| Dreams from My Father |  | Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Random House Value Publishing
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  294 reviews
Sales Rank: 3834742
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
ISBN: 0517194112
EAN: 9780517194119
ASIN: 0517194112
Publication Date: September 16, 1997
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Product Description
In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey—first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother’s family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father’s life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 289 more reviews...
 Great October 2, 2008
The book was a new paper cover. It came promptly and was packaged well. In perfect condition.
Researching the Man September 30, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
The man who wrote the book does not seem to be the man presented for the Presidency. This promotes a somewhat scary situation of mind-set of the man. It is a must read before the election.
great leader, great background September 28, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This will clear up any doubts about the character of this man and his appropriateness to lead our country.
 An interesting campaign memoir with many weaknesses September 26, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Obama's story captured my interest, because it reads like a well written novel and it is a little bit exotic -- like anthropology 101, my favorite class as freshman in college. But I tried to read it as a political document that it ultimately is and was surprised in how many places in his writing he left potential attack points lying around for the opposition to pick up, a few examples are the following:
On page 295, Mr. Obama is moved to tears by Reverend Wright's, (yes the fierce anti-American ranter) sermon. He leaves in the worst kind of ghetto language. Such a contrast to when he is speaking from his well written scripts. Does he not realize that offensive words like that have the potential to increase the size of the hidden Bubba vote (voters who cling to their religion and guns not detectable by polls). He leaves the impression that he is forever struggling with his identity (black, white, Indonesian, Muslim, Reverend Wright Christian, Luo tribe in Kenya, whatever). His life is a journey to find himself. Many voters are bound to ask do we want his journey to lead to the White House. Will all the confusion disappear when he deep down asks himself: "Who am I?" and he can finally answer: "Mr. President"!? Or would he still be the Obama depicted in this book. Would he make decisions in the national interest or would they be warped by an identity crises at the wrong time?
Intelligent, beautiful and touching September 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The first few chapters reflecting on his childhood are incredibly lyrical and beautiful. Later chapters, on life in Chicago and Kenya, are sometimes painful to read--as he encounters in those years social and family problems not amenable to solutions. In this book you can see the real stuff this man is made of--a thinking person who is deliberate in his actions and capable of inspiring others.
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