Liberating Sojourn: Frederick Douglass and Transatlantic Reform Book

To say I liked this book is really not true. It was more of an OK for me.

Please the GR book description here:

Now, eight years after the book's publication, I doubt that other books have not been written which investigate "the circumstances and experiences of Obama's life" and "the ambition behind his rise". The second and third paragraph of the book description do give a prospective reader what the book covers. The lives of his parents and how their lives came to mold his, is well told. His mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, is a person I have come to admire and would like to read a whole book about. She was born in 1942, in Wichita, Kansas. She is portrayed as a woman of the hippie generation and a woman I easily relate to--an idealist, but not politically oriented.

In the second paragraph we are also told that "on-the-record interviews" are extensively utilized, but they are too extensive and lack adequate critical analysis. As editor of The New Yorker, it surprises me that David Remnick did not recognize this!

The book goes off on lengthy tangents.

It concludes with Obama's inauguration and a quick summary of what he achieved and failed to achieve in the first year of his presidency. It stresses that he was only able to become the first African-American president because of those in the Civil Rights movement before him.

The book is dense. It covers not only Obama but also his forerunners. The more you know before picking up the book, the easier it will be. I was unacquainted with many of the Chicago politicians and religious leaders mentioned. Remnick has a penchant for giving long lists of names.

Many books and authors are referred to. It is glaringly evident that the author is an editor. I did not get the feeling that the books mentioned are those Remnick necessarily loves and recommends, but rather that literature is an integral part of his existence.

The audiobook is read by Mark Deakins. He reads too quickly, although his words are clear and distinct. There is too much information to absorb for a book read so rapidly. I have given the narration two stars.

Having read the book, do I feel I have a better understanding of Obama's personality? Yes, but not as much as much as I would have liked. His relationship with his wife and children is scarcely delved into. I have learned about events in his life and in his career. His ambition to become a politician, coupled to his desire to improve the rights for minorities, fight poverty and improve health care and access to education has been made clear.