Although the standing of the United States suffered a severe blow during the presidency of George W Bush, there is little doubt that the country will continue to play a major role in the foreseeable future. It is interesting to learn more about the background and ideas of the new president than was quoted in the media during his election.
The first book was written after Harvard Law School and recounts his childhood and intervening years in Indonesia, Hawaii, Chicago (where he worked in the social field) and in Kenya, his father's country. His mother was white and his father black making him Afro-American. He is enlightening on the suspicion and distrust experienced by black people.
The second book sets out the political and ethical problems of America and the steps he considered desirable to remedy them.
I warmly recommend these two books to any reader interested in world affairs.
(Jeremy Swann - bwl 49 January 2009 ) |
