The Audacity of Hope

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream is the second book written by President of the United States Barack Obama.[1] In the fall of 2006, it became number one on both the New York Times and Amazon.com bestsellers lists after being endorsed by Oprah Winfrey.[2] In the book, Obama expounds on many of the subjects that became part of his 2008 campaign for the Presidency. The book advance from the publisher of $1.9 million contracted for three books.[3] Origin The title of The Audacity of Hope was derived from a sermon delivered by Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. While a Senate candidate, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention, entitled The Audacity of Hope that propelled him to national prominence. In the less than 20 minutes it took to deliver the speech, Obama was catapulted to sudden fame, with many analysts predicting that he might be well-positioned to enter a future presidential race. In 2006, Obama released The Audacity of Hope, a book-length account that expanded upon many of the same themes he originally addressed in the convention speech. In his speech addressing the Democratic National Convention in 2004, Obama said: “In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope? John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope. I'm not talking about blind optimism here -- the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't talk about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. No, I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope![4] ” Content “I am a Democrat. My views on most topics correspond more closely to the editorial pages of the New York Times than those of the Wall Street Journal. But that is not all that I am.... I believe in the free market, competition, and entrepreneurship, and think no small number of government programs don’t work as advertised.... I think America has more often been a force for good than for ill in the world; I carry few illusions about our enemies, and revere the courage and competence of our military.[5] ” “Of course, not all my conversations in immigrant communities follow this easy pattern. In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific assurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.[6] ” “There will be times when we must again play the role of the world’s reluctant sheriff. This will not change - nor should it. On the other hand, it’s time we acknowledge that a defense budget and force structure built principally around the prospect of World War III makes little strategic sense. ” Reception A "political biography that concentrates on the senator's core values," according to the Chicago Tribune,[7] The New York Times noted that "Mr. Obama’s new book, ‘The Audacity of Hope’ ... is much more of a political document. Portions of the volume read like outtakes from a stump speech, and the bulk of it is devoted to laying out Mr. Obama’s policy positions on a host of issues, from education to health care to the war in Iraq".[1] The Chicago Tribune credits the large crowds that gathered at book signings with influencing Obama's decision to run for president.[8] Former presidential candidate Gary Hart describes the book as Obama's "thesis submission" for the U.S. presidency: "It presents a man of relative youth yet maturity, a wise observer of the human condition, a figure who possesses perseverance and writing skills that have flashes of grandeur."[9] Reviewer Michael Tomasky writes that it does not contain "boldly innovative policy prescriptions that will lead the Democrats out of their wilderness," but does show Obama's potential to "construct a new politics that is progressive but grounded in civic traditions that speak to a wider range of Americans."[10] An Italian edition was published in April 2007 with a preface by Walter Veltroni,[11] former Mayor of Rome, currently leader of Italy's Democratic Party and one of Obama's earliest supporters overseas, who met the Illinois Senator in Washington in 2005[12] and has been referred to as "Obama's European counterpart."[13] Spanish and German translations were published in June 2007;[14] the French edition, subtitled une nouvelle conception de la politique américaine, was published in October 2007.[15] The Croatian edition was published in October 2008.[16] The book remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for the 30 weeks since publication.[17] The audiobook version won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.[18] References ^ a b Kakutani, Michiko (October 17, 2006). "Obama’s Foursquare Politics, With a Dab of Dijon", New York Times. Retrieved on 21 June 2007. ^ "Could Oprah Help Elect Obama? - News & Features (washingtonian.com)". Washingtonian.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-17. ^ "Book Notes — washingtonpost.com". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-17. ^ The transcript of a speech by Barack Obama ^ Obama, p. 10. ^ Obama, p. 261 ^ Dorning, Mike (October 11, 2006). "First Glimpse of Obama's New Memoir", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 21 June 2007. ^ Dorning, Mike; Christi Parsons (June 12, 2007). "Carefully Crafting the Obama 'Brand'", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 14 January 2008. ^ Hart, Gary (December 24, 2006). "American Idol", New York Times. Retrieved on 14 January 2008. ^ Tomasky, Michael (November 30, 2006). "The Phenomenon", New York Review of Books, Internet Archive. Retrieved on 14 January 2008. Archived from the original on 1 April 2007. ^ "L'audacia della speranza" (in Italian). Libreria Rizzoli. Retrieved on 2008-03-18. ^ "Il politico prevale sull' amministratore" (in Italian). Corriere della Sera (April 30, 2005). Retrieved on 2008-03-18. ^ Tracy Wilkinson (February 25, 2008). "Obama's European counterparts", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 18 March 2008. ^ Lobb, Annelena (June 19, 2007). "Obama, en Español", Wall Street Journal Online. Retrieved on 14 January 2008. "Hoffnung wagen", Riemann (June 2007). Retrieved on 14 January 2008. ^ "L’Audace d’espérer", Presses de la Cité Etranger. Retrieved on 17 February 2008. ^ "[tt_news=19793&tx_ttnews[backPid]=23&cHash=f3d0d5640c Predstavljena Obamina knjiga]". Retrieved on 2008-11-5. ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Nonfiction". New York Times (May 27, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-27. ^ "Obama beats ex-presidents for audiobook Grammy", Associated Press (2008-02-10). Retrieved on 10 February 2008.