Customer Reviews
The book is great — informative, catchy, and even poetic at times. I appreciate how it brings to light what’s happening inside the White House and American politics more broadly, especially from a lens of public accountability.One thing that shocked me was learning that passing a bill in Congress almost always requires lobbying. It raises important ethical questions: Why is bribery considered corruption in society, yet lobbying is normalized in politics? How can citizens fully trust that a bill reflects public interest when it was shaped through lobbying?I was also surprised to see that some politicians are expected to oppose any bill from a rival party, regardless of its benefits — simply because they lost the presidential race. Is this really reflective of the public’s will?Furthermore, many elected officials seem more focused on reelection campaigns than on governing. Ideally, the House and Senate should advise and balance the executive branch freely, without pressure or lobby influence — working solely for the good of the public.
Personally I find it amazing to the amount of crap Obama had to deal with while doing his absolute best to lead the country in the correct direction. This book goes to show how he is truly one of the best presidents in our nation’s history, a job suited for only a select few individuals.
I read a chapter or two each night. From the beginning, it read more as a novel to me, like I was sitting on the President's shoulder and followed him around for his fascinating first term. I loved it!! Looking forward to part 2.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama is a memoir that offers an intimate and detailed look at Barack Obama’s life, focusing on his political journey, presidency, and personal experiences. Obama’s writing is eloquent, and the book is filled with reflections on the challenges of leadership, race, and identity in America. He shares candid insights into his time in office, his relationships with key figures, and the complexities of the decisions he had to make as President.What stood out to me was Obama’s ability to provide a nuanced perspective on both the triumphs and struggles of his time in power. It’s a thoughtful, reflective account that is not only about politics but also about personal growth, responsibility, and the pursuit of a more just society.A Promised Land is a must-read for anyone interested in politics, history, or the life of one of the most influential leaders of our time - Barack Obama.
A Promised Land (APL) is Barack Obama's memoir of his first presidential campaign and the first three years of his presidency. It is a long book (701 pages) of which the first 200 pages deal with 2008 presidential election and the remainder dealing mostly with various national and political issues (ending with the death of Osama bin Laden in May 2011). Along the way he reminiscences about his mother and his family, shares personal stories about his wife and children, and acknowledges the contributions of tremendous number of individuals to both his campaign and his presidency.Though the book is long, I always found it engaging. I especially like the way he talks about his work, and then takes a break and talks about his personal life, and then back to work. It reminds us that a president's personal life does not end when he takes on the position. There is a lot of detail, so I recommend reading it in steps. Some reviewers found it boring; I do not think that is the case, though sometimes I did skim over small sections when I wanted to get back to the action. Of all the presidential memoirs I read, this is the most personal. In many cases, he describes how he arrived at decisions, and I especially appreciated the analysis of decisions that he needed to make when each option had downsides.That being said, I was disappointed in two respects. First, I hoped he would address the claims that he or his administration made during the health care debates in 2009 and 2010 to the effect that people who like their current doctors and healthcare plan would be able to keep their doctors and healthcare plan. Many people have since claimed that these were lies, and whenever someone brings up one or more of President Trump's lies, someone often states that these claims were lies. Not only did Obama neglect to address this major issue in his memoir, he never even mentions that he stated these claims. This is a major omission! He has never answered his critics that these statements were lies (or turned out to be lies). Because of this omission, I subtract one star.The second disappointment relates to his discussions of the tea party movement. The memoirs discuss the movement, its origins and its impact on politics and the 2010 term elections, but he never discusses why he failed to engage voters or politicians on these issues. He seems to regard the tea party as an external phenomenon over which he had no ability to influence or control.With these two exceptions, I heartily recommend the book and look forward to the next installment.
