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 enlarge | Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $3.63
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Rating:  624 reviews
Sales Rank: 7
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 0307455874
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.04960730092
EAN: 9780307455871
ASIN: 0307455874
Publication Date: July 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Special Purchase Limited Time Only BRAND NEW FACTORY SEALED (WE DO NOT SHIP TO HI, AK, WA, NY, KS, KY, ND)
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| Customer Reviews:
 The dope with hope. November 14, 2008
3 out of 37 found this review helpful
I am tired of this loser's book popping up om my recommendation list from Amazon, with no way to remove it.. so I am giving it a bad review. I am a conservative that wishes this fool had never been born.
Groundbreaking : But Not for the Reasons you Think November 13, 2008
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Obama's grand duo of books seem to have resurged themselves on bestseller lists, and of the two books, "The Audacity of Hope" is the less interesting. This is only because his other book "Dreams from my Father" was so much more compelling, and this book reads more simplistically when compared to the more 'serious' issues at hand in the other.
"The Audacity of Hope" is Obama's commentary on all things America, its' place in the world, and where he sees the Nation. If you want to know what he as a President has to offer in terms of a) Domestic Policy and b) Foreign Policy, then this is the book for you (of course, whether or not most of these come true is another story entirely). What this is NOT, is a personal recollection of childhood days/growing up, etc. All of that is more explicitly covered in his other book. This one is definitely of a more 'political' nature.
In Chapter 2, "Values", I found Obama to be more centrist than either Left or Right. He struck me as someone with values of the Democratic Party, but on a lot of issues he didn't sound very radically different than the Republican Party. One area I did agree was his take on Oil, and how America needs to become a self sustaining entity capable of providing oil and energy to itself without foreign dependence. What I am glad about is that he didnt quite 'hit you over the head' with pleas for a 'traditional family' with 'conservative value systems', though at heart he does seem to embody those values.
What a great read. As someone entirely new to Obama, this was a great insight into a great mind. Its a short book, mind you, and if youre a pretty quick reader, then you'll be done with it within an evening of solid investment. Highly Recommended.
Note - While Obama does not specifically tackle the issue of race in this book (in fact, he seems almost coy about it), try his other book for a fascinating look at how growing up as a biracial child moulded him into what he is today.
Well-written and thought-provoking (But avoid the audiobook.) November 11, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I began reading this book at a friend's house and found it so interesting that I immediately purchased it as an audiobook. However, I quickly realized that I preferred the text version. Though much has been made of Mr. Obama's incredible speaking skills (he even won a Grammy for the audiobook), in my opinion, his words are MUCH better on the page. (Which is, perhaps, saying a lot?)
It's also important to know that the audiobook is pretty seriously abridged. Two chapters have been completely eliminated (criminal, considering the book only has 10 chapters), and the remaining chapters have been condensed, eliminating various details and personal anecdotes. After investing 6+ hours, I'd be annoyed to find that the book I experienced wasn't the same book everyone else experienced. How they convinced the author to do this to his own work, I do not know.
Other reviewers have covered the content of the book, so I won't repeat their efforts here, except to say that Mr. Obama shows a clear talent for (and refreshing respect for) thoughtful problem-assessment. Though he offers few concrete solutions to the problems he discusses, that's not a negative, as it is clearly not his intention to do so. (After all, the book is not subtitled "How to Reclaim the American Dream.") Instead, his essays are presented as substantial food-for-thought (and hopefully fuel for action).
The fact that so many reviewers have complained of the lack of solutions just goes to show how desperately we want them, and how important we think real solutions are. Yet every day, we perpetuate a style of politics and political discourse that doesn't focus on-- or seem able to produce-- real, viable solutions. Mr. Obama's book reminds us that liberal or conservative, the solutions we hope for are not going to magically come about unless we find a new (or perhaps old?) way to talk about, and achieve, what we want.
The thesis of the book is not so much "We need to do this, this and this!!" as it is "Our problems are real but solvable-- if we can manage to think clearly."
 This is What Barack Stands For! November 11, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
In essence this is a summary of his vision of what ails America and what will fix it. It's almost in his own words a draft of his presidential campaign that just ended...about his hope of restoring this country to greatness by fixing a very broken government. It's about bringing health care to all, responsibly leaving Iraq and turning us back into a respected global power.Throughout the book he writes about his goal to end the divisiveness and bring unity to America as he so beautifully articulated in his 2004 speech at the Democratic convention.
Hope is the major theme. You do believe his desire to reclaim the American Dream is authentic and in fact that he will. His writing style is as warm and embracing as his persona when he speaks. Every American needs to read this book.
Obama's observations on the state of the country November 11, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Great series of essays on relevant topics to the American public. Obama's command of history, law, logic, philosophy and English shine through clearly as he points out cultural and historical patterns that have led the country to the point where it is today. The author emphasizes a centrist approach of open dialogue and compromise as a path to correcting many problems that have stimied American politics for years. A good and accessible read.
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