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==Reception==
==Reception==
A "political biography that concentrates on the senator's core values," according to the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'',<ref>{{cite news | first = Mike | last = Dorning | date = October 11, 2006 | title = First Glimpse of Obama's New Memoir | url = http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2006/10/first_glimpse_of_obamas_new_me.html | publisher = Chicago Tribune | accessdate = 2007-06-21}}</ref> ''[[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".<ref name="Kakutani">{{cite news | first = Michiko | last = Kakutani | title = Obama’s Foursquare Politics, With a Dab of Dijon | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/books/17kaku.html?ex=1182571200&en=e5834d23c1b9ebba&ei=5070 | date = October 17, 2006 | publisher = New York Times | accessdate = 2007-06-21}}</ref>
A "political biography that concentrates on the senator's core values," according to the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'',<ref>{{cite news | first = Mike | last = Dorning | date = October 11, 2006 | title = First Glimpse of Obama's New Memoir | url = http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2006/10/first_glimpse_of_obamas_new_me.html | publisher = Chicago Tribune | accessdate = 2007-06-21}}</ref> ''[[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".<ref name="Kakutani">{{cite news | first = Michiko | last = Kakutani | title = Obama’s Foursquare Politics, With a Dab of Dijon | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/books/17kaku.html?ex=1182571200&en=e5834d23c1b9ebba&ei=5070 | date = October 17, 2006 | publisher = New York Times | accessdate = 2007-06-21}}</ref>

Noting that in the book Obama writes that, "There will be times when we must again play the role of the world's reluctant sheriff," [[Boston Globe]] columnist Jeff Jacoby writes, "there will almost surely be times in Obama's administration when the United States will have to use force when others won't, to defend its principles or protect a threatened party."<ref name="Jacoby">Jacoby, Jeff, "[http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/11/09/obama_lovefest_wont_last/ Obama lovefest won't last]" November 9, 2008.</ref> Other have wondered how the hopeful tone of the book has held up. "It was only last year that I bought ''The Audacity Of Hope'' by this fellow called Barack Obama. How audacious hope seemed back then!" according to commentator [[Mark Steyn]].<ref name="Steyn">Steyn, Mark, "[http://www.steynonline.com/content/view/1446/ No Change]", ''National Review,'' November 2007.</ref>


The ''Chicago Tribune'' credits the large crowds that gathered at book signings with influencing Obama's decision to run for president.<ref>{{cite news | first=Mike | last=Dorning | coauthors= Christi Parsons | title=Carefully Crafting the Obama 'Brand' | date=June 12, 2007 | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama_senate_recordjun12,1,48733.story | work=Chicago Tribune | accessdate=2008-01-14}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite news | first=Gary | last=Hart | title=American Idol | date=December 24, 2006 | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E1D61531F937A15751C1A9609C8B63 | work=New York Times | accessdate=2008-01-14}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Tomasky | title=The Phenomenon | date=November 30, 2006 | publisher=Internet Archive | url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19651 | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070401154934/http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19651 | archivedate=2007-04-01 | work=New York Review of Books | accessdate=2008-01-14}}</ref>
The ''Chicago Tribune'' credits the large crowds that gathered at book signings with influencing Obama's decision to run for president.<ref>{{cite news | first=Mike | last=Dorning | coauthors= Christi Parsons | title=Carefully Crafting the Obama 'Brand' | date=June 12, 2007 | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama_senate_recordjun12,1,48733.story | work=Chicago Tribune | accessdate=2008-01-14}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite news | first=Gary | last=Hart | title=American Idol | date=December 24, 2006 | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E1D61531F937A15751C1A9609C8B63 | work=New York Times | accessdate=2008-01-14}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Tomasky | title=The Phenomenon | date=November 30, 2006 | publisher=Internet Archive | url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19651 | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070401154934/http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19651 | archivedate=2007-04-01 | work=New York Review of Books | accessdate=2008-01-14}}</ref>

Revision as of 14:36, 20 February 2009

The Audacity of Hope
AuthorBarack Obama
LanguageEnglish
SubjectPolitical convictions
PublisherCrown/Three Rivers Press
Publication date
October 17, 2006
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
Pages288
ISBNISBN 0-307-23769-9 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
Preceded byDreams from My Father 

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 totalled $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]


Reception

A "political biography that concentrates on the senator's core values," according to the Chicago Tribune,[5] 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.[6] 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."[7] 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."[8]

An Italian edition was published in April 2007 with a preface by Walter Veltroni,[9] former Mayor of Rome, currently leader of Italy's Democratic Party and one of Obama's earliest supporters overseas, who met the Obama in Washington in 2005[10] and has been referred to as "Obama's European counterpart."[11]

Spanish and German translations were published in June 2007;[12] the French edition, subtitled une nouvelle conception de la politique américaine, was published in October 2007.[13] The Croatian edition was published in October 2008.[14]

The book remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for the 30 weeks since publication.[15] The audiobook version won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.[16]

Versions and translations

  • English: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream,
    • hardcover Crown (October 17, 2006), ISBN 978-030-723-769-9
    • audio CD: RH Audio; Abridged edition (October 17, 2006), ISBN 978-073-933-408-9
    • large print Random House Large Print (November 7, 2006), ISBN 978-073-932-665-7
  • Albanian: Marin Barleti University Press, (November 17, 2008) [1]
  • Chinese: translated by Luo Xuanmin, Jing Wang and Yin Yin Law Press at Beijing, (August 25, 2008), ISBN 978-750-368-690-0 [2]
  • Dutch: De herovering van de Amerikaanse droom, Atlas (Amsterdam), (2007), ISBN 978-904-501-380-0
  • French: L'audace d'espérer: une nouvelle conception de la politique américaine, Presses de la Cité, (April 5, 2007) 368 p., ISBN 978-225-807-451-4
  • German: Hoffnung wagen. Gedanken zur Rückbesinnung auf den American Dream, Riemann Verlag, (April 5, 2007), 466 p., ISBN 978-357-050-081-1 [3]
  • Greek: Tolmō na elpizō : skepseis gia tēn anaktēsē tou Amerikannikou oneirou, metaphrasē Royla Kokolioy, Polis (Athēna), (2008) 467 p., ISBN 978-960-435-168-8
  • Indonesian Menerjang harapan : dari Jakarta menuju Gedung Putih, Ufuk Press, Jakarta, Indonesia, (2007), ISBN
  • Italian: l'Audacia della speranza, traduttore: Laura Cecilia Dapelli, Lorenza Lanza, Patrizia Vicentini, Introduttore: Walter Veltroni, ISBN 978-881-701-658-2
  • Polish : Odwaga nadziei : [moja droga życiowa, wartości i ideały polityczne], translated by Grzegorz Kołodziejczyk, Wydawn. Albatros A. Kuryłowicz (Warszawa), (2008), ISBN 978-837-359-801-0
  • Russian: Derzost' Nadezhdy (October 2008) ISBN 978-5-395-00209-9 [4] [5]
  • Spanish: La audacia de la esperanza: Reflexiones sobre cómo restaurar el sueño americano, translated by Claudia Casanova and Juan Elroy Roca, Knopf Publishing Group (June 19, 2007), ISBN 978-030-738-711-0
  • Swedish: Att våga hoppas : tankar om den amerikanska drömmen, translated by Thomas Engström, Bonnier (Stockholm), (2008), ISBN 978-910-011-807-5
  • Vietnamese: Hy vọng táo bạo : suy nghĩ vè̂ việc tìm lại giá̂c mơ Mỹ, translated by Hà̆ng Nguyẽ̂n, Nhà xuá̂t bản Trẻ (Thành phó̂ Hò̂ Chí Minh), (2008), OCLC 298347843

References

  1. ^ a b Kakutani, Michiko (October 17, 2006). "Barack Obama's Foursquare Politics, With a Dab of Dijon". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-06-21. Cite error: The named reference "Kakutani" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Could Oprah Help Elect Obama? - News & Features (washingtonian.com)". Washingtonian.com. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  3. ^ "Book Notes — washingtonpost.com". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  4. ^ The transcript of a speech by Barack Obama
  5. ^ Dorning, Mike (October 11, 2006). "First Glimpse of Obama's New Memoir". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  6. ^ Dorning, Mike (June 12, 2007). "Carefully Crafting the Obama 'Brand'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2008-01-14. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Hart, Gary (December 24, 2006). "American Idol". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  8. ^ Tomasky, Michael (November 30, 2006). "The Phenomenon". New York Review of Books. Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  9. ^ "L'audacia della speranza" (in Italian). Libreria Rizzoli. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  10. ^ "Il politico prevale sull' amministratore" (in Italian). Corriere della Sera. April 30, 2005. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  11. ^ Tracy Wilkinson (February 25, 2008). "Obama's European counterparts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  12. ^ Lobb, Annelena (June 19, 2007). "Obama, en Español". Wall Street Journal Online. Retrieved 2008-01-14. "Hoffnung wagen". Riemann. June 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  13. ^ "L'Audace d'espérer". Presses de la Cité Etranger. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  14. ^ "Predstavljena Obamina knjiga". Retrieved 2008-11-5. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Text "Croatian Radiotelevision" ignored (help)
  15. ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Nonfiction". New York Times. May 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
  16. ^ "Obama beats ex-presidents for audiobook Grammy". Associated Press. 2008-02-10. Retrieved 2008-02-10.

External links

Book excerpts

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