Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Book Review: Book is Good, but not what is advertised
Summary: 3 Stars
Please, don't get me wrong, I loved this book. Obama's style and matter-of-fact realism is both refreshing and, at times, inspiring. The only reason why this book isn't 4+ stars, is because of the expectations that this book leads the reader to believe.
What I mean is that by reading the summary and back cover, the reader expects to experience a man torn between two cultures and belonging to neither. And while Obama does clearly illustrate his trepidation with associating himself with either culture, from the very beginning we learn that Obama, for all intents and purposes, held his black heritage in a different regard. He was not torn so much as distraught, growing up in a 'white' world unfamiliar with his black background. From reading this book, the reader does not get the sense of Obama'a sturggle with his white roots. The story is rather a search for answers on how to live as a black man in a white world. I believe that Obama missed the chance of opening the doors to a wholely different and misunerstood world of children of differing cultures. In this 'melting pot' that we call America, there is a constant struggle between race and ethnicity and Obama could have set himself up as an educator, a leader of those who had no home. Yet, from the beginning, Obama was at home in his black heritage, but he just was looking for the key.
Book Review: Obama builds a connection with us all
Summary: 5 Stars
Barack Obama's account of his life experiences and journey to self-discovery is a page-turner that every person can relate to. Obama's story begins in Hawaii where his Kenyan father was mostly a myth and he is raised by his white mother. Obama's conflict of racial identity intensifies in college and becomes another of Obama's struggles: his want to belong to a community. The death of Obama's father adds another unresolved characteristic to his life that must be worked through. Obama finds a supportive community in Chicago as an organizer, where his intentions and actions are so pure, it is easy to think of him as a fictional character. The path to self discovery culminates in Obama's trip to Kenya where for the first time he meets his Father's family. Obama's intelligence and eloquence articulate his acceptance of himself and provides a model for others to follow. Obama's story is unique and his honesty inspires hope for insight on race and the necessity of the community provided by one's own family. Book Review: Truly Captivating
Summary: 5 Stars
Dreams from my Father transcends the confines of literary genres. It is an influential book, well worth reading and impossible to characterize. It was first published in 1995, after Obama became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. Known for his brilliant speech at the Democratic National Convention, Obama's memoir typically goes unnoticed. The arc of Obama's story sweeps countries, from Indonesia to Africa, from Hawaii to Kisumu. This unique autobiography however, is much more. His dedication to community organizing in Chicago compliments his dedication to self-evaluation. Obama constantly seeks to expand his identity and perspective, pulling from his multi-cultural heritage. He is an acute observer, a resourceful analyst, and an outstandingly eloquent author. Obama argues with himself on almost every page. He gets you to agree with him then presents a counter-narrative that seems just as convincing. He powerfully dismisses stereotypes only to show how much we are all caught between messy contradictions. Indeed, the US is a nation of displaced immigrants and migrants and their children, who seek authenticity. Dreams from my Father is full of truths, which at times like these may feel refreshing. I strongly encourage the questioning reader to give this book a shot.
Book Review: Excellent writing...great story.
Summary: 5 Stars
Barack Obama is just sprouting his wings as a U.S. Senator from Illinois. And with this guy's talent for writing and speaking, as far as I'm concerned, he's probably the shiniest up-and-coming bright star for the Democrat party yet. But Obama need not worry if he chooses to walk away from a political career anytime in the near future, because he's a lawyer. The guy is sharp as a razor, and probably one of the best writers of non-fiction that I've had the pleasure to read, if not the best. Obama took a true story and wrote like it was fiction. Now that takes talent in my book. So if nothing else, he could set his mind to just writing books and make a pretty good living. If he remains on the political scene for very long, no doubt he'll have some great writing material. Unfortunately, I missed Obama's keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Too bad, too, because after reading his speech at the end of this book, I'd have enjoyed hearing every word of it, I'm sure. The guy is a gifted speaker, has a way with words that's his very own style, and appears to care deeply for his people. Let's hope, as he's said and written, that his deep concern for helping others can, and will, extend to all races...as it should.
The reviews that have already been written about Obama's book pretty well explain its content, except for the negative reviews which were only a few. And after reading some of those negative reviews, makes one think they were written by some neo-cons that view Obama as a threat to the present reigning political party. And with good cause, because Obama will go as far as his heart desires no matter what his future endeavors might be.
I'm for Barack Obama whether he's writing a book, practicing law, or running for President of the United States.
Book Review: A beautiful Assignment!
Summary: 5 Stars
'Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance' , though one can almost feel the captivating intensity of the author's personal life in the pages of this memoir, Obama's winning combination derives mainly from his tell-it-like-it-is approach in addressing the multifaceted cold-stone reality that has continued to define the world in Black and White. He not only correlates the intricacies of racial relation that resonate across the continents but also sought to achieve workable solutions that would some day line up a ray of hope that points to a color blind society.
For the most part, it is hard not to identify with his story whether one grew up herding cows and goats, or having been born clutching a silver spoon in the mouth.