A Promised Land by Barack Obama
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Web ID: 11831875A Must Read
I read this book when it first came out. I loved Michelle Obama’s memoir so I decided to read Barack’s especially because he said it was going to be about what it was like being president and how decisions were made. This book didn’t disappoint. It is long but he was president for eight years so a lot of events happened during that time period. He talks about those events, educates about how the government works and criticizes as well without sounding arrogant. What stuck out to me was he wasn’t afraid to talk about a mistake he made with the Libya crisis. It is refreshing to see a politician admit a mistake and reflect on it. I also liked reading about how despite the fact that he was running against John McCain and they disagreed about politics, they still respected each other and were friends. I think Obama is really classy and well educated. He also worked so hard to get to where he is coming from a working class family so he is very humble and relatable as well. I highly recommend this book and hope he writes more
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great read!
Very well written, like seeing history intimately from the inside throughout Obama's White House years, with a humble, dignified author who maintains high ideals and a gentle sense of humor. He values memories of interactions with White House gardeners to politicians to world leaders. What a lot happened in those years, and despite difficulties, the reader is left uplifted.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Promised Land
Hands down, the best book I’ve ever read. Thank you, Mr. President.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Classy, refined, gracious, level-headed, reverent
When Barack Obama was born, few would have predicted that we’d witness a black US president in his lifetime. And yet he accomplished that himself. When he was elected president, few would have likewise predicted the depths of divide his presidency would unearth. And yet we are here. The pomp and circumstance of politics, as first told by the media, need to be supplemented by presidential memoirs to understand the logic of decisions. Though obviously biased in nature, Obama’s telling is here for the public’s – and history’s – consumption. Some will lament his professorial tone of reasoning. Others will be unable to see past his political affiliation or skin color. Still others might better identify with a character who appears in the second-half of this work: Donald Trump. Yet for all those detractors, Obama’s careful reason provides something to be celebrated and treasured. I’ve read many presidential biographies in my life, and in my judgment, few presidents – perhaps only Lincoln or Washington? – showed as much care with each decision. To me, it’s obvious that he cared for this entire country, even his detractors. His reverence for the military comes through as well as his appreciation of public servants. Any president wants to get ahead in how historians view her/his presidency, and this is Obama’s opening salvo. That salvo is classy, refined, gracious, level-headed, and reverentially dedicated to the task at hand. It’s well-worth any citizen’s reading.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Don't bother
This is a political book. It you like the former president, maybe you'll like it but if you look at the facts of his eight years, this book is a joke.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Deceptive
Too many lies
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Insightful and enlightening
We can all acknowledge that there are places where Mr. Obama is biased, and he mostly admits as much when applicable. His discussion of pursuing the presidency for not completely altruistic means was especially respectable. In general, I thought this book admirably highlighted the complexities each president faces and the historical contexts impacting geopolitical decisions of which we public are not always (or ever) knowledgeable due to government efforts or the length of time that passed since events were set in motion. I think reading about his struggles and triumphs will make me more sympathetic and empath toward past and future POTUSes. Even that one.
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One on One
This book gave me a clear picture of who Mr. Obama really is. Well done.
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