A Promised Land
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- Create Date：2021-02-25 22:54:46
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Barack Obama
- ISBN：1524763160
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Summary
A riveting， deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy。
In the stirring， highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs， Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world， describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil。
Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4， 2008， when he was elected 44th president of the United States， becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office。
Reflecting on the presidency， he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power， as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U。S。 partisan politics and international diplomacy。 Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room， and to Moscow， Cairo， Beijing， and points beyond。 We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet， wrestles with a global financial crisis， takes the measure of Vladimir Putin， overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act， clashes with generals about U。S。 strategy in Afghanistan， tackles Wall Street reform， responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout， and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear， which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden。
A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history， the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage。 Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American， bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change，” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making。 He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad， open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters， and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment。 Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great， ongoing American experiment， progress is always possible。
This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together， day by day。
In the stirring， highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs， Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world， describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil。
Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4， 2008， when he was elected 44th president of the United States， becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office。
Reflecting on the presidency， he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power， as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U。S。 partisan politics and international diplomacy。 Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room， and to Moscow， Cairo， Beijing， and points beyond。 We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet， wrestles with a global financial crisis， takes the measure of Vladimir Putin， overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act， clashes with generals about U。S。 strategy in Afghanistan， tackles Wall Street reform， responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout， and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear， which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden。
A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history， the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage。 Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American， bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change，” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making。 He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad， open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters， and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment。 Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great， ongoing American experiment， progress is always possible。
This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together， day by day。
Reviews
Patricia Uribe
，
Well written and engaging， this book gives voice to Obama’s experience as commander in chief。 Though I enjoyed this book and liked learning more about what happened behind the scenes， I felt like the book did not have enough of the heart I had expected and wanted。 The book is long。 Too long。 I would have liked to read more about his family life and how the presidency affected him as a human。 Too much detail about policy and politicking makes the book drag on。 I can’t believe there will be a seco Well written and engaging， this book gives voice to Obama’s experience as commander in chief。 Though I enjoyed this book and liked learning more about what happened behind the scenes， I felt like the book did not have enough of the heart I had expected and wanted。 The book is long。 Too long。 I would have liked to read more about his family life and how the presidency affected him as a human。 Too much detail about policy and politicking makes the book drag on。 I can’t believe there will be a second volume！ I will not be reading it。 。。。more
Katie Proctor
，
I really loved parts of this book， and there were others that I thought just had too many details to fully keep my attention。 It’s a good one to listen to on audio， because he reads it and there’s a lot of heart in it。 I loved the behind the scenes of the campaign and White House and his time with his family。 It was emotional， especially reading it at the beginning of 2021， when we are still reeling from the past 4 years of a leader who was basically the opposite of President Obama。 So， I’m so s I really loved parts of this book， and there were others that I thought just had too many details to fully keep my attention。 It’s a good one to listen to on audio， because he reads it and there’s a lot of heart in it。 I loved the behind the scenes of the campaign and White House and his time with his family。 It was emotional， especially reading it at the beginning of 2021， when we are still reeling from the past 4 years of a leader who was basically the opposite of President Obama。 So， I’m so so glad I read it。 。。。more
Linda Merlo
，
I especially enjoyed the parts about the first election campaign。 I also enjoyed being filled in on events that I had a superficial knowledge of。 I especially appreciated hearing the audiobook read by Obama。
Roundtableknight
，
Rating: 3。75/5~Barack Obama is the earliest president I can remember hearing about; I can still picture me coming home from school to watch him and his family on tv enter into the White House waving to the press while I was in elementary school。 So naturally I was curious about him。 Obama was always someone I loved to listen to; his eloquence with words speaks to someone who loves reading， and， while I didn't always agree with his policies， I still believed him a very capable leader and someone Rating: 3。75/5~Barack Obama is the earliest president I can remember hearing about; I can still picture me coming home from school to watch him and his family on tv enter into the White House waving to the press while I was in elementary school。 So naturally I was curious about him。 Obama was always someone I loved to listen to; his eloquence with words speaks to someone who loves reading， and， while I didn't always agree with his policies， I still believed him a very capable leader and someone who did a lot of good。 This book proved that。 I loved learning about his journey to the presidency and what he had to tackle while in office， though I feel that some pieces could have been cut for length and understanding。 Nevertheless I'm very happy that I read this and better understand a president that I have so much respect for。 。。。more
Colin Fleming-Stumpf
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Inspiring。 Neither falsely modest nor self-aggrandizing。 He acknowledges his mistakes and the difficulties （often impossibilities） of the job， while still emphasizing the power that good governance has in people's lives。 I couldn't put it down， and can't wait for volume 2。 Inspiring。 Neither falsely modest nor self-aggrandizing。 He acknowledges his mistakes and the difficulties （often impossibilities） of the job， while still emphasizing the power that good governance has in people's lives。 I couldn't put it down， and can't wait for volume 2。 。。。more
Kevin Luo
，
An amazing memoir written by former President Barack Obama。 This book details early on Obama's childhood ideas and unending optimism through his early political career and into his first term as a President and is unquestionably， beautifully written。 Obama's skill at telling a story is furthered when he intertwines his personal life into the professional life that he has and many of the anecdotes around his wife and two daughters make this story endearing。 During much of Obama's first term， I wa An amazing memoir written by former President Barack Obama。 This book details early on Obama's childhood ideas and unending optimism through his early political career and into his first term as a President and is unquestionably， beautifully written。 Obama's skill at telling a story is furthered when he intertwines his personal life into the professional life that he has and many of the anecdotes around his wife and two daughters make this story endearing。 During much of Obama's first term， I was a younger child and did not recall many of the events that happened and he discusses the financial crises， climate change policy， foreign relationships， and so on。 There are so many tales and stories that are written and many of the themes spill into the political landscape today。 I came away from this book hopeful at times， but also a bit discouraged due to knowing the challenges that the US faces ahead。 Ultimately， an amazing tale and I hope there is a follow up soon。 。。。more
Eleni
，
Σα τελική εκτίμηση， αδιάφορο。 Σίγουρα έχει να κάνει με τις τόσες αλλαγές στη ζωή μας το τελευταίο χρόνο που κάποια γεγονότα φαίνονται τόσο παλιά， ανούσια και ξεπερασμένα αν και δεν είναι。Ένας πρώην πρόεδρος των ΗΠΑ δε θα μπορούσε να δώσει παραπάνω πληροφορίες από τους χειρισμούς και τις προεργασίες που γίνονται για μια απόφαση ενός κράτους που καλώς ή κακώς επηρεάζει τις ζωές και τη πολιτική της υφηλίου，θα ήθελα όμως ένα κάτι παραπάνω για να με κάνει να περιμένω το επόμενο βιβλίο του。Σφάζει με τ Σα τελική εκτίμηση， αδιάφορο。 Σίγουρα έχει να κάνει με τις τόσες αλλαγές στη ζωή μας το τελευταίο χρόνο που κάποια γεγονότα φαίνονται τόσο παλιά， ανούσια και ξεπερασμένα αν και δεν είναι。Ένας πρώην πρόεδρος των ΗΠΑ δε θα μπορούσε να δώσει παραπάνω πληροφορίες από τους χειρισμούς και τις προεργασίες που γίνονται για μια απόφαση ενός κράτους που καλώς ή κακώς επηρεάζει τις ζωές και τη πολιτική της υφηλίου，θα ήθελα όμως ένα κάτι παραπάνω για να με κάνει να περιμένω το επόμενο βιβλίο του。Σφάζει με το βαμβάκι τον Trump， υποστηρίζει την επιλογή του στη Clinton και μιλά με καλά λόγια για τον Biden αν και ξοδεύει παραπάνω ευγένειες στον Bush Jr。。。 。。。more
Nora
，
3。5
Aditi Varma
，
Week 8 Book 14A Promised Land by Barack ObamaRating: 3/5Finally finished listening to this book on Audible。 Not a fan of politics， least of all American Politics， but irrespective of his success or failure as a President， I've admired Obama as a man， a husband， and a father。 I enjoyed listening to parts of the book， in his deep baritone。 Parts about his early life， education， career， how he met Michelle， life as a husband and then father， all his experiences with a mixed family that ranged from Week 8 Book 14A Promised Land by Barack ObamaRating: 3/5Finally finished listening to this book on Audible。 Not a fan of politics， least of all American Politics， but irrespective of his success or failure as a President， I've admired Obama as a man， a husband， and a father。 I enjoyed listening to parts of the book， in his deep baritone。 Parts about his early life， education， career， how he met Michelle， life as a husband and then father， all his experiences with a mixed family that ranged from Hawaii to Kenya to Indonesia！ Some parts of his political career were interesting too， like his campaign experiences， the people he encountered and worked with。 How life was at the White House， how he connected with his staff， how the family tried to live as normal a life as possible。Rest of it was super boring for me。 All the discussion about how American Politics works， the things he did or wanted to do but couldn't， the diplomatic relations with various countries and a detailed description of the Bin Laden assassination。 Also it ended rather abruptly。 I honestly preferred Becoming by Michelle Obama :） 。。。more
Amy Large
，
The fact that I stuck with a book that ended up taking me three weeks to read is a testimony to the quality of the writing and the detailed info Obama shares with the public。 I look forward to part II！
Michael
，
This book is well written and covers the major issues over the first 2 1/2 years of his presidency。 Whether you agree with his views or not it is a book worth reading if you want a refresher on history and some behind the scenes stories。 If nothing else it documents the complexities and nuances of almost every policy decision any president faces and belies the simplistic solutions and criticisms usually offered by polarized and dualistic pundits。
Ellie
，
A very interesting read， showing Obama's personal views。 I especially loved that he acknowledged numerous times the help from the people around him both personally and politically。 This could have easily dragged but instead we are given a real insight into Obama's first two and a half years as President and given a much better feel for who he is and what he wants to achieve。 A very interesting read， showing Obama's personal views。 I especially loved that he acknowledged numerous times the help from the people around him both personally and politically。 This could have easily dragged but instead we are given a real insight into Obama's first two and a half years as President and given a much better feel for who he is and what he wants to achieve。 。。。more
Marisa
，
A fantastic first volume。 Accessible writing without condescension that is a great primer on Obama's life and first years in the White House。 A fantastic first volume。 Accessible writing without condescension that is a great primer on Obama's life and first years in the White House。 。。。more
Andrei Topală
，
Normalcy。 A return to normalcy。 That was one of the main reasons for reading former US President Barack Obama's first entry of his Presidential memoirs - A Promised Land - which embodies a period in stark contrast with the divisive presidency of his successor， Donald Trump。 A period when the weight and the respect for the office had not yet been tainted。 A Promised Land， though a fairly long book， only captures the first 2 years and roughly 5 months of Barack Obama's presidency covering all subj Normalcy。 A return to normalcy。 That was one of the main reasons for reading former US President Barack Obama's first entry of his Presidential memoirs - A Promised Land - which embodies a period in stark contrast with the divisive presidency of his successor， Donald Trump。 A period when the weight and the respect for the office had not yet been tainted。 A Promised Land， though a fairly long book， only captures the first 2 years and roughly 5 months of Barack Obama's presidency covering all subjects of his administration from the financial crisis， healthcare and climate reform， internal disasters， foreign policy and military interventions。The first third of the book focuses on Barack Obama's life prior to being sworn in as the 44th US President， and from the start， the author emphasises his background， as the son of Kenyan Barack Obama and Kansas-born Stanley Ann Durham who met over the course of their studies at the University of Hawaii， got married but divorced about 3 years after Barack was born。 Following Barack through a short period living in Indonesia， his high school and college years spent reading countless books （among which Crime and Punishment， a personal favourite）， a stint as a community organiser in Chicago， getting his law degree at Harvard， meeting his future wife Michelle， who worked at the law firm where he eventually interned， we get to feel the kind of man he really was before his presidency and the fact that his character will be put to the test during his administration， but will remain the same as before。 After a successful campaign and election as a state senator in Illinois， he juggles his legislative duties in Springfield， as well as a teaching position at the University of Chicago and a counseling position at a local Chicago law firm。 In 2000， Obama suffers defeat in the Democratic primary for a Congressional seat， but nevertheless perseveres and shows his qualities as a top legislator in the State Senate as he prepares for the 2004 US Senate race， which he wins by the largest margin in history for a Illinois Senate election， after gaining traction with his 17 minute keynote adress at the 2004 Democratic National Convention， which marked his ascension to national politics。As we follow Barack Obama into his presidency， the thing that I loved the most is that we get to know all of his thought processes， the insights of his various decisions and policies as though the reader is actually in the Oval Office， the Blue Room， the East Room or the Treaty Room。 Consequently， the book covers the financial crisis， the major issue of Obama's first term， as he presses to pass legislation to help reinvigorate the economy， which hits tank bottom when unemployment reaches 10%。 The author describes in detail his relationship with the Big Four （the Leaders of Congress） as he passes TARP and the Recovery Act， as well as directing his attention to a declining auto industry， the part of the book I liked the least， for it's full of technical terms and explanations and the writing may seem a bit bland。 Next， we get to assist the birth of the Affordable Care Act （ACA）， which is a year long process before the bill is signed into law， even though the Democrats had majorities in both Houses of Congress， which barely allowed them to surpass the filibuster in the Senate。 On foreign policy， Obama explains his reasons for sending more troops to Afghanistan， for it could help shorten the war against the Taliban， whereas the President announced the exit strategy for the forces in Iraq。 Obama made his impact on the global stage as well in the sanctions against Iran， pressing for a carbon cap at a G20 convention， and working with global leaders like Angela Merkel， Nicolas Sarközy， Gordon Brown and even Dmitry Medvedev。At the 2010 midterms， the Democrats suffer defeat at the hands of the Republicans and lose control of the House of Repredentatives， mainly because "the economy still stank"， but in the period after the election and before the new Congress reconvened， Obama passed several bills into law like repealling the Don't Ask， Don't Tell （DADT） act， which prohibited openly gays， lesbians and bisexuals to serve in the army， ratifying START， which reffered to further nuclear reduction and limitation， in exchange of extending the Bush tax cuts。A Promised Land ends with the events of the Arab Spring in 2011， as protests in Egypt led to President Husni Mubarak's resignation and democratic reform， with the support of the United States。 The movement gained momentum in most of the countries in the Middle East led by authoritarian regimes， like Bahrain， Syria and Libya， where the UN authorised NATO military intervention。 The ending chapter of the book is reserved to Operation Neptune Spear， which reffers to the killing of Osama bin Laden， as intelligence sources indicated that a person which resembled bin Laden's profile was hiding in a compound in Pakistan。 After many deliberations and planning， Obama authorised the operation， which consisted of a Navy SEALs team under the command of JSOC flying in by helicopter and killing and bagging Osama bin Laden on May 2nd 2011。My thoughts on the book are positive overall， for I enjoyed most parts of it， not knowing what to expect first-hand， but it was a very good experience and I cannot wait for the next part to be released。A couple of inspiring quotes:"Enthusiasm makes up for a host of deficiencies， I tell my daughters。""The power to inspire is rare。 Moments like this are rare。 You think you may not be ready， that you'll do it at a more convenient time。 But you don't choose the time。 The time chooses you。 Either you seize what may turn out to be the only chance you have， or you decide you're willing to live with the knowledge that the chance has passed you by。" - Ted Kennedy to Barack Obama on whether or not he should announce his presidential bid"I jolted out of bed， my heart racing， and went downstairs to pour myself a drink。 I sat alone in the dark， sipping vodka， my nerves jangled， my brain in sudden overdrive。 My deepest fear， it turned out， was no longer of irrelevance， or being stuck in the Senate， or even losing a presidential race。The fear came from the realization that I could win。""I often felt steadiest when things were going to hell。""The substance of patriotism mattered far more than the symbol。""A deep and suffocating cynicism took hold。 Indeed， it became axiomatic among political consultants of both parties that restoring trust in the government or in any of our major institutions was a lost cause， and that the battle between Democrats and Republicans each election cycle now came down to whether America’s squeezed middle class was more likely to identify the wealthy and powerful or the poor and minorities as the reason they weren’t doing better。""Then I told myself that it was still the weekend and I needed a martini。 That was another lesson the presidency was teaching me: Sometimes it didn’t matter how good your process was。 Sometimes you were just screwed， and the best you could do was have a stiff drink — and light up a cigarette。""I’d set down the letter after reading it and pull out a note card to write the person a brief response。 I imagined them getting the official envelope from the White House and opening it up with a look of puzzlement， then a smile。 They’d show it to their family， maybe even take it to work。 Eventually the letter would fall into a drawer somewhere， forgotten under the accumulation of the new joys and pains that make up a life。 That was okay。 I couldn’t expect people to understand how much their voices actually meant to me — how they had sustained my spirit and beat back whispering doubts on those late， solitary nights。""Before my speech， I visited with the West Point superintendent and glimpsed some of the buildings and grounds that had produced a who’s who of America’s most decorated military leaders: Grant and Lee， Patton and Eisenhower， MacArthur and Bradley， Westmoreland and Schwarzkopf。It was impossible not to be humbled and moved by the tradition those men represented， the service and sacrifice that had helped forge a nation， defeat fascism， and halt the march of totalitarianism。 Just as it was necessary to recall that Lee had led a Confederate Army intent on preserving slavery and Grant had overseen the slaughter of Indian tribes; that MacArthur had defied Truman’s orders in Korea to disastrous effect and Westmoreland had helped orchestrate an escalation in Vietnam that would scar a generation。 Glory and tragedy， courage and stupidity — one set of truths didn’t negate the other。 For war was contradiction， as was the history of America。" 。。。more
Julei
，
“。。 the combination of brains and heart， that， I thought is where wisdom came。。。“ 。。。。。。。Thank you， Mr President， for your wisdom， optimism， and 。。。。running the obstacle course。
Rizwana
，
I don't know what was he thinking about while defaming Indian politicians without even knowing them well enough。 He is being judgmental towards people whom he actually spent just minutes interacting; not expected。 This was totally uncalled for。 Avoiding such personal remarks and comments could have made this book better。 I don't know what was he thinking about while defaming Indian politicians without even knowing them well enough。 He is being judgmental towards people whom he actually spent just minutes interacting; not expected。 This was totally uncalled for。 Avoiding such personal remarks and comments could have made this book better。 。。。more
Shantesh
，
I usually don't have the best experience with Audiobook versions of books， but this one being read in Obama's magnetic voice made all the difference。 It truly felt like he was relating his life before and during his first term as president to me。 Though the American political system differs from ours in vastly diverse ways this was a riveting insight into what goes into the decision making as president of one of the most influential nations on earth。 I usually don't have the best experience with Audiobook versions of books， but this one being read in Obama's magnetic voice made all the difference。 It truly felt like he was relating his life before and during his first term as president to me。 Though the American political system differs from ours in vastly diverse ways this was a riveting insight into what goes into the decision making as president of one of the most influential nations on earth。 。。。more
Christina Peperno
，
Listened to this one on audible - 2 main reasons: who doesn’t love listening to Barack speak and it’s very， very long。 This being the first memoir I’ve “read” by a former president， I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect。 I thought it was well written， story like， but about economics， foreign policy， war etc。 I enjoyed the details he included about his childhood， mother， daughters and wife throughout the book， as it gave a very real perspective into his personal life both before and during his first Listened to this one on audible - 2 main reasons: who doesn’t love listening to Barack speak and it’s very， very long。 This being the first memoir I’ve “read” by a former president， I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect。 I thought it was well written， story like， but about economics， foreign policy， war etc。 I enjoyed the details he included about his childhood， mother， daughters and wife throughout the book， as it gave a very real perspective into his personal life both before and during his first term as president。 Being someone who did not study PolySci in college nor works in politics， nothing was too difficult to comprehend。 It was easily digestible for your “average news reader，” but again， it probably helped that I listed to him narrate this one。 Overall， I’d recommend and am curious to read more about past presidents experiences。 。。。more
Brandy Maffei
，
Great Book！
Jack Pitsor
，
As a 20-something， Obama’s presidency occurred a little before/right at the beginning of my own “political awakening，” so I really enjoyed gaining insights into some political/policy topics I was aware of but didn’t really know much about （e。g。， 2008 economic crisis， passage of the ACA， etc。）。 This book definitely leans more policy wonk， but it’s written so well that it kept me engaged the entire time。 That being said， I’m team “Becoming” > “A Promised Land。” Not that it’s a competition or anyth As a 20-something， Obama’s presidency occurred a little before/right at the beginning of my own “political awakening，” so I really enjoyed gaining insights into some political/policy topics I was aware of but didn’t really know much about （e。g。， 2008 economic crisis， passage of the ACA， etc。）。 This book definitely leans more policy wonk， but it’s written so well that it kept me engaged the entire time。 That being said， I’m team “Becoming” > “A Promised Land。” Not that it’s a competition or anything。。。 。。。more
Snow Ren
，
Loved it！ I read half of it and listened to it again。
Sherilyn Siy
，
Looking for your next audiobook？ I highly recommend Barack Obama's A Promised Land （29 hours）。 I already am a fan of the man but listening to this book solidified my deep love and respect for him。 Such a wise leader， generous in spirit， with a wicked sense of humor， and oh so beautifully human。 There were some things during his presidency I wished he did differently but listening to the context and the process he went through gave me a more profound appreciation for his solidity and thoughtfulne Looking for your next audiobook？ I highly recommend Barack Obama's A Promised Land （29 hours）。 I already am a fan of the man but listening to this book solidified my deep love and respect for him。 Such a wise leader， generous in spirit， with a wicked sense of humor， and oh so beautifully human。 There were some things during his presidency I wished he did differently but listening to the context and the process he went through gave me a more profound appreciation for his solidity and thoughtfulness。 And I recommend the audiobook over the printed version only because he is such a great reader and he brings so much heart into his reading。 。。。more
Emily Dalske
，
"A Promised Land" is an epic tome of Barack Obama's life and first term as President of the United States。 His writing conveys compassion for people of all nations。 Humility， perseverance， and sheer grit characterize Barack and his attitude towards lifetime obstacles。 Although his account of the financial crisis in 2008 is a bit dense， I enjoyed reading about his other presidential milestones in Osama Bin Laden's neutralization and the repeal of Don't Ask， Don't Tell。 One may find it useful to p "A Promised Land" is an epic tome of Barack Obama's life and first term as President of the United States。 His writing conveys compassion for people of all nations。 Humility， perseverance， and sheer grit characterize Barack and his attitude towards lifetime obstacles。 Although his account of the financial crisis in 2008 is a bit dense， I enjoyed reading about his other presidential milestones in Osama Bin Laden's neutralization and the repeal of Don't Ask， Don't Tell。 One may find it useful to pick and choose between chapters， but there are benefits to completing this book in a linear fashion。 Barrack's tirelessness to preserve human prosperity is present in nearly every page。 Michael Obama's book， "Becoming" is an excellent precursor to this novel since she her account details family dynamics and the second term of Barack's presidency。 。。。more
Matthew Hill
，
I can't wait for Volume 2。 The most fun I have had reading a memoir since "Plain Speaking。" His note-taking throughout his time in office is on full display here as his level of detail very much helped me envision both his own experiences and the figures he describes。 From Putin to Sarkozy to McCrystal to Rhodes， I felt I was receiving an illustration of their personas as I would see on a movie screen。 I highly encourage Americans on both sides of the political aisle to read this book as an oft- I can't wait for Volume 2。 The most fun I have had reading a memoir since "Plain Speaking。" His note-taking throughout his time in office is on full display here as his level of detail very much helped me envision both his own experiences and the figures he describes。 From Putin to Sarkozy to McCrystal to Rhodes， I felt I was receiving an illustration of their personas as I would see on a movie screen。 I highly encourage Americans on both sides of the political aisle to read this book as an oft-forgotten picture of how tenuous this time period in our history was。 While it may or may not change your opinion of the man， if anything， it should cement for you the weight and respect of what the office of the Presidency SHOULD hold。 。。。more
Mayank Jain
，
Long but good。 Mostly listened to the audiobook。 Very detailed so drags a bit on sections that you care less about （e。g。 certain arcane foreign affairs for me）， but cool to hear the nitty gritty details of things that are more interesting （e。g。 Osama Bin Laden raid that the book ends on）。 I think overall I liked the first half of the book better that was a bit more of a memoir （childhood， to college， to state senator to senator， etc）， vs the second half which spent a bit more time defending a va Long but good。 Mostly listened to the audiobook。 Very detailed so drags a bit on sections that you care less about （e。g。 certain arcane foreign affairs for me）， but cool to hear the nitty gritty details of things that are more interesting （e。g。 Osama Bin Laden raid that the book ends on）。 I think overall I liked the first half of the book better that was a bit more of a memoir （childhood， to college， to state senator to senator， etc）， vs the second half which spent a bit more time defending a variety of his political decisions （not that I have an opinion about them， just that it's less of an interesting story）。 I thought it was cool how honest he was about certain people/institutions， even to the point where they may be offended by his remarks （e。g Rahul Gandhi， Nobel Peace Prize， etc）。 。。。more
Tracey
，
audiobook nonfiction/biographyso calming to hear the weighted， measured tones of someone who tries hard to understand his opponents and speaks kindly and respectfully of others。 He acknowledges that he isn't perfect， but he does explain a lot of what went into all the difficult decisions and reactions to the events of the day。 Well worth the wait list for this one。 audiobook nonfiction/biographyso calming to hear the weighted， measured tones of someone who tries hard to understand his opponents and speaks kindly and respectfully of others。 He acknowledges that he isn't perfect， but he does explain a lot of what went into all the difficult decisions and reactions to the events of the day。 Well worth the wait list for this one。 。。。more
Immie
，
This book is really fun to read and the cover is really interesting so that makes me read the book。This book talks about Barack Obama's life in the White House。 This book is really fun to read and the cover is really interesting so that makes me read the book。This book talks about Barack Obama's life in the White House。 。。。more
Grace Ricks
，
WOW。 This was a very long， but very good read。 Having grown up during his presidency and before I was interested in politics， this provided an interesting perspective of many issues that I had mostly forgotten。 I probably won't read it again - I don't have time for that - but I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this period in time and Obama's work。 WOW。 This was a very long， but very good read。 Having grown up during his presidency and before I was interested in politics， this provided an interesting perspective of many issues that I had mostly forgotten。 I probably won't read it again - I don't have time for that - but I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this period in time and Obama's work。 。。。more
Nastasia M。 Street
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An incredible read！
Donna
，
This is a long book， but it covers a lot of territory: from Obama's earliest days and first political campaigns through the capture of Osama bin Laden。 Sometimes it got quite deep in the weeds and it certainly contains a lot of musings by Obama on his decision making， but all in all I'm so glad I read it。 Better yet， I had it read to me by the author。 That calm， intelligent voice was such a balm in the first months of this turbulent year。 Can't wait for the next volume; I hope it doesn't take an This is a long book， but it covers a lot of territory: from Obama's earliest days and first political campaigns through the capture of Osama bin Laden。 Sometimes it got quite deep in the weeds and it certainly contains a lot of musings by Obama on his decision making， but all in all I'm so glad I read it。 Better yet， I had it read to me by the author。 That calm， intelligent voice was such a balm in the first months of this turbulent year。 Can't wait for the next volume; I hope it doesn't take another four years。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Promised Land
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Promised Land&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Promised Land&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0