politalX Politics Store - The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
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List Price: $14.95
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Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.04960730092
EAN: 9780307237705
ISBN: 0307237702
Label: Three Rivers Press
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2007-11-06
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Release Date: 2007-11-06
Studio: Three Rivers Press
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Editorial Reviews:
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“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.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great writing and wonderful entertainment // ciao // gurkha
Comment: This book was a wonderful surprise. To tell you the truth, I bought it because my foster son Lois goes to the same school as the author's grand children children, and I felt that it would be the right thing to support local people.
I am a rather conservative reader in my tastes. I like good writing skills, a reasonable plot, a read which is not relying on too much "experimental" writing (such as misspelled slang that makes you wonder what the author/character meants). I want to enjoy reading a book, and, if possible, not be so discouraged that suicide seems to be a rationale course of action.
This book reached 5 stars at almost every level. First, it is a true page turner, one of those books which you cannot put down until you are done with it - not so much because you want to know what will happen (although there is a bit of that too) - but because it plays with your emotions and enjoyment in such an unusual way. The language is wonderful - precise when discussing a detail oriented individual, passionate for a romantic, always well tuned to the characters and to the events. The vocabulary is full, although not as rich, maybe, as Joseph Conrad. The characters are deeply etched and displayed, yet not revealed to their innermost layers. They are unusual and interesting, yet not so outrageous that you are interested in them because of their anomalous behavior. The story is non-linear and absolutely ignores classical rules of composition, yet it achieves grandeur which reminds you a bit, without all the pathos, of Sempleton-MacFee (although the large number of characters also contributes to that echo). The period seems quite well researched, and the author has mixed in his story true details as well as "fake" notes or "small history" regarding his own made-up additions, sometimes creating funny or ironic moments.
I was impressed by the story and how the writer is able to sell us that story - very few could have pulled it off. I loved the language and its effects. I enjoyed the mix of post modernity and classicism. I loved the book and at the same time enjoyed the fact that it stretched my tastes in literature. I am still trying to describe what makes this such a wonderful novel - it might be the non-linearity of its story, the seeming lack of logic that some of its turns have, and yet the richness of the language and of the events it depicts.
But:
Some loops in the story are superfluous and could have been cut to greater effect and Obama (as well as several minor characters) lack true depth and seem to be paper folks imagined by some spin doctor. Not real people with flaws and anger and errors and upset dreams.
So only 3 stars eventhough this novel is one of the best I have read this year.
ciao // gurkha
Customer Rating:
Summary: OBAMA IS AL QUEIDA'S CANDIDATE OF CHOICE
Comment: If Obama wins America loses
If Obama wins morality is no more
If Obama wins values are gone
If Obama wins America is doomed.
A vote for Obama is a vote for Al Queida
God save us all and dont vote for Obama
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great orator, but an empty suit?
Comment: I must add that Mr. Obama is a great speaker but in the end he sounds like a politician dreaming of Utopia with a past touching every walk of life to give him a superior in depth view of ....everything. Although I am no fan of Mr. Obama, I did enjoy reading this book. In the end what did I get out of this book? Alot of babble about his life and experiences and what/why he thinks as he does. I haven't to date heard any definitive statements from Obama on what he stands for other that against the war in Iraq, pro-choice, and in favor of taxes. I'm more interested in a person with great ideas-------BUT moreover ways to get to an endpoint, not muddle around in the hypothetical and no true solutions (just questions about what the problem currently is). Spit it out Mr. Obama......please!! There are many great points about how and why he thinks but in the end, I see an empty suit as many other politicians that speak of change. I recommend the book for an uplifting view of his life without many negative facts or true insights into his inner conflicts. We all need to be more educated about politicians; this book is just FLUFF. Good read to better understand Mr. Obama and see, he stands for everything, but nothing in the end. Don't ask him a yes or no question because we will get another book about his life. Obama Nation is also another interesting book about Mr. Obama. Different but nonetheless interesting. It seems all of America is looking for a modern day Patton dressed as Ghandi to be the next president, Mr. Obama is neither. Read this book and you may agree.....or disagree.
Customer Rating:
Summary: American Patriotism at Its Best
Comment: A must for anyone's library and a great read. Easy to follow, clear, and a concise and logical plan for rebuilding America into the nation it should be, the nation that was designed by our Constitution, with freedom and justice for all.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent book from an incredible person..
Comment: This book is so good. It really shows what Barack Obama is thinking and what is wrong with the current administration today. I wish more politicians would think like him. I think all voters need to read this book.
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