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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
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Rating:  641 reviews
Sales Rank: 608
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
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
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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.
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 doesnt 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 Robinsons 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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 636 more reviews...
 The audacity of the media December 1, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Barack Hussein Obama has until tomorrow, Tuesday December 2, 2008, to respond to a lawsuit regarding his status as a natural born citizen. What! That's what I said. It appears the media has been keeping a tight lid on this very hot news. Evidently, he was born in Kenya and his mother was only age 18. If she would have been age 19 he would have been considered a natural born citizen. Shouldn't this have been sorted out at the democratic nominations for president? In the defense of Obama I must admit, who can remember where they were born? We go by the word of others. I didn't see my birth certicate until I was an adult. Did we all just assume when he said he was born in Hawaii it was true? Again, why would we doubt to begin with? But lets all be honest, who could have given us the law on this issue prior? Did anyone know a person's birth parent must be 19 if the child is born outside the U.S.A. to be considered a natural born citizen? Barack is a Harvard Law School graduate and evidently did not know himself. Did anyone ever believe that the section under the Constitution which requires natural born citizenship for any person who holds the office of the President would ever become an issue? Evidently, the framers of the Constitution did.
It appears the framers had more foresight than all of us combined in the midst of an election with a presidential candidate whose own father was not an American. Is this a case of negligence in American politics, or actually a case of being willfully blind? Did we want a certain type of candidate to be our president regardless of what was the supreme law of the United States of America. Shame on all of us for not having the courage to address this issue before the election. We have our country because Americans who fought for our liberty over 200 years ago. Now we are so afraid and filled with fear that we refuse to discuss our own Constitution. Thank God that there is at least one man among us, Attorney General Berg, that still considers the Constitution more important than being stylish and he won't bend or change. He is taking this issue to the Supreme Court. Regardless of the outcome, that man gets my vote for man of the year for having the guts to discuss what our forefathers spilled their guts for on the battlefield. That's the kind of man that made America great in the first place. Where's the media now?
Insightful November 29, 2008
This book is highly intellectual. Insights are very deep. I would just like to add a few things:
One has to view the race obsession lightly, it is not always someone's experience.
Obama is a wise man who himself has come to these conclusions - policies that are for everyone's good or are at least viewed that way will always be supported more than policies targeted at a community, as this tends to isolate or make individuals guilty.
 Clearly Sees the Whole Picture November 29, 2008
A close friend gave me this book last week as an early holiday gift and I
can say now after reading it, it truly is a gift. I confess I did vote for Mr Obama because I felt he was the man to lead this country. After reading this book I am more convinced then ever. He paints his vsion beautifully on these pages and best of all clearly sees the whole picture. So inspiring...I am now hopeful and excited for the future of this country.
My Hero November 29, 2008
I am so proud to call Barack Obama my president. After reading this book and giving out several copies to friends I am convinced that finally we have a man at the helm that has a clear vision to unify and uplift this country and the icing on the cake is that he actually 'cares' about the ordinary person and is so authentic. My hat off to you,Barack. I hope everyone reads this book to get what i got out of it.
President-elect Barack Obama November 29, 2008
I had a love/hate relationship with Obama! Years ago before I even heard of him I wanted Hillary Clinton to run for president. But then Obama won and I ended up agreeing with him just as much as I did for Clinton. In the Pennsylvania primary I had a tough choice on who to vote for. I respected both candidates mutually. I ended up voting for Clinton not because she wasn't black, but because I have been a supporter of hers for years. Anyhow this book is great for both Democrats and Republicans. Even Republicans are realizing that we need some change in this country from the current direction of the Bush-controlled white house. Even McCain tried to distance himself from Bush and coencidentally Bush didn't appear at the Republican National Convention. This book is a great story of Obama's idea for America. He showed that his view were popular with Americans struggling to get by and other Americans feeling sympathy for those who were struggling. Now that Obama is elected we can definately see where he is going with his policy choices. I was more than thrilled that he considered Hillary Clinton for the Secretary of State position! I hope with an Obama and Clinton in the white house we can take back our country and start a new direction welcomed by both parties. Whether you're Democrat or Republican you'll enjoy Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope." Highly reccomended.
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