| PRODUCT DETAILS | | The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on R the American Dream |  | |
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on R the American Dream
“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.
Manufacturer: RH Audio
Price Range: $10.46 - $19.99
 The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on R the American Dream
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| User Reviews |  | Exceeds low expectations
rating: 3
Politicians crank out lots of books like this when we get near election-time, so one can only expect so much. That being said, TAoH was a decent read and helped allay some concerns I had about our probable next president. While it seemed to lack focus at times, it did come across as more authentic and genuine than other books of this type. That, alone, makes it worth reading.
Recommended.
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Obama is the man baby, the next president in 2008!
rating: 5
Obama is the man baby, the next president in 2008! This book is GREAT, and everyone should read it. Sorry my review is not a novel like everyone else.
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A review of politics that was actually interesting
rating: 5
I enjoyed listening to Obama's first book on CD, "Dreams of My Father." I respected how honest he was about his struggles of growing up, being raised by a white mother and grandparents, but appearing black to others. Dreams of my father was about his childhood and early adult years. Now that the election is close, I wanted to know more about his political positions, so this was exactly that.
I view myself as a logical, sensible person, so I connected with this book. The story gives a good historical overview of politics from what we could read in textbooks, in addition to the inside scoop and a veiwpoint from someone with a law degree, professor and U.S. Senator.
I'm a pediatric nurse, so I am very aware of the greatness and downfalls of our medical system. People may not believe the stories like he told; the man who had been a foreman at the closed steel plant, lost his health care coverage, was willing to and would be forced to sell everything so his son could get a needed liver transplant. For middle-class America, those stories are plenty.
This book was on the dry side compared to Dreams of my father, but it was about politics! It was more interesting than any other poliitcal book I've read. Barack was just as open about the stuggles and the issues he pondered. He genuinely wants to make the best choices and really consider the impacts of decisions.
He has my vote.
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The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
rating: 5
If you want to get to know who might be your next president and what makes him tick and how he will lead, you need look no further than this book. Through his candid narration of his experiences as an Illinois Senator and U.S. Senator and "politician", you will learn about this extrordianary fellow citizen who will give you insight into what it would be like to enter into Washington politics and yet remain human.
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Revolutions in free thinking and collaboration: urtak.com
rating: 5
What do you think? What do other people think? This man has the audacity to ask, to care, to share, and want to improve things through democracy like we've always dreamed about, and never could achieve.
This is a great book. A great person. May his dreams come true. And, if you, too, care to share opinions and take back polling from powerful self-interests, then go to urtak.com
Search "Obama" and learn what questions people have, and ask your own, and participate in a revolution in public opinion research. urtak.com
urtak.com shares audacity, hope, and belief that revolutions can be great things!
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The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on R the American Dream
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