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The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream | 
 enlarge | Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: audible.com
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $15.73
You Save: $14.22 (47%)
Rating:  687 reviews
Sales Rank: 7446579
Media: Audio Download
ASIN: B000JMKHFC
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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.”
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| Customer Reviews: Read 682 more reviews...
A conservative reviews Senator Obama's latest book .... October 18, 2006
Dr. Emil Shuffhausen (aka Tom Bombadil) (Central Gulf Coast)
1917 out of 2222 found this review helpful
All too often here on Amazon, we review only those books and authors with which we totally agree...or totally disagree...and give little regard to the quality of the actual contents of the book. And then, our fellow Amazon viewers come along and rate our reviews strictly on the basis of their own partisan biases. This is not very helpful.
I set out to read and review Senator Barack Obama's latest book, not because I agree with everything he has to say, but because in some ways, I had respected him because he seemed to be a thoughtful and eloquent American with a compelling story. I give the book 4 stars for style and significance in our culture, but much less for substance.
The Senator has a generally warm and inviting style of communicating that portrays himself as an agent of change in American politics. In terms of writing style, THE AUDACITY OF HOPE is a good, though sometimes "preachy" read; at times, it seems a bit too earnest or striving for political correctness. Obama deserves credit for being able to discuss his values and faith in a manner that is more comfortable than many of his political contemporaries. And, in the book, he does a reasonable job of articulating why and how his faith and values cause him to think and act in the way that he does.
At times, the reader may wonder if he is too ambitious - or even naive. One can respect his energy and commitment to change, even as one firmly disagrees with his policies and plans.
And, I certainly do take issue with some of the Senator's actual policies and worldview that he discusses. His health care plans may sound noble, but they would likely lead to significantly decreased quality and choice for most Americans and soaring taxes and budget deficits...big government at its worst. Furthermore, given the overall poor performance of government in other programs, do you really want government managing your health care? Another issue: while I do believe there is strong evidence to suggest a warming in the earth's climate, Senator Obama and I would disagree on the primary causes and "cures" for this warming. I don't believe that cutting taxes for those who pay taxes (aka "the rich") is unfair; I may go so far as to say that Obama's affinity for radical and government-forced redistribution of wealth reeks of socialism (though it's socialism masked by a warm smile). Another point: I don't believe that a "pro-choice" position offers adequate choice for the unborn child; Obama's rhetoric in the book is moderate, but his voting record on abortion is extreme. Some of his associations are troubling, particularly with some radicals who seem to have shaped a significant portion of his worldview and helped launch his career.
I do agree with Senator Obama that America must overcome our addiction to foreign oil, though his opposition to many reasonable remedies is curious. I do agree that more emphasis needs to be placed on strengthening families and upholding traditional values; on reducing teen pregnancy and the root causes of poverty. However, it is difficult to align many of Obama's expressed ideas here with the numerous radical and ridiculous statements of Obama's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright - a man who preached one sermon that inspired the title of this book.
Senator Obama's stated efforts to transcend partisanship are laudable, but it would be helpful if he acknowledged that partisanship is not only the province of "right wing Republicans" but also a staple of many of his Democratic brethren.
In the meantime, whether one is a "conservative" or a "liberal," there is much to gain in terms of insight into one of the most significant individuals on the American political stage today by reading this book.
A prelude to the White House October 19, 2006
Mark Wakely (Lombard, Illinois)
454 out of 619 found this review helpful
Barack Obama's latest book reads like a hopeful springboard to the Presidency; indeed, the only concern he's voiced recently about a run for the White House is what his family might have to endure. Other than that, he sure looks and sounds like a confirmed candidate, and The Audacity of Hope only fuels that speculation.
Obama is my senator. I honestly can't tell you what he's accomplished for Illinois. Nothing particularly major or memorable- given his short tenure- but that's not to say he hasn't been successful; everyone in Washington seems to want him on this or that committee, and that's certainly good for Illinois. The more powerful and influential your senator, the more attention (and money) flows to your state. His voting record is what you might expect from a young freshman Democrat, but that's not a knock; he's been true to his word, and that's a plus.
He tries hard in Audacity to show he would be a builder of bridges and a healer of political wounds, and that might be true; time will tell. He's spot-on in the section titled Politics when he bemoans what modern politicking has become- far less about the issues than about how inherently evil your opponent is. Mudslinging has replaced party platforms as the main election tool, with orchestrated outrage and assertions of moral superiority at the top of the campaign agenda. Obama's call to return some integrity to politics by offering solutions rather than automatic fear and hatred of the other side is both timely and refreshing. It would be easy to argue that the polarization of the political right and left is complete and irreversible, but that's both the Audacity and Hope of the book's title.
What's not so convincing in Audacity is his portrayal of himself as a political Everyman. While he clearly demonstrates genuine empathy for those who don't share his beliefs, the middle ground he tries to capture seems more like quicksand- when you try too hard to be everything to everyone, you run the risk of being nothing instead, a perpetual question mark without a solid base to stand on. That's a risk he's obviously willing to take, but the centrist policies he then suggests are not only nothing new, they carry their own considerable risks and problems which he barely weighs. That's a concern, a surprise, and a shortcoming.
Good, effective politicians are like a good stew- there's substance in the pot, and it's well seasoned. While Obama clearly has the substance, the seasoning simply isn't there yet, which makes the Audacity in the title fitting in a way Obama hadn't intended. Americans sure are enamored of fresh, unknown faces in politics- maybe because we love Cinderella stories- but that's voting with your heart rather than your head. Now there's something to be said for intuition and "gut feeling" when selecting leadership, but when the fresh face is untested in so many ways, perhaps it would be best to go with the proven commodity- even if it isn't all that exciting- rather than the raw recruit, no matter how intelligent or charismatic he (or she) might be.
Charisma is great, but experience counts for so much more, especially in the troubled, difficult times ahead.
All that said, Audacity of Hope is an interesting look into the mind and heart of a young senator as he formulates his early political policies and tests the political waters.
-Mark Wakely, author of An Audience for Einstein
 Which American Dream February 18, 2007
starflakes (Drinkwater)
231 out of 368 found this review helpful
This review is probably one which is going to be slammed, because Senator Obama has such appeal for so many looking for fresh new hope and they will take the questions raised as more than a higher reaching for answers.
Politicians since John Kennedy have "written" books to prove they are intelligent and introduce themselves to the voting world. Senator Obama's first book dealt with the touching subject of his childhood. The problem is he left out much of his Islamic past and his life started at age 10 along with fictional names of people in his life.
As an author, everyone knows it is impossible to get a book published and yet a college graduate not only has a book published but is signed to a million dollar deal before he soon arises in Illinois and is immediately asked on David Letterman, "When are you running for President?", when he had not served one day in the Senate.
It is those things which begs to ask in this book, "What kind of American Dream", does Senator Obama foresee for all Americans? The majority of us are not going to be graced with million dollar contracts when we have not accomplished a single thing in life.
As stated, books are telling in swaying people. A book about childhood and one about dreams. We can all aspire to that, but what Barak Obama writes is not in line with dreams but a reality which if put in plain English might not sound so appealing.
Would it sound appealing if someone said, "Someone is going to come in and take from your bank account 50% of your wages and it will take you until June to pay that bill off and you can then worry about paying your mortgages, sending kids to school and medical insurance." That logically would not sound so good. Yet Senator Obama in reality advocates the continuance of this "dream" upon Americans and in his own words on the now campaign trail wants more of people's money to fund "dreams" for people who are not working for them or citizens of the United States.
Dreams are wonderful things as are books as long as someone who is empowered by the Oval Office or Congress does not have rights to legally steal what you have worked for and give it to someone else.
So for questions, I would have preferred instead of softballs ones which asked how does someone get wonderful book deals?
How does someone arise to meteoric power and be booked on Letterman to be asked when they are running for President, since over 299 million Americans are not?
How does Senator Obama's dream equate with the literal American Dream our founding fathers sat down of a Republic where government had no power to tax your income which allowed you the citizen freedom to prosper and not have to have license or law inflicted upon every moment of your life?
Senator Barak Hussein Obama, (he neglects to inform readers that is his real name also), dream is one of socialism and huge government. If that is what America desires then that is exactly what Americans have voted for in the current Republispenders who with Democrats have run up trillions of dollar in debt while inflation ruins each of us.
If you want to read a real book on American Dreams, then I earnestly suggest The Strenuous Life by Theodore Roosevelt or Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman. Those books equate dreams which gave all Americans including Senator Obama the reality of the best place on earth to live.
There is nothing audacious about socialism and hiding behind one's borders. This book is more in tune with the French Dream which like all Europe is a disaster in socialism.
Thank you for your time.
It feels like the pot calling the kettle black (no pun intended) January 19, 2007
Bryan Lemke (St. Johnsbury, Vermont)
214 out of 296 found this review helpful
Well written, but it feels like there is nothing new presented about politics. If you are from the left side of the spectrum, you will find yourself nodding in agreement with Senator Obama's views, and if you hail from the right side, you will likely be shaking your head throughout most of the book.
There is a lot of apparent chastisement of political parties in general, but the author specifically cites examples from the republican party. Though I hail from the left, I got frustrated that he would present an argument that would seem like common sense, talk about how we need to centralize our political system, and then rip the republican side apart... doing just the opposite of what he says we need to stop doing!
By the end of the book, it felt more like a political stunt to discredit republicans and get ready for the White House than a book about changing the country. Ironically, I felt more sympathy towards republicans than I felt at the beginning of the book. A nice subtitle to the book would have been "The Audacity of Hope: Why the Republican Party Is Supremely Evil and Powerhungry".
A little less ripping on the republicans and following his own advice to politicians would have netted 4 or 5 stars.
I couldn't bear to finish this book March 9, 2007
S. W. Gore
214 out of 323 found this review helpful
I was hoping to find reason to vote for Senator Obama, and made a game try to get through the book. What made it so hard to read? Misconstrued, incomplete ideas wrapped in "feelings"? I felt better when I put the book in the bottom of my trash barrel to save others from it. But I felt worse when I worried that it might appeal to them.
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