Book Review: A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Hi Reader,

Do you know who Barack Obama is? It might be very obvious to you, but for those who do not know, Barack Hussein Obama served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He was the first African- American President for the wealthiest country in the world, ironically, which is still familiar for the Black and White divide!

The Theme of the Book

Released in November 2020, A Promised Land is the first of the expected two-part series of the President’s autobiography. This book is about HOPE. A hope to see a better America, a yearning to see a better world, and hope for all the United States communities, which put a non-white President in power with faith to experience their aspirations being fulfilled. This book marks the journey of Barack Obama from the point in his life when he decided to enter politics to the time in his presidency when the successful Abbottabad operation marked an era of new hope in the lives of so many Americans. The whole journey is about the hope Americans have, from Barack Obama when he is elected as President to the time when he delivers those.

Summary

This book doesn’t cover all aspects of Obama’s life. It is more about his political memoir than his personal life. Starting from Obama’s college days, it unveils how he decided to enter politics and thought about running for President. The making of the dream team that supported his election campaign and how they faced every challenge despite Obama being one of the most inexperienced candidates. His personal life is covered in few places where he describes his wife Michelle’s support, the effect of his presidency on his daughter’s lives, and the family time he missed because of his job.

The period of Obama’s presidency covers a lot of concerns from 2008–2011. From saving the sinking economy by launching the much-opposed Recovery Act to the struggles of getting the Affordable Care Act (later widely known as Obamacare). He talks about the diplomatic relations with other countries detailing Russia, Iraq, China, and the Middle East, the tough foreign policies his administration had to undertake for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or to save countries like Egypt. The chapter where Obama behaved like a badass to convince developing nations like China to commit to reducing their carbon footprint shows how a president’s presence and power can turn unwilling governments to act. Obama also highlights how the President also has to handle the unforeseen events and save the grace highlighting Greece’s bankruptcy situation or the Deepwater Horizon crisis. Despite juggling so much at the same time, people largely remained disappointed at first, which burdened his ideology of not meeting the expectations and delivering on HOPE.

The Good and the Bad

The book is a hefty memoir, being too elaborate throughout. At some points, the extended arguments that Obama presents support and add weight to his decisions, but in certain areas, they seemed unnecessary details. The first 10–15% of the book covers the election campaign in detail, which I felt was too politically explained and made complex by adding so many names that at a point, you forget who’s who. The more intriguing part starts with Obama’s presidency. Each chapter is dedicated to explaining a cause, and things get engaging, especially with the eloquent style of writing that can be easily understood. This is the major section that the author wishes for the audience to know and gives an impressive insight into the functioning of the White House and world politics.

Despite being unduly descriptive, the book is informative wherever not too much political, and Obama’s narrative and persuasive style indeed makes it very engaging. So do put this book on your bucket list if you are interested to know how the journey from an average African- American person to the U.S. President had been and how Barack Obama assumed the responsibilities of the world’s most coveted position. Also, if you want a genuine review about how the White House functions and the complexity of relationships that the United States has with various countries, which enables it to be immensely powerful- this book should be a definite read!

Do drop a comment/ review on your thoughts about this book :)