As I’m sure you already know, today is going to be a very historic day. President-Elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as the new President of the United States. Some people say that he is the first black president, but that’s not entirely true. He is of mixed heritage, but he is indeed the first American President to be a visible minority. Obama-mania has not only swept the nation, but it has also swept the rest of the world. Everywhere you turn, you’ll find memorabilia ranging from Obama mugs and t-shirts to commemorative posters and bobbleheads.
You may think that you already know the story of Barack Hussein Obama, but you’ll want to read some of the books that he has authored if you really want to get to know the man. Here is a sample of what he has written.
Whether he embraces it or ignores it, the mass media and the general public will probably think of Barack Obama as an African-American. As I mentioned above, he is of mixed heritage, but people have a hard time seeing past Obama’s dark skin. It seems that if you are black at all, you’re black. That’s why the National Urban League turned to then Democratic Senator Barack Obama to pen the foreword to this book.
The State of Black America 2007 takes a look at serious economic and civil rights challenges, reporting on this challenge with “a fresh and in-depth look at the current conditions facing the Black Male.” If you’re interested in race relations and socioeconomic stratification, then this book may be right up your alley.
There are many lessons that we all can learn from Barack Obama, but the new American President is far from an all-knowing and all-seeing being. He needs help and he derives his inspiration from a variety of sources.
In this stunning memoir, Obama recounts his childhood and youth, being raised in Hawaii by his white mother and her parents. His Kenyan father was largely absent, so Barack found himself struggling with racial identity and tensions at school. Dreams from My Father describes his journey to become a community organizer, a civil rights lawyer, and a senator.
Whereas Obama speaks mostly about his personal life in Dreams from My Father, he tackles more political issues in The Audacity of Hope.
We already know that Barack Obama can be very charismatic in his speeches and his written word is no different. In this book, he discusses his “cautious liberalism”, citing his skepticism of big government, his support for religion (without imposing it), and his recommendations for health care reform. This is the man the United States elected as its President. His mostly centrist views are certainly refreshing.
Continuing the discussion started with The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama dives in a little further with Change We Can Believe In. Published just two months before his eventual victory over John McCain, he describes what and how he will change America.
Bringing people together and being honest with the challenges ahead, Barack Obama exudes confidence in his ability to turn the country around. Take a closer look into this vision for America, including how he will try to fix the recession-laden economy, strengthen the middle class, and achieve energy independence.
Editor Lisa Rogak collected this book of quotes from the Illinois Senator, offering us a closer look at Barack Obama’s politics and where he stands on a number of pressing issues. Obama is quite forthcoming with his views on gay marriage, the War of Terror, abortion, foreign policy, and more.
Barack Obama in His Own Words is the not the first time that Rogak has done this. In the past, she has created similar works highlighting the life and politics of such people as Colin Powell and Howard Dean.
Image credit: BeckyF (Flickr)
Wow, I didn’t realize that he had that many different books already! I guess I’ve heard of all of them except the first one (which he didn’t write but only penned the forward) but never really paid that much attention to realize how many there actually were.
I didn’t realize he had written so much already, either. I’ll have to add a few of these to my next book-run list.
I’m in the middle of reading The Audacity of Hope. Very good read so far.
I hear George W. Bush is coming out with a book soon. It comes with a crayon to fill in the shapes. har-har! :p
Speaking of Barack Obama:
Barack Obama is a racial-minority individual, and in his heart and mind he inevitably does not endorse hate crimes committed by George W. Bush.
George W. Bush committed hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism (indicated in my blog).
George W. Bush did in fact commit innumerable hate crimes.
And I do solemnly swear by Almighty God that George W. Bush committed other hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism which I am not at liberty to mention.
Many people know what Bush did.
And many people will know what Bush did—even to the end of the world.
Bush was absolute evil.
Bush is now like a fugitive from justice.
Bush is a psychological prisoner.
Bush has a lot to worry about.
Bush can technically be prosecuted for hate crimes at any time.
In any case, Bush will go down in history in infamy.
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
“GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
______________________
I am not sure where I had read it before, but anyway, it is a linguistically excellent statement, and it goes kind of like this: “If only it were possible to ban invention that bottled up memories so they never got stale and faded.” Oh wait—off the top of my head—I think the quotation came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.
While President Obama may me of mixed ethnic background, what color do you see? That is what matters, he is going to change a lot of perceptions around the world about race in the United States.
I wish him luck, good fortune and pray that he can bring our country back to it’s feet.
I did not realize he had written so many books either…I am planning on obtaining and reading each one of them. I am a strong supporter of our president. I am anxious to hit the book store as soon as I get paid to buy @ least this 1st book….
I learned it today from my recruitment test that obama is also a writer
That’s a lot of books he has written…. about himself. Tells me what field he is an expert in.
Indeed that ia aliberal brain anybody would wish to emulate.
I am very happy to know about Obama past history related to his mom and dad and I learn to him that you can be , that you wanna be. thanks at all to keep us staying motivated Obama god bless you
I have to do a presentation about Barack Obama, and I have been I vestige about his biography, I can’t believe how smart, and good person he is.. wish he could be president still .