What do you think?
Rate this book
A Consequential President: The Legacy of Barack Obama
A Consequential President by Michael D'Antonio is a bold assessment of the lasting successes and major achievements of President Obama.
Had he only saved the U.S. economy with his economic recovery act and his program to restore the auto industry, President Obama would have been considered a successful president. He achieved so much more, however, that he can be counted as one of our most consequential presidents.
With The Affordable Care Act, he ended the long-running crisis of escalating costs and inadequate access of treatment that had long-threatened the well-being of 50 million Americans. His energy policies drove down the cost of power generated by the sun, the wind, and even fossil fuels. His efforts on climate change produced the Paris Agreement, the first treaty to address global warming in a meaningful way, and his diplomacy produced a dramatic reduction in the nuclear threat posed by Iran. Add the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, the normalization of relations with Cuba, and his "pivot" toward Asia, and President Obama's triumphs abroad match those at home.
Most importantly, as the first African-American president, he navigated race relations and a rising tide of bigotry, including some who challenged his citizenship, while also fighting a Republican Party determined to make him one-term president.
As a result, Obama's greatest achievement was restoring dignity and ethics to the office of the president, proof that he delivered his campaign promise of hope and change.
Had he only saved the U.S. economy with his economic recovery act and his program to restore the auto industry, President Obama would have been considered a successful president. He achieved so much more, however, that he can be counted as one of our most consequential presidents.
With The Affordable Care Act, he ended the long-running crisis of escalating costs and inadequate access of treatment that had long-threatened the well-being of 50 million Americans. His energy policies drove down the cost of power generated by the sun, the wind, and even fossil fuels. His efforts on climate change produced the Paris Agreement, the first treaty to address global warming in a meaningful way, and his diplomacy produced a dramatic reduction in the nuclear threat posed by Iran. Add the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, the normalization of relations with Cuba, and his "pivot" toward Asia, and President Obama's triumphs abroad match those at home.
Most importantly, as the first African-American president, he navigated race relations and a rising tide of bigotry, including some who challenged his citizenship, while also fighting a Republican Party determined to make him one-term president.
As a result, Obama's greatest achievement was restoring dignity and ethics to the office of the president, proof that he delivered his campaign promise of hope and change.
320 pages, Paperback
Published January 9, 2018
44 people are currently reading
833 people want to read
About the author
Michael D'Antonio
37 books93 followersA Pulitzer Prize winning writer of books, articles, and original stories for film, Michael D’Antonio has published more than a dozen books, including Never Enough, a 2015 biography of presidential candidate and billionaire businessman Donald Trump. Described variously as “luminous,” “captivating,” “momentous” and “meticulous” Michael’s work is renowned for its clarity, balance, and thoroughness.
His works a have been noted as “best books of the year” or “editors’ picks” by The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Businessweek, The Chicago Tribune and Publisher’s Weekly. He has appeared on Sixty Minutes, Today, Good Morning, The Morning Show, America, Larry King Live, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Diane Rehm, Coast-to-Coast, and many other programs.
Before becoming a fulltime author, Michael worked as a journalist in New York, Washington, and Maine. He has written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, The Times of London Magazine, Discover, Sports Illustrated, The Los Angeles Times Magazine and many others. He has received numerous awards including the 1984 Pulitzer Prize, shared with a team at Newsday that explored the medical, legal, and ethical issues surrounding the Baby Jane Doe case.
In 2016, Michael has became a regular contributor for CNN, both on-air and on their website. His pieces can be read here: http://www.cnn.com/profiles/michael-d...
D’Antonio has been the recipient of the Alicia Patterson Fellowship, the First Amendment Award, and the Humanitas Award for his Showtime film, Crown Heights. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Michael now lives on Long Island with his wife, Toni Raiten-D’Antonio who is a psychotherapist, professor, and author of three acclaimed books.
His works a have been noted as “best books of the year” or “editors’ picks” by The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Businessweek, The Chicago Tribune and Publisher’s Weekly. He has appeared on Sixty Minutes, Today, Good Morning, The Morning Show, America, Larry King Live, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Diane Rehm, Coast-to-Coast, and many other programs.
Before becoming a fulltime author, Michael worked as a journalist in New York, Washington, and Maine. He has written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, The Times of London Magazine, Discover, Sports Illustrated, The Los Angeles Times Magazine and many others. He has received numerous awards including the 1984 Pulitzer Prize, shared with a team at Newsday that explored the medical, legal, and ethical issues surrounding the Baby Jane Doe case.
In 2016, Michael has became a regular contributor for CNN, both on-air and on their website. His pieces can be read here: http://www.cnn.com/profiles/michael-d...
D’Antonio has been the recipient of the Alicia Patterson Fellowship, the First Amendment Award, and the Humanitas Award for his Showtime film, Crown Heights. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Michael now lives on Long Island with his wife, Toni Raiten-D’Antonio who is a psychotherapist, professor, and author of three acclaimed books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 27, 2017
Well, that was disappointing.
This is the second book like this I’ve read this year, the other being Jonathan Chait’s “Audacity.” Man, that book was so much better than this one. It makes this one largely irrelevant. Both books have the same main point: Obama is a pretty damn underrated president, as a lot of what he did was don’t quietly in the background to change things and move them forward.
The main difference between the book, and the main reason why I’m giving this one only two stars, is that Chait mostly focused on the meat of the material. Want to know about Obamacare? Chait will go through in detail just want the bill does and how it’s designed to improve health care availability and affordability to people. This book? You mostly get a recap of the political tussle on it. OK, that matters – but we’re looking more at the politics instead of the policy – and a book arguing that Obama made a lot of quiet changes that improves things really ought to be focused, y’know, how the changes actually affect people. Want to know about Obama’s Race to the Top plan for education? You get a description of it in Chait. Here, most of the chapter on education focuses on one school. And it sounds like things have improved greatly for that school – congrats! But it’s more anecdote than anything else. I get it – you need/want anecdotes to bring your points to life. There are good reasons for having them. But those stories only work when they serve a bigger picture. And that chapter focuses so much on the story of the one school that it’s hard to remember any bigger picture being made.
Another difference to this book’s detriment: Chait’s book was also more willing to be critical of Obama. Sure Chait thinks that by and large Obama was a good president – but he was also aware of some shortcomings. For example, Chait notes the limitations of Obama’s foreign policy, where the lack of an overall clear vision hurt. A lot of the administration’s slow going, procedural nature turned into dithering. In this book, the chapter on foreign policy is largely just cheerleading. Obama was better than Bush and big crowds came out to see Obama abroad and he won a Nobel Peace Prize! Check the index and you won’t find the word “Libya” which is a helluvan oversight. A chapter at the end does discuss some shortcomings, but it’s pretty damn perfunctory.
Yet another advantage Chait’s book has on this one: He was also far more aware of the possible fragility of Obama’s reforms. I don’t want to overstate this, as one of the biggest themes of Chait’s book was that Obama’s reforms were enduring and that dismantling them will be a lot harder than many/most people expect. But even when making this argument, Chait does acknowledge what it would take to undo what Obama had done. Most specifically, Chait notes that Obama’s environmental reforms were the most at risk. If D’Antonio noted the fragility of anything Obama accomplished, I missed it.
Finally, Chait deals with Trump throughout the book. I get the feeling that Chait wrote the book expecting Hillary Clinton to win (it would make his points a lot strong) but had to revise it when Trump won. If so, he did a good job revising, as it works pretty well. (Heck, I wonder if Chait wrote an alternate draft during the 2016 election in case Trump won). At any rate, every section of Chait’s book notes that Trump will try to undo what Obama had done – but then also explains how that might be difficult (and then at the end of the book Chait makes an argument for why the Obama era changes will be more lasting that anything Trump does). D’Antonio? Barely mentions Trump. He’s mentioned on a whopping two pages. There isn’t even an attempt to note that Trump might try to undo anything Obama had done, let alone an explanation for why any of this will stand. In fact, there is so little mentioned about Trump here that I assumed the book came out before election day. It does have a 2016 copyright. Then again, Amazon lists its release date as January 3, 2017 – and Chait’s release date as January 17, 2017. There’s no way a two week difference in release should explain this massive a difference in accounting for Trump.
This just isn’t as good a book. It does cover some of the major changes Obama made. OK on that. But as I noted up top – if you’re read Chait, you’ve already got that – a much more detailed and effective version of that, in fact.
This is the second book like this I’ve read this year, the other being Jonathan Chait’s “Audacity.” Man, that book was so much better than this one. It makes this one largely irrelevant. Both books have the same main point: Obama is a pretty damn underrated president, as a lot of what he did was don’t quietly in the background to change things and move them forward.
The main difference between the book, and the main reason why I’m giving this one only two stars, is that Chait mostly focused on the meat of the material. Want to know about Obamacare? Chait will go through in detail just want the bill does and how it’s designed to improve health care availability and affordability to people. This book? You mostly get a recap of the political tussle on it. OK, that matters – but we’re looking more at the politics instead of the policy – and a book arguing that Obama made a lot of quiet changes that improves things really ought to be focused, y’know, how the changes actually affect people. Want to know about Obama’s Race to the Top plan for education? You get a description of it in Chait. Here, most of the chapter on education focuses on one school. And it sounds like things have improved greatly for that school – congrats! But it’s more anecdote than anything else. I get it – you need/want anecdotes to bring your points to life. There are good reasons for having them. But those stories only work when they serve a bigger picture. And that chapter focuses so much on the story of the one school that it’s hard to remember any bigger picture being made.
Another difference to this book’s detriment: Chait’s book was also more willing to be critical of Obama. Sure Chait thinks that by and large Obama was a good president – but he was also aware of some shortcomings. For example, Chait notes the limitations of Obama’s foreign policy, where the lack of an overall clear vision hurt. A lot of the administration’s slow going, procedural nature turned into dithering. In this book, the chapter on foreign policy is largely just cheerleading. Obama was better than Bush and big crowds came out to see Obama abroad and he won a Nobel Peace Prize! Check the index and you won’t find the word “Libya” which is a helluvan oversight. A chapter at the end does discuss some shortcomings, but it’s pretty damn perfunctory.
Yet another advantage Chait’s book has on this one: He was also far more aware of the possible fragility of Obama’s reforms. I don’t want to overstate this, as one of the biggest themes of Chait’s book was that Obama’s reforms were enduring and that dismantling them will be a lot harder than many/most people expect. But even when making this argument, Chait does acknowledge what it would take to undo what Obama had done. Most specifically, Chait notes that Obama’s environmental reforms were the most at risk. If D’Antonio noted the fragility of anything Obama accomplished, I missed it.
Finally, Chait deals with Trump throughout the book. I get the feeling that Chait wrote the book expecting Hillary Clinton to win (it would make his points a lot strong) but had to revise it when Trump won. If so, he did a good job revising, as it works pretty well. (Heck, I wonder if Chait wrote an alternate draft during the 2016 election in case Trump won). At any rate, every section of Chait’s book notes that Trump will try to undo what Obama had done – but then also explains how that might be difficult (and then at the end of the book Chait makes an argument for why the Obama era changes will be more lasting that anything Trump does). D’Antonio? Barely mentions Trump. He’s mentioned on a whopping two pages. There isn’t even an attempt to note that Trump might try to undo anything Obama had done, let alone an explanation for why any of this will stand. In fact, there is so little mentioned about Trump here that I assumed the book came out before election day. It does have a 2016 copyright. Then again, Amazon lists its release date as January 3, 2017 – and Chait’s release date as January 17, 2017. There’s no way a two week difference in release should explain this massive a difference in accounting for Trump.
This just isn’t as good a book. It does cover some of the major changes Obama made. OK on that. But as I noted up top – if you’re read Chait, you’ve already got that – a much more detailed and effective version of that, in fact.
June 2, 2020
An uplifting reminder that not so long ago, the world was not so crazy. "A Consequential President" highlights Obama's achievements in office, demonstrating his significance as a progressive leader. Unfortunately, some of the progress discussed in the book has since been reversed. Because D'Antonio wrote his book during Obama's last full year in office, he was unable to consider the impact of Obama's successor; it might have been worth waiting a year or two.
February 14, 2017
Received this as a Goodreads Giveaway
Not my FAVE kind of book, But Fun, Interesting, Thought-Provoking read none the less.
(kept seeing the trailer for Barry on Netflix..)
lol
Not my FAVE kind of book, But Fun, Interesting, Thought-Provoking read none the less.
(kept seeing the trailer for Barry on Netflix..)
lol
October 16, 2017
Information Conveyor Belt
This informational piece is powerful and well-written, yet still conveys a large amount of information. It highlights the achievements of President Barack Obama, and the opposition he faced in achieving his policy.
This book begins by examining the impacts and causes of the Great Recession. It first looks at how Bush’s and earlier president’s policies of deregulation of the financial sector began a march toward the fate of the Great Recession. After laying out causes and the impacts, it goes into what Obama did to mitigate the Great Recession’s impacts, and hopefully return to growth. The book continues in this essay-like format, examining the many achievements of President Obama.
I believe that though well-written, this book did not add anything new to the market of books on recent presidents. It purley examined the achievements of Obama, in a standard, essay way. It did not have too much that would make it stand out very far on a shelf. However, this essay-like model may have been not just a weakness, but a strength too, for the book was very convincing on that the legacy of Barack Obama will be secured, and his policies will still be effective, despite efforts of the political opposition.
Michael D’Antonio is a CNN contributor and Pulitzer Prize winning author. In addition, he also thas contributed to several journalistic organizations, including the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.
This book, though not the most amazing kid on the block, definitely was well-written and persuasive. Informational can be an interesting format, and D’Antonio managed to pull this one off very well.
9/28/17
This informational piece is powerful and well-written, yet still conveys a large amount of information. It highlights the achievements of President Barack Obama, and the opposition he faced in achieving his policy.
This book begins by examining the impacts and causes of the Great Recession. It first looks at how Bush’s and earlier president’s policies of deregulation of the financial sector began a march toward the fate of the Great Recession. After laying out causes and the impacts, it goes into what Obama did to mitigate the Great Recession’s impacts, and hopefully return to growth. The book continues in this essay-like format, examining the many achievements of President Obama.
I believe that though well-written, this book did not add anything new to the market of books on recent presidents. It purley examined the achievements of Obama, in a standard, essay way. It did not have too much that would make it stand out very far on a shelf. However, this essay-like model may have been not just a weakness, but a strength too, for the book was very convincing on that the legacy of Barack Obama will be secured, and his policies will still be effective, despite efforts of the political opposition.
Michael D’Antonio is a CNN contributor and Pulitzer Prize winning author. In addition, he also thas contributed to several journalistic organizations, including the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.
This book, though not the most amazing kid on the block, definitely was well-written and persuasive. Informational can be an interesting format, and D’Antonio managed to pull this one off very well.
9/28/17
May 27, 2023
The book A Consequential President: The Legacy of Barack Obama by Michael D’Antonio evaluates Obama’s achievements and actions as president with a goal on displaying how he was an underrated and important president. The book focuses mainly on his presidential period and not his life before or after. It covers his journey from the Illinois Senate to the White House and his efforts to reform various areas such as foreign policy and energy, with a chapter for each one. It provides a broad perspective on the political dynamics of each issue rather than the specifics of the policies or the context at the time. Most of the book illustrates how Obama addressed or attempted to solve different problems that he faced during his presidency, compared to how someone else failed or why the problem existed. At the end, the book covers his failures as president, like false promises on the Iraq war.
The author, Michael D’Antonio, was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and his first book was Fall From Grace: The Failed Crusade of the Christian Right (1990). He has written more than a dozen books on various topics, including biographies of Donald Trump and Barack Obama. He is a journalist and commentator for CNN and shared the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.
D’Antonio puts emphasis throughout the book on three main points: Obama’s presidency was shaped by his identity as the first African American president; Obama’s leadership style was characterized by pragmatism, intellectualism, and a focus on consensus-building and bipartisanship; and Obama’s legacy was a mixed bag of successes and failures. D’Antonio demonstrates this by examining how race influenced his policies and image and the type of criticism he received. Revealing Obama’s thought process throughout the book shows how his approach got him some criticism for being cautious and compromising but also helped him navigate and achieve progress. This emphasis on having successes and failures was shown by the examples given through the politics of something like the Iran nuclear deal and criticized immigration policy.
The strongest feature in this book's argument that Obama was a more important president than people give credit is by how the book draws comparisons between how his opposition hated him and his actions while then showing how the opposition was wrong by maybe showing the effect of the decision or reasoning on why this couldn't be the case. This is seen on page 212 when it states "The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first law Barack Obama would sign...After the Ledbetter Act, politicians and academics would continue to argue over the size and nature of the wage gap between men and women...Skeptics would say that men and women worked in different fields and this explained the disparity...However, working in the same job also revealed gender gaps". Demonstrating how the book showed the actions of Obama then what some opposition had to say about it then why that opposition was wrong. This works well at proving the argument because it displays Obama making good, impactful decisions and creating change that could be forthcoming of an important president through showing how the opposition to these changes was wrong either afterwards or at the time. It then makes comparisons to the presidents before him and how they didn't make the best decisions. Showing how by comparison he was a much more consequential president.
D'Antonio does glorify Obama throughout the book and even, to a lesser degree, in the chapter talking about his failures. This is seen in the book, as he writes as if Obama is going through an uphill battle against his oppressors. The author even puts a section at the end of the book to hold quotes made against Obama to display how he was antagonized. But, D’Antonio doesn’t just use his battle with his opposition to glorify him but by talking and describing Obama as someone who can do no wrong. Seen in the beginning when describing Obama “ a president whose calm and analytical temperament allowed for adaptation and perseverance…A truly inspirational figure, he was also a determined politician who was willing to do the hard , unglamorous work of legislating and steering bureaucracy” (D'Antonio 3). Now this description is not only full of some pretty big claims about what Obama was but also never able to be backed up since D’Antonio does not know what goes on in the mind of Obama or what Obama is like behind closed doors. D’Antonio gives no anecdotal evidence either and just makes the claim and then moves on which happens multiple times throughout the book.
The entire purpose of the book is to show and persuade the reader that Obama was a consequential president. The author as stated above does a good job of this as he compares Obama to Bush and Clinton as well as showing how he's more impactful.I agree with D’Antonio that Obama was influential for a president, maybe not to the degree he saw it, but I think it's more than just being the first black president. I disagree, though, on the way that D’Antonio downplayed and showed visible dislike towards Obama’s opposition in the biography and described Obama as a god among men throughout the entire book, making it out as if Obama had no flaws or that he was always on the right path.
The author, Michael D’Antonio, was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and his first book was Fall From Grace: The Failed Crusade of the Christian Right (1990). He has written more than a dozen books on various topics, including biographies of Donald Trump and Barack Obama. He is a journalist and commentator for CNN and shared the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.
D’Antonio puts emphasis throughout the book on three main points: Obama’s presidency was shaped by his identity as the first African American president; Obama’s leadership style was characterized by pragmatism, intellectualism, and a focus on consensus-building and bipartisanship; and Obama’s legacy was a mixed bag of successes and failures. D’Antonio demonstrates this by examining how race influenced his policies and image and the type of criticism he received. Revealing Obama’s thought process throughout the book shows how his approach got him some criticism for being cautious and compromising but also helped him navigate and achieve progress. This emphasis on having successes and failures was shown by the examples given through the politics of something like the Iran nuclear deal and criticized immigration policy.
The strongest feature in this book's argument that Obama was a more important president than people give credit is by how the book draws comparisons between how his opposition hated him and his actions while then showing how the opposition was wrong by maybe showing the effect of the decision or reasoning on why this couldn't be the case. This is seen on page 212 when it states "The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first law Barack Obama would sign...After the Ledbetter Act, politicians and academics would continue to argue over the size and nature of the wage gap between men and women...Skeptics would say that men and women worked in different fields and this explained the disparity...However, working in the same job also revealed gender gaps". Demonstrating how the book showed the actions of Obama then what some opposition had to say about it then why that opposition was wrong. This works well at proving the argument because it displays Obama making good, impactful decisions and creating change that could be forthcoming of an important president through showing how the opposition to these changes was wrong either afterwards or at the time. It then makes comparisons to the presidents before him and how they didn't make the best decisions. Showing how by comparison he was a much more consequential president.
D'Antonio does glorify Obama throughout the book and even, to a lesser degree, in the chapter talking about his failures. This is seen in the book, as he writes as if Obama is going through an uphill battle against his oppressors. The author even puts a section at the end of the book to hold quotes made against Obama to display how he was antagonized. But, D’Antonio doesn’t just use his battle with his opposition to glorify him but by talking and describing Obama as someone who can do no wrong. Seen in the beginning when describing Obama “ a president whose calm and analytical temperament allowed for adaptation and perseverance…A truly inspirational figure, he was also a determined politician who was willing to do the hard , unglamorous work of legislating and steering bureaucracy” (D'Antonio 3). Now this description is not only full of some pretty big claims about what Obama was but also never able to be backed up since D’Antonio does not know what goes on in the mind of Obama or what Obama is like behind closed doors. D’Antonio gives no anecdotal evidence either and just makes the claim and then moves on which happens multiple times throughout the book.
The entire purpose of the book is to show and persuade the reader that Obama was a consequential president. The author as stated above does a good job of this as he compares Obama to Bush and Clinton as well as showing how he's more impactful.I agree with D’Antonio that Obama was influential for a president, maybe not to the degree he saw it, but I think it's more than just being the first black president. I disagree, though, on the way that D’Antonio downplayed and showed visible dislike towards Obama’s opposition in the biography and described Obama as a god among men throughout the entire book, making it out as if Obama had no flaws or that he was always on the right path.
August 15, 2021
I had never heard of this author. Nevertheless, I enjoyed becoming acquainted with this author and being reminded of the achievements of the 44th President. I remember being excited that I had lived to see the appointment of a person of color for President. But, I was scared and troubled just the same. Would he be assassinated? Can he pull America out of the dumps? Can he move from catering to lobbyists and special interest groups? Would this administration fail America just as the previous administration? Is it true that anything is possible?
He ran with the moniker of “Yes We Can” because he knew it was time for a change. He appeared to have affinity for trying to right many wrongs. He appeared to want to do what was right for average Americans. But, he didn’t know America would be on the brinks of devastation: failing housing crisis, need for healthcare reform, the auto industry all but gone and a collapsing job market.
But, as the author penned, with a true desire to make America better, reaching across the aisle when necessary, assembling the right people as cabinet members and being honest with the American people, the 44th President would leave his mark. He wasn’t, as I have come to know, a Black President. He was the President who just happened to be Black. He was America’s President. And, that view in itself, was noteworthy. The people had spoken. They wanted change and change they would get. #44, President Obama was in the right place at the right time!
Where would America be had the housing and economic crash continued? Many loss their life savings. Foreclosures were happening all around. Was there ever a reason to not rescue the auto industry? Healthcare reform had been attempted by many….what made this effort/initiative pass? Was America truly moving pass the color divide that has crippled her for decades? His imprint was all over the change, flourishing and rebirth in America.
While as I said before I was excited to live to see a person of color elected to the highest office in the land. I would soon become dismayed to learn that the excitement would be short lived by pundits who were angry and bent on undoing all that had been accomplished. The elite wasn’t feeling him or his policies. The continental divide between the have’s and the have nots was decreasing. Something had to be done. And, that my friend, as illustrated in this read, is the reason his successor rolled back damn near every policy. That my friend helps us to better see and understand we are…where we are. Thanks, D’Antonio for helping to better clarify it. Thanks D’Antonio for helping to clear our vision to show that elections indeed have consequences!
He ran with the moniker of “Yes We Can” because he knew it was time for a change. He appeared to have affinity for trying to right many wrongs. He appeared to want to do what was right for average Americans. But, he didn’t know America would be on the brinks of devastation: failing housing crisis, need for healthcare reform, the auto industry all but gone and a collapsing job market.
But, as the author penned, with a true desire to make America better, reaching across the aisle when necessary, assembling the right people as cabinet members and being honest with the American people, the 44th President would leave his mark. He wasn’t, as I have come to know, a Black President. He was the President who just happened to be Black. He was America’s President. And, that view in itself, was noteworthy. The people had spoken. They wanted change and change they would get. #44, President Obama was in the right place at the right time!
Where would America be had the housing and economic crash continued? Many loss their life savings. Foreclosures were happening all around. Was there ever a reason to not rescue the auto industry? Healthcare reform had been attempted by many….what made this effort/initiative pass? Was America truly moving pass the color divide that has crippled her for decades? His imprint was all over the change, flourishing and rebirth in America.
While as I said before I was excited to live to see a person of color elected to the highest office in the land. I would soon become dismayed to learn that the excitement would be short lived by pundits who were angry and bent on undoing all that had been accomplished. The elite wasn’t feeling him or his policies. The continental divide between the have’s and the have nots was decreasing. Something had to be done. And, that my friend, as illustrated in this read, is the reason his successor rolled back damn near every policy. That my friend helps us to better see and understand we are…where we are. Thanks, D’Antonio for helping to better clarify it. Thanks D’Antonio for helping to clear our vision to show that elections indeed have consequences!
Read
July 21, 2017collation of the president's agendas and achievements that forms a good response not only to his virulent antagonists among conservatives but also to his purist critics on the left. The book demonstrates the character of a president who was benign, but also pragmatic: unbending in principles to promote health care and climate care, but willing to adjust his strategy and goals according to the incremental pace of change afforded him by American division of powers and the near-united front of the intransigent Republican opposition. Obama's principles veered left but he avoided the temptation to be righteously, ideologically partisan-- this is visible in his environmental positions, which fiercely advocated green technologies through government policies and financial support, yet recognized the need to keep a diversified energy portfolio to draw from for American needs. Thus his administration's directions included unpopular allowance for fracking, which this book explains is a method to extract oil and natural gas from shale and rock sources noted as too barren for ordinary, less efficient methods of oil extraction. He also opposed the Keystone Pipeline not only for environmental considerations but practical reviews of their workability in the future- prices for the pipeline produce would only continue to drop and render the project unprofitable, and only 50 jobs would be kept after construction was done. These two examples and more throughout the book showed a president who made the best and most courageous decisions available despite partisan pull on either side.
The book also contains startling information that defies caricatured images of both Obama and America, such as the facts that America funds $430 billion yearly in international aid to nations suffering the effects of climate change, that by 2014 the US overtook Saudis in world oil production, that Sen. McCain initiated cap-and-trade legislation as an inter-US solution for the climate, and Obama bravely battled to bail automotive industries despite diatribes from both left and right, demanding that the corporations fail either to a)let bankruptcy take its course as the marketplace demands or b) to let big conglomerations take their appropriate fall no matter the consequences. Yet Trump still won Michigan and also take credit for miniscule and isolated triumphs for automobile industries in Michigan. Thanks to author Michael d'Antonio for his efforts to set the record straight.
The book also contains startling information that defies caricatured images of both Obama and America, such as the facts that America funds $430 billion yearly in international aid to nations suffering the effects of climate change, that by 2014 the US overtook Saudis in world oil production, that Sen. McCain initiated cap-and-trade legislation as an inter-US solution for the climate, and Obama bravely battled to bail automotive industries despite diatribes from both left and right, demanding that the corporations fail either to a)let bankruptcy take its course as the marketplace demands or b) to let big conglomerations take their appropriate fall no matter the consequences. Yet Trump still won Michigan and also take credit for miniscule and isolated triumphs for automobile industries in Michigan. Thanks to author Michael d'Antonio for his efforts to set the record straight.
October 16, 2017
There is no President whom we can look at in history and say we were happy with every decision they made. Former President Barack Obama was no different than them in the sense that he had to prioritize what was feasible in the White House. The difference for Obama was that he faced backlash in many forms, from many across the isle. While it has never been clear the reasoning behind the unnecessary obstacles, all signs had pointed to Old Fashion Racism. This is the kind of racism that is deeply rooted within some members of the GOP, many of whom are into their 60's and white. The was a problem with the deep state.
Socially, Obama made huge strides for healthcare reform, the economy, the environment, education policy reform, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, black Americans, women, international relationships, and even white collar Americans who disliked him.
Regarding foreign policy, Obama was unable to do what he had promised when in 2008 he said he wanted to bring our troops home. The unfortunate truth here is that when the country was handed to Obama, removing the troops would further destabilize a region riddled violence and so the decision was to keep them stationed there. I was unhappy with how Obama handled foreign policies but I have a new understanding of how difficult it was for the White House to make a decision to undo a war that the Bush Administration had started. So instead, Obama focused on easing tensions where he could and give the people of Syria, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan some hope for a peaceful future through these relationships.
I highly recommend this book to not just those who loved Obama but especially those who didn't believe his head and heart were in the right place, for uplifting all Americans. The book is a fairly simple read, not delving too deeply into policy details but instead providing high level details about each major facet that the administration touched.
In my mind, Barack Obama did what he could to unify the country. But in the journey to unify the country, the White House became more divisive and for that Obama has taken accountability for. Something the current administration cannot and will not do.
Socially, Obama made huge strides for healthcare reform, the economy, the environment, education policy reform, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, black Americans, women, international relationships, and even white collar Americans who disliked him.
Regarding foreign policy, Obama was unable to do what he had promised when in 2008 he said he wanted to bring our troops home. The unfortunate truth here is that when the country was handed to Obama, removing the troops would further destabilize a region riddled violence and so the decision was to keep them stationed there. I was unhappy with how Obama handled foreign policies but I have a new understanding of how difficult it was for the White House to make a decision to undo a war that the Bush Administration had started. So instead, Obama focused on easing tensions where he could and give the people of Syria, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan some hope for a peaceful future through these relationships.
I highly recommend this book to not just those who loved Obama but especially those who didn't believe his head and heart were in the right place, for uplifting all Americans. The book is a fairly simple read, not delving too deeply into policy details but instead providing high level details about each major facet that the administration touched.
In my mind, Barack Obama did what he could to unify the country. But in the journey to unify the country, the White House became more divisive and for that Obama has taken accountability for. Something the current administration cannot and will not do.
September 11, 2017
This was a great read. I liked how it is organized by a particular issue, it is well sourced with plenty of data provided. At times, the author can be over adulating, which may make this a difficult read for anyone who is anti-Obama, but I appreciated that it included a chapter on President Obama's failures and shortcomings as well, out of fairness. It truly is amazing to take time and look back on the past 8 years under Obama and see how calculated all of his efforts were. To those who would say he was a terrible President - I wish you would read this book and pay close attention to the facts and sources provided. He truly was, an outstanding, consequential President and I believe that future generations will agree that he was an amazing leader. I would certainly recommend this book, though if you are like me and you love Obama and hate the current clown we have in office, this will be a bittersweet read and you will yearn for 2020 when we have the chance to elect our next consequential president.
September 2, 2025
It's an interesting thing to examine someone's legacy so shortly after their time in office, and this book is definitely presented with a particular slant, but I appreciated that it does break down Obama's time in office by topic/issue rather than going purely in a timeline. Whether you like or dislike Obama, I think this book does a good job of presenting him in a fair light and looking at how poorly he was treated in our more and more politicized world.
And how far we've fallen in recent years, from the standpoint of a president who is respectable and at least seems interested in doing right by as many people as possible.
And how far we've fallen in recent years, from the standpoint of a president who is respectable and at least seems interested in doing right by as many people as possible.
June 4, 2017
The book gives a clear and fair synopsis of President Obama's 8 years in the White House, dealing with the major issues, as outlined in the Contents: the economy (recession), the auto industry rescue, health care reform, energy, environment, foreign policy, education, financial reform, and issues of equality and discrimination. One could write an entire book about each of those chapters (for instance Steven Brill's A Bitter Pill on health care), but D'Antonio's book serves as a very readable, thoughtful, clear account, without too much detail, of Obama's presidency.
September 27, 2017
This is a solid “starting point” if one’s goal would be to look back the the Obama Administration for all it’s successes and shortcomings.
Each chapter is a general overview: Education, foreign policy, financial reform, handling The Great Recession, etc.
I’d say it’s a sterile, fairly positive look, even as the author discusses Obama’s failures.
Again, a great place to recall, whether you do so positively or negatively, all that went on during the Obama years.
Hopefully, you something that draws your interest and pursue that topic further.
Each chapter is a general overview: Education, foreign policy, financial reform, handling The Great Recession, etc.
I’d say it’s a sterile, fairly positive look, even as the author discusses Obama’s failures.
Again, a great place to recall, whether you do so positively or negatively, all that went on during the Obama years.
Hopefully, you something that draws your interest and pursue that topic further.
March 31, 2019
***Won a free copy from Goodreads.
Very dry reading, just facts.
I didn't want to read it right when I first got it, because it would be too depressing with everything being undone. However, now 2 years out we have lost a lot, but in some areas the world has moved on successfully without us. While we backed out of the Iran deal, they kept it up with all the other countries and the rest of the world is keeping the Paris Climate Accord alive. But, if you want to read about either of those you should choose Ben Rhodes book instead.
Very dry reading, just facts.
I didn't want to read it right when I first got it, because it would be too depressing with everything being undone. However, now 2 years out we have lost a lot, but in some areas the world has moved on successfully without us. While we backed out of the Iran deal, they kept it up with all the other countries and the rest of the world is keeping the Paris Climate Accord alive. But, if you want to read about either of those you should choose Ben Rhodes book instead.
June 8, 2017
This was a good history lesson about the years of obama's presidency. There was no inside information or surprising insight--but it was well organized and informative leaning slightly to the left. The addendum which had sound bites of doom from opponents throughout his presidency would have been more powerful had it been limited to politicians and pundits rather than a good share from the far right media.
September 14, 2018
A standard, by-the-numbers account that hardly takes seriously the main tensions of the era, like repair of the financial system versus limited help to mortgage holders and unemployed, or the US response to Syria, continued drone wars in Yemen, quagmire in Afghanistan, and punted response to Russia. Accounts like this will hardly help future historians, except perhaps as illustrations of our blind spots and misguided assumptions.
October 5, 2023
Overall, this is a good book. I don't realize all the accomplishments of President Obama.
The ending was not that great.
The author could have covered the failings and shortcomings in the middle and got back on the accomplishments. It would have ended the book with a better sense of completion.
If you are into Presidential policy and it's impacts or like President Obama, this is an appropriate book.
The ending was not that great.
The author could have covered the failings and shortcomings in the middle and got back on the accomplishments. It would have ended the book with a better sense of completion.
If you are into Presidential policy and it's impacts or like President Obama, this is an appropriate book.
March 1, 2018
History will be kind to President Obama. He was the best president in my life time thus far. Loved everything about him, especially his cool, calm demeanor, thoughtfulness, and multifaceted thinking. Froward thinking. Always played the long game. God bless him. It is my greatest hope to meet him one day.
May 26, 2018
I mean - it was all right. Weird book. It's a journalistic examination of Obama's presidency but it jumps around in the writing and is weird. Ended up bumping it up to three stars because it gives valuable information but I just didn't find it to be a compelling page turner. It's fine and a good summary of facts, though. I learned new things about news and world events that I lived through.
April 15, 2019
Thorough and easy to understand, though biased in favor of Obama (fine with me, because I love him). Ending the book with a list of ridiculous allegations and disparaging remarks from the far right was a poor choice as it left me feeling angry and with a bad taste in my mouth. I wish Goodreads allowed me to post a selfie of my face while I was reading it, but 😤 will have to do.
July 3, 2017
This book helped me understand the dynamics behind many of the decisions Barack Obama made.
March 5, 2017
3.3 stars. Would have scored higher if the charts made a lick of sense. So many of them were just bad.
This book wasn't bad for an extremely fresh recount of President Obama's impact to the country in his two terms in office. What I admired it for most was the way Michael D'Antonio illustrated the ways Obama was able to make a difference in the face of callous, illogical obstruction from the opposing party on Capitol Hill. Pointing out the ways Obama was able to affect change through inaction (e.g. through his passive support for marriage equality) gave me one of those "oh, yeah..." moments as I thought back to the headlines.
So the book's worth reading just for that.
That said, this book didn't cover certain topics in as much depth as I'd have liked. In particular, I was surprised to see mass shootings and anti-Islamic sentiment in America get more coverage than they were afforded.
This book wasn't bad for an extremely fresh recount of President Obama's impact to the country in his two terms in office. What I admired it for most was the way Michael D'Antonio illustrated the ways Obama was able to make a difference in the face of callous, illogical obstruction from the opposing party on Capitol Hill. Pointing out the ways Obama was able to affect change through inaction (e.g. through his passive support for marriage equality) gave me one of those "oh, yeah..." moments as I thought back to the headlines.
So the book's worth reading just for that.
That said, this book didn't cover certain topics in as much depth as I'd have liked. In particular, I was surprised to see mass shootings and anti-Islamic sentiment in America get more coverage than they were afforded.
November 6, 2018
As a disclaimer, this book contains a little bit of partisan bias but...the author does a great job of rebutting the critics and making a convincing argument that the Obama Presidency was a profound and consequential one. If you are a fan of President Obama, this book is for you.
February 11, 2017
President Obama has been one of the most controversial presidents in history. He has also seen more opposition to his presidency that can be remembered, at least until the current administration took office.
The author of this book seeks to evaluate the past eight years while also to prognosticate into the future as to how history will view his legacy. Every aspect of the policy of Obama is evaluated. This book covers the housing market collapse, the American automobile industry collapse, the banking industry failures, the Affordable Care Act, and the unprecedented obstructionism that he faced as president.
The author deftly evaluates Obama's reaction to the problems that he faced upon taking office. While the reader may have an opinion on the presidents actions as it pertains to each of these policies used to combat growing unemployment and multiple failures of the economy, it should be said that the author uses facts and not political opinions to describe the scenarios surrounding every controversial decision made by our 44th president.
For those looking for a right or left-leaning book to support their strongly-held biases, this book will not fulfill you. It's clear from the text that the author has a favorable view of Obama's legacy, but in a subtle manner. While society usually writes its own historical narrative of a president, I thought that D'Antonio's narrative is one that was mostly fair. While liberals may chide him for not doing enough, and conservatives blame his policies for every atrocity in the world, I think the author provides a fairly centrist but-left leaning description of events.
The book is a proper reminder of what happened, why it happened, what could have been done better, and what couldn't be accomplished at all in the face of opposition.
Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free of charge by St. Martin's Press, a fine publisher of books through the Goodreads "First Reads" program.
Further Disclaimer: Any publisher that provides me with a copy of a quality book free of charge will be regarded as a fine publisher.
The author of this book seeks to evaluate the past eight years while also to prognosticate into the future as to how history will view his legacy. Every aspect of the policy of Obama is evaluated. This book covers the housing market collapse, the American automobile industry collapse, the banking industry failures, the Affordable Care Act, and the unprecedented obstructionism that he faced as president.
The author deftly evaluates Obama's reaction to the problems that he faced upon taking office. While the reader may have an opinion on the presidents actions as it pertains to each of these policies used to combat growing unemployment and multiple failures of the economy, it should be said that the author uses facts and not political opinions to describe the scenarios surrounding every controversial decision made by our 44th president.
For those looking for a right or left-leaning book to support their strongly-held biases, this book will not fulfill you. It's clear from the text that the author has a favorable view of Obama's legacy, but in a subtle manner. While society usually writes its own historical narrative of a president, I thought that D'Antonio's narrative is one that was mostly fair. While liberals may chide him for not doing enough, and conservatives blame his policies for every atrocity in the world, I think the author provides a fairly centrist but-left leaning description of events.
The book is a proper reminder of what happened, why it happened, what could have been done better, and what couldn't be accomplished at all in the face of opposition.
Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free of charge by St. Martin's Press, a fine publisher of books through the Goodreads "First Reads" program.
Further Disclaimer: Any publisher that provides me with a copy of a quality book free of charge will be regarded as a fine publisher.
November 29, 2016
Michael D'Antonio's A Conseqiential President: The Legacy of Barack Obama is a well documented summary of President Obama's two terms. This author breaks down Obama's main goals for his presidency. The topics covered are the economy, auto industry crisis, healthcare, energy sources, saving the environment, foreign policy, wage equality, gay marriage, employment discrimination and failures and or unfinished aims. I paraphrased the titles for the topics.
As you can see from the above list, his agenda was long and varied. The author says that Obama has been unappreciated and I agree. America used to be the majority of the people in the center politically speaking but now the centrists and people willing to compromise have greatly shrunk. The author traces the evolution of the opposition party and how their goals and tactics have changed. Now the United States is more divided politically than in a very long time. because of the The next president will need to deal with that situation.
This book is great if you believe in the changes that he was bringing and trying to bring about but I was a little disappointed in the lack of the personal side of Obama. My feeling is that he will be thought of as a great president as time passes and history puts him in perspective.
I received this Advanced Reading Copy by making a selection from Amazon Vine books but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review. I also posted this review only on sites meant for reading not for selling.
As you can see from the above list, his agenda was long and varied. The author says that Obama has been unappreciated and I agree. America used to be the majority of the people in the center politically speaking but now the centrists and people willing to compromise have greatly shrunk. The author traces the evolution of the opposition party and how their goals and tactics have changed. Now the United States is more divided politically than in a very long time. because of the The next president will need to deal with that situation.
This book is great if you believe in the changes that he was bringing and trying to bring about but I was a little disappointed in the lack of the personal side of Obama. My feeling is that he will be thought of as a great president as time passes and history puts him in perspective.
I received this Advanced Reading Copy by making a selection from Amazon Vine books but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review. I also posted this review only on sites meant for reading not for selling.
February 5, 2017
First off, I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I like that Michael D'Antonio is a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter. They typically don't give that award to people who write stories with "alternate facts." D'Antonio does an excellent job presenting the facts of President Obama's two terms. The stories are supported with various graphics. Now, we all know that people can make statistics sing and dance to any tune they want, but these seem compelling to me. Also, while presenting the President's accomplishments, D'Antonio includes and clearly explains the actual shortcomings. It's startling to see the lengths to which the opposition went to obstruct the President. . . even when he reached across the aisle. The big finale of the book is an incredible list of blatant lies proffered by the opposition as "facts." Oh, they're convincing, especially to people who want to believe the fabrications. But after reading the book, you know they're only lies. If you're deeply Republican, you'll never believe the words on D'Antonio's pages. But Democrats and fence sitters will be vindicated or swayed by the D'Antonio's excellent work.
January 12, 2017
This was a very interesting book that I enjoyed reading. As someone who admires and voted for Barak Obama in 2008 and 2012, I found the book to be very fair and balanced about Obama's presidency. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway that I entered because I wanted to read it. Thanks, GoodReads for having the giveaway!
I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway that I entered because I wanted to read it. Thanks, GoodReads for having the giveaway!
January 31, 2017
As the Obama presidency came to an end, it was reassuring to remember the many important changes he brought to our society and government during his eight years in the White House. After the election season that repeatedly implied that Obama's presidency was a failure, this book proves that it was anything but.
February 2, 2017
The Legacy of Barack Obama
A great book to read now, to understand all the challenges that Barack Obama went through his presidency.
Barack Obama is a visionary. All the reform he established, were for a long period of time and all the nation will get the fruit in a few years. That s very unfortunate, because in 2017, we know that the 45th President is Mr Trump.
A great book to read now, to understand all the challenges that Barack Obama went through his presidency.
Barack Obama is a visionary. All the reform he established, were for a long period of time and all the nation will get the fruit in a few years. That s very unfortunate, because in 2017, we know that the 45th President is Mr Trump.
January 23, 2017
The book was well written and the author attempted to sound unbiased, however this didn't happen. The rating is for the composition of the book. The lack of one star is because of the "facts" of the book being spun in a biased direction.
I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
January 23, 2017
This is a Goodreads win review. This is a very well written book about the legacy of Barack Obama.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews