5 comments about Obama: From Promise to Power.

1. I just finished reading this book today. Although I've been drinking the Kool-Aid for some time now, it was great to read an objective biography that was fair, candid, and did a good job of recording what happened behind the scenes during Obama's sudden rise to the threshold of the presidency. Even though he tries to be objective and does a good job painting a fairly complete, believable picture of Obama the man as well as the politican, Mendell clearly admires Obama and the overall impression I came away with was very positive.
   
   I'm giving the book four stars because Mendell has what I feel is an annoying tendency to interject himself into the story instead of being a strict chronicler. Also, the book stops right as Obama makes the announcement to run for the presidency. It feels like an unfinished work. I read another reviewer state Mendell is working on a follow-up. I sure hope so, because I'd love to find out the behind-the-scenes events that led to the debates, Iowa, and Super Tuesday.



2. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R11Q7UEY8OJ1OX Here's a mainstream media account of Obama that happens to be objective and fair. It contains the story of his life, and Mendell refuses to portray him as a savior even though he really likes the guy. It's definitely useful for conservatives as Mendell's liberal bonafides are unimpeachable. A fine read I thought overall.



3. I just got done reading this and am in process of reading Obama's autobiography as well as McCain's "Faith of My Fathers". I was pleasantly surprised at the frankness of the journalist (Mendell) and I actually viewed Obama in a much more human light and thought it was refreshing to hear about the good and the bad in one book, instead of only good or only bad (most of the current choices on the bookstands). I think that Mendell's point of view from having been around him from the beginning of his political aspirations in Chicago, it gives a much clearer view than an outsiders into what makes him tick and what motivates him. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!! - I am reading lots of other books before making my voting decision, but it definitely was pulling me towards Obama.
   
   --a former Republican



4. This was a good book that suceeds in showing Obama's early political career. The only drawback to it is that the author clearly shows his newspaper roots. Rather than write the book in story form, I got the strong impression that I was reading an incredibly long newspaper article. That style issue aside, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the man and his history in a clear and straightforward way.



5. A very good read and seemingly objectively written. He seems to call it like he sees it and not trying to butter up to Obama. He is critical in what seems a proper fashion and is not afraid to offer complementary remarks where appropriate. Gives you the feeling that you are getting an honest view of Obama. Mendell's writing does not get in the way of what he is trying to say.

5 comments about The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: A Jewish Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World (P.S.).

1. My parents were actually Egyptian Jews living in Cairo and Alexandria in the 1950s and fled in the mid 50s due to Nasser's tyranny. My mother has been reading the book the past week and has goose bumps reading essentially the same story, addresses, schools, bakery, cafes etc. of her life. True, every family's story is slightly different, but the facts are essentially identical. My mother and her family lived this story and actually knew some of the people in the story. Well done to Lucette on shedding light on a part of history that many do not know - only the Holocaust is focused on. So many Egyptian Jews lost their livelihood, fortunes, property and dignity simply because of their religion.



2. The first part of the book in Cairo, as others have mentioned before me, was intriguing for a reader like me who loves to read about people and places outside of my sphere of experience. And especially I seem to be drawn to Middle Eastern/African settings.
   The elegant Cairo of a long gone era was very interesting as were the family members.
   But the book went downhill in the second half. I kept hoping for a larger understanding from the author and a comprehension and conclusions drawn about her family and their situation that would raise it above the whine level.
   And as an animal lover as much as I tried the nagging thoughts of how the cats who were so much a part of their family were cast aside so easily became symbolic of the family's ethics in general.
   So basically I ended the book feeling more sorry for the abandoned cats than the family members who I increasingly found harder to like.



3. I found the book very interesting and the story well told. Her conclusion that that the bureaucrats who wavered about bringing her father over should be pleased that he was a good credit risk is totally wrong. Yes, he paid back the JEWISH relief agency for their passage, but sold ties under the counter, for cash so never had to report any income and pay any taxes to this country. His family had large medical expenses paid for by the welfare system of this country. None of his children served in the military of this country. So as far as the United States is concerned all this family did was take. They also seem to have no appreciation for the large economic burden they placed on the citizens of this country.



4. What a wonderful book. In may ways it is a book that anyone who's family has immigrated from another country can identify with and enjoy. She is a wonderful writer, you will find yourself laughing out loud at some passages and terribly sad at others, but it is worth reading. I enjoyed every page and have already passed it on to others who feel the same way. Don't pass this one up.



5. This is my favorite book of the year. It combines all of my interests - Jewish history, family struggles, impact of culture, and so much more. The author spent her early years in Egypt and the family was forced out by anti-semitism. While in Egypt, they lived a glamorous life for many years, but with a father whose moods ranged from loving to abusive. From there they entered a generation of poverty. The writing is beautiful. Too often personal memoirs seem to wane 1/2 way through, but this book continued to engage me and I really didn't want it to end.

5 comments about Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood.

1. I read this book, and I was very unimpressed with the amount of opinion Satrapi put out as fact. The story is clearly biased against the Islamic Republic, which is fine, but is overly so. Satrapi never gives explanations on events that are critical to the entire picture. She never gives the reasons for why so many of her family members were harassed, and even killed. From what I read, I understand that her family were communists, and at the time, communists were trying to seize power in the revolution. Many of the groups against the existing government including communists spread havoc, and provoked terrorism, but Satrapi never says these things. She just names who were killed. She claims things like Iran rejected an offer of peace in the Iran-Iraq war from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, but doesn't go on and say that the conditions to that "peace" would devastate the economy.
   
   Besides these faults, I enjoyed some parts of the book. It portrayed many parts of Iranian culture in a bad light, but was written and drawn powerfully. I would say it is propaganda, but I think it is written too well to have been motivated for propaganda.



2. This book was needed for a college course I am taking and I never got it. I just hope the one I purchased for the second time gets to me before I need to read the book.



3. People often associate comic books with childrens' fiction, as if the medium itself is inflexible. Some of us the comic lovers know that is not the case. And case in point Persepolis - where the emotions of a little girl in the politically and socially charged Iran takes us through what would have been a blind journey. I think pictures don't necessarily paint a thousand words, it paints many, and it leaves the number to the reader. While written words force a description on your mind, a picture leaves a lot to your imagination. It lights the spark with the image, and the image takes on its own life in your mind. This is what I felt while reading Persepolis, where just with two shades, Marjane Satrapi gives us enough fodder to ruminate in the visual fields of our imagination. I could see the drastic transformation of one of her neighbours going from a mini-skirt to the veiled burkha.
   
   Marjane Satrapi is gifted and trained no doubt, and it shows in the depictions of emotions that are otherwise hard to describe. You may also want to look for books by Dupuy and Berberian, that tell of personable tales in their lives or fictitious characters drawn with similar dexterity.



4. With Marjane Satrapi's animated film playing in theatres and available on disc, I almost jumped at the chance to read her book, the part-comic/part-memoir of Satrapi's childhood in Tehran, Iran.
   
   To avoid confusion with more current events, `Marji' (as she was called as a child) recalls her upbringing in a Marxist family, the fall of the last Shah regime, the Islamic Revolution of 1979, and Iran's war against Iraq in the 80's. While Satrapi's words are powerful enough to get in your head and stay there, her simple black-and-white drawing style captures the laughter, the tears, and the raw emotion felt throughout the story. Though only an individual account, the story itself is quite vivid in describing how Iran had left a world of tyranny and chaos--only to wind up in another. Though controversial in its own right, "Persepolis" is still a riveting book for those seeking intelligent reading.
   
   This comic is unrated: Violence, Adult Language, Adult Situations.



5. I feel I learned more about the history of Iran through the eyes of a little girl who was practically forced to become an adult by the age of 14 than most textbooks. Marjane Satrapi, or "Marji" captured my attention, thanks to the successful marriage of her "crudely-drawn" panels and approachable narrative. While I have yet to read the sequel, I feel I know this individual on a personal level as the book fills us in on her deepest fears and hopes and conflicts.

5 comments about Resilience: Faith, Focus, Triumph.

1. I saw an interview with Alonzo Mourning during a showing of the 700 Club, and was impressed with his unwavering faith during his great physical trail with his health. His approach to his struggle with kidney disease is one with tremendous dignity and determination. For those of us who have the times in our lives when our belief and faith is in question, and you may wonder if you can continue, this is the book to assist you on the journey. The real joy for me is that when you make the purchase of this book, a portion of the proceeds goes to the Kidney Foundation to help others who are dealing with kidney disease. Way to go, Alonzo! : )



2. Excellent book. Alonzo has truly survived a turmoil life and came out of it a Great person. So glad his shared his story. Would recommend this book highly.



3. Alonso Mournings is a true hero on a compelling journey of courage, faith and being of service to others. HIs book Resislence is a must read that inspires and motivates the reader to to find their own courage. His honesty allows us a glimpse inside of this sports icon, to see his heart, to know his fears, and to see his humaness. Resislence was ne of the best books of the year.



4. I am a BIG fan of ZO and has been since his playing days at Georgetown. I can follow the book easily when talking about his earlier days in DC as I was born and raised there and know some of the events and people that he mentions in the book. He is an awesome man and I had the chance to meet him a couple of years ago and he is a very friendly, easy going individual and has come a long way. This is an excellent read and I almost finished it in one day. I recommend this book to all.



5. I have always liked Alonzo Mourning as a basketball player. I now have new found respect for a guy I already thought was top of the class in the NBA. After reading this wonderful book, I have a new found respect and I like him even more. I love how he is such a family man and his family and God comes first. He is a great role model for not just his son, but for many young men who look up to the NBA stars and want to be just like them. I just hope that a fraction of our young men, turn out half as a wonderful human being as Alonzo is. This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me happy and made me upset. I felt that I was right along every good and bad thing that happened to him. I just loved reading each page and hated to get to the end. Keep up the great work that you have started Zo.

5 comments about Hopes and Dreams:The Story of Barack Obama: Revised And Updated.

1. I am currently reading "The Audacity of Hope" and ordered this one more as a coffee table book. I also ordered this one because my husband who is working 50 hours plus a week and going to school part time doesn't have time to read more on Obama that he would like to. This book is perfect for those who are short on time but would like to find out more about Obama. The pictures are wonderful and the story is just as good ... it is more of an outline than an actual book, but it's inspiring, full of tales, quotes and a lot of it can be found in "The Audacity of Hope," which does go in more details about Obama and his vision for the future.
   
   There is also a brief autiobiography about Obama, his struggles as a teenager and as a young adult, campaigning all over the state of Illnois where often there would only be a few people gathered together to hear him speak. In spite of the odds, he never gave up. He never gave up his hope and vision for a united America and that alone is his charm. After watching the presidential debates on TV and watching him speak at the Democratic National Convention, not only is he charming, it is evident that he is a hard-working man willing to work with both sides of the aisle to get things done. He is not your typical politician where fighting and the backlashing is the norm. He disagrees with that philosophy and for the first time since I can remember, he is the politican that I would love to see more of.
   
   This book is just a reflection of that desire and there is an updated version of this book which I am tempted to get for my kids' sake. Whatever people may think of Obama, reading his books and hearing him speak ... he is definitely the man of the times.
   
   11/11/08



2. The biography reflects the life of president-elect Barack Obama by way of pictures, text passages and quotations. The author Steve Dougherty has a nose for Obama's typical statements. Combining quotations like "Not before you prepare yourself for something bigger than you think you`re capable of, will you recognize your real potential" with fascinating images of a moving life result in an informative illustrated book. Pictures from his youth, his family life, his college life, his political years of apprenticeship, beginnings of the election campaign until presidency give a good impression of the life of the candidate. The photo editorial by Hal Buells moves along at eye level with the text passages and quotations.
   It seems as if author and photographers constantly accompanied Barack Obama. This illustrated book is deeply moving. It will fill all those with enthusiasm who sympathize with the president-elect. Hope and dreams belong to the keywords of the new president. This biography illustrates how dreams can come true und how to live with hope so that it inspires people worldwide.



3. This is a great overview of Obama's life. It is short and to the point. It also contains a lot of nice photos.My kids(11&13) and I enjoyed it.



4. The book is great with good color photos, interesting reading, will make a good addition to my history collection



5. I purchased this book for a little over $6.00. It's obvious the cost of the book is subsidized by someone--probably the DNC or George Soris. It's a typical fluff piece--you won't find any meat inside. Save your money. It's not even worth $6.00!

2 comments about Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope.

1. thoughtful and well-written. an interesting if somewhat unconventional delivery--the author combines michelle's story with a bit of her own, often suggesting an allegory between mrs. obama's humble roots and the happenings within her own respective life. this does occasionally detract from the main focus, but it also provides some interesting subtext that makes an at-times detached presidential spouse seem all the more familiar. overall, 'grace and intelligence' provides us with the rare biography that not only conveys the subject's life from an outward perspective but also draws us closer to a woman with whom we all, whether we realize it or not, can relate.



2. I am so excited to read this biography of Michelle Obama. She is smart, beautiful, hard-working, and a dedicated mother. For people who say you can't do it all, Michelle is the proof that you can! And she does it with grace and elegance, all from the heart, with sincerity that many other political figures don't show. My only regret with this Kindle edition is that I can't share it with my daughter!
   
   UPDATE: Now that I've finished the book, I have to say I'm very disappointed. I am a BIG fan of Michelle Obama, but the author wrote this book without ever speaking with, or even having a personal e-mail from, Michelle. She basically Googled Michelle Obama and wrote about whatever she found on the internet. The author pretty quickly exhausts her info about Obama and then spends a lot of the book talking about her own uninteresting suburban life. What a bummer!

5 comments about The Color of Water 10th Anniversary Edition.

1. I purchased this immediately after reading "Miracle at St. Anna" by the same author ... and after googling his name. What a great, inspirational, moving tribute (to his mom and his family) and story (for us all). This, along with movies like American History X, should be mandatory reading/viewing in high schools all across this country. Can diverse peoples get along? To quote Sarah Palin (irony intended): "You betcha."
   
   This is a wonderful read. Bravo to Mr. McBride.



2. This book is an autobiography by James McBride about the conjunction of an African-American male by the name of Andrew Dennis McBride and a Caucasian female by the name of Ruth McBride. After having twelve children, life becomes hectic in the McBride household. However, this chaos isn't quite as severe as the abuse that Ruth receives as a child.
   
   Tateh, Ruth's father, sexually abuses, beats, and works Ruth as a youngster. Ruth is forced to work in a store that Tateh owns to help support the Jewish family. Because of this and Tateh's cheating on his wife, Ruth decides to run away after her brother, Sam, did also. She is pregnant from her African-American boyfriend, Peter, and doesn't want to deal with the havoc that would be given from her family as well.
   
   After leaving her family and separating from her boyfriend, Ruth meets a new Christian man in Harlem, where she runs away, by the name of Dennis. Because Ruth despise the racial slurs thrown at her for being Jewish her whole life, she decides to convert to a Christian. The couple open a church called The New Brown Memorial Church to remember their favorite preacher, Reverend Brown. Unfortunately,before Dennis's and Ruth's eighth child, James, Dennis passes away from lung cancer. After moving onto her final husband, Hunter Jordan, she gives birth to four more children.
   
   Throughout this memoir, James is able to relate his life to his mothers. Because of this, he becomes addicted to drugs, but eventually is able to straighten out his life with his sister, Jack, to recognize the importance of independence and hard work.



3. I started to write first rate mixed-race memoir, but hell, this is just plain first rate writing no matter how you slice it. As one of 12 kids in desperately poor conditions, McBride survived and triumphed, as apparently did all 11 of his siblings. And they owe much of this to their mother, who did her best for them. This is a "double memoir," being the story of both the author and his mother, a Jewish immigrant who survived an abusive and nearly loveless childhood, but finally found love - twice - and somehow successfully raised all those kids, the products of two good matches with men who took their parenting responsibilities seriously. I wonder if Barack Obama has read this book. There are undoubtedly personal and racial identity problems here to which he could relate. If I could call him up, I'd certainly recommend it to him. I'm also recommending it to another author I know, Stella Suberman, who wrote the warm memoir of growing up Jewish in the south, THE JEW STORE. But hey, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know a little more about the nature of being a human being. - Tim Bazzett, author of Reed City Boy



4. Lets imagine that a Jewish author writes a book that features all the well known evil racist stereotypes of Afro-Americans. Everyone would be up in arms (justifiably) and condemn the book. Here we have a book penned by an Afro-American that contains many anti-Semitic stereotypes supposedly related to the author by his mother who pathologically rejected her Jewish roots, and everyone praises the book. I am both puzzled and offended. In addition if his mother had used the same child rearing practices 20 years later her children would have been sent to foster homes.



5. I think this story trancends race. It's really just a story of a mother who made choices and gave her all in an extremely trying environement. I was moved. I read this after reading Miracle at St. Anna which was great!

5 comments about The Faith of Barack Obama.

1. There is no shortage of information out there about president-elect Obama, but I really appreciated Stephen Mansfield's fairly objective pre-election portrayal of our 44th president and his faith. Mansfield provides well-reserached details about Obama's life, family background and encounters with different religions, and he describes to the best of his ability what it is Obama believes and has faith in. The fact is, we all have faith in something, and Mansfield makes it pretty clear that Obama does believe in God and Jesus, and to him that means carrying out Jesus' mission to help the poor and needy and to fight social injustice. Mansfield tackles the controversial issues of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's influence on Obama as his pastor of many years and Obama's voting record and stance on abortion rights. He tries to highlight both sides of the arguments and provides a foundation of facts for the reader to make up his or her mind. One of my favorite chapters profiled the "four faces of faith in politics:" Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush. Though Mansfield tries to stay objective about Obama's faith, he does make the point that the political landscape in regards to faith and religion is changing, including the emergence and growth of the Religious Left.



2. In this short, accessible book, Stephen Mansfield explores the religious beliefs, commitments and convictions of Barack Obama. Additionally, Mansfield supplies a short Spiritual biography for Obama and explores the theology that underlies his faith. Some might assume that Mansfield's book is an attempt to "Christianize" Obama in order to make him more palatable to Evangelicals. Others might assume that it is a thinly disguised hatchet-job expose', written with the intention of showing Obama's supposed Christianity to be a politically expedient prop. Both of these assumptions are incorrect. For starters, Mansfield is also the author of "The Faith of George W. Bush", and "The Faith of the American Soldier". He approaches the subject as an investigative journalist, with neither rose-colored glasses or an ax to grind.
   
   Mansfield offers us profiles of both Barack Obama and his controversial former pastor Jeremiah Wright. In this context, he also offers a brief, but accurate explanation of "Black Theology". Mansfield has also really done his homework here, as he correctly points to the influential work of James Cone. Crucial to this theological perspective is the recognition that the Bible is primarily written by oppressed people to/for oppressed people. The assumption is that the experience of African Americans, with their history of slavery and oppression, are in a unique position to hear and understand the message of Scripture. Thus, a major focus of this theology is justice (with all of its social implications) for the poor and the oppressed. Even a casual reading of the Prophets, and the words of Jesus will prevent you from simply dismissing such a reading as completely ridiculous. This is the theological framework that underlies both Wright's comments and Obama's application and understanding of Christianity. While Wright is apparently a bit of an attention junkie, and I still find his comments to be inappropriate, the proper theological context certainly casts all of this in a somewhat different light. Mansfield also gives an insightful account of actually attending a service at Trinity United Church of Christ, which in some ways defied his expectations. As an interesting exercise in contrast and comparison, Mansfield offers one chapter comprised of short spiritual biographies/profiles of John McCain, Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush. Some may see this chapter as extraneous, but others may find the thought exercise helpful.
   
   Mansfield does not shy away from posing difficult questions for Obama, particularly when it comes to difficult issues such as his position on the question of abortion. He examines several areas of Obama's faith and its application that may be at least uncomfortable for may Evangelical Christians. However, he does not succumb to "Secret Muslim" conspiracy theories or wild sensationalism. His investigation is fair, and leaves it to the reader to make his or her own decisions and evaluations based on a reasonably non-biased and accurate account of Obama's apparently sincere faith. Some Christians may find their fears or misconceptions dispelled. Others may be deeply troubled by what they read. However you react, you will at least be making an evaluation from a place of understanding rather than speculation or unsubstantiated rumor.
   AE



3. Like many, I, too, found myself caught up in the rush to find out more and more about Barack Obama. He seemed to have some magic, that something special that had people comparing him to JFK. I wanted to know more and began to search the internet and book shelves for more. Stephen Mansfield's "The Faith of Barack Obama" provided me with a unique glimpse behind the curtain of what makes this unique young man, now the leader of our country, tick.
   
   In the process, it also gave me a peek at some of the other names that have filled out minds and thoughts lately, from Hillary Clinton to John McCain and other players in the campaign. All are presented as human being in light of their own religious experiences, humans with strengths and weaknesses and, quite frankly, I wish I had read this prior to the election.
   
   That said, I feel I should mention that one prominent name that we came to know during the election isn't mentioned. Who'd have known Sarah Palin, the governor of my state (Alaska), would be a major player in this election cycle. In some ways her absence from these pages is disappointing. I would love to read Mansfield's take on the prominent role religion plays in her life. In other ways, well, I'm relieved. The book is, after all, about Barack Obama and his interaction with the other players and no matter how much some have been drawn to Gov. Palin, she came to the stage late in the process and despite her role during the election itself, played no role beforehand.
   
   One of the most difficult things for me since reading this book as the aura of giddy glee over the election of Obama as President of the United States has been trying to somehow put everything in persepective. We watched Obama as he endured being attacked for his religion and/or supposed lack of it. His ties to Rev. Wright, examined at length in the book, and his personal religious beliefs as presented do help me make sense of what I saw happening, but it leaves one wanting to know "the rest of the story". That certainly isn't a lack in the book, no one could have known how the story would play out and the tremendous importance religion would take in this election, but serves only to make me look forward to a follow-up by Mansfield.
   
   "It is in this unfinished democracy that Obama now finds his greatest challenge," writes Mansfield near the conclusion. He goes on to declare, "He [Obama] is granting America, then -- whether he means to or not -- an opportunity to heal."
   
   Given the events of the past two years and more specifically the last two months of the election of 2008, this is an almost prophetic statement. Obama's message of hope was one that spoke to many, calling them to action and instilling hope in a better future. Reading "The Faith of Barack Obama", it's easy to see where Obama's faith in a better future originated. Without preaching to us, the readers, it lays out Obama's beliefs and how they'd been tested and molded over the years. As noted above, it does the same with other players in this year's election, too, to some extent. I picked up the book expecting it to be solely about Obama but found the inclusion of those about him a plus.
   
   In some ways, I'm not quite sure I've quite grasped all "The Faith of Barack Obama" has to offer. The election is too recent, the emotions too high. I plan to revisit it again and perhaps again. It offers a glimpse into what makes the most powerful leader in our world today tick and for that I'm grateful. I'm looking forward to getting to know Barack Obama and this is an excellent introduction.



4. It wasn't until Obama entered the doors of Trinity Church of Christ, that he began to discover his spiritual identity. It is at this point in the book that Mansfield is most balanced in telling the complete story. Much controversy was thrown Obama's way because of his church ties and the preaching of its former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. While Mansfield points out the obviously inflammatory comments of one of Obama's mentors, he is also quick to point out the good that the church is doing in the community. And how the Gospel is at the forefront of what they do.
   
   The strength of the book lies in the understanding of culture and the cafeteria-style religion of this generation. In the fifth chapter, The Four Faces of Faith, Mansfield lays out the role faith plays in the lives of our current president, George W. Bush, as well as in the lives of Obama's two greatest opponents on his bid for the presidency, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Each comes from a slightly different area and background. And each integrates their faith in a different way. Obama is no different. Mansfield does a masterful job of explaining that.
   
   [...]



5. Early in the Introduction to The Faith of Barack Obama, Mansfield hooked me, and I kept reading nonstop. What occurred to me quickly is this: We, the people of America, have made religious faith an issue in this campaign. In particular, the Republican party has made religion an issue for several decades, and the issue grows more and more narrow. Barack Obama did not make it a factor. He cashed in on it.
   
   Mansfield retells the story of the now famous 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston where Obama answered the Republican's challenge. This story strikes me as vitally important to understanding how the 2008 presidential race unfolded.
   
   In 2004, after Obama uttered a slice of his brilliant rhetoric, "We worship an awesome God in the blue states," he broadcasted the resounding call to action for his fellow liberals. He spoke nine important words which began something that could not be stopped and ended with his election to President of the United States:
   
   "No longer will we be painted as the nonbelievers."
   
   It's worth noting here that he wrote that speech and bragged on it before he delivered it to that thundering crowd who were there for John Kerry. Earlier that day, he'd quipped, "My speech is pretty good."
   
   Mansfield sums it up, "Clearly, he already had some sense of his destiny." Clearly.
   
   The author also calls our attention to the echo of these nine words resounding the footsteps of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the "religious faithful."
   
   If you read this book, The Faith of Barack Obama, you will know without a doubt how this election was bound to turn out. In the midst of so much rhetoric surrounding our 2008 presidential campaign and election, this book gets it right.
   
   Mansfield gives supberb treatment to explaining Obama's early life, so aptly characterized as a "religious swirl." I believe Barack Obama's total faith experience, including his long attendance at Trinity Church of Christ, has formed who he is and makes the decisions for him about what he wants to do in this life, much like my own faith has formed my values and faith and eagerness to serve.
   
   While a lot of Americans, including his political opponents, used this relationship to defame Obama's character, to condemn him to the voters, Mansfield's words here perform a great deed in painting Jeremiah Wright's background for us. The author makes sense of this outspoken pastor and shows us the context in which this high-spirited, radical preacher has found his voice. That voice got its breath in history, in historical, true events brought to light again by the author of this book.
   
   To deny that evil buried so deep in the souls of our black brothers and sisters and its emerging relevance to today's politics is a bigger sin than the original one. Mansfield writes, "Any faith that values compassion and holds human life as made in a divine image should be appalled and seek to make amends." He also directs that not just black pastors need to preach on these issues that have so tainted our country. Regrettably, I've not heard much of this preaching in the white churches, except where "human life as made in a divine image" supports the moral issue of abortion.
   
   Mansfield nobly reminds us in a quite patriotic tone, "It is the healers who are best remembered, those who teach us to live beyond the limitations of our lesser selves." (p.129, "A Time to Heal.")
   
   He reminds us of one of our greatest healers, Abe Lincoln, who "... wrung a generosity of soul that resisted the fierce hatreds of his time," and after his election went on, surprisingly, to appoint his political opponents as cabinet members. Do we see any similarities here?
   
   The author makes us "feel" the sincerity he sees in Obama concerning his religious beliefs. After all, President Elect Obama has been forthright about his stand on issues such as abortion, everlasting life, homosexual unions, trying to address the religious issues of many Americans. Not everyone heard what they wanted on these issues. But sincerity has to count for something in viewing many past presidential terms.
   
   I believe The Faith of Barack Obama will be counted as one of the important books about our nation, our politics, and our faith. It is summed up beautifully by one of the last sentences:
   
   "We have come to a moment when a common devotion to God may fuel a national resolve to break cycles of poverty, challenge strong holds of racism, reinforce ethical conduct among the powerful and the powerless, deliberate on the morality of war before it is declared, and end the moral scourges of our time."

5 comments about The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley.

1. This is a truly outstanding book. You don't have to like or agree with Malcolm X to learn from it. Martin Luther King Jr. was undoubtedly the more effective civil rights leader, and King's thought in many ways is more profound. But without Malcolm X, the true depth and meaning of the black American experience cannot be fully grasped, with all the brutality of racism - the injustice delivered in a land where democracy is promised. Malcolm X did tell it like it is - he lived and told the story of the black man's justifiable rage and disappointment. This book tells of Malcolm's own life of disillusionment - first with the life of crime, then with the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad, until finally at the end of his life the deeper meaning of his Muslim religion and of racial justice began to dawn upon him. Tragically he was gunned down before he could remake the image of a militant black man, which twelve years of service in the Nation of Islam had given him. Malcolm X was an extraordinary man, and has truly a remarkable tale to be told. To remove the scars of racism, the reading and understanding of this book should be an essential journey towards bettering race relations, and alleviating racial misunderstanding. Obviously Malcolm was not right about everything, and confesses his own wrongs. But he also points quite vividly to the wrongs he faced as an African-American.



2. Along with 'Souls of Black Folk'-W.E.B. DuBois, 'Invisible Man'-Ralph Ellison, and 'Visions for Black Men'-Naim Akbar...this book is required reading for all African men in America, as well as any other persons serious about getting past the 'race' question that continues to plague us as a nation.



3. first off i want to thank malcolm x for his thoughts on race after visiting mecca.he saw that persons of all races got together to worship and were colorblind.i will see this man in heaven he saw past racism in america to be a great christian!also i would like to give a big F to public schools in america for not teaching everything about slavery and who was involved,for example it wasn't until i went to college to major in history that i learned the truth about slavery.the white man didn't just go to africa with a big gun and round up black people as slaves,they established trade with the local tribes who traded goods with tribal leaders who had their own slaves as spoils of war and traded them with the white man as just another trade good so the tribes that traded were africans tradeing off other africans to the white's.try to find this in high school history or elementary school history,not likely.it is true that some white slave owners treated slaves horribly and i'm sure african tribes even treated some of their slaves horribly also.wrong is wrong no matter what your skin looks like!slavery is wrong!racism is wrong!!!!! ! ! "everyone" should be able to live free and should be able to worship freely and have pride in their people without being called racist! i'm guilty of being white, i love my race,does this make me a racist! no i don't think so. LOVE,RED



4. I read this book along time ago and still retain alot of what I learned from it. There is no beating around the bush in this from the beginning he tells of his life as it happened. He tells of an early career in crime to his time in prison and he does not attempt to sugarcoat anything. He does explain his reasoning for having done what he had done in his youth, but he does not claim to be innocent.
   He did manage to find a better way to fight his enemies during his incarceration, and anyone who has ever seen any footage of Malcolm X will understand what I mean. The man was a very acticulate and confrontational speaker. He was the spark that ignited the engine of the civil rights movement in many respects. The civil rights movement began as far back as pre-civil war and was slow to develop with minor progress for each generation. Malcolm was the man brave enough to say enough and to make his voice heard over the many voices of the nation that tried to rise over him.
   Here is a man that took it upon himself to correct a society that had become accepting of the crimes of their ancestors and simply ignored them. It is only a stonesthrow back in time if you think about it and yet it is painful to imagine people could be so cruel.
   I recommend this to anyone who hasn't read it as it is an excellent book and is a document of the life of a man who managed to play a pivotal role in changing the way America viewed itself.



5. Despite the dispiriting revelation that this book was almost totally written by Alex Haley, "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" remains one of my favorite books. Which is a little strange, since his well-known struggles with civil rights, the police, Black identity, and Islam have little or no relevance to my life. Sorry.
   
   The part of this book that affects me most deeply is where Malcolm is in prison educating himself, studying on the floor of his cell in the dim night light. I can't think of another tale about the birth of an autodidact and the rewards of reading that is as uplifting and memorable as Malcolm's. I first read this book about twenty years ago, and that's the part that always sticks with me: the power of books to change your life, regardless of who you are or what you've done. And much of the rest sticks with me too, for example the poignant case of "West Indian Archie."
   
   I would like to advise, however, that you buy this edition: Autobiography of Malcolm X (Penguin Modern Classics), rather than the Ballantine edition, as the binding on the latter has proven unreliable, to say the least. I have gone through three different copies of the Ballantine edition of Malcolm X and the binding has fallen apart on all three of them -- to the point where the covers have come completely off, even though I don't really mistreat books. It can't just be bad luck.
   
   Malcolm X was said to have been a formidable debater, yet it's curious to me that none of his opponents ever made the obvious, unanswerable point: that whatever crimes and horrors the West can be charged with vis-à-vis the African slave trade, those of Islam have been even more extensive and blood-soaked. They go back a lot further, and continued a lot later. In fact, it was only two years previous to Malcolm's making his Hajj to Mecca (1964) that slavery was made illegal in Saudi Arabia!
   
   Hence jettisoning Christianity and Western culture for the supposed moral high ground of Islam was, when you think about it, a dingy move on Malcolm's part. Yet it is, unfortunately, the entirety of his position.
   
   But you'll find this book a cracking good read nonetheless.

5 comments about My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq.

1. I actually loved this book. It was well written. Pictures in your mind of the scenes were actually painted as you read the stories. As the author walked through his heritage and through his father's country you walked right beside him. Cried with him and laughed with him, was disappointed when he was and wanted more. This story is about a man taking his fathers legacy and putting it into print. It is a story of a dying language being brought back to life. I will read this book again and again and highly recommend it as a good read.



2. My Father's Paradise is a wonderful homage to Ariel Sabar's father, who was born in Kurdish Iraq and spent his childhood years in a Jew in an ancient society Iraq and as an unappreciated immigrant in the new state of Israel. The book opened my eyes to a culture that has mostly vanished except in the lives of its survivors. It also shows the power of language in reflecting the culture of people, so that even when the inital culture dies, it can remain alive within the language and oral traditions of its people.
   
   Sabar uses his father's history to dscover who he is and where he fits into the melting pot that is twenty-first century America. He discovers that which makes him unique, which ultimately makes him strong. This is something that so many second generation Americans learn, and it is very nicely explored and analyzed in this book.
   
   I very much encourage anyone with an interest in the dynamics of social change to read this fascinating book.



3. "My Father's Paradise" is the haunting story of Yona Sabar, born a Jew in Zakho, in the heart of Kurdish Iraq. Yona's family immigrated to Israel in 1951. Yona was 13 years old when they arrived in Israel. He worked days and completed his high school in evening schools provided for the young workmen. He was admitted to Hebrew University he studied Aramaic. In 1967 he was awarded a scholarship to Yale University in America. Yona Sabar went on to become a well regarded professor of Aramaic at UCLA.
   
   It was not until Ariel held his first son in his arms that he begin to think he might have misjudged his father and determined to seek out answers. By then he was a journalist, questions were a natural part of the trade. But this was something deeper...then a story.
   
   Ariel Sabar's quest, to better understand his father, took him on a journey to Kurdish Iraq. Yona accompanied him. They went to find what was left of Zahko, Yono's paradise. Ariel wanted to learn the story of the Sabar family. This book is the result of his careful research, interviews, letters, diaries, photographs, and official documents. Ariel has made every effort to provide a framework that tells his family story.
   
   His findings are rich in historical, geographical, and cultural background. He goes back into the history of his Jewish ancestry (the Jews of Kurdistan) but also highlights the history and politics of the Kurds, the Turks, and the Arabs.
   
   The book provides photo illustrations that bring the pages to life and add another dimension to this awe inspiring tribute to a deserving father from a loving son.
   
   Sabar's writing is heartfelt, thought provoking, and moving. Yona's person, character, and story will haunt the reader for days. I find myself going back to recapture something I might have missed. Highly recommended.



4. If you are an American Jew, the offspring of immigrants, a linguist, a student of the Mideast crisis, or an ex-teen who's finally dropped the attitude, you should read this book. And if I'm not mistaken, that would be all of us.
   
   I've scarcely considered the plight of the Sephardic Jews of Western Asia much less the disposition of the Lost Tribes of Israel. Nor pondered the enormity of forced exile and the task of assimilating these uprooted peoples in America or Israel. Never knew the painstaking scholarship involved in archiving an ancient language. I was taken aback by the prejudices held by European immigrants towards those from the Middle East and Africa during the settlement of Israel. And heartened to learn that in Kurdish Iraq midway through the 20th century per a village elder there, "We and the Jews were loving each other...We were blood brothers."
   
   I am no stranger, however, to the know-it-all attitudes with which children view their parents, and the father and child reunion that dominates the last chapters of this book is the best part of all.
   
   Take a journey with Mr. Sabar back to a lost homeland, back to family. It's a place we all need to visit.



5. Though Ariel Sabar may regret that his relationship with his father was so contentious, readers have cause to rejoice because that fractured relationship led Sabar to pen this elegant tale of his father's life and language.
   
   Yona Sabar, a Jewish Kurd, grew up speaking Aramaic, an ancient language now all but lost. He is also a celebrated linguist who has worked tirelessly to document his language before it dies. This book traces that effort, weaving a colorful tapestry of Jewish life in Iraq, Kurdish life in Israel, and immigrant life in America.
   
   Though the portions of the book dealing with Ariel himself were less compelling, the tales of Yona's early life in Kurdistan are hypnotic- I had a difficult time putting this book down. The writing is excellent and the character of Yona breathes throughout the book. The book is never technical about linguistics; the story of Yona's work is presented as I believe he experienced it- a treasure hunt generating excitement with each new clue.
   
   Highly recommended!