A Promised Land - Barack Obama(?????)
Book 64
It was 2008 and a tall black man came on stage in front of a massive crowd and said the words “Yes We Can”. I was a college kid at the time and ever since 9/11 had been a close observer and follower of the politics and socio-economics of the USA. This guy was different; this senator from Chicago wasn’t like the rest of them. I remember being glued to a small CRT on the other side of the globe in my grandma’s living room as Obama made history and was elected as the first African American POTUS. He was an inspiration in every sense of the word. For me, the biggest takeaway from that man on TV was his integrity, his sincerity and his ability to inspire a generation. Since that day, I have very closely, almost obsessively, followed every single aspect of his life. He is the reason I decided that I wanted to move to the USA and start my new life here. He helped me believe that despite my humble beginnings and my lackluster life on that day I first saw him speak, “Yes I Can”.
This book is the first volume of his presidential memoir. Obama talks about his journey from a young and confused teenager who worked his way up to be the leader of the free world. He dives into personal and political details in a way that really grab the reader/listener and make you hold on to his every word. Obama spends time talking about some of the major challenges of his first term starting with the economic crisis of 2008, the rebuilding of Wall Street, the Affordable Care Act, Deepwater Horizon and the operation that resulted in “Geronimo-E KIA” (Osama Bin Laden - Enemy Killed In Action) as well as a lot of the smaller and more intricate issues surrounding politics at home, dealing with congress, legislation, and how these would influence and impact international relations. He talks about ties with Russia, China, Brazil, India and many middle eastern countries. He actually spends an entire chapter on India, his love for dal and kheema when he was growing up, his obsession with Gandhi and his teachings and how the country simply fascinates him. He also makes some interesting observations about the Congress Party, the Gandhi family and the BJPs inevitable rise to power back in 2011.
While all of this was fascinating and captivating at so many levels, my biggest learnings from the book were when Obama opened up about his personal life. He talked about his family, his evolving relationship with Michelle, his involvement in his daughters’ lives and his own personal struggles, faults and shortcomings. I absolutely admire how he is willing to own up to some of these things and accept that he made mistakes and poor decisions at times and that is just human; he however also made it a point to hold himself accountable and learn and grow from it all.
I know that I speak for the millions like me around the globe who looked up to and idolized a man who will probably never even know we exist. His words, his thoughts and his actions inspired an entire generation to be better and to do better. We may not all agree with his policies, but we can definitely agree that he was a legitimately cool dude who embodied the dignity and respect of the office he held, and had fun while doing it. Thank you Mr. President.
p.s. Absolutely get the audio book; he reads it himself.
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