Summary
The title of the book is “The Audacity of Hope;” and it is written by current president Barack Obama. In 2004, he was only a young U.S. Senator from Illinois, who was driven into the national eye at the 2004 Democratic Convention when he delivered a speech called “The Audacity of Hope.”After less than twenty minutes of speaking, Obama’s name was known all over the country, with many political examiners predicting that he was well qualified to enter the next presidential race. Before this, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He then got a job as a civil rights attorney, and from 1992 to 2004, he became a professor of constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School. As a senator representing the thirteenth district of Illinois, he served three terms from 1997 to 2004. In 2000, he ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives. This book expands on the ideas that Obama mentioned in his speech. The book was published by Three Rivers Press in 2006. It has 375 pages and is categorized as a sociology/biography genre. The book includes a Prologue, Epilogue, Acknowledgements, and Index.
Theme
An overwhelming message that Obama mentions throughout the book is the idea that America can offer hope to anyone from any background; and to make sure that every person gets equal opportunity, a couple governmental changes are needed. Many times in the text he says “a new kind of politics, one that can excavate and build upon those shared understandings that pull us together as Americans,” (Obama 9). He continuously describes Abraham Lincoln as an ideal example of this quote. Lincoln, having only two years of Congressional experience, was able to become president and lead the country through some of the most crucial years in history using his remarkable trust in American values. The lessons of his leadership are repeated many times in the book to illustrate concepts.
Concepts
In chapter five, Obama mentions the economy. He explains the current state of the U.S. economy, and goes on to describe the many political leaders and how they managed economic struggles when they were in office. The detail that Obama puts into this issue, giving thorough facts on leaders like Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton shows his knowledge on the category and that he has researched much. Previously, I did not fully understand the current (or current when the book was written) state of the economy. However, the historical examples mentioned above helped me paint an organized picture of the country’s current state.
Through the entire book, Obama creates what he means by “a new kind of politics,” (Obama). What he means is a politics that is rooted in inclusiveness and faith; one that truly represents democracy. He describes the growing economic struggle of families in America, international threats, and religious and racial divides still present. Obama continuously plays around with democracy and...
