope by Jeanne Marie Laskas
This book was recommended by a friend, something I had not heard any word on previously. The book looks at the Office of Presidential Correspondence and some of the letters written to President Obama and his responses. Further, the book spotlights some of the letter writers and the story behind the letter they wrote. How Obama set up the OPC was also discussed. Each president goes about the mail/office a bit differently
I found this book interesting. President Obama wanted to read a representative sample of letters every day that he was home at the White House. It was the job of the OPC to wade through the thousands of letter he received every day to find 10 that represented the pulse of public opinion. As the subtitle says: love, anger, joy, hope and everything in between.
I do recommend this book. A different tack on nonfiction which was a welcome look at something I had no idea about.
Book 34: To Obama: With Love, Joy, Anger, and Hope by Jeanne Marie Laskas
This book was recommended by a friend, something I had not heard any word on previously. The book looks at the Office of Presidential Correspondence and some of the letters written to President Obama and his responses. Further, the book spotlights some of the letter writers and the story behind the letter they wrote. How Obama set up the OPC was also discussed. Each president goes about the mail/office a bit differently
I found this book interesting. President Obama wanted to read a representative sample of letters every day that he was home at the White House. It was the job of the OPC to wade through the thousands of letter he received every day to find 10 that represented the pulse of public opinion. As the subtitle says: love, anger, joy, hope and everything in between.
I do recommend this book. A different tack on nonfiction which was a welcome look at something I had no idea about.
amb3rlina's review against another edition
4.0
Collection of letters to and from President Obama accompanied by interviews with his Office of Presidential Correspondence, some of the letter writers, as well as the President.
What I loved:
I had read about the OPC towards the end of Obama's presidency and was so impressed and smitten by it, it was a treat to read this book. I got teary from the letters frequently and was consistently impressed by the ethos behind Obama's Ten Letters a Day.
What I leaned:
I was incredibly impressed by the entire operation, it seems an impossible task. I was really taken by not just the fact that Obama did this to stay in touch with the American people, but the fact that he felt nourished by it.
A favorite passage:
"Shane put the letter away. It wasn't like he showed it around. The main thing he took from it was Obama spelled 'Cristina' right. Most people put the h in there. The guy that has more power than anyone. More responsibility than anyone. For that brief moment, he's thinking about you and your family. His daughter is in his thoughts."
What I loved:
I had read about the OPC towards the end of Obama's presidency and was so impressed and smitten by it, it was a treat to read this book. I got teary from the letters frequently and was consistently impressed by the ethos behind Obama's Ten Letters a Day.
What I leaned:
I was incredibly impressed by the entire operation, it seems an impossible task. I was really taken by not just the fact that Obama did this to stay in touch with the American people, but the fact that he felt nourished by it.
A favorite passage:
"Shane put the letter away. It wasn't like he showed it around. The main thing he took from it was Obama spelled 'Cristina' right. Most people put the h in there. The guy that has more power than anyone. More responsibility than anyone. For that brief moment, he's thinking about you and your family. His daughter is in his thoughts."
literaldecolonisation's review against another edition
5.0
This book provided a great insight on the ever-growing path undertaken by President Obama during his presidency. It showcased the power that people and citizens have in shaping policies and political decisions. It also highlighted the power of engagement that politicians be they presidents, parliamentarians must embark on with their constituents in order to grasp on the aftermath of their decisions. Overall, a very engaging book!