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9th out of 105 books
—
26 voters
Ten Letters: The Stories Americans Tell Their President
by
Eli Saslow
Every day, President Obama reads ten representative letters among the thousands he receives from citizens across the land. The letters come from people of all ages, walks of life, and political points of view. Some are heartbreaking, some angry, some hopeful. Indeed, Obama reads as many letters addressed “Dear Jackass” as “Dear Mr. President.” Eli Saslow, a young and risi...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
October 11th 2011
by Doubleday
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Eli Saslow's "Ten Letters" is a well-researched, inspiring read that examines the lives of ten ordinary Americans who felt the need to write to President Obama about their unique circumstances. Each of these writers were probably not expecting Obama to actually read their letters, even less so a response. Mr. Saslow examines the process by how regular American's letters are selected to appear on President Obama's desk. The ten letter-writers in "Ten Letters" are some of the people who have recei...more
This book is not a pick-me up, feel good book and it's not something to read if you are not willing to accept the reality of a large number of people in America today. However, it is something that I hope everyone reads with an open mind and heart to understand the pressures people face every day and when they feel no one else is listening, they tell their President.
When I first started reading, I quickly realized that I need to just read - not judge. To those that are interested in reading it,...more
When I first started reading, I quickly realized that I need to just read - not judge. To those that are interested in reading it,...more
Potential to engage students and spark passionate discussion-5
There several points in this book that are important to Americans today. I think this could spark a very passionate discussion, however this book was extremely one sided and sympathized with Obama. It also tried to blame a lot of problems on the Republican party dragging their feet, when this wasn't exactly the case.
Potential to appeal to a wide range of students-4
There was one person in the book that was worried about the cost of col...more
There several points in this book that are important to Americans today. I think this could spark a very passionate discussion, however this book was extremely one sided and sympathized with Obama. It also tried to blame a lot of problems on the Republican party dragging their feet, when this wasn't exactly the case.
Potential to appeal to a wide range of students-4
There was one person in the book that was worried about the cost of col...more
Ten Letters is a book about letters President Obama receives from across America. Each day President Obama's staff sorts through the emails and letters and provides him with 10 letters that are representative of what people send. In this book, ten letters are chosen to represent ten different issues facing Americans -- the economy, the oil spill, immigration reform, gay rights, etc. The author, Eli Saslow, then followed up with each of the letter writers to tell us their life stories and why the...more
Ten Letters by Eli Saslow, reads like a novel. His approach to the individuals who have written letters to President Obama is quite discerning, he gets to the heart of each person's view of why and what they wrote to the President.
Eli also gives much background history as to how each president viewed mail they received. FDR was the first who really received major amounts of mail after he started his fireside chats. With each major historic event during a President's term, the letters and staff n...more
Eli also gives much background history as to how each president viewed mail they received. FDR was the first who really received major amounts of mail after he started his fireside chats. With each major historic event during a President's term, the letters and staff n...more
This book was more about President Obama than I thought it would be, but I didn't really mind. I did think the book struggled between telling stories of Americans and telling stories of the President. I enjoyed the book, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had chosen between one of this, so it didn't end up feeling like we were skimming the lives of Americans who wrote letters, or skimming how The Prez receives or responds to these letters.
These ten letters are chosen to represent ten...more
These ten letters are chosen to represent ten...more
I'm not one to cry when reading books; however, there were a few times during this read that I was moved to tears. The stories these Americans tell their President come across genuine and speak volumes for the struggles many face in modern America. Initially, I was concerned the author was going to preach too much "Obama-love"; however, he seemed to be fair and include both criticisms and praise. You'll read a letter from a tea-party conservative in one chapter and one from an Obama campaign vol...more
I really wished this book had an introduction. Until I read the author's acknowledgments at the end, I didn't know if this book was coming out of the Obama administration (not that I'd mind, I'd just want to know)or if it was being done from an independent source who had been given access to the letters.
Regardless, I thought this was a nice glimpse at what drives someone to sit down and write a letter to the leader of their country. I appreciate that the President chooses to read 10 letters eve...more
Regardless, I thought this was a nice glimpse at what drives someone to sit down and write a letter to the leader of their country. I appreciate that the President chooses to read 10 letters eve...more
Every day President Obama reads 10 letters selected from the thousands the White House receives. The letters in this book are representative of some of the most important struggles typical Americans are facing on a daily basis.
These are the real stories behind the CNN newsbites that we tune out to every day. Each letter is a short story about a slice of American life, and I learned so much more about the issues this country is dealing with from reading about these Americans.
Not all of the citize...more
These are the real stories behind the CNN newsbites that we tune out to every day. Each letter is a short story about a slice of American life, and I learned so much more about the issues this country is dealing with from reading about these Americans.
Not all of the citize...more
“Ten Letters” explores the issues that everyday Americans encounter, including a lack of access to education, rising health costs, the BP oil spill, and more. Each of these issues and stories is familiar. I could personally identify with the effects of the rising costs of healthcare and higher education. I sympathized with Jessica Duran, a high schooler who couldn’t find a part-time job to pay the bills. My heart broke for Na’Dreya Lattimore, the fifth grader that felt she was being shafted in h...more
This was a bookclub selection and not a book I would have picked on my own. I am so glad it was chosen! The book brings history to the Presidential letter writing system. I was fascinated to learn how and why the letter office was devloped, how it is staffed and how President Obama receives the letters he reads each night. The personal stories of the letter writers had me in tears. Literally. I didn't think this book would cause personal reflection on my life, but it did.
The author is a journali...more
The author is a journali...more
Every night, President Obama opens a purple folder that is tucked inside his daily briefing book. The purple folder contains ten letters (emails or faxes) that have been received by the White House. These pieces of correspondence are unvetted, per Obama's request, for this is one of the ways that he chooses to help him feel connected beyond the bubble that surrounds him as President. The letters in that purple folder range from letters that praise Obama to those that plead with him to address a...more
Those who know me know that I am a sucker for a true, pesonal story. These stories were no exception. Plus it was a great review of the past four years -- I hadn't thought about the BP oil spill in way too long, and I'd totally forgotten how long it took Obama to contemplate and decide on his Afghanistan strategy.
I had been afraid that the book was going to imply that writing a letter to the President (or receiving a response from him) somehow totally changed the letter writer's life, and that...more
I had been afraid that the book was going to imply that writing a letter to the President (or receiving a response from him) somehow totally changed the letter writer's life, and that...more
Eli is a colleague of mine at The Washington Post (he works for the National desk; I'm downstairs in the Style section). This is an extremely even-handed, empathetic look at how Americans are feeling in the Obama Age, told through the voluminous amount of letters and e-mails that come addressed to the President. Eli wrote a story about how the mail gets sorted and how 10 letters are chosen every day to be delivered to Obama, and what he does after he reads them. Some of the letters are desperate...more
I had heard about this book on NPR and the author seemed like a nice guy with interesting stories to tell. I thought there would be a bit more about different presidents and how they handled mail from the public but there was only a couple paragraphs on that. Instead it gave a personal look at 10 different citizens in the U.S who had become steamed enough to write the president, never thinking the president would actually read their letter. The book is easy to read and I enjoyed getting to know...more
Really all this book did was remind of me of all the things our government has told us they were going to do for the American people and how miserably they've failed. Not that I'm saying I'm for big government. Quite the opposite. They can't seem to take care of the littlest things; I certainly don't want them meddling more in my life. With every page I was reminded how frustrating govenrment can be and how they really only seem to take care of themselves.
I liked the balance between the stories of the people who wrote to the president and the president's responses. It wasn't a love or hate the president story (which I hate, no matter who the president is), it was more of a compassionate, explanation of United States in 2010. Until I listened to this audio book I did not know that President Obama read some of the letters and responded to them. A great story for everyone.
I found this book, which is about the letters that President Obama gets on a daily basis, depressing. That is the same concern President Obama's advisors often have when selecting the letters for him to read. It is too similiar to what we see in our lives, neighbors, and on the news. While well written, I gave up reading it after a few letters. In addition, I was familiar with several of the letters already.
I was pretty disappointed by this book. It seemed, and I suppose I should have known, to be a campaigning book for Obama. Even the single chapter where the writer of the letter was criticising Obama turned out to be a warm fuzzy for him. I'll admit I was annoyed that each chapter left the reader hanging as to what happened in the lives of the letter-writers, but thankfully the author let everyone in on it, they just have to wait until the last chapter.
I thought the author did a good job of picking letters that covered a solid range of issues presenting our country over the past four years, and ones that acknowledged different opinions. All of the stories really personalized whats going on. Even if one doesn't agree with everything here, I think a reader can find at least one story to get behind. Personally, I found myself cheering for all ten people to find the hope and resolution they were seeking by writing. There was an update chapter at t...more
This excellent book profiles 10 Americans who wrote to President Obama, who reads 10 letters from Americans every night, and received a personal reply from him. Some of the stories are uplifting - a gay man who survived bullying - and others are heartbreaking - a woman going through bankruptcy. The ending put a tear in my eye. The book made me grateful for the small problems I have and reaffirmed by respect for President Obama's strong character.
Anyone who knows me, knows that five stars are rare indeed. This was an amazing book, an amazing topic and a beautiful novella of American life. The book tracks the before and after of ten letters read by President Barack Obama. Two letters led me to tears, some were amusing, others reminded me of what is great and what is sad in our country. Worth the time.
I thought the particular stories of the letter writers were interesting/compelling. The parts concerning President Obama weren't quite as compelling (with some apparent hero worship by the author). That aside, I did come away with a new appreciation for the immensely difficult job that President Obama has had to do in the past three years.
We Americans have the privilege to vote and the freedom to make our feelings known to our elected officials-including to the person occupying the White House. Ten Letters is just that: ordinary citizens expressing their opinions to President Obama. Each night ten letters make it into the President's hands. What they say about our lives is sometimes painful, sometimes inspiring, but always honest.
I'm giving Ten Letters a 10!
I'm giving Ten Letters a 10!
I devoured this book on a five hour flight. It was insightful, heartfelt, at times left me in tears, and full of really interesting historical tidbits about the White House and our presidents. Did you know Queen Victoria gave Rutherford Hayes the desk in the Oval Office as a present in 1880??
A fair and touching collection of stories which detail the lives and troubles which face the many citizens of this republic. You'd be tempted to dismiss this as a kitschy puff piece, but the author and the President take care to give space to the critics as much as the admirers.
Beautifully written! Eli Saslow is an excellent storyteller, and I found myself really drawn in to the letter writers' lives and struggles. It definitely serves to put one's own problems into perspective! I was also fascinated by the inside look at the processing of mail inside the White House, and the President's reactions to the letters he receives. Great book!
i loved this book. i loved hearing the stories of people across the country facing a variety of issues. i especially love that the president reads 10 letters a day to help him get outside of the "bubble." this book read more like a novel and was a quick read.
This book was very good. I seriously recommend it to anyone no matter what their political views are. I love how it gives and inside look at what it is like to be the president. This book takes you through some of the toughest issues President Obama has had to face.
I listened to this book over a 14 hour car ride, and it kept me interested the whole way. It's a really interesting perspective on the state of our country through 10 personal stories and President Obama's reactions to them.
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Eli Saslow is a staff writer at the Washington Post, where he covered the 2008 presidential campaign and has chronicled the president’s life inside the White House. Previously a sportswriter for the Post, he has won multiple awards for news and feature writing. Two of his stories have also appeared in Best American Sports Writing.
More about Eli Saslow...
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Jan 21, 2013 05:23am