Given the political atmosphere after the recent elections it made sense that I should read this book. The book is not at all what I was expecting. It is 2 parts the beginning of a promising political campaign, 1 part inspiration and affirmation of faith, and 3 parts political education for the masses. I think the educational material is the most helpful aspect of the book. In addition to a glimpse at life as a senator, it also contains important information about constitutional law and a good synopsis of political history and foreign policy in America over the last 100 years. I suspect that for many this may be "new" information and it should help educate many people about those topics. but it did become verbose at times. Since most of the political information in modern America is delivered by people like Rush Limbaugh and John Stewart whose aim is to con people into a state of despair and fury, it is a much needed breath of fresh air for someone to write such an informative book. It should help counter the culture of sound bytes, catch phrases, and partisan brain-washing.

My favorite story from the book is when Obama describes a conversation with Warren Buffet, the 2nd richest man in America. In the conversation Buffet comments that he can't understand why the Bush administration and republican led congress decided they would cut HIS taxes. He said that he didn't need a tax cut and that thanks to the Bush tax cuts now his secretary pays a higher tax rate than he does. That should be an eye opener to everyone. Even the richest people on the planet realize they are reaping such great benefits of our government run economic system that they should chip in more than (or atleast as much as) the people that are not afforded access to the most lucrative areas of prosperity.

In review, the book could have been much shorter and still been just as effective, but it is an important book worth reading. I'm not sure about the political future of Barack Obama. I tend to agree with him on a vast majority of issues but I still don't get the feeling that I know him much better after reading this book. I wonder if he is someone that will have trouble letting the public understand him his complex personality and cultural history. I think this book was his attempt to flex his intellectual muscles in a public setting and prove his vast knowledge of America politics, the law, foreign policy, and his passion for the constitution. If that was his objective then he succeeded. If he wanted to sell himself as a viable candidate for president despite his lack of experience, then he stills has some work to do. Of course he still has 2 years to get that job done. Personally, I hope he can do it but he will need to prove that he can beat whoever the Republicans run against him before he will get my vote.

In our current state of divided and over-hyped partisanship, the most important thing that we all can do is READ BOOKS BY PEOPLE YOU DON'T AGREE WITH! If we all just sit around talking and listenting to people that have the same background and views then we will never progress and reach greater hieghts as a democracy. We need to reach out to other cultures and political philosophies so that we can learn and grow. You may be surprised to learn that Rush Limbaugh doesn't have a good grasp on the goals and motivations of liberals so he isn't the best person to explain their values. You may also learn that John Stewart and Bill Maher completely underestimate and trivialize what drives the heartland toward conservatism. Everyone needs to ask themselves if they really understand the motivations and objectives of political interests across the board. If we all just assume everyone that is not exactly like us has it all wrong then we will create deeply divided pockets of religious and political fundamentalism that will result in hate, bigotry, and chaos. You might say we are already there.