Hopes and Dreams: The Story of Barack Obama - Softcover

Barack Obama, the young black Democratic Senator for Illinois, is the rising star of American politics: the man who has emerged as the symbol of hope for America, and is now being touted as a candidate for the next Presidential election raising the possibility of the first black U.S. President...Obama's own books (a memoir and a policy book) have figured highly on the "New York Times" bestsellers lists, but this is the first biographic portrait of the man, written by a leading journalist and filled with more than 100 lively photographs. It provides an overview of Obama's life up to the current time: childhood; Harvard Law School; civil rights lawyer; early political career; symbol of hope; keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic convention; family life; issues; vision; speeches; and quotations. It explores "Obamamania" - the whole buzz about him, the comparisons with Bobby Kennedy, the turning of American politics and his running for President...No political figure on the American scene has generated as much interest as Obama has, and many compare his appeal to that of a rock star...

Steve Dougherty is a longtime writer for People magazine and contributes to The New York Times. He has also written for Gannett, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, and the Atlanta Constitution. He is the coauthor, with Ralph Cooper, of Amateur Night at the Apollo. He lives in New York City.