This biography of President Barack Obama by David Maraniss is incredibly well- researched and is presented without bias. Having read Dreams From my Father and The Audacity of Hope written by President Obama, I already possessed knowledge of his personal story and what influenced and shaped his belief system. This book, however, took me on an incredible journey starting a couple of generations before President Obama's birth in Hawaii. Mr. Maraniss traveled to Kansas, Kenya, Indonesia and Hawaii to interview members of the President's family and people who were friends and acquaintances of his... these travels made for some interesting reading. Mr. Maraniss introduced the President's family on both his mother's and father's sides and like most families, they are an eclectic and colorful cast of characters. Mr. Maraniss presented a very strong case that Barack Obama became the man he is and indeed the president he is, in many ways, due to his biracial and multi-cultural background.

As a huge fan and supporter of President Obama, I thoroughly enjoyed this well- researched and thoughtful book about, not only his life, but also the life of his family and extended family. Since this biography ended with the President leaving his community organizing job in Chicago to attend Harvard Law school, I am assuming there will be a volume 2.. which I am very much looking forward to reading. Even if you are not a fan or supporter of Barack Obama and his policies, I think you will find that he has an extraordinary life story.