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 enlarge | Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Crown
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
Buy New: $15.79
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Avg. Customer Rating:  281 reviews
Sales Rank: 271
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5
ISBN: 0307383415
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.04960730092
EAN: 9780307383419
ASIN: 0307383415
Publication Date: January 9, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Past politics, this is an entertaining and educational, readable book September 1, 2008
Having read "The Audacity of Hope" and been incredibly inspired by it, I expected more of the same thoughtful discussion when I moved on to "Dreams From My Father." Was I ever surprised to discover an American Novel - with soaring descriptions, gifted human characterization, and appropriate suspense. Those who read this book hoping to get an inside look at a potential president will get what they paid for. Those just hoping to read a good story about the American experience will find what they want as well - even if they had never heard of Barack Obama (due to living on another planet, no doubt). As a white woman in the younger generation, with a less jaundiced view of race relations, I cringed early on at all the racial obsessions Barack entertained as a young man. Then I was grateful to get this inside look at what are true issues for my fellow citizens of color. (It's been a while since I read Alice Walker and Toni Morrison.) Once I understood that Obama was presenting his struggles with identity as an honest attempt to explain the complex issues that being interracial present, I relaxed and appreciated the candor. My only criticism, from a casual reader's perspective, is that the departures from narrative on his MULTIPLE soul-searching musings go on for pages and pages and toward the end of the book seem extensive. His editor should have just trimmed some of those for the sake of flow. The ease of reading isn't quite what it is in "Audacity," but obviously it is far and away above what most attorneys can produce in attempts at entertaining fiction.
 Dreams from My Father August 31, 2008
Anyone who reads this story will be touched by the humanity and journey of a man who had a long way to go in any endeavor. His humility and determination along the journey is inspiring and touching. His path gives all American's the encouragement that the "American Dream" is still alive and possible to achieve.
It's even better than 5 stars August 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I wish that every American could read this book! I was moved and impressed as I learned about who Barack Obama is. This book was written shortly after graduating from law school and before Obama entered politics. It highlights what an intelligent, perceptive, philosophical and principled person he is.
This is so much more than a simple bio. Obama's relections about the events of his life are poignant and insightful. I learned so much about the man as he recounted his real education (the one he got on the south side of Chicago) after Occidental, Columbia, and Harvard Law.
Obama's capacity to weave something handsome and strong from the disparate threads of his inheritance gives me hope that through his vision and leadership he can help our country appreciate and make good use of our diversity.
 A racist book August 27, 2008
4 out of 18 found this review helpful
Obviously, I only bought and read the book, because Mr. Obama is in the race to become the next President.
The book is easy reading, the story he tells is interesting enough so you will not put the book away because you are bored. The father he searches for was a gifted man, who wasted his gifts, became an alcoholic and an abuse, yet is Mr. Obama's eyes, he had one redeeming quality - he was BLACK!
The book is full of racism! Not the "Red neck" kind of dumb racism, but a more sophisticated one - YET STILL RACISM!
After having read this book, it is easy to understand, why Mr. Obama had such a difficult time to separate himself from Reverend Wright - he simply believes the same racist agenda, Mr. Wright does!
Being a German national, the question of who to vote for does not arise, but I certainly feel, those Americans who contemplate voting for Mr. Obama should read this book.
 Interesting insight to an inspiring man August 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Though I am not an American citizen and therefore I do not get a vote in the Nov election, I still find Obama an inspiring and interesting person.
As for the book, it's interesting but not that engaging. It should be noted that the book was written over ten years ago and is not about his recent public political success and more about a young black boy growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia being raised by a white mother and her white grandparents.
I found the real star of the book is Barack's mother. What an amazing woman. She put everything into raising him. At the beginning of the book, Barack writes, had he known his mother would not survive her cancer illness, he may have instead written a book about her (as a great parent) and not about the absent one.
The book is about growing up, making decisions and reconciliation - going back to Africa to meet his brothers, sisters and grandparents.
Growing up in Hawaii is the first part of the book. Going to university in California and New York is the second part of the book and the final part is Barack going home to meet his relatives. I find the latter half was better than the first half.
Reading the book, I found it astounding the level of detail he goes into describing each scene and what everyone said. I later learned that names of characters have been changed to protect their privacy and the story is an approximation of what happened. Barack is quite the storyteller.
I thought the book could have been edited a bit as it was long.
Interesting read as I didn't realize how strong he feels attached to his black roots. There is so much separation in every scene who is black who is white. I was surprised by that. Very strong lines drawn between blacks and whites in his opinions.
Overall, if you want to know about the man before age 25, and how he formed his views and values, I think you may find this book to be an interesting insight. It's not a page-turner but it does provide insight into the man and his thought processes.
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