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A review by lavendermarch
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
4.0
This was an excellent read. Not only did it provide an (often painstakingly) detailed look at many of President Obama's policy decisions while the White House, it also gave me a glimpse into (as one might guess) the life of the President of United States of America, which seems to be in equal parts incredibly busy, stressful, and sometimes even rewarding.
Obama's writing is strong, although the length of the book - the prose is 703 pages in my hardcover copy - kept me from picking it up for a good couple of years after receiving it as a gift. Due to the density, it did take me an entire week to read, despite spending an average of two hours a day pouring through it.
With that said, I found it to be a singularly engaging, interesting, and educative read. For example, I didn't know that so much work had taken place on renewable energy during Obama's administration, which was cool to learn. In contrast, it was rather depressing to be walked through the struggles of the partisan divide.
However, I particularly enjoyed the sections about foreign policy and international relations. As other reviewers have noted, Obama is excellent at painting a picture of each foreign dignitary and giving brief history lessons on their country's various interests and their relationship to the U.S.A. It's easy for the reader to situate themselves at any point in the narrative, despite the constant stream of information and introduction of new characters.
Overall, I found this to be a fascinating, engaging, and worthwhile read. 4.5 stars. The only reason I haven't given it five stars is because I found the book to be quite long and at times overly detailed, especially in the part prior to Obama taking office.
Obama's writing is strong, although the length of the book - the prose is 703 pages in my hardcover copy - kept me from picking it up for a good couple of years after receiving it as a gift. Due to the density, it did take me an entire week to read, despite spending an average of two hours a day pouring through it.
With that said, I found it to be a singularly engaging, interesting, and educative read. For example, I didn't know that so much work had taken place on renewable energy during Obama's administration, which was cool to learn. In contrast, it was rather depressing to be walked through the struggles of the partisan divide.
However, I particularly enjoyed the sections about foreign policy and international relations. As other reviewers have noted, Obama is excellent at painting a picture of each foreign dignitary and giving brief history lessons on their country's various interests and their relationship to the U.S.A. It's easy for the reader to situate themselves at any point in the narrative, despite the constant stream of information and introduction of new characters.
Overall, I found this to be a fascinating, engaging, and worthwhile read. 4.5 stars. The only reason I haven't given it five stars is because I found the book to be quite long and at times overly detailed, especially in the part prior to Obama taking office.