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The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream | 
 enlarge | Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $3.89
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Rating:  579 reviews
Sales Rank: 1356
Media: Paperback
Pages: 384
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0307237702
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.04960730092
EAN: 9780307237705
ASIN: 0307237702
Publication Date: November 6, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: softcover - in good condition, has underlining Fast shiping (U20)
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Amazon.com Review
Barack Obama's first book, Dreams from My Father, was a compelling and moving memoir focusing on personal issues of race, identity, and community. With his second book The Audacity of Hope, Obama engages themes raised in his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, shares personal views on faith and values and offers a vision of the future that involves repairing a "political process that is broken" and restoring a government that has fallen out of touch with the people. We had the opportunity to ask Senator Obama a few questions about writing, reading, and politics--see his responses below. --Daphne Durham
20 Second Interview: A Few Words with Barack Obama
 Q: How did writing a book that you knew would be read so closely by so many compare to writing your first book, when few people knew who you were?
A: In many ways, Dreams from My Father was harder to write. At that point, I wasn't even sure that I could write a book. And writing the first book really was a process of self-discovery, since it touched on my family and my childhood in a much more intimate way. On the other hand, writing The Audacity of Hope paralleled the work that I do every day--trying to give shape to all the issues that we face as a country, and providing my own personal stamp on them.
Q: What is your writing process like? You have such a busy schedule, how did you find time to write?
A: I'm a night owl, so I usually wrote at night after my Senate day was over, and after my family was asleep--from 9:30 p.m. or so until 1 a.m. I would work off an outline--certain themes or stories that I wanted to tell--and get them down in longhand on a yellow pad. Then I'd edit while typing in what I'd written.
Q: If readers are to come away from The Audacity of Hope with one action item (a New Year's Resolution for 2007, perhaps?), what should it be?
A: Get involved in an issue that you're passionate about. It almost doesn t matter what it is--improving the school system, developing strategies to wean ourselves off foreign oil, expanding health care for kids. We give too much of our power away, to the professional politicians, to the lobbyists, to cynicism. And our democracy suffers as a result.
Q: You're known for being able to work with people across ideological lines. Is that possible in today's polarized Washington?
A: It is possible. There are a lot of well-meaning people in both political parties. Unfortunately, the political culture tends to emphasize conflict, the media emphasizes conflict, and the structure of our campaigns rewards the negative. I write about these obstacles in chapter 4 of my book, "Politics." When you focus on solving problems instead of scoring political points, and emphasize common sense over ideology, you'd be surprised what can be accomplished. It also helps if you're willing to give other people credit--something politicians have a hard time doing sometimes.
Q: How do you make people passionate about moderate and complex ideas?
A: I think the country recognizes that the challenges we face aren't amenable to sound-bite solutions. People are looking for serious solutions to complex problems. I don't think we need more moderation per se--I think we should be bolder in promoting universal health care, or dealing with global warming. We just need to understand that actually solving these problems won't be easy, and that whatever solutions we come up with will require consensus among groups with divergent interests. That means everybody has to listen, and everybody has to give a little. That's not easy to do.
Q: What has surprised you most about the way Washington works?
A: How little serious debate and deliberation takes place on the floor of the House or the Senate.
Q: You talk about how we have a personal responsibility to educate our children. What small thing can the average parent (or person) do to help improve the educational system in America? What small thing can make a big impact?
A: Nothing has a bigger impact than reading to children early in life. Obviously we all have a personal obligation to turn off the TV and read to our own children; but beyond that, participating in a literacy program, working with parents who themselves may have difficulty reading, helping their children with their literacy skills, can make a huge difference in a child's life.
Q: Do you ever find time to read? What kinds of books do you try to make time for? What is on your nightstand now?
A: Unfortunately, I had very little time to read while I was writing. I'm trying to make up for lost time now. My tastes are pretty eclectic. I just finished Marilynne Robinson s Gilead, a wonderful book. The language just shimmers. I've started Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which is a great study of Lincoln as a political strategist. I read just about anything by Toni Morrison, E.L. Doctorow, or Philip Roth. And I've got a soft spot for John le Carre.
Q: What inspires you? How do you stay motivated?
A: I'm inspired by the people I meet in my travels--hearing their stories, seeing the hardships they overcome, their fundamental optimism and decency. I'm inspired by the love people have for their children. And I'm inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.
Product Description
“A government that truly represents these Americans–that truly serves these Americans–will require a different kind of politics. That politics will need to reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won’t be pre-packaged, ready to pull off the shelf. It will have to be constructed from the best of our traditions and will have to account for the darker aspects of our past. We will need to understand just how we got to this place, this land of warring factions and tribal hatreds. And we’ll need to remind ourselves, despite all our differences, just how much we share: common hopes, common dreams, a bond that will not break.”
–from The Audacity of Hope
In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners’ minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Senator Obama called “the audacity of hope.”
Now, in The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics–a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the “endless clash of armies” we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of “our improbable experiment in democracy.” He explores those forces–from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media–that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.
At the heart of this book is Senator Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats–from terrorism to pandemic–that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy–where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, members of the Senate, even the president, is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.
A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Senator Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writes–“waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.”
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 574 more reviews...
 Obama Wraps His Personal Journey Around His Political Beliefs With Refreshing Authenticity October 20, 2006
Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA)
109 out of 208 found this review helpful
As the acknowledged rising star of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama has done an admirable job in maintaining the precarious balance between being a media lightning rod and a largely unproven senator out to establish his record. While it may speak to the current vacuity in the party's leadership, Hillary Clinton aside, Obama certainly cannot be underestimated for the political acumen he has displayed during key high-attention moments like his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He wrote an insightful personal memoir over a decade ago before entering politics, "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance", which I read a couple of years back and thought was quite lucidly written if rather guarded in exploring his racial dichotomy.
What came across in his first book was a unique voice, and even though he sticks primarily to politics this time out, his voice remains consistent, at least on the written page, and that's what makes this such a magnetic read. He has a personable way of tackling topics as diverse as foreign policy, religious faith and the U.S. Constitution without the taint of pandering that media-hungry pundits and other politicians seem to enjoy. There is no denying that Obama is an instinctive consensus builder and that quality may have alienated those who label him a centrist. However, we understand the genesis of this commitment through his journey to reconcile his own racial identity. The irony is that in this book, the senator presents a series of policy statements that hold a clarity in purpose lacking among his Democratic brethren while concurrently replicating the successful Republican approach of linking political beliefs to values. The senator's topics are broad-based as noted by the chapter titles - Politics, Opportunity, Faith, Race - but he doesn't lose himself in polemics within the text.
Take for example, the chapter entitled "The World Beyond Our Borders" where Obama intertwines the political history of Indonesia with his own childhood there. This provides a logical springboard to explaining his increasing awareness of U.S. foreign policy and once elected to the Senate, his first trip to Iraq which leads to a broader discussion of Bush's current Iraqi policies. All his chapters start with a personal journey that brings a grounded authenticity to his own policies rather than what could be perceived as naive rhapsodizing of what our democratic process should ideally be. Just by reminding us of the value and relevance of the Constitution, Obama already has a jump on most of his colleagues in the Senate. Whether he is seriously considered Presidential material in 2008 (or more likely in 2012) or sinks under the weight of the media hype, this is a most worthwhile insight into Obama, a conscience-raising activist who is admittedly undergoing a gestational period as a political leader on a global scale.
Passes the Smell Test & the Brain Test--But Only as a Preamble November 8, 2006
Robert D. Steele (Oakton, VA United States)
33 out of 58 found this review helpful
This book gets five stars from me because it is much more thoughtful and much less platitudinous than the standard run of the mill "getting to know me" books that every politician with any ambition puts out.
The author understands all the key points including how broken government is, how uncivil Congress is, how out of touch we are with reality. He understands that government does have important safety net roles to play, that education and investment in science & technology are the foundation for the future, and so on and so on. This down-to-earth yet explicit and integrated perspective puts him head and shoulders above the even the best of the best from the past.
Bottom line: this book confirms the author's status as a first-rank leader (I don't insult him with the lesser term of politician) of great promise. The promise is implicit in this book, not explicit.
Now I want to see a book that addresses the ten threats, twelve policies, and eight challengers, and how he proposes to create a common-sense trans-partisan government that ends the winner take all nature of both the Cabinet and the Congress, and integrates real world information with real world budgets to get us to where the Comtroller General of the USA, the Honorable David Walker, says we need to be: providing for the future.
A for effort. The first book finished elementary school. This book finishes high school. I wait with bated breath for the serious book with all the details.
A great book by our next president November 5, 2006
Jesse Liberty (MA USA)
31 out of 54 found this review helpful
By far the most inspiring politician of our age, Obama is more interesting for the affect he has on people than for the innovation of his ideas. What is audacious is not his policies but his willingness to reach across what appear to be unspannable chasms to find common ground and to touch the best in people. If he runs, he will light up this country in a way we have not seen in a very long time.
When I first put a Barak Obama in 2008 bumper sticker on my car (in 05) it was symbolic. Today, it is taken quite seriously, and for good reason. This country is hungry not only for Obama's character and leadership, but for his inspiration and integrity, for his ability to bring out the best in a country after 8 years of a President who appealed to the worst in us.
This book is highly recommended.
Reasoned, Thoughtful, and Fair Approach To Politics and Life That Serves Everyone November 5, 2006
Bugs (Los Angeles, Ca.)
32 out of 48 found this review helpful
"The Audacity of Hope" is a personal introduction to Senator Obama: an auto-biography of his life from childhood to present, his family and his views and approach to politics based on personal experience, education and involvement which is diverse, well rounded, and extensive- he is both studied in law (he has been a practicing lawyer), American history, constitutional law, and foreign policy.
Sen. Obama leaves no stones unturned as to where he stands on all major issues from faith, economics, environment, foreign and domestic policy, war (he voted against invading Iraq on very reasoned points of inherent, long-range repercussions). Although he has his feet firmly planted in liberal, democratic policies, he is not stuck in single point-of-view politics: he respects all points of view and considerations; he believes that policies on both sides of the isle can and do have merit and his bi-partisan voting record demonstrates this.
He is a Christian, yet firmly believes in the sanctity and rights of all religions and the non- religious alike and that no particular religion should be infused into politics as the torch-bearer of personal morality legislation in America- separation of church and state is a must, yet he also believes that religious points of view and voice have a place at the political round-table.
Sen. Obama feels that abortion is a woman's personal business and choice and he proffers that the best approach to prevention is universal sex education, rights to birth control, moral guidance including abstinence as a choice, but without dogma and derision. And he believes that all politicians, especially liberals, should be more frank about openly discussing their moral viewpoints and "...values in ways that don't appear calculated or phony." (p.63)
Indeed, we have seen what vote scamming of the Christian Right with hypocritical, unfulfilled promises has wrought and it's enough to make one puke, yet we can also be thankful that the most extreme of those anti-constitutional rights wish-lists have not been fulfilled. Check-out David Kuo's new book "Tempting Faith" for an indept Christian "insider's" expose' on vote scamming of the Evanelical Christian Right by the Bush Admin.
Over-all, I found Sen. Obama's approach to life and political points of view to be polarity busting, pragmatic, fair and balanced- a refreshing break from the status quo. I should think that people from all walks of life and persuasions can find much to appreciate in his thoughtful and reasoned approach to all matters at hand. The index is extensive and helpful in referencing his life experiences, politics and view points.
A Return to Civility December 16, 2006
George R. Hutter
41 out of 72 found this review helpful
Many of Obama's policy prescriptions are quite unremarkable. They are decidedly left-leaning, but not so left as to call him a leftist or a radical.
What sets Obama's book apart and indeed himself apart from most other politicians is his ability to imbue civility and deliberation in his decision making procedure. His book is not an ideological rant, even though it is left-leaning, it is much more thoughtful and inquisitive. In many ways Obama's prescriptions are pragmatic and implementarian. He wants to solve social ills as most liberals do, but unlike many liberals he sees tangible results as a necessary prerequisite for the continuation of certain progressive policies. His insistence on deliberation and civility in discourse have been inappropriately been called disingenuous by his detractors. The one common strand that seems to link those who see Obama as insincere is there common adherence to some ideology, be it conservative or liberal. Surprisingly, or actually unsurprisingly, Obama's equanimity and sudden rise to fame has quietly unnerved liberal ideologues just as it much as it has conservative ideologues. This is because despite Obama's liberal tilt, he is not nearly as dangerous to conservatives as he is to ideologues. His insistence on thinking things through and acknowledging the complexities of modern life serve to strip the armor from ideologues of every color and creed. He message is a call to arms, but one that does not attack a group per se, rather it attacks dogmatic and ideological stagnation that plagues most anyone who becomes too complacent in their ways. I for one have found this message incredibly enlightening and uplifting.
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