false 9742 0307237699 9780307237699 12345 2628 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255619255m/9742.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9742.The_Audacity_of_Hope_Thoughts_on_Reclaiming_the_American_Dream 6356 Barack Obama 27577 6148 1 23 false Mon Jun 25 12:52:23 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 22:39:44 -0800 2009
That said, there is something of a personality cult growing up around Obama, in particular. I read The Audacity of Hope to better understand the appeal, and what I found was a work of autohagiography to beat the band. As for political content, his true stripes are shown off proudly, as when he dismisses his days as a lefty as something gone up like marijuana smoke in a college dorm room, while bending over backwards to praise the policies of Ronald Reagan. It is quite a feat to watch him present himself to regular people as the face of "a new kind of politics," while assuring those in the halls of power that his are still the politics of Reagan and Clinton.

The book is, all in all, a painful read, owing to its sheer flabbiness. There are plenty of words, but precious little substance, and turning the page quickly becomes a chore. That said, I'd recommend reading it simply because Obama's campaign is a huge force on the left. It's worth reading, but we shouldn't get too hung up on the idea that the legions of people who will vote for Obama are actually for what Obama is for, because they're not (and Obama knows this, which is why he is so tight-lipped on the matter of concrete policy proposals). What people know is that they want an alternative to what they've got, and that's good news for anyone who wants to change the world and is looking for allies.]]>