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rachblank's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Enlightening to read about his decision making process and rationale when faced with a serious dilemma and choice to make in the White House.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Death, Cancer, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
3.0
This was everything I remember about his administration. I was hoping to learn something new - something that hasn’t been reported or some reflection that would’ve indicated I’d misunderstood something or could give me greater insight. I guess fake news didn’t exist in his time. Lol.
I wish he’d addressed border control, specifically about how children had been separated from parents and supposedly held in cages. I remember seeing the News York Times article and being shocked. I realize it came out after this book, but the events happened during his presidency. Maybe Biden will write about it when it’s his turn…
Three stars because it was basically a well written brag book that his daughters can read and feel good about.
I wish he’d addressed border control, specifically about how children had been separated from parents and supposedly held in cages. I remember seeing the News York Times article and being shocked. I realize it came out after this book, but the events happened during his presidency. Maybe Biden will write about it when it’s his turn…
Three stars because it was basically a well written brag book that his daughters can read and feel good about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Islamophobia, Cancer, Racism, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
bloodmaarked's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism
_p0ssum_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
4.75
A very long book. Some areas are longer than others and some are more interesting .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, and War
Moderate: Violence
elisalasater's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, War, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
mlphipps1991's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Racism, Abortion, Violence, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, and Death
housedesignerking's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This is a book that I never pictured myself reading. In 2008, I honestly pictured myself reading a John McCain presidential memoir sometime after his 4 or 8 years in office, eventually reading Sarah Palin's vice-presidential memoir. Obviously, that's not what happened. Senator Obama and Senator Biden went on to become President and Vice-President, respectively. This historic moment in history did not happen with a vote from me. I don't miss that time period when it comes to the political and social atmospheres. If you didn't vote for Obama, you were somehow a racist; if you didn't vote for McCain, you were somehow unamerican; if you liked Biden, you were somehow a supporter of reckless decisions made in anger; and if you liked Palin, you were as dumb as people claimed she was. I also don't miss the political and social atmospheres that followed that election till roughly 2015. People were either fueled by the Tea Party (which was basically a red herring) or unintelligibly stuck in the idea that if you weren't with the dems, you were a racist, and nothing you said would ever matter. I have lived to regret my decision to support McCain and Palin after I saw his very public meltdown about 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' and after seeing her role in the Tea Party and eventually her flouting of Fauci's pandemic recommendations (not to mention, her refusal to support same gender marriage). So, when my fiancé suggested we buy this book and read it, I readily agreed.
Let no one say that Barack Obama is unintelligent. This book was clearly written by a well-educated man, and my love affair with his way with words was obvious to my fiancé as we read this together. This president's way with words is not only engaging but also riveting and funny at times. To the dismay of my younger self, I really didn't find many disagreements between this president and myself. The first thing I could really say that I disagreed with him on (as far as the time covered in this book) was on pg 234: one of the first things he did as president was lift President W. Bush's moratorium on federally funded embryonic stem cell research. His words on growing up black were educational and eye-opening. I don't personally agree with some of his viewpoints regarding what is and isn't racially motivated, but being of two 'minorities' myself, I can definitely see how those perceptions can come to be. Aside from those, I could see why he made certain decisions, or my objection was about something so small that it isn't even worth mentioning. With this book, he went from his childhood to political life to his 2008 campaign and election and comes to a close on the death of Osama bin Laden. That final chapter was both harrowing and surreal and probably is for anyone who is old enough to remember September 11th, 2001.
It's 2022 as I type this, and though my younger self would probably be shocked and would protest, I will say that he was a good president. I still maintain that my lack of support for his candidacy had nothing to do with race: it was simply about who I thought was the lesser of two evils, but I will say that today, I somewhat wish I had supported him... At least the first time. I still maintain that Romney would be a great president, and I'm still a moderate republican. I'm not sure how much more praise a formerly unsupportive voter could give after what I've written, so I will end by saying that I give this book 4 stars. It's one heck of a book!
Let no one say that Barack Obama is unintelligent. This book was clearly written by a well-educated man, and my love affair with his way with words was obvious to my fiancé as we read this together. This president's way with words is not only engaging but also riveting and funny at times. To the dismay of my younger self, I really didn't find many disagreements between this president and myself. The first thing I could really say that I disagreed with him on (as far as the time covered in this book) was on pg 234: one of the first things he did as president was lift President W. Bush's moratorium on federally funded embryonic stem cell research. His words on growing up black were educational and eye-opening. I don't personally agree with some of his viewpoints regarding what is and isn't racially motivated, but being of two 'minorities' myself, I can definitely see how those perceptions can come to be. Aside from those, I could see why he made certain decisions, or my objection was about something so small that it isn't even worth mentioning. With this book, he went from his childhood to political life to his 2008 campaign and election and comes to a close on the death of Osama bin Laden. That final chapter was both harrowing and surreal and probably is for anyone who is old enough to remember September 11th, 2001.
It's 2022 as I type this, and though my younger self would probably be shocked and would protest, I will say that he was a good president. I still maintain that my lack of support for his candidacy had nothing to do with race: it was simply about who I thought was the lesser of two evils, but I will say that today, I somewhat wish I had supported him... At least the first time. I still maintain that Romney would be a great president, and I'm still a moderate republican. I'm not sure how much more praise a formerly unsupportive voter could give after what I've written, so I will end by saying that I give this book 4 stars. It's one heck of a book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Abortion, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Violence, War, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Cursing, Death of parent, Deportation, Hate crime, and Bullying
zara89's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, War, Gun violence, Chronic illness, Violence, Racism, Grief, Cultural appropriation, and Terminal illness
Minor: Antisemitism and Genocide
hazelgirl21's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Death and War
whatjasread's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
• I’m not saying it’s bad, but this man talks so much dear lord
• literal king of waffle
• the parts leading up to his presidency were more interesting than his actual presidency
• so much name dropping I don’t remember a single person except Michelle and our lass Lizzie R
TWs: war, death, racism, islamophobia, gun violence, cancer, terrorism, homophobia, torture, mentions of 9/11
• literal king of waffle
• the parts leading up to his presidency were more interesting than his actual presidency
• so much name dropping I don’t remember a single person except Michelle and our lass Lizzie R
TWs: war, death, racism, islamophobia, gun violence, cancer, terrorism, homophobia, torture, mentions of 9/11
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, Gun violence, and Cancer
Moderate: War and Death
Minor: Torture and Homophobia