Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics Book

Perfect for : Personal Use, The person who wants to know more about "behind-the-scenes" from the Obama campaign

In a nutshell: Alan Kennedy-Shaffer's book, The Obama Revolution, is an insider's look at the policies and campaign promises made throughout the 2008 Presidential Election. He shares what he learned about President Obama's beliefs regarding our country, our status in the war, and our economic troubles. He also shares what it was like to be involved in the political campaign itself. I was particularly interested to learn about the 50-State Strategy, and what the author considered to be 10 pivotal speeches made throughout the campaign [p. 105:]. Throughout the book, Kennedy-Shaffer has shown that this was a campaign of hope, and that a lot of hard work and effort went into the success of this campaign. The book includes the 10 speeches mentioned above [p. 157-233:], and I really enjoyed being able to read them, especially the Yes We Can speech because of the tone it sets.

Extended Review:
Content: The book starts with an introduction and progresses with: Change We Still Believe In, A Green Deal, 50-State Strategy, Community Organizing, Generation Change, The Rhetoric of Hope, The New Faith, Obama's America. There are also sections that cover: Obama's Speeches for Change, Notes, Bibliography and Acknowledgements.

Format: Written from his experiences, Alan Kennedy-Shaffer has included plenty of quotes and verifiable facts.

Readability: I will admit that I skimmed through various sections of the book, mostly the beginning, where the author talks about the war in Iraq. Regardless of how a person feels about the war, it is a topic that has been beaten to death, and I only care about our men and women who are involved in the war and how they will be treated and supported in the future. I also ignored the slightly less favorable comments about President Bush. Otherwise, I found much of the information interesting.

Overall: Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican (or have other Party affiliations), this book will provide you with some insight into what Obama claimed to stand for throughout his campaign, and will show you the inner workings of a political campaign.