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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This was a beast of a book to read but well worth the time! I thoroughly enjoyed getting a deeper understanding of Obama’s presidential campaign run and first 2-3 years in office. I already knew being President was tough but this book really sets the stage. I applaud Obama on all he’s done, especially his resilience in dealing with uncooperative, ignorant, and sometimes racist republicans. The idealist in me loves and adores the idealist in him. And I look forward to reading part 2 of this book series that covers the remainder of his time in office.
slow-paced
informative
slow-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
President Obama's memoir is very well written and does a good job at providing context to every facet of his decision making. However, I do believe that, like all memoirs, the message he is providing is not a 100% retelling of the events as they happened.
With every memoir, the person who is writing it is going to always paint themselves in the best light possible. Part of this for Obama is the reluctant leader. His constant conversation piece at the beginning is how everything about his political career fell into his lap and he was along for the whirlwind of a ride. While I do not doubt how he felt in those moments, I do believe that writing it the way he does makes it seem like he's humble bragging at best and incredibly unsure of himself at worst, and I think that either image is not good for the image that he is attempting to craft with this book.
President Obama shines the best in the moments where he is telling the strict facts of what happened. He's able to shape the narrative in a way that makes sense, he provides relevant background for the topic, and he provide cogent insights to the implications. Where everything falls apart is when he starts providing his personal political opinions. Where this is most self-evident is in his discussions about fellow politicians. Prior to reading this book, I read John Boehner's memoir and he had multiple instances of butting heads with Obama. I knew going into this book that I would have some of the instances reevaluated here. In some cases, Obama had the same insight as Boehner. In others, they had completely different recollections. I know that the truth is in the middle somewhere. That President Obama and Boehner wouldn't intentionally lie about a situation, but they are veiled by their own biases and world views.
To grade the book because I may disagree with Obama on things isn't fair nor does it play into my rating. However, the fact that Obama seems to go overboard with his own opinion of events coupled with an overarching tone of being unsure of his decisions and not ready for the job, inhibit the message of hope and unity he's trying to promote. His prose is amazing for telling events as they happen and it is a very entertaining read.
4/5
With every memoir, the person who is writing it is going to always paint themselves in the best light possible. Part of this for Obama is the reluctant leader. His constant conversation piece at the beginning is how everything about his political career fell into his lap and he was along for the whirlwind of a ride. While I do not doubt how he felt in those moments, I do believe that writing it the way he does makes it seem like he's humble bragging at best and incredibly unsure of himself at worst, and I think that either image is not good for the image that he is attempting to craft with this book.
President Obama shines the best in the moments where he is telling the strict facts of what happened. He's able to shape the narrative in a way that makes sense, he provides relevant background for the topic, and he provide cogent insights to the implications. Where everything falls apart is when he starts providing his personal political opinions. Where this is most self-evident is in his discussions about fellow politicians. Prior to reading this book, I read John Boehner's memoir and he had multiple instances of butting heads with Obama. I knew going into this book that I would have some of the instances reevaluated here. In some cases, Obama had the same insight as Boehner. In others, they had completely different recollections. I know that the truth is in the middle somewhere. That President Obama and Boehner wouldn't intentionally lie about a situation, but they are veiled by their own biases and world views.
To grade the book because I may disagree with Obama on things isn't fair nor does it play into my rating. However, the fact that Obama seems to go overboard with his own opinion of events coupled with an overarching tone of being unsure of his decisions and not ready for the job, inhibit the message of hope and unity he's trying to promote. His prose is amazing for telling events as they happen and it is a very entertaining read.
4/5