Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

This was a good way to get to know what influenced our next President. Written long before he had any idea of going into politics so it had no hidden agenda. This helped to refute some false claims during the campaign and confirm some that he would like to have made go away. No matter what your party preference this is very informative. This should be on every high school Social Studies teacher's reading list after the inauguration to get kids interested in taking part of the democratic process while they are still acutely aware that our nation has taken another important step.

I can hardly believe that Barack Obama wrote this book when he was in his early 30s, just out of law school. At 73 years old, I have seen a lot of the world, had a life long experience and made a more than 60 years study of the world's great literature and histories. Barack Obama developed knowledge and insights during his 33 years that could be favorably compared to those of another mythical 33 year old who was supposedly born in a manger 2008 years ago. This book, in my opinion, is distained to become a classic of the world's literature, and if he becomes the great president that I think he is capable of becoming, he will be seen by future generations as a combination of Washington, Gandhi and Jefferson.
I am in love with Barack Obama, and I have never met the man.

Now if he could just stop smoking...

What an absolutely amazing story. Mr. Obama shares his story in a way that captivates you from the first page. He's an extraordinary orator, brilliant thinker, and politic leader. He engenders what is good about our country!

One has to keep in mind that this book was originally published in 1995. I was born the same year as Obama (1961) - I must say that by age 34 Obama had considered, done, and written about things that I had yet to consider in much depth. A mixed racial heritage (black father, white mother) combined with a multi-cultural background (Indonesia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kenya) yielded a man with supple thinking and a nuanced approach to life. Forgetting for a moment that this man is president-elect of the United States of America, I must say that Obama can write a compelling narrative. Obama appears to have the intellect, the good judgment, and the disposition (cool under pressure) to excel at the job of US president. This book provides a view into Obama's multi-textured youth.

This was a very inspiring book. It helps one see where are next president came from.