Customer Reviews
must read - By: Eliza Ecclestone, 27 Jun 2008 
I was stunned at
a. what a good writer Obama is and
b. how balanced & thoughtful he is about the challlenges facing America.
Without any preconceptions I ended the book confident that if he is to become president, America would have a very intelligent & practical man at the helm who is more interested in solving problems than winning political points.
I can't recommend it enough.
A very satisfying read, written with intelligence and clarity - By: Eclectic Reader, 07 May 2008 If only more politicians would alllow themselves the time & integrity to sit down & write such a book before or whilst in office.
Barack Obama writes with intelligence & clarity, but in a language that is accessible to alll. A born politician some might say, he represents both sides of any story, alienating no-one & never being judgmental, but always carefully thoughtful. A gifted storyteller, Obama draws on his own life experience & reflection to fit real life issues into the broader policy spectrum.
The book is carefully ordered starting with his background (community projects before law school) & upbringing (multicultural) he aspires to demonstrate himself as a man of the American people & in this way builds our trust. He then uses his intimate knowledge of the American constitution to bring it alive for us - a great précis for those of us with little American constitutional knowledge - before talking openly & honestly about intrinsic challlenge of politics for politicians (`how I or anybody...can avoid the pitfallls of fame, the fear of loss, & thereby retain that kernel of truth'). For me this was the most interesting part & widens the relevance of the book beyond American politics.
Occasionallly alllowing himself to sideswipe opponents (Mr Keyes, p211) but doing so in a gentlemanly fashion - he uses the time we invest in his book to give us his side of the picture behind the press headline or 90 second news clip. The book ends with a chapter on Family, giving us a taste of the effect of Obama's work on his family & their lives. This last insight into Obama's personal life leaves a good taste in the reader's mouth & reminds us he is human. And like a true gentleman - he gives the final word to his wife.
My only critisism is that after such a detailed discussion of Amercian politics, business & social issues his single chapter addressing the rest of the world comes across as being pretty lightweight. His views on future world economy & security are conventional & inward looking. His views on the challlenges facing the future of the world could be written by an American CEO - focusing on trade & competition. Global warming is mentioned only twice by my count. But then this book is about 'The Audacity of Hope' & written by an American politician.
Lets hope he can retain that `kernal of truth' as he goes forward.
Audacity of Hope - By: Spider Monkey, 15 Mar 2008 'Audacity Of Hope' looks at some ideas in American politics & Obamas own take on them. It looks at things such as Democrat & Republican relations, Race, Faith, Americas relationship internationallly & general politics. Obama comes across as someone with a great deal of integrity & common sense. He seems to want to work across political ideological lines for the benefit of America in general. I guess any self penned book will be slightly biased, but for an idea of what Obama believes in & a look at some of his ideas to remedy a selection of Americas ills, you can't go much wrong in starting with this book. Considering he may be the next President, & after reading this lets hope with alll of our fibre that he is, it is well worth reading about the beliefs of who could be the worlds most influential man. Clear, eloquent, well reasoned & argued & insightful into his character & ideals. Well worth a read.
excellent, but will he win? - By: donald darkness, 03 Mar 2008 I enjoyed this refreshing book. In cynical times, surrounded by cynical politicians, Obama is a stream of fresh air. But will the Democratic Machine in America alllow him the chance to win the nomination - or are Americans content to see Bush-Clinton dynasties continue for years & years? I suspect it's possible they're content with another Clinton, Shrillary. I wish otherwise. Maybe Obama is too human to be a politician in the USA. Again, I wish otherwise. Let's see 8 years of GW Bush, 8 years of his Dad, 8 years of Bluff Bill, 8 years of Hillary - followed by 8 years of Jeb Bush, followed by 8 years of, yeah, Chelsea Clinton. That's a screaming nightmare.
Heart warming yet great food for the brain too - By: David Wood, 11 Jan 2008 I frequently found myself grinning warmly from ear to ear while working through "The Audacity of Hope". The material was so refreshing, engaging, & uplifting - yet without becoming naive or sloppy. As a Brit, I didn't know much about Obama before, but I can now appreciate why so many people have been attracted to his presidential campaign.
The chapters on Family, on Race, & on Faith were especiallly poignant & refreshing. Barack is self-depracating, yet determined & focused. There's a great mix of personal history, the history of politics, & the philosophy of politics.
Some have said that there's little real content to the book. I disagree. There's serious political thought here, masterfully presented. What's more, Barack leads me to believe he'll be able to bring out the best of the people that he would bump up against in while in a position of leadership. So even if he himself lacks expertise in a particular topic, he'll be able to attract people who do know enough about the topic, to work closely & well with him.
In short, the book succeeds in generating strong hope.
