Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama (2005, Abridged, Compact Disc)

"Dreams from My Father," written by U.S. Senator and presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Hussein Obama, is a candid autobiography which portrays Obama's struggles with racial identity being the son of black Kenyanian man Barack Hussein Obama Sr. and white American Stanley "Ann" Dunham. The father unable to take Ann and Barack with him to Harvard University after winning a scholarship. He left the family, and him and Ann divorced. Barack only saw his father one more time when he was 10 years old. When a distant relative informed Barack of his father's untimely death in an automobile accident, Barack decided to explore his heritage. Prior to his father's death, Barack lived in Indonesia with his mother, stepfather, and half-sister. His mother sent him to live with her parents in Hawaii and there he admitted dabbling with cocaine. He managed to attend Occidential College then transfered to Columbia University to finish his bachelor's and attended Harvard Law. Afterwards, he decided to move to Chicago to be a community organizer and a civil rights attorney. Overall, the emotional story demostrates one young man's determination to fit in and find out who he really is. A man who changed his life around and dedicated his life to fight for what he believes in. Now, that's change we can believe in.

I am white and grew up in Oakland. Most of my friends were black. In the mid 60's, things started to get ugly. Friendships broke apart along racial lines. Even though I was being taught in school that the civil war had ended slavery and America was the land of the free, I was, at age 12, becomming aware of the "original sin" of America that Obama speaks of. Now, at age 55, this book provides some answers to questions that started in my head so long ago. This book is about race and that's a fact. If you are white, you will hear things that you might not ever get to hear any other way. This is a black man speaking to you. He is intelligent and well spoken. He is our President. This is not a political book. If you want that, then read Obama's other book, The Audacity of Hope.

This book helped me to have a better understanding of Barak H. Obama II, and have a better understanding of the underpinnings of his values (very conerning). . . with Barak as the president curent president this book provides a good view of the significant racial bias he has already evidenced and liberal view point espouse during this first few months in office. Learn about this new president by reading the book and be very . . . very . . . afraid. You will really have a better appreciation of the risk to this country and the world by reading "his" book. Ghasp : - 0