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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
Very abridged BBC audio book but still fascinating and engagingly written.
5 stars
All politics aside, I have to give Obama a lot of credit for this novel for how wonderfully it was written. Though I personally did not agree with several policies he enacted or military decisions he made, I appreciate this in depth view of the first term of his presidency which outlines and reflects on the many considerations he made, the odds he had to measure, and the implications that each course of action would cause. I felt that he was very honest in what his beliefs were and how he often fell short of the ideals he once had in favor of working within a system that curbed him to push as much reform as he could while considering the longevity of his career. This candor really shone through in this memoir and there was a deep sense of reflection and learning from his experiences.
Obama has always been a wordy man so the length is certainly a tough sell. However, I felt that shortening the novel in any way would have removed all of the consideration of different angles and the complexity of even a simple decision took in the White House. I also think it speaks to his intelligence and capability as a leader to be able to describe such complicated economic, foreign policy, and domestic issues ranging from the recession to conflicts in the Middle East to healthcare in such simple and comprehensible terms.
All in all, I did hesitate to read this memoir for its length and also because I thought it couldn’t stand up to Michelle’s memoir (partly because I feared we would get defensive justification of politically questionable decisions) but was very pleasantly surprised.
All politics aside, I have to give Obama a lot of credit for this novel for how wonderfully it was written. Though I personally did not agree with several policies he enacted or military decisions he made, I appreciate this in depth view of the first term of his presidency which outlines and reflects on the many considerations he made, the odds he had to measure, and the implications that each course of action would cause. I felt that he was very honest in what his beliefs were and how he often fell short of the ideals he once had in favor of working within a system that curbed him to push as much reform as he could while considering the longevity of his career. This candor really shone through in this memoir and there was a deep sense of reflection and learning from his experiences.
Obama has always been a wordy man so the length is certainly a tough sell. However, I felt that shortening the novel in any way would have removed all of the consideration of different angles and the complexity of even a simple decision took in the White House. I also think it speaks to his intelligence and capability as a leader to be able to describe such complicated economic, foreign policy, and domestic issues ranging from the recession to conflicts in the Middle East to healthcare in such simple and comprehensible terms.
All in all, I did hesitate to read this memoir for its length and also because I thought it couldn’t stand up to Michelle’s memoir (partly because I feared we would get defensive justification of politically questionable decisions) but was very pleasantly surprised.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Thoughtful storytelling. Intelligent writing. Empathy. Listening to the experts. Acknowledging one’s weaknesses. Always striving to do better, be better. Man, I miss this from a president!
“If I remain hopeful, it’s because I’ve learned to place my faith in my fellow citizens, especially those of the next generation, whose conviction in the equal worth of all people seems to come as second nature, and who insist on making real those principles that their parents and teachers told them were true but perhaps never fully believed themselves.” – Preface
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A Promised Land is an inspiring memoir of former US president, Barack Obama. It takes us back to the golden days of Obama’s first term as president along with his youth days before becoming the man that he is now.
A lot of his words in this book–I’ve noticed–are very poetically delivered. It’s beautiful and heartwarming. To read his story as a kid, to a Harvard Law student, to meeting Michelle, to running his own campaign is truly very inspiring indeed. To read about his achievements gives one the motivation to work hard for our own goals and glory. It also gives us an insight to how life as a president or a world leader may be. Both politically and personally.
Having read Michelle’s book “Becoming” before, and watching some of her book tour interviews, their love story is not a new thing for me but I love how they both tell their own stories, their experiences, and their journey in their own POVs now. With “Becoming” you get a taste of Michelle’s own life and upbringing to the woman she is now and an insight to life as First Lady and with “A Promised Land” you get the opposite of that. It’s interesting to get a peek at someone’s life. What they’ve been through. What they’ve learned. And let’s be honest, Barack and Michelle are one of the most powerful couple ever!
•
A Promised Land is an inspiring memoir of former US president, Barack Obama. It takes us back to the golden days of Obama’s first term as president along with his youth days before becoming the man that he is now.
A lot of his words in this book–I’ve noticed–are very poetically delivered. It’s beautiful and heartwarming. To read his story as a kid, to a Harvard Law student, to meeting Michelle, to running his own campaign is truly very inspiring indeed. To read about his achievements gives one the motivation to work hard for our own goals and glory. It also gives us an insight to how life as a president or a world leader may be. Both politically and personally.
Having read Michelle’s book “Becoming” before, and watching some of her book tour interviews, their love story is not a new thing for me but I love how they both tell their own stories, their experiences, and their journey in their own POVs now. With “Becoming” you get a taste of Michelle’s own life and upbringing to the woman she is now and an insight to life as First Lady and with “A Promised Land” you get the opposite of that. It’s interesting to get a peek at someone’s life. What they’ve been through. What they’ve learned. And let’s be honest, Barack and Michelle are one of the most powerful couple ever!
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I highly recommend the audiobook. I was reminded how Obama really is an incredible speaker, his voice is soothing to listen to while still holding attention and his writing is excellent as well. It's a relatively long book and there were a few sections where my enthusiasm waned as he described the particular bits of military decision making or foreign relations but it's a testament to his strength as a writer that I was never tempted to quit at any point in the 30 hours of listening.
Overall definitely recommend for those with an interest in politics even if you typically shy away from nonfiction books.
Overall definitely recommend for those with an interest in politics even if you typically shy away from nonfiction books.
Изключително искрена, полезна и даваща обяснение както за политиките на Обама по време на неговото президентство, така и за международните отношения и кризи за миналото десетилетие. Разглеждат се редица проблеми в различни сектори - икономика, медии, климатични промени, права на човека, международни отношения, вътрешната политика на САЩ и американските ценности.
This book is extremely sincere and helpful. It gives an explanation of President Obama's political ideas, strategies, and struggles as well as a complex picture of international relations and foreign crises in recent decades. It addresses several issues in various fields such as economy, media, climate change, human rights, international relations, US domestic policy, and the American values.
This book is extremely sincere and helpful. It gives an explanation of President Obama's political ideas, strategies, and struggles as well as a complex picture of international relations and foreign crises in recent decades. It addresses several issues in various fields such as economy, media, climate change, human rights, international relations, US domestic policy, and the American values.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Goes through his childhood and life outside of politics. I loved reading this. You may not agree with the politics, but Obama is definitely a great person. His dedication to his family and country are admirable.
Enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. It's both unbelievable how much goes into the presidency (at the same time it totally makes sense) -- 29 hours of listening and it ends at the end of Obama's first term! Barack and Michelle are such gifted orators and this book was really pretty insightful. First, I like how Obama explains the more topical events (from counterterrorism and foreign affairs to domestic stuff like the Great Recession and ACA). Those events we see on TV (like the news) or at least when I was a child all sounds familiar but for them to be explained so clearly builds so much context. Second, I enjoyed that Obama would also share his learnings from various experiences. Third, I tried to keep as objective a view as I could because this book is from Obama's perspective. When he justifies keeping troops in the Middle East, it's his justification. The implications of that decision and others still exist as history. I think it's important to not treat this work as history itself. Fourth, my favorite parts included Obama's commentary on his vision for this country and people to his rants about how hypocritical and frustrating it is working in politics. I too have similar visions for people - I wish to help create a world where people have the freedom or opportunity to make and live the life they want regardless of their inherent privileges (or lack thereof). I've thought about politics as part of my vision for the future however, this perspective (along with current liberal politicians) are helping me be less cynical about their ability to get shit done.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait for the second book. I think I'm gonna read Becoming soon!
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait for the second book. I think I'm gonna read Becoming soon!
What I wanted: An honest reflection of his presidency, ownership of mistakes, explanations of obstacles that prohibited his ability to deliver on lofty promises (and expectations of his supporters).
What I got: A moderate doubling down and justifying his decisions in an excessively and unnecessarily long recounting of what was essentially outdated news, with a few nuggets of interesting authenticity buried throughout.
I was curious to read this, but it was quite disappointing...although perhaps my expectations were unrealistically high (Obama’s actions have never provided evidence he’s anything but enduringly and disappointingly moderate). Doubt I’ll be able to muster motivation or interest to read part 2.
What I got: A moderate doubling down and justifying his decisions in an excessively and unnecessarily long recounting of what was essentially outdated news, with a few nuggets of interesting authenticity buried throughout.
I was curious to read this, but it was quite disappointing...although perhaps my expectations were unrealistically high (Obama’s actions have never provided evidence he’s anything but enduringly and disappointingly moderate). Doubt I’ll be able to muster motivation or interest to read part 2.