With 24-hour news networks and YouTube showing sound bites from the presidential candidates, savoring a 400+ page introspective memoir from one of them is refreshing. Senator Obama has written an eloquent tale of his globe-trotting journey to self-discovery. Born in Hawaii to a white mother and a black father, Obama is raised mostly by his maternal grandparents (who grew up in El Dorado and Augusta, Kansas). After his father abandons the family, Obama’s sense of identity suffers a loss, which is exacerbated by his treatment as an outsider at the prestigious, mostly-white school he attends. But he discovers a sense of community during his years as an organizer in Chicago’s South Side. And when finally visiting his father’s birthplace in Kenya, he meets a large extended family who embraces him. His journey brings with it the awareness that people all over the world have basically the same needs—familial love, a caring community, and a good story to share. –Becky Carleton