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The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Barack Obama's first book, Dreams from My Father, was a compelling and moving memoir focusing on personal issues of race, identity, and community With his second book The Audacity of Hope, Obama engages themes raised in his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, shares personal views on faith and values and offers a vision of the future that involves repairing a "political process that is broken" and restoring a government that has fallen out of touch with the people. We had the opportunity to ask Senator Obama a few questions about writing, reading, and politics--see his responses below. --Daphne Durham
20 Second Interview: A Few Words with Barack Obama Q: How did writing a book that you knew would be read so closely by so many compare to writing your first book, when few people knew who you were? A: In many ways, Dreams from My Father was harder to write. At that point, I wasn't even sure that I could write a book. And writing the first book really was a process of self-discovery, since it touched on my family and my childhood in a much more intimate way. On the other hand, writing The Audacity of Hope paralleled the work that I do every day--trying to give shape to all the issues that we face as a country, and providing my own personal stamp on them. Q: What is your writing process like? You have such a busy schedule, how did you find time to write? A: I'm a night owl, so I usually wrote at night after my Senate day was over, and after my family was asleep--from 9:30 p.m. or so until 1 a.m. I would work off an outline--certain themes or stories that I wanted to tell--and get them down in longhand on a yellow pad. Then I'd edit while typing in what I'd written. Q: If readers are to come away from The Audacity of Hope with one action item (a New Year's Resolution for 2007, perhaps?), what should it be? A: Get involved in an issue that you're passionate about. It almost doesn't matter what it is--improving the school system, developing strategies to wean ourselves off foreign oil, expanding health care for kids. We give too much of our power away, to the professional politicians, to the lobbyists, to cynicism. And our democracy suffers as a result. Q: You're known for being able to work with people across ideological lines. Is that possible in today's polarized Washington? A: It is possible. There are a lot of well-meaning people in both political parties. Unfortunately, the political culture tends to emphasize conflict, the media emphasizes conflict, and the structure of our campaigns rewards the negative. I write about these obstacles in chapter 4 of my book, "Politics." When you focus on solving problems instead of scoring political points, and emphasize common sense over ideology, you'd be surprised what can be accomplished. It also helps if you're willing to give other people credit--something politicians have a hard time doing sometimes.
Q: How do you make people passionate about moderate and complex ideas?
A: I think the country recognizes that the challenges we face aren't amenable to sound-bite solutions. People are looking for serious solutions to complex problems. I don't think we need more moderation per se--I think we should be bolder in promoting universal health care, or dealing with global warming. We just need to understand that actually solving these problems won't be easy, and that whatever solutions we come up with will require consensus among groups with divergent interests. That means everybody has to listen, and everybody has to give a little. That's not easy to do.
Q: What has surprised you most about the way Washington works?
A: How little serious debate and deliberation takes place on the floor of the House or the Senate.
Q: You talk about how we have a personal responsibility to educate our children. What small thing can the average parent (or person) do to help improve the educational system in America? What small thing can make a big impact?
A: Nothing has a bigger impact than reading to children early in life. Obviously we all have a personal obligation to turn off the TV and read to our own children; but beyond that, participating in a literacy program, working with parents who themselves may have difficulty reading, helping their children with their literacy skills, can make a huge difference in a child's life.
Q: Do you ever find time to read? What kinds of books do you try to make time for? What is on your nightstand now?
A: Unfortunately, I had very little time to read while I was writing. I'm trying to make up for lost time now. My tastes are pretty eclectic. I just finished Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, a wonderful book. The language just shimmers. I've started Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which is a great study of Lincoln as a political strategist. I read just about anything by Toni Morrison, E.L. Doctorow, or Philip Roth. And I've got a soft spot for John le Carre.
Q: What inspires you? How do you stay motivated?
A: I'm inspired by the people I meet in my travels--hearing their stories, seeing the hardships they overcome, their fundamental optimism and decency. I'm inspired by the love people have for their children. And I'm inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.
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Price: $7.97
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Introducing Character Animation with Blender
Let this in-depth professional book be your guide to Blender, the powerful open-source 3D modeling and animation software that will bring your ideas to life. Using clear step-by-step instruction and pages of real-world examples, expert animator Tony Mullen walks you through the complexities of modeling and animating, with a special focus on characters. From Blender basics to creating facial expressions and emotion to rendering, you’ll jump right into the process and learn valuable techniques that will transform your movies. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file..
Price: $21.43
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Profiles in Audacity: Great Decisions and How They Were Made
In brief, compelling, and inspiring vignettes, bestselling historian Alan Axelrod pinpoints and investigates the make-or-break event in the lives and careers of some of history’s most significant figures. Axelrod reexamines history by revealing the answer to the fascinating question of why the people who made history made their choices—and conveys the resonance of those choices today. The 46 profiles range from ancient times to the present day and include Cleopatra’s decision to rescue Egypt; Washington’s decision to cross the Delaware and win; Gandhi’s decision to prevail against the British Empire without bloodshed; Truman’s decision to drop the A-bomb and end WW II; Rosa Parks decision to sit in for civil rights; Boris Yeltsin’s decision to embrace a new world order; and Flight 93’s decision to take a stand against terror. .
Price: $8.66
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Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity: Essays
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Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting (Solutions)
Are you the kind of person who's got a lot to say? Have you ever wanted to share your talents, thoughts, and opinions with others, but have lacked the broadcasting knowledge and contacts to achieve such a goal? Well, today it's well within your grasp, thanks to Podcasting &emdash; using only some simple recording equipment, a computer, and the Internet, you can record and distribute your own audio shows, including anything you want - comedy, debate, news, reviews, interviews, music &emdash; the only limit is your imagination. Of course, you'll need a guide to tell you what you need to know, which is where this indispensable book comes in. Written by two of the best and brightest podcasting pioneers, Podcast Solutions is a shrewd and comprehensive guide to podcasting. From downloading podcasts to producing your own for fun or profit, Podcast Solutions covers the entire world of podcasting with insight, humor, and the unmatched wisdom of experience. In its 200+ pages, youll learn: - How to receive podcasts - everything you need to know to find, subscribe to and receive quality shows on your iPod, computer or any other mp3 player.
- How podcasting is being applied in many different industries - entertainment, education, sales and marketing, religious study, intra-corporate communications, and more.
- How to plan and design your own top quality podcast, including expert advice on designing a show built for success.
- How to Set up your "podcast studio," whether youre a casual hobbyist or a committed professional. Includes insights and buying advice on finding the right microphones, mixers, software, hardware, and more to meet your needs and fit your budget.
- The secrets to achieving "broadcast quality" audio for your show.
- How to include music, phone calls and audio feedback into your podcast inexpensively and legally.
- The techniques needed to turn your podcasts into Internet-ready audio files and get them out there ready to be received by your anxiously-waiting listeners, using simple hardware and software tools.
- The meaning of RSS, XML, mp3, LAME, and several other acronyms you thought youd never understand.
- Insiders tips on creating a web presence that will enhance the popularity and professionalism of your show.
- Secrets of attracting listeners through the creative use of directories, user groups, mailing lists and more.
- How to make money with your podcast by attracting sponsors, advertisers, and other revenue sources.
The book contains all this and more. This is the guide to podcasting you've been looking for, and the only one you'll need..
Price: $7.49
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Linux Multimedia Hacks: Tips & Tools for Taming Images, Audio, and Video (Hacks)
The fact that Linux has more multimedia application choices than Mac OS X and Windows combined may come as a surprise to many, but not to those who know Linux well. In Linux Multimedia Hacks, author Kyle Rankin showcases the best available multimedia tools so you can maximize the entertainment capabilities of your favorite OS. Included are tips and tricks for connecting to iPods, creating MP3s and Oggs, watching and making DVDs, turning your Linux box into a Tivo ala MythTV, and much more. You don't have to be a Linux server guru to make use of this book. Linux Multimedia Hacks takes the best of Linux's multimedia tools and with step-by-step instructions shows even novice users how to do cool and useful things with images, audio, and video. It includes entry level hacks that nearly all Linux users will want, such as installing codecs for audio and video playback and managing thousands of photographs. Later, you'll find hacks that cover a variety of advanced projects, from ripping and organizing media files with metatags, to editing video and audio tracks, to creating your own DVDs. Basic or advanced, each hack stands on its own, so you can feel free to jump around to only the sections that interest you. The book is divided into five easy-to-understand chapters: - Images: tips range from basic image edits to automated image manipulation
- Audio: hacks include audio format conversion and tweaking metadata within audio files
- Video: learn how to covert between video formats, plus how to create your own VCDs and DVDs
- Broadcast Media: tips include how to access and create you own web broadcasts as well as watch and record TV
- Web: learn how to make your multimedia creations available to the world
As one of the most powerful multimedia platforms around, Linux has far more capabilities and features than meets the eye. This latest Hacks book gives you the technical chops to enjoy them all. .
Price: $4.00
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Audacity, Privateer Out of Portsmouth: Continuing the Account of the Life and Times of Geoffrey Frost, Mariner, of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, as Faithfully ... Contemporary Histories (Geoffrey Frost Saga)
Book two of the Frost Saga continues the exciting nautical adventures launched in The Private Revolution of Geoffrey Frost, hailed as "an auspicious start" by Library Journal and now available in paperback. Mariner, merchant, and reluctant warrior, Geoffrey Frost has entered the American Revolution on behalf of the colony of New Hampshire, commanding a captured British sloop o' war and sailing out of Portsmouth to harass the British fleet. As Audacity opens, he is returning from Canada following a daring rescue of American prisoners held at Louisburg when he sails into a fog bank -- and straight into a British convoy shepherded by a thirty-two gun frigate. In serving the American cause, Frost will impersonate a British merchant, capture several supply ships, order the execution of some of his own countrymen who have turned pirate and renegade, and perform an extraordinary feat of navigation in order to restore two men to the ship of the great explorer Captain James Cook. He will also meet the beguiling and exasperating Lady Cygnet, an opera singer, who promises to enliven and complicate Frost's life in future volumes..
Price: $9.10
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Should Barack Obama Be President? DREAMS FROM MY FATHER, AUDACITY OF HOPE, ... Obama in '08?
This "nimble" book provides a pithy, funny, almost schizophrenic examination of all the arguments that I can think of, pro and con, on the subject of Senator Barack Obama's suitability for the office of President. My promise to you is that no matter how much you already know about Obama, this book will present you with new information and new perspectives. This is a "living" book that will be updated electronically every few months. This edition was last modified on October 17, 2006. The next update will occur in November 2006 with the addition of fifty pages devoted to analysis of DREAMS FROM MY FATHER and AUDACITY OF HOPE. Current purchasers can receive future updates for free by sending proof of purchase via e-mail to obama@nimblebooks.com..
Price: $14.68
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