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A review by kylita
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
4.0
What a strange day to have read this book. Parts of A Promised Land foreshadowed the domestic attacks that are currently happening at the Capitol and I feel a deep sense of sadness. I will try to not let current events impact my rating. (Had I let it, I would have rated it 5/5 stars.)
I do not have anything profound to state about Obama nor his policies. The following will be just impressions throughout the book and is far from comprehensive.
Firstly, A Promised Land did not impact me the same way that Becoming by Michelle Obama did. This is largely because A Promised Land is more about the presidency, policy decisions, and implications of being the first Black President than it was about Obama's personal life. The reason it is 4/5 stars is because of this lack of personal connection to the content.
I would suggest reading both of their memoirs and it will give you a rounded understanding of the Obamas and their experiences being the First Family.
My overwhelming impression from this book is: I hate politics. That is a big statement from someone who used to spend her free time studying political science and intended it to be her major for a good chunk of her college experience.
I think, as a whole, we expect our President to be able to move mountains and change the world within their four to eight-year stint as the leader of our country. It is probably more due to a sense of hope than actual logic, but A Promised Land put many actions from Obama's presidency into perspective. The entire time I was reading, as I did with Becoming, I felt saddened at how villainized President Obama had been in my home. I really feel that most (barring our current President) really try to act the way they feel will best help our country and I had chills and tears as A Promised Land confirmed that Obama truly did try his hardest to make the United States better for everyone.
Regardless of how you feel about his political policies and decisions, there is nothing but respect and admiration from me for how Obama navigated disaster after disaster.
One thing I kept thinking about as I read A Promised Land and wanted to specifically note was this:
When I was in high school, I remember my immediate family and connections being outraged by Obama's personal ties to his reverend. They were aghast that our President could have ever interacted with someone with so much disdain for the country. As I read, I had an overwhelming sense of the parallels my own life have to this situation (aside from not being a figurehead ;P). If someone were to look at past or even current things leaders within my own faith have stated, they would not want to interact with me. I had sympathy for President Obama that his tie to Reverend Wright was conflated to mean that he believed everything exactly as stated over the pulpit.
I would recommend this book to everyone. You maybe will be at odds with how certain decisions were written about but you will end it having a little more understanding of the nuances that happen within politics.
I do not have anything profound to state about Obama nor his policies. The following will be just impressions throughout the book and is far from comprehensive.
Firstly, A Promised Land did not impact me the same way that Becoming by Michelle Obama did. This is largely because A Promised Land is more about the presidency, policy decisions, and implications of being the first Black President than it was about Obama's personal life. The reason it is 4/5 stars is because of this lack of personal connection to the content.
I would suggest reading both of their memoirs and it will give you a rounded understanding of the Obamas and their experiences being the First Family.
My overwhelming impression from this book is: I hate politics. That is a big statement from someone who used to spend her free time studying political science and intended it to be her major for a good chunk of her college experience.
I think, as a whole, we expect our President to be able to move mountains and change the world within their four to eight-year stint as the leader of our country. It is probably more due to a sense of hope than actual logic, but A Promised Land put many actions from Obama's presidency into perspective. The entire time I was reading, as I did with Becoming, I felt saddened at how villainized President Obama had been in my home. I really feel that most (barring our current President) really try to act the way they feel will best help our country and I had chills and tears as A Promised Land confirmed that Obama truly did try his hardest to make the United States better for everyone.
Regardless of how you feel about his political policies and decisions, there is nothing but respect and admiration from me for how Obama navigated disaster after disaster.
One thing I kept thinking about as I read A Promised Land and wanted to specifically note was this:
When I was in high school, I remember my immediate family and connections being outraged by Obama's personal ties to his reverend. They were aghast that our President could have ever interacted with someone with so much disdain for the country. As I read, I had an overwhelming sense of the parallels my own life have to this situation (aside from not being a figurehead ;P). If someone were to look at past or even current things leaders within my own faith have stated, they would not want to interact with me. I had sympathy for President Obama that his tie to Reverend Wright was conflated to mean that he believed everything exactly as stated over the pulpit.
I would recommend this book to everyone. You maybe will be at odds with how certain decisions were written about but you will end it having a little more understanding of the nuances that happen within politics.