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I enjoyed reading this book. It gave me an insight into the former presidents upbringing
Although this book is written from a decidedly favorable perspective, it offers a excellent history of the life and times of Barack Obama. From his childhood to education to his early political career, I found book to be compelling and full of fascinating information about the 44th president of the United States. Those from Chicagoland (like me) will find the sections on the history of Chicago politics to be particularly interesting.
This was an excellent biography that revealed many different facets of the man who is our president. David Remnick's research is comprehensive. He did not shy away from reporting what some of Obama's detractors have to say, but clearly Obama has made more friends than enemies among the people he has met directly and/or befriended. I was particularly interested in his early life as a black child raised by white people-- his grandparents. Because I have two adopted African grandsons, I enjoyed the...
This dense and detailed look at a moment in history when Obama began his run for the White House in the end gives the reader the sense of a blind man running his hands over an elephant, or Galileo gazing at the stars. The detail just makes one jealous to know those things we are not reading about--what was he thinking, not just what he was saying. One wants the man himself, not just the story of him.In the end, every book about this period is bound to be a disappointment in itself. It cannot cap...
5 stars for Obama, 4 for the book
You just can't beat Remnick for this kind of biographical history. His work is always so beautifully linked to context and to other characters, and this book is no exception. It covers Obama's life and his larger significance in U.S. History up to his election, as this book was written in the late 2000s and early 2010s. This is more than just a straightforward biography. You learn a ton about decolonization in Kenya, Chicago politics, the inner guts of the Democratic Party in Illinois, and other...
https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2019...David Remnick’s “The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama” was published in 2010 and covers the 44th president’s life from his birth through his 2009 inauguration. Remnick is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and has been editor of The New Yorker since 1998. He began his reporting career at The Washington Post in 1982.This 586-page biography is clearly the result of exhaustive research which included interviews with an impressive array of Obama’s family...
Terrific. One of several definitive books about the President and campaign. Recommend highly. You can never go wrong w/ Remnick's writing.
This book took me longer to read than any I have picked up in a long time. Usually I could not put a book down, but this one I almost had to, just to digest the information. There is an excellent backdrop of American history in this book, especially with the civil rights movement. There were quite a few things I learned about reading this book. I think that anyone could enjoy this, regardless of your personal opinion of Barack Obama, or your political beliefs. It was an amazing book for laying o...
This book falls into the trap of being an authorized biography with its bias. Remnick interviews people who met Obama twenty years ago and claim they called it in the early 90s that he would be the first black president, and he is not critical about this at all. For Remnick, this is all part of the grand narrative of Obama's somewhat messianic rise. Throughout the book, Obama is portrayed as so intelligent, so all encompassing, so engrossing that the characters who cross paths with him fawn afte...
Inspirational and Revealing!Fascinating journey and ascent of a younng black man, who in the beginning seemed to have little going for him. With a brilliant, but self-delusional Kenyan father, who deserted him as a baby and a devoted, but often absent mother, Barack (known as Barry growing up)learned at an early age that he had to more or less shift for himself. Fortunately he met the right people along the way who helped him on his journey, and he didn't waste time feeling sorry for himself
I am enjoying taking my time in this book. I am about half-way through. Here is my favorite sentiment so far: "Narrative is the most powerful thing we have. From a spiritual point of view, much of what is important about us can't be seen. If we don't know people's stories, we don't know who they are. If you want to understand them or try to help them, you have to find out their story." (Jerry Kellman, community organizer in South Side Chicago). "He (Obama) had learned a lot from books, but there...
To say I liked this book is really not true. It was more of an OK for me.Please the GR book description here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...Now, eight years after the book’s publication, I doubt that other books have not been written which investigate “the circumstances and experiences of Obama’s life” and “the ambition behind his rise”. The second and third paragraph of the book description do give a prospective reader what the book covers. The lives of his parents and how their lives...
This lengthy (591 pages) book tells us in considerable detail all that we already know about the life and election of Obama, with some added information, based on Remnick’s extensive interviewing and research, plus perspective offered by Remnick. Remnick situates Obama’s life and rise to the Presidency within the history of race in America. Obama represents the “Joshua generation”, a generation that missed out on the struggles and heroics of the Civil Rights movement era but having benefited fro...
I very much doubt there'll be a better biography of Barack Obama, at least not within the next decade or so, because this book is truly excellent. I came away from it not just with a better understanding of Obama, but the civil rights movement and race relations in America in general.It really clarified my image of Obama as an extraordinary man - not necessarily an extraordinary President, because history will tell on that one, and simply being the first African-American President in no way guar...
Most reviewers were pleasantly surprised to find that anyone could find anything new to say about the president, since he is one of the most scrutinized people on the planet and has already written two memoirs. But Remnick pulls off The Bridge, in part, through innovative and exhaustive research. Several critics remarked how Remnick's reporting expanded their views of the Obama of Dreams From my Father; others were grateful for the author's elucidation of the president's crucial years in Chicago...
For what it is, a biography of Obama’s road to becoming president, this book is excellent. Remnick is an excellent writer and this book is well sourced and supported with interviews. I also appreciate the context setting for the key people and events that shaped Obama. Since this only touches on the first months of his presidency, and only on a surface level, I’d love to see a follow-up from the author that covers his time in office.
So I got to the part of the book, the part of Barack Obama's life, where he delivers the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. At the time he was a mere state senator from Illinois, although soon to be a United States Senator. Being picked to give the address was therefore a really big deal. And he unquestionably delivered, thereby catapulting himself onto the national stage and ultimately to the Presidency. The story of Obama's speech is told well here and the excerpts rea...
I was very impressed with the connection David Remnick made of Malcom X and Pres. Obama (on Charlie Rose 4/6/2010) which is often largely ignored.
Very thorough account of Barack Obama path from a child in Hawaii to the election to the office of US President. The influence of key people in his life, including his parents, grandparents, and an overview of his life at all of the locales he lived in. His path to the presidency, although shorter than many other holders of the office, was not without some failures and some key decision points. Being of mixed heritage and upbringing led to some obstacles of his being accepted by certain groups.