Obama: A Promise of Change »

David Mendell, author of Obama: From Promise to Power, has been writing about politics and urban issues for the Chicago Tribune since 1998. Mr. Mendell lives in Oak Park, Illinois.

Biography of Barack Obama, from his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia to his presidential campaign.

Barack Obama captured America's attention when he delivered his renowned keynote address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Since then, he has come to represent unity among people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Follow the story of a boy named Barry, from his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia to his time at Occidental College studying Nietzsche. Obama's desire to make the world better prompted him to become a community organizer in Chicago, attend Harvard Law School, and eventually set his sights on a U.S. senatorial seat. By encouraging his many followers to believe in America's great promise, Obama has become a symbol of hope and change.

VOYA

He was eloquent but it was a politician's talk. A Kenyan student made this comment during Barack Obama's 2006 visit to Africa. That trip was meant to be a touching reunion with his father's people but comes across more as a publicity event, part of "The Plan" Obama's advisers have charted for his career. This adaptation of the author's adult-marketed Obama: From Promise to Power (Amistad/HarperCollins, 2008) is a smoothly written account of Senator Obama's life from childhood with a single mother to inspiring presidential candidacy. He is portrayed as a powerfully eloquent speaker with the ability to leave audiences with a renewed sense of hope for their lives and their country. Excerpts from several of his speeches are captivating, but this quick-reading biography dances across the Senator's surface only. There are no specifics concerning either what he has accomplished or what he will do and no list of legislative bills written or sponsored by him although his opposition to the war in Iraq is quite clear. There are few references to his extended family and any struggles he might have because of his mixed-racial heritage. The controversial people in his life are avoided completely or in the case of his pastor Wright, mentioned without including any incendiary comments. Wife Michelle is depicted as his fiercest and most loyal supporter but practical also in her concern over the effect of his career and fame upon his family. In the end, readers have almost more understanding of her than of her husband. Reviewer: Pam Carlson

Acknowledgments     ix
Got Some Game     1
Dreams from His Mother     4
"Just Call Me Barry"     9
The Mainland     18
The Organizer     27
Harvard     34
Sweet Home Chicago     41
Politics     49
The Legislator     54
The Candidate     61
The Consultant     67
The Race Factor     75
The Small Screen     83
A Victory     90
The Ryan Files     97
The Speech     102
Back to Illinois     110
The Senator     117
South Africa     127
Nairobi     135
Siaya: A Father's Home     143
LeBron Revisited     157
Afterword     165
Notes     168