A Promised Land by President Barack Obama

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Duration: 29:10:00
Published: November 2020

In A Promised Land, 44th President Barack Obama provides an intimate, extremely personal account of his campaign for the U.S. Presidency, his historic 2008 win, and the challenges he faced and successes he enjoyed during his first term as President. He also shares how his public professional role affected his role with friends, as a husband and father, and as a formerly private citizen. 

After reading this book, I can appreciate that he served as our 44th President rather than 46th because just about anyone could be deemed successful after number 45. Furthermore, if after reading this book, you cannot appreciate at least one of the major obstacles Obama, many times, overcame to create a better United States of America, I don’t think it’s possible for you to be objective. As President, he united a diverse (read: not just Black) group of citizens to mobilize, volunteer, and vote him into office. He helped bring our country back from the brink of financial ruin, passed healthcare legislation that is still in use today, made a fair pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, and oversaw the capture and execution of the terrorist who visited the most deadly attack on U.S. soil in recent history. 

My short review here cannot do this book justice. This book is a good read regardless of your political affiliation as it provides insight and understanding of what intellectual and soft skills are required to bring people of differing perspectives together for the success of one’s country. 

Recommendation: I already had great respect and admiration for the Obama family before reading this perspective (I read Becoming by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2018), but it was a gift to get an inside look at not only the decisions the President made but the thoughtful manner in which he took to get to those decisions. I am thankful, that as of this writing, the First Amendment is still in tact. I highly recommend this book for those seeking to learn more about Obama, his administration, and the inner workings of public policy. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.