The Books that Barack Obama Reads and Recommends
a book list by Peter, the avid reader who runs Flashlight Worthy
shelved under
Favorite Books of the Famous & Accomplished and
Politics & Current Affairs
Based on comments and photos from the campaign trail, I compiled a list of a dozen books that then-Senator Obama recommended or was seen reading during the 2008 campaign.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
A brilliant work by the very readable Doris Kearns Goodwin. Not so much a biography as a study of how Lincoln put together his team of advisers, four of whom contended for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination against Lincoln. That Lincoln was able to bring his opponents to his side during such trying times says volumes about the man.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Ernest Hemingway
Jamie White from Tacoma, WA says:
If you never read another Hemingway, this is the one. It is typical in the terse narrative that allows the reader to fill in both the adventure and horrors of war. The long spaces of intense interaction before the three actual major events allow the reader to invest themselves in the writing. It is a truly classic and glorious book..
Gilead
by Marilynne Robinson
Amy from San Francisco, CA says:
Gilead is the literary equivalent of the slow food movement. It's rich in language and needs to be savored. The best way to enjoy this book is to head over to your most comfortable reading place with a cup of tea or glass of wine and immerse yourself. It's good. And it'll stay with you.
Song of Solomon
by Toni Morrison
Jorge Borrani from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico says:
It's a very cool story with a lot of action and it's full of magic-realism... it's like Gabriel Garcia Marquez but with Southern U.S. slaves. It's inspiring and funny and also a little sad.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version, Indexed
edited by Carol A. Newsom, Pheme Perkins, Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler
Katrina Naugle says:
I'm not Christian, so I'm more interested in the history of the religion, and this book was absolutely fantastic in that regard — VERY objective! If the Bible has ever seemed perverse to you (the animal was made of flames and had how many horns? that kindathing), this is a great way to read it because the notes at the bottom of each page basically translate the language of the day for you. You'll know what they're referring to (like, if they say "cut his hair," they'll tell you what that phrase meant to them back then). It becomes a story steeped in culture and history instead of an obscure religious text! It makes the stories readable, understandable (!), and interesting (in most cases... some places, no amount of annotating is going to help).
Shakespeare's Tragedies: Volume 1
by William Shakespeare
Jamie White from Tacoma, WA says:
It's Shakespeare. If you haven't read them all. Shame on you.
Collected Poems, 1948-1984
by Derek Walcott
Flashlight Worthy says:
A little bonus item we added to Amazon's list. Apparently Obama was spotted carrying a copy of this volume of Walcott's poetry just a day or so after the election. It's nice to see him relax with a little poetry after what must have been a grueling 2 years of campaigning. (Thanks to Flashlight Worthy fan Marjorie for pointing out the news mention to us.)
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
by Steve Coll
Flashlight Worthy says:
UPDATE: Thanks to Meredith Megaw for this update to the list. The New York Times ran a story on November 2, 2008 stating: "In the last days on the trail, Obama is finishing "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the C.I.A., Afghanistan and Bin Laden," and taking
an occasional glance at US Weekly."
Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet
by Jeffrey D. Sachs
Flashlight Worthy says:
UPDATE: Thanks to Meredith Megaw for this 2nd update to the list. The New York Times ran a story on December 15, 2008 stating: "But even as Mr. Obama moves to the center, some classic liberalism has also become a part of his study program. Mr. Obama, having finished Steve Coll's "Ghost Wars," is now reading "Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet," by the economist Jeffrey D. Sachs. Mr. Sachs argues that big governments like the United States could successfully tackle global warming, environmental destruction and extreme poverty by refocusing just a small fraction of global income toward those issues."
Moby-Dick: or, The Whale
by Herman Melville, introduction by Nathaniel Philbrick
Katrina Naugle says:
Oh my bejeezus, Herman Melville has a great sense of humor.
I put off reading this book 'cause I thought it was slow-going; turns out, I just wasn't catching his dry, witty sense of humor, and once I did, he just kept getting better and more clever!
Ishmael is a truly funny character, in a dark way, which makes me wonder why they haven't made a movie yet (don't get any ideas! Don't ruin it! Just kidding — a little).
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime.
more...
About Peter
I've always been interested in topics of every kind, so what the heck, I built this website to recommend books of every kind. If you have ideas as to how Flashlight Worthy could be better, let me know.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life
The Books that Barack Obama Reads and Recommends
a book list by Peter, the avid reader who runs Flashlight Worthy
shelved under
Favorite Books of the Famous & Accomplished and
Politics & Current Affairs
Based on comments and photos from the campaign trail, I compiled a list of a dozen books that then-Senator Obama recommended or was seen reading during the 2008 campaign.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
A brilliant work by the very readable Doris Kearns Goodwin. Not so much a biography as a study of how Lincoln put together his team of advisers, four of whom contended for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination against Lincoln. That Lincoln was able to bring his opponents to his side during such trying times says volumes about the man.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Ernest Hemingway
Jamie White from Tacoma, WA says:
If you never read another Hemingway, this is the one. It is typical in the terse narrative that allows the reader to fill in both the adventure and horrors of war. The long spaces of intense interaction before the three actual major events allow the reader to invest themselves in the writing. It is a truly classic and glorious book..
Gilead
by Marilynne Robinson
Amy from San Francisco, CA says:
Gilead is the literary equivalent of the slow food movement. It's rich in language and needs to be savored. The best way to enjoy this book is to head over to your most comfortable reading place with a cup of tea or glass of wine and immerse yourself. It's good. And it'll stay with you.
Song of Solomon
by Toni Morrison
Jorge Borrani from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico says:
It's a very cool story with a lot of action and it's full of magic-realism... it's like Gabriel Garcia Marquez but with Southern U.S. slaves. It's inspiring and funny and also a little sad.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version, Indexed
edited by Carol A. Newsom, Pheme Perkins, Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler
Katrina Naugle says:
I'm not Christian, so I'm more interested in the history of the religion, and this book was absolutely fantastic in that regard — VERY objective! If the Bible has ever seemed perverse to you (the animal was made of flames and had how many horns? that kindathing), this is a great way to read it because the notes at the bottom of each page basically translate the language of the day for you. You'll know what they're referring to (like, if they say "cut his hair," they'll tell you what that phrase meant to them back then). It becomes a story steeped in culture and history instead of an obscure religious text! It makes the stories readable, understandable (!), and interesting (in most cases... some places, no amount of annotating is going to help).
Shakespeare's Tragedies: Volume 1
by William Shakespeare
Jamie White from Tacoma, WA says:
It's Shakespeare. If you haven't read them all. Shame on you.
Collected Poems, 1948-1984
by Derek Walcott
Flashlight Worthy says:
A little bonus item we added to Amazon's list. Apparently Obama was spotted carrying a copy of this volume of Walcott's poetry just a day or so after the election. It's nice to see him relax with a little poetry after what must have been a grueling 2 years of campaigning. (Thanks to Flashlight Worthy fan Marjorie for pointing out the news mention to us.)
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
by Steve Coll
Flashlight Worthy says:
UPDATE: Thanks to Meredith Megaw for this update to the list. The New York Times ran a story on November 2, 2008 stating: "In the last days on the trail, Obama is finishing "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the C.I.A., Afghanistan and Bin Laden," and taking
an occasional glance at US Weekly."
Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet
by Jeffrey D. Sachs
Flashlight Worthy says:
UPDATE: Thanks to Meredith Megaw for this 2nd update to the list. The New York Times ran a story on December 15, 2008 stating: "But even as Mr. Obama moves to the center, some classic liberalism has also become a part of his study program. Mr. Obama, having finished Steve Coll's "Ghost Wars," is now reading "Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet," by the economist Jeffrey D. Sachs. Mr. Sachs argues that big governments like the United States could successfully tackle global warming, environmental destruction and extreme poverty by refocusing just a small fraction of global income toward those issues."
Moby-Dick: or, The Whale
by Herman Melville, introduction by Nathaniel Philbrick
Katrina Naugle says:
Oh my bejeezus, Herman Melville has a great sense of humor.
I put off reading this book 'cause I thought it was slow-going; turns out, I just wasn't catching his dry, witty sense of humor, and once I did, he just kept getting better and more clever!
Ishmael is a truly funny character, in a dark way, which makes me wonder why they haven't made a movie yet (don't get any ideas! Don't ruin it! Just kidding — a little).
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime.
more...
About Peter
I've always been interested in topics of every kind, so what the heck, I built this website to recommend books of every kind. If you have ideas as to how Flashlight Worthy could be better, let me know.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life
The Books that Barack Obama Reads and Recommends
a book list by Peter, the avid reader who runs Flashlight Worthy
Based on comments and photos from the campaign trail, I compiled a list of a dozen books that then-Senator Obama recommended or was seen reading during the 2008 campaign.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
A brilliant work by the very readable Doris Kearns Goodwin. Not so much a biography as a study of how Lincoln put together his team of advisers, four of whom contended for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination against Lincoln. That Lincoln was able to bring his opponents to his side during such trying times says volumes about the man.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Ernest Hemingway
Jamie White from Tacoma, WA says:
If you never read another Hemingway, this is the one. It is typical in the terse narrative that allows the reader to fill in both the adventure and horrors of war. The long spaces of intense interaction before the three actual major events allow the reader to invest themselves in the writing. It is a truly classic and glorious book..
Gilead
by Marilynne Robinson
Amy from San Francisco, CA says:
Gilead is the literary equivalent of the slow food movement. It's rich in language and needs to be savored. The best way to enjoy this book is to head over to your most comfortable reading place with a cup of tea or glass of wine and immerse yourself. It's good. And it'll stay with you.
Song of Solomon
by Toni Morrison
Jorge Borrani from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico says:
It's a very cool story with a lot of action and it's full of magic-realism... it's like Gabriel Garcia Marquez but with Southern U.S. slaves. It's inspiring and funny and also a little sad.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version, Indexed
edited by Carol A. Newsom, Pheme Perkins, Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler
Katrina Naugle says:
I'm not Christian, so I'm more interested in the history of the religion, and this book was absolutely fantastic in that regard — VERY objective! If the Bible has ever seemed perverse to you (the animal was made of flames and had how many horns? that kindathing), this is a great way to read it because the notes at the bottom of each page basically translate the language of the day for you. You'll know what they're referring to (like, if they say "cut his hair," they'll tell you what that phrase meant to them back then). It becomes a story steeped in culture and history instead of an obscure religious text! It makes the stories readable, understandable (!), and interesting (in most cases... some places, no amount of annotating is going to help).
Shakespeare's Tragedies: Volume 1
by William Shakespeare
Jamie White from Tacoma, WA says:
It's Shakespeare. If you haven't read them all. Shame on you.
Collected Poems, 1948-1984
by Derek Walcott
Flashlight Worthy says:
A little bonus item we added to Amazon's list. Apparently Obama was spotted carrying a copy of this volume of Walcott's poetry just a day or so after the election. It's nice to see him relax with a little poetry after what must have been a grueling 2 years of campaigning. (Thanks to Flashlight Worthy fan Marjorie for pointing out the news mention to us.)
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
by Steve Coll
Flashlight Worthy says:
UPDATE: Thanks to Meredith Megaw for this update to the list. The New York Times ran a story on November 2, 2008 stating: "In the last days on the trail, Obama is finishing "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the C.I.A., Afghanistan and Bin Laden," and taking
an occasional glance at US Weekly."
Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet
by Jeffrey D. Sachs
Flashlight Worthy says:
UPDATE: Thanks to Meredith Megaw for this 2nd update to the list. The New York Times ran a story on December 15, 2008 stating: "But even as Mr. Obama moves to the center, some classic liberalism has also become a part of his study program. Mr. Obama, having finished Steve Coll's "Ghost Wars," is now reading "Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet," by the economist Jeffrey D. Sachs. Mr. Sachs argues that big governments like the United States could successfully tackle global warming, environmental destruction and extreme poverty by refocusing just a small fraction of global income toward those issues."
Moby-Dick: or, The Whale
by Herman Melville, introduction by Nathaniel Philbrick
Katrina Naugle says:
Oh my bejeezus, Herman Melville has a great sense of humor. I put off reading this book 'cause I thought it was slow-going; turns out, I just wasn't catching his dry, witty sense of humor, and once I did, he just kept getting better and more clever! Ishmael is a truly funny character, in a dark way, which makes me wonder why they haven't made a movie yet (don't get any ideas! Don't ruin it! Just kidding — a little).
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime. more...
About Peter
I've always been interested in topics of every kind, so what the heck, I built this website to recommend books of every kind. If you have ideas as to how Flashlight Worthy could be better, let me know.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life