I don't give a top rating to many books, movies, or other things. I think that is because as I get older I am increasingly protective of my time, and I am less forgiving of low quality work that wastes that diminishing quantity of time. I hope I'm not just becoming a curmudgeon. I am giving a five-star rating (or at least a 4-1/2), however, to David Maraniss' biography of Barack Obama because it is compelling reading from start to finish, is rigorously researched, and succeeds enormously at what it sets out to do, which is to tell the story of Obama's life up until his entrance into Harvard Law School. It provides context for Obama's story and provides insights into character without over analyzing or making judgements. It is remarkably balanced. This book deserves its high rating, in short, because it is one of the best books of its type I have read.

I'm trying to read a biography of each president going backwards starting with President Obama. I think I should have picked a different book because this never reached any of his political life or decisions. I'm amazed by Obama and will most likely read something else about him as well. Going into it just know that this will be largely about his family history and he won't even enter the story until about 100 pages in or so. The book takes you through his early life and into his college years. It seemed to really slow down and drag once it hit this point. Still undecided if my Clinton book will be the work of this author or something different.

I decided to read this book after hearing the author speak at the National Book Festival. In alternating chapters, Maraniss tells about President Obama's maternal and paternal ancestors, going back three generations. He also reveals how the lives andvarious cultures of these relatives affected and influenced Barack Obama's life. It was extremely well researched and certainly caused me to ponder the possible influences my ancestors may have played in my life. The book was long (500+ pages)and, at times, tedious, but well worth reading.

Has David Maraniss ever met a detail he didn't include in a book? The book is thoroughly researched, but it seems to me that it's an important part of the writer's (and editor's) job to decide what's important to include and not include. Names of classmates of the President's grandparents who never play any further part in the story don't add flavor or interest or information and could easily have been deleted, making the book much more readable. That being said, there's a lot of interesting, new information here that adds a lot to our understanding of the President.