The Audacity of Hope
Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
1 of 6 copies available
“In our lowdown, dispiriting era, Obama’s talent for proposing humane, sensible solutions with uplifting, elegant prose does fill one with hope.”—Michael Kazin, The Washington Post
In July 2004, four years before his presidency, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners’ minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Obama called “the audacity of hope.”
The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obama’s call for a different brand of politics—a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the “endless clash of armies” we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of “our improbable experiment in democracy.” He explores those forces—from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media—that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.
At the heart of this book is Barack Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats—from terrorism to pandemic—that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy—where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.
Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, Obama says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writes—“waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.”
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Creators
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
October 17, 2006 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780739346884
- File size: 177843 KB
- Duration: 06:10:30
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Inspirational and instructive, Obama's reading of this abridgment demonstrates why his visibility is on the rise. His impassioned voice is clear and powerful, resonating with expression and feeling as he discusses how Americans can restore hope in the future. His call for change is stirring and unequivocal, and he conveys empathy for a nation caught in tremendous social upheaval. His analysis of education, race, welfare, and globalization illustrates an understanding of a changing world and a need to adapt. This rendition calls to mind an impassioned civics lesson or a sermon that one would actually ponder and remember. Obama's performance surpasses and engages listener expectations, encouraging not only responsibility, but also tolerance and respect. Listeners will feel that the senator from Illinois is talking to them individually and will come away, enlightened and enthusiastic, ready to tackle the challenges besetting today's America. M.H.N. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine -
Barack Obama smoothly blends personal memoir with clear, bold statements on his political views. His delivery is exceptionally polished, and a strong sense of his character comes through. Due to both his stories and his earnest tone, he seems likable, reasonable, and trustworthy. He also shows a fine sense of humor (and does a surprisingly good George W. Bush imitation). However, except when he speaks about his family, Obama's voice is almost free of passion, making one wonder if he has the fire to fuel his ambitions. As for his political reasoning, he strongly stakes out a pragmatic middle-liberal position. His concern for people seems genuine, but his policy proposals offer little that is new. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
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December 4, 2006
Obama reads his own words with the conviction and strength that listeners would expect from the Ilinois Democratic senator. The audacity of his hope echoes in each sentence he speaks as he lays the groundwork for reclaiming the values and inner strength that makes the United States so grand. While Obama is a great public speaker, those same skills could be overwhelming within the confines of an audiobook. Listeners will rejoice that he does not turn this reading opportunity into a six-hour speech. Instead, his cadence, speed and tone work to bring the listener from point to point, building inspiration through provocative thought rather than intense voice and personal charisma. Political inclinations will determine whether Obama's solutions or intentions are valued or disregarded. However, in his sincerest moments, he seizes hold of the problems plaguing the nation while criticizing both sides' failure to grasp the actual problem and to become bogged down in petty politics. He emphasizes the complexity of politics in a pluralist country spread out over millions of square miles. But even in his exploration of the political landscape, he does not hesitate to admit to his own limitations within the system. Simultaneous release with the Crown hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 2). -
October 2, 2006
Ilinois's Democratic senator illuminates the constraints of mainstream politics all too well in this sonorous manifesto. Obama (Dreams from My Father
) castigates divisive partisanship (especially the Republican brand) and calls for a centrist politics based on broad American values. His own cautious liberalism is a model: he's skeptical of big government and of Republican tax cuts for the rich and Social Security privatization; he's prochoice, but respectful of prolifers; supportive of religion, but not of imposing it. The policy result is a tepid Clintonism, featuring tax credits for the poor, a host of small-bore programs to address everything from worker retraining to teen pregnancy, and a health-care program that resembles Clinton's Hillary-care proposals. On Iraq, he floats a phased but open-ended troop withdrawal. His triangulated positions can seem conflicted: he supports free trade, while deploring its effects on American workers (he opposed the Central American Free Trade Agreement), in the end hoping halfheartedly that more support for education, science and renewable energy will see the economy through the dilemmas of globalization. Obama writes insightfully, with vivid firsthand observations, about politics and the compromises forced on politicians by fund-raising, interest groups, the media and legislative horse-trading. Alas, his muddled, uninspiring proposals bear the stamp of those compromises.
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