Think like Obama

Writer and SN&R contributor Sasha Abramsky didn’t get to interview President Barack Obama for this small book that examines his thinking, but Abramsky did talk to school friends, professors, colleagues and buddies. He also read all of Obama’s own writing, and from this, distills the president’s way of thinking about life and the world. Abramsky examines several situations—the Iowa caucuses; the controversy over some sermons by Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright; and his decision to appoint Sen. Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state. In each case, Abramsky uses what Obama said and did to construct a picture of how he thinks. If you’re a political junkie (or an Obamamaniac), you already know most of this. If not, this slim volume is a good way to get a grip on where Obama’s come from and how that shaped him—at least up until he actually assumed the presidency.