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The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Audio CD)
by Barack Obama
| Category:
American Dream, American society, Non-fiction |
| Market price: ¥ 328.00
MSL price:
¥ 298.00
[ Shop incentives ]
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
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MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Optimistic, refreshing and beautifully written, The Audacity of Hope is a very American introduction to Senator Obama and his stance on current issues. |
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AllReviews |
1 2   | Total 2 pages 16 items |
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Kenn Amdahl (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
You can't read a book by a guy who might run for President without sizing him up in that context. And, in fairness, if you're a guy who might run for President, you can't write without remembering how critical people are. You can't be careless with language, or throw in wisecracks that might offend someone somewhere. Therefore, don't read this book expecting Dave Barry or Dan Brown. On the other hand, you gotta admire a guy who tells you what he believes and why before he even declares for the race whether you agree with him or not. In that context, this is a book everyone should read. In that context, it was an excellent book.
I read the book and never found a reason to dislike the guy or quibble seriously with his writing. I never disagreed with him, nor thought him naive. His opinions were carefully considered, and based on a broad base of knowledge of law, history, and common sense. He always articulated both sides of an issue concisely and fairly before explaining why he came down on the side he did. Coincidentally, in virtually every case, it was also the side I came down on. That means either we are both very smart guys, or he is a genius who knows how to make people think they always held his opinion. His thought process was refreshingly presidential.
Before I read it, my fear was that a guy who taught constitutional law might not have real-world problem solving skills. I still don't know for sure that he does, but he certainly has internalized the process for building concensus and solving certain kinds of problems. And maybe that's more important than if we agree on some detail of a free trade agreement.
Still, in the real world, I'm going to guess he might have trouble fixing his own car or hanging drywall. My worst fear remains that he might not possess enough ruthlessness to anticipate and defend against the cunning moves that a seasoned pirate or thug might make. In a knife fight, Cheney or Saddam would carve him up. But he is also the kind of guy that could probably surround himself with a few gunslingers, and smart enough to know he needs them. You don't need to be the best bar fighter if you have a good and loyal bouncer. Ike had Nixon, JFK had Bobby, Clinton had Vernon Jordan. So far, Obama's got Oprah. She's good, but she's no Karl Rove. The Audacity of Hope did not deal with that issue at all, and that's probably his political weakness.
My biggest concern with Audacity of Hope was that the book was not as breezy as the population demands, so not many people will actually read the whole thing and come up with their own opinion. They will only know what Rush tells them, or what Wolf tells them. On the other hand, it was a serious book by a serious guy, and that's a refreshing change of pace, presidential-candidate-wise. I hope all the other potential candidates provide us with this kind of detailed and thoughtful position paper before the election season heats up. |
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J. Shreve (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
Barack Obama's writing style is clear, articulate & very readable. But it is his interweaving of his past experiences, how they have shaped him as a person & how they guide his current thoughts, perspectives & goals that I found most interesting. Mr. Obama strikes me as an authentic, genuine person who we would be lucky to have in our political arena for decades to come. While I cringe that he may become less straightforward & honest being in politics, he is one of the few who I truly trust & the best hope for success that I see in our future. His values are right-on & I hope that he has many chances to steer the course of American history in the coming years.
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E. Daniels (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
Senator Obama'a latest screed is a book about politics, common gound and reclaiming the American Dream. People looking for some deep thought that transcends our political, social, and foriegn policy issues are bound to be disapointed, especially if you are a progressive who swooned over his Speech at the Democratic Convention 2 years ago. The book breaks down into his childhood in Hawaii youthful indiscertions (a little coke, herb etc..) and the transition into the man he is today. Obama's centrism is really oft- putting to someone like me who feels that partisonship is a good idea (At least your enemies know where you stand)he would rather work the middle ground and find soloutions to our problems that are at it's heart does not lend itself to a 'gray area'.
The chapter I found on race is typical Clinton doublespeak, As an Afro-American His appeal to 'universality' is trite at best because in one minute he knows he does not live an "authentic" cultural black expericence Obama who is mixed is doing what Shelby Steele calls " racial negotitating " making whites feel comfortable around someone like Obama who trusts that white america will do the right thing and he believes in the moral goodness of the majority white population and this country's ethos thereby he is liked for not challenging their morality. Obama tries to have it both ways empathizing with the Afro- American and Hispanic struggle (the vote he really needs to win election if he chooses to run for the Presidency)and he unlike many black intellectuals knows that the conservative movement used the symbols of the great society progress to butress their arguments in a "racial cold war". Obama fails when he lectures Latinos on Immirgration and by trying to find common ground he ends up alienating those who challenge this society's attitude about both blacks and Latinos.I think he is naive about race in this country, I for one do not trust the majority society to treat us with brotherhood and charity (after 389 years Afro- Americans ought to know better)I look at people as Enemies or Allies and white conservatives are the enemy of Afro- Americans or do we have to go to New Orleans for the Genocide (I see dead black people floating) they attempted last year.If Obama wants to negoitate with conservatives and find common ground that's his right, I would rather have power because it is the only thing White conservatives (and their minority allies) understand.
The last chapter he talks of his wife and her family that is the most touching thing in the whole book, his love for her seems genuine and you can tell he has empathy and concern for her and children in general. I feel that his book is just and average at best. Maybe he might be President but he will not be the 'first black president'. But if you are a believer in Obama's charisma and think he can rise above petty politics and bring people of different races into a common American ideal then this book is for you, But if you do not like " Colorblind Centrists" like Obama and Harold Ford think they are weak 'Uncle Toms" then this book will to you be just average.
(A negative review. MSL remarks.)
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Jonathan Alter, Newsweek.com (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
He is one of the best writers to enter modern politics. |
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Michiko Katutani (New York Times) (MSL quote) , USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
"[Barack Obama] is that rare politician who can actually write - and write movingly and genuinely about himself... In these pages he often speaks to the reader as if he were an old friend from back in the day, salting policy recommendations with colorful asides about the absurdities of political life... [He] strives in these pages to ground his policy thinking in simple common sense... while articulating these venomous pre-election days, but also in these increasingly polarized and polarizing times."
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Los Angles Times (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
"[Few] on the partisan landscape can discuss the word "hope" in a political context and be regarded as the least bit sincere. Obama is such a man, and he proves it by employing a fresh and buoyant vocabulary to scrub away some of the toxins from contemporary political debate. Those polling categories that presume to define the vast chasm between us do not, Obama reminds us, add up to the sum of our concerns or hint at where our hearts otherwise intersect... Obama advances ordinary words like "empathy", "humility", "grace" and "balance" into the extraordinary context of 2006's hyper-agitated partisan politics. The effect is not only refreshing but also hopeful... As you might anticipate from a former civil lawyer and a university lecturer on constitutional law, Obama writes convincingly about race as well as the lofty place the Constitution holds in American life... He writes tenderly about family and knowingly about faith. Readers, no matter what their party affiliation, may experience the oddly uplifting sensation of comparing the everyday contemptuous view of politics that circulates so widely in our civic conversations with the practical idealism set down by this slender, smiling, 45-year-old former sate legislator who is included on virtually every credible list of future presidential contenders. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
Barack Obama, considered by many as a contender for the Democratic nomination, has written a fantastic treatise of his ideas about government, the issues facing our country and the American people themselves. One may not always agree with his opinions, but his approach is hard to disagree with. Obama says that we have so much more to unite us than divide us and calls for public discourse that reflects this reality. He seeks a liberal, compassionate policy that never strays from our values, but in fact, represents them. Both when you disagree with him and when you agree with him, he still makes you ponder first, before he attempts to persuade you. He puts out all the evidence, rather than skipping right to his conclusions - though, when they come, they are powerful. In addition, he makes it personal - he tells you why he feels the way he does, so you get perspective on his perspective. Obama is an extremely refreshing addition to the political debate not because his policies are different from the norm - in fact, they generally fit in right with the Democratic party, though a bit more moderate. What is special in Obama is his seemingly unusual faith in the process. Presidents often can say a lot about various issues, but they cannot cover everything they will face in their presidency. What matters a lot for all important people is their outlook - how they think and what, at their core, they believe. And for these characteristics, Obama passes the test with flying colors.
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Lori (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
The Audacity of Hope gives us a foundational glimpse of the experience, character, and values of a type of politician we almost don't recognize today - the civil servant. Through the lessons of history, civics and personal example, Senator Obama guides us toward the common ground of our best hopes for our families and our children, asks us to step outside of ourselves to see the world from each other's point of view, and challenges us to collaborate together in order to move toward a hopeful future.
After reading this book, I have no doubt that Senator Obama would be a highly competent and unifying President. His eloquent writing clearly illustrates his mastery of constitutional law, his grasp of the interconnectedness of the global economy, and his understanding of - and willingness to learn about firsthand - the complexity of issues ordinary people face in their daily lives. What gives me pause, especially after reading some of the reviews posted below, is not whether he is experienced enough to lead us, but whether all of us are quite ready for him.
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Patricia Lieb (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
Like many others, I knew nothing of Barack Obama's politics until he stunned me with his keynote speech at the 2004 Democrat Convention in Boston. As I watched his deliverance, I asked myself: Why isn't he running for president? Now, after reading his book, I think he is certainly qualified!
Obama's speech was just a taste of what he has to say.
Obama took his title "Audacity of Hope" from words delivered by his pastor Rev. Jeremiah A, Wright Jr. in a church sermon and ended with "My heart is filled with love for this county." This statement comes through loud and true in the 362 pages within chapters titled Republicans and Democrats, Values, Our Constitution, Politics, Opportunity, Faith, Race, The World Beyond Our Borders, Family and in the Epilogue. Within these pages Obama talks about difficult topics, presenting his views and the laws regarding touchy subject like abortion, health care and poverty. He writes about the government now, previous presidents and their gifts to the U.S. He points out positives and negatives in various administrations.
About his opposing the war in Iraq, Obama writes that in 2002: "I made a speech at one of the first antiwar rallies in Chicago in which I questioned the Administration's evidence of weapons of mass destruction and suggested that an invasion of Iraq would prove to be a costly error."
Obama's book aquatints readers with his family: wife Michelle and his daughters Malia and Sasha and how he strives to spend as much time with them as possible during his busy life as a U.S. Senator from Illinois.
The book also contains humor. We get a good look at Michelle talking with Obama on the telephone when he has briefed her on happenings in the Senate -- she changes the topics by telling him they have ants upstairs and he needs to stop on his way home to pick up ant traps. Also, she refuses to allow Obama to shop for birthday "goody bags" because she informs he wouldn't be able to handle it.
A colorful picture is painted also of Obama's mother, the father he barely knew, and his lifestyle being born in Hawaii and as a small child moving to Indonesia and then returning to the U.S., his collage and law school years, working with the poor in Chicago, going into politics, and his visions for the future.
Sometimes the sentences can be a bit long and rather academic, but in all the book is a rewarding read with visions of hopes of prosperity for the future.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-18 00:00>
Has a nice ring, doesn't it?
Wow. What a phenomenal book. Even better to hear it in the author's own voice, a very pleasant and encouraging one. Obama writes about the issues important to him, frankly confronting the many problems that face the modern world, and manages to present unusual and unexpected alternatives. He writes with incredible honesty and openness, and listening to him, one is tempted to think he is the kind of person one would want to be President. It's not that he's the consummate politician (that would be Clinton); rather he seems to be the ideal leader. He doesn't shirk from the hard questions, nor does he even shirk from being open that he doesn't know all of the answers.
Perhaps his most contentious remarks will be his ideas on Disk 4 on affirmative action- but even here he proposes novel solutions that all sides might come together on. I appreciated his thoughts on religion. He affirms the rights of all beliefs to practice, and feels we are a greater nation for doing so. Yet he is comfortable and secure in his beliefs too, firmly accepting Jesus as his guide, through a decision that he made as an adult, and not simply because it was a cultural upbringing. Perhaps the most interesting section was Disk 5's thoughts on family, and specifically Obama's family, where he presents a very personal and loving portrait, while still being honest in his flaws and where he doesn't measure up as husband and father.
It's not Obama's fault, but rather the fault of the packaging, but there are some serious flaws in the CDs. The package is designed such that one disk is on the outside, and it is additionally easy to slide cardboard juttings against the readable portion of the disk. This virtually guarantees scratches on the disks, and therefore repeated areas, especially on Disk 4, where the disk is jumping and speaking like a broken record.
For all that, I'd still recommend the audio version. While an abridgement, it is Barack's own voice. We get to truly hear moments of humor, and even fairly good impersonations of family members and other politicians as he engages in conversation with them. This guy is a real person. He might even be the real deal.
For all the wonderful speaking and writing and openness he brings, there's one thing that comes through overarchingly. He isn't Pollyanish. Obama deals with the harsh realities, both in his own life and the lives of others. And yet, and yet, he still has hope. He still speaks of something better, and in a way that is practically and politically possible. He has enough hope to inspire all of us to believe the same. To believe that it can be better, and that it will be better.
(This review refers to the Audio CD version.)
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