Book Review- A Promised Land

I just finished former President Barrack Obama’s book A Promised Land and I highly recommend it for anyone — or at least anyone who can manage a 600 page political memoir which is only a Part 1 of 2 (let’s be honest, it feels like it might be part 1 of 3…).

I found it to be a fascinating inside perspective on the major policy choices and foreign policy issues of his presidency. I thought his candor about tough decisions, splits in his team, processes that didn’t work out the way he wanted, etc were extremely illuminating. It is a clear illustration of the tough trade-offs and decisions inherit in governing — and clearly demonstrates his thoughtful approach to each. And whether you agree with him or not, I think everyone will appreciate the thinking behind how he approached major decision through out his time in office.

I actually enjoy reading many political memoirs from across the political. I found George W Bush’s Decision Points quite interesting as well, so this isn’t an issue of political leaning. However, after four years of a lack of real thoughtfulness in the White House, I found this read very refreshing — and it helped me regain some confidence that at its core, our government is generally managed by thoughtful, well-meaning people trying to do what they think is best in our country.

Perhaps that reminder is what I really needed.

Originally published at https://jeffkeltner.com on April 8, 2021.