The Audacity of Hope
Encyclopedia
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream is the second book written by then-Senator Barack Obama
. In the fall of 2006 it became number one on both the New York Times and Amazon.com
bestsellers lists after Obama was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey
. In the book, Obama expounds on many of the subjects that became part of his 2008 campaign
for the presidency
. The book advance from the publisher totalled $1.9 million contracted for three books. Obama announced his ultimately successful
presidential campaign on February 10, 2007, a little less than three months after the book's release.
. Wright had attended a lecture by Dr. Frederick G. Sampson in Richmond, Virginia
, in the late 1980s, on the GF Watts painting Hope
, which inspired him to give a sermon in 1990 based on the subject of the painting - "with her clothes in rags, her body scarred and bruised and bleeding, her harp all but destroyed and with only one string left, she had the audacity to make music and praise God ... To take the one string you have left and to have the audacity to hope... that's the real word God will have us hear from this passage and from Watt's painting." Having attended Wright's sermon, Barack Obama later adapted Wright's phrase "audacity to hope" to "audacity of hope" which became the title for his 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address
, and the title of his second book.
While a Senate candidate, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention, entitled The Audacity of Hope that propelled him to national prominence. In the less than twenty minutes it took to deliver the speech, Obama was catapulted to sudden fame, with many analysts predicting that he might be well positioned to enter a future presidential race. In 2006, Obama released The Audacity of Hope, a book-length account that expanded upon many of the same themes he originally addressed in the convention speech.
In his speech addressing the Democratic National Convention in 2004, Obama said:
Chapter One: Republicans
and Democrats
Chapter Two: Values
Chapter Three: Our Constitution
Chapter Four: Politics
Chapter Five: Opportunity
Chapter Six: Faith
Chapter Seven: Race
Chapter Eight: The World Beyond Our Borders
Chapter Nine: Family
, The New York Times
noted that "Mr. Obama’s new book, ‘The Audacity of Hope’ ... is much more of a political document. Portions of the volume read like outtakes from a stump speech, and the bulk of it is devoted to laying out Mr. Obama’s policy positions on a host of issues, from education to health care to the war in Iraq".
The Chicago Tribune credits the large crowds that gathered at book signings with influencing Obama's decision to run for president. Former presidential candidate Gary Hart
describes the book as Obama's "thesis submission" for the U.S. presidency: "It presents a man of relative youth yet maturity, a wise observer of the human condition, a figure who possesses perseverance and writing skills that have flashes of grandeur." Reviewer Michael Tomasky
writes that it does not contain "boldly innovative policy prescriptions that will lead the Democrats out of their wilderness," but does show Obama's potential to "construct a new politics that is progressive but grounded in civic traditions that speak to a wider range of Americans."
An Italian
edition was published in April 2007 with a preface by Walter Veltroni
, former Mayor of Rome
, currently leader of Italy
's Democratic Party
and one of Obama's earliest supporters overseas, who met with Obama in Washington in 2005 and has been referred to as "Obama's European counterpart."
Spanish
and German
translations were published in June 2007; the French
edition, subtitled une nouvelle conception de la politique américaine, was published in October 2007. The Croatian
edition was published in October 2008.
The book remained on the New York Times Best Seller list
for the 30 weeks since publication. The audiobook version won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album
.
A number of blogs and newspapers repeated inaccurate rumors that the book contains the passage, "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction." The actual quote does not mention Muslims at all, referring instead to Arab and Pakistani-Americans in the context of immigrant communities generally.
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. In the fall of 2006 it became number one on both the New York Times and Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
bestsellers lists after Obama was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Barack Obama
Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Barack Obama was one of the most widely covered and studied developments of the 2008 presidential campaign. Winfrey has been described as the most influential woman in the world for her impact on the culture and her proven record as a taste-maker and trend-setter,...
. In the book, Obama expounds on many of the subjects that became part of his 2008 campaign
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
for the presidency
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The book advance from the publisher totalled $1.9 million contracted for three books. Obama announced his ultimately successful
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
presidential campaign on February 10, 2007, a little less than three months after the book's release.
Origin
The title of The Audacity of Hope was derived from a sermon delivered by Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah WrightJeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ , a megachurch in Chicago exceeding 6,000 members...
. Wright had attended a lecture by Dr. Frederick G. Sampson in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, in the late 1980s, on the GF Watts painting Hope
Hope (painting)
Hope is a Symbolist oil painting by George Frederic Watts, two versions of which were completed in 1886. The painting was intended to form part of a series of allegorical paintings by Watts entitled the "House of Life".-Description:...
, which inspired him to give a sermon in 1990 based on the subject of the painting - "with her clothes in rags, her body scarred and bruised and bleeding, her harp all but destroyed and with only one string left, she had the audacity to make music and praise God ... To take the one string you have left and to have the audacity to hope... that's the real word God will have us hear from this passage and from Watt's painting." Having attended Wright's sermon, Barack Obama later adapted Wright's phrase "audacity to hope" to "audacity of hope" which became the title for his 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address
2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address
The keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention was given by then Illinois State Senator, United States Senate candidate , and future President Barack Obama on the night of Tuesday, July 27, 2004...
, and the title of his second book.
While a Senate candidate, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention, entitled The Audacity of Hope that propelled him to national prominence. In the less than twenty minutes it took to deliver the speech, Obama was catapulted to sudden fame, with many analysts predicting that he might be well positioned to enter a future presidential race. In 2006, Obama released The Audacity of Hope, a book-length account that expanded upon many of the same themes he originally addressed in the convention speech.
In his speech addressing the Democratic National Convention in 2004, Obama said:
Contents
The book outlines Obama's political and spiritual beliefs, as well as his opinions on different aspects of American culture. The book is divided into nine chapters:Chapter One: Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Chapter Two: Values
Chapter Three: Our Constitution
Chapter Four: Politics
Chapter Five: Opportunity
Chapter Six: Faith
Chapter Seven: Race
Chapter Eight: The World Beyond Our Borders
Chapter Nine: Family
Reception
A "political biography that concentrates on the senator's core values," according to the Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
noted that "Mr. Obama’s new book, ‘The Audacity of Hope’ ... is much more of a political document. Portions of the volume read like outtakes from a stump speech, and the bulk of it is devoted to laying out Mr. Obama’s policy positions on a host of issues, from education to health care to the war in Iraq".
The Chicago Tribune credits the large crowds that gathered at book signings with influencing Obama's decision to run for president. Former presidential candidate Gary Hart
Gary Hart
Gary Hart is an American politician, lawyer, author, professor and commentator. He served as a Democratic Senator representing Colorado , and ran in the U.S...
describes the book as Obama's "thesis submission" for the U.S. presidency: "It presents a man of relative youth yet maturity, a wise observer of the human condition, a figure who possesses perseverance and writing skills that have flashes of grandeur." Reviewer Michael Tomasky
Michael Tomasky
Michael Tomasky is a liberal American columnist, journalist and author. He is the editor in chief of Democracy, a special correspondent for Newsweek / The Daily Beast, a contributing editor for The American Prospect, and a contributor to The New York Review of Books.-Biography:Tomasky was born...
writes that it does not contain "boldly innovative policy prescriptions that will lead the Democrats out of their wilderness," but does show Obama's potential to "construct a new politics that is progressive but grounded in civic traditions that speak to a wider range of Americans."
An Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
edition was published in April 2007 with a preface by Walter Veltroni
Walter Veltroni
Walter Veltroni, Knight Grand Cross, is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on 17 February 2009. He served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was...
, former Mayor of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, currently leader of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
and one of Obama's earliest supporters overseas, who met with Obama in Washington in 2005 and has been referred to as "Obama's European counterpart."
Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
translations were published in June 2007; the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
edition, subtitled une nouvelle conception de la politique américaine, was published in October 2007. The Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
edition was published in October 2008.
The book remained on the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
for the 30 weeks since publication. The audiobook version won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album
Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album
The Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album has been awarded since 1959. The award had several minor name changes:*In 1959 the award was known as Best Performance, Documentary or Spoken Word...
.
A number of blogs and newspapers repeated inaccurate rumors that the book contains the passage, "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction." The actual quote does not mention Muslims at all, referring instead to Arab and Pakistani-Americans in the context of immigrant communities generally.
Versions and translations
- English: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream,
- hardcover CrownCrown Publishing Group-External links:*...
(October 17, 2006), ISBN 978-030-723-769-9 - paperback Edinburgh : CanongateCanongateThe Canongate is a small district at the heart of Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland.The name derives from the main street running through the area: called Canongate without the definite article, "the". Canongate forms the lower, eastern half of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's historic Old Town....
(2008), ISBN 978-184-767-083-0 - audio CD: RH Audio; Abridged edition (October 17, 2006), ISBN 978-073-933-408-9
- large print Random HouseRandom HouseRandom House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
Large Print (November 7, 2006), ISBN 978-073-932-665-7 - large print ParagonParagonA paragon is a large, flawless diamond. The title is now used figuratively to denote a model of excellence or perfection of any kind; one having no equal; a perfect embodiment of a concept.Paragon may also refer to:-Places:...
(2009), ISBN 978-140-841-424-8 - Braille CrownCrown Publishing Group-External links:*...
(2006), OCLC 263091599
- hardcover Crown
- Albanian: Guximi për të shpresuar : refleksione për rikthimin e ëndrrës amerikane, translated by Diana Ndroqi, Marin Barleti University Press, (November 17, 2008), ISBN 978-999-430-080-8 http://www.g99.org/index2.php?pg=details&id=148&nid
- Arabic: Barāk Ubāmā : jurʼat al-amal, translation, Madbūlī al-Saghīr (al-Jīzah), (2009), ISBN 9789772862740,
- Bengali: Daya ayaḍāsiṭi aba hopa : āmerikāra cirāẏta svapnera punrujjibana bhāvanā, translated by Māsumura Rahamāna Khalilī and Māsuma Billāha, Aṅkura Prakāśanī, ISBN 978-984-464-223-2
- Bulgarian: Дързостта на надеждата / Dŭrzostta na nadezhdata Сиела, Sofii︠a︡ : Siela, (2008), ISBN 978-954-280-354-6
- Chinese: translated by Luo Xuanmin, Jing Wang and Yin Yin Law Press at Beijing, (August 25, 2008), ISBN 978-750-368-690-0 http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/uschina/bb_translation.shtml
- Catalan: L'audàcia de l'esperança. Ed Mina (Barcelona, 2008) ISBN 978-84-96499-99-7
- Croatian: Odvažnost nade : razmišljanja o obnavljanju američkog sna, translation, Profil (Zagreb), (2008), ISBN 9789531209373,
- Danish: Mod til at håbe. Tanker om generobringen af den amerikanske drøm, translated by Niels Ivar Larsen, Information 2008, ISBN 978-877-514-195-1
- Dutch: De herovering van de Amerikaanse droom, AtlasAtlasAn atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets in the Solar System. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats...
(Amsterdam), (2007), ISBN 978-904-501-380-0 - French: L'audace d'espérer: une nouvelle conception de la politique américaine, Presses de la Cité, (April 5, 2007) 368 p., ISBN 978-225-807-451-4
- German: Hoffnung wagen. Gedanken zur Rückbesinnung auf den American Dream, Riemann Verlag, (April 5, 2007), 466 p., ISBN 978-357-050-081-1 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E0DA1530F932A15750C0A96E9C8B63
- Greek: Τολμώ να ελπίζω : σκέψεις για την ανάκτηση του Αμερικανικού ονείρου, translated by Royla Kokolioy, PolisPolisPolis , plural poleis , literally means city in Greek. It could also mean citizenship and body of citizens. In modern historiography "polis" is normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city-states, like Classical Athens and its contemporaries, so polis is often translated as "city-state."The...
(Athēna), (2008) 467 p., ISBN 978-960-435-168-8 - Hindi: Āśā kā saverā, translated by Aruṇa Ānanda, Prabhāta Prakāśana (Dillī), (2009), ISBN 9788173157288,
- Hungarian: Vakmerő remények : gondolatok az amerikai álom újraélesztéséről, translated by István Lantos, Budapest : Cor Leonis, (2008), ISBN 9789630652186
- Indonesian Menerjang harapan : dari Jakarta menuju Gedung Putih, Ufuk Press, Jakarta, Indonesia, (2007), ISBN
- Italian: l'Audacia della speranza, traduttore: Laura Cecilia Dapelli, Lorenza Lanza, Patrizia Vicentini, Introduttore: Walter VeltroniWalter VeltroniWalter Veltroni, Knight Grand Cross, is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on 17 February 2009. He served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was...
, ISBN 978-881-701-658-2 - Japanese: Gasshūkoku saisei : ōinaru kibō o idaite(合衆国再生 : 大いなる希望を抱いて), translated by Shikō Tanahashi, Kaedeshoten : Daiyamondosha, (Tokyo, Japan), (2007), ISBN 9784478003534 447800353X
- Korean: Barack Obama, Damdaehan huimang(버락 오바마, 담대한 희망), translated by 홍수원, Random House KoreaRandom HouseRandom House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, (2007), ISBN 978-89-255-1105-4 - Malay: Keberanian menggapai harapan : gagasan meraih kembali impian Amerika, Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia, Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, (2009), ISBN 978-98-306-8349-2 - Marathi: Audācītī apha hōp : dharībhiya-- aśāvādācaṅ!, translated by Prakāśā Bhāve, Ameya Prakāśana (Pune), (2009) ISBN 9788190729437,
- Persian: جسارت امىد / Jisārat umīd, translated by Abūā lḥasan Tahāmī, Intishārāt nigā (Tihrān), (2009), ISBN 9789643515355,
- Polish: Odwaga nadziei : [moja droga życiowa, wartości i ideały polityczne], translated by Grzegorz Kołodziejczyk, Wydawn Albatros A. Kuryłowicz (Warszawa), (2008), ISBN 978-837-359-801-0
- Portuguese: A Audácia da Esperança: Reflexões sobre a Reconquista do Sonho Americano (2007), Editora Larousse do Brasil, ISBN 8576352192.
- Russian: Derzost' Nadezhdy (October 2008) ISBN 978-5-395-00209-9 http://mnweekly.ru/local/20081024/55352712.html http://www.sras.org/us_elections_come_to_moscow
- Serbian: Smelost nade : o američkom snu i kako ga ponovo ostvariti, Beograd : Interkomerc, a.d., 2008, ISBN 978-869-056-592-4
- Slovenian: Pogum za upanje : misli o obnovi ameriškega sna, translated by Igor Antič and Milan Kučan, Sanje, (2008), ISBN 978-961-665-395-4
- Spanish: La audacia de la esperanza: Reflexiones sobre cómo restaurar el sueño americano, translated by Claudia Casanova and Juan Elroy Roca, Knopf Publishing Group (June 19, 2007), ISBN 978-030-738-711-0
- audio CD: Findaway World, LLC (2009), ISBN 978-160-847-562-9
- Swedish: Att våga hoppas : tankar om den amerikanska drömmen, translated by Thomas Engström, Bonnier (Stockholm), (2008), ISBN 978-910-011-807-5
- Tamil: நம்மால் முடியும் / Nammal mutiyum, translated by Nākūr Rūmi, Kizhakku Pathippagam (Chennai), (2009), ISBN 9788184934663,
- Thai: Klā wang klā plīan, translated by Sunisā Kānčhanakun and Krung Thēp, Samnakphim Matichon, (2009), ISBN 978-974-020-285-1
- Vietnamese: Hy vọng táo bạo : suy nghĩ vè̂ việc tìm lại giá̂c mơ Mỹ, translated by Hà̆ng Nguyẽ̂n, Nhà xuá̂t bản Trẻ (Thành phó̂ Hò̂ Chí Minh), (2008), OCLC 298347843
External links
- Gary Hart, "American Idol", New York Times, December 24, 2006. Retrieved on January 16, 2007
- Senator Barack Obama talks at length about "The Audacity of Hope" with New York Times columnist Bob HerbertBob HerbertRobert “Bob” Herbert is an American journalist op-ed columnist who wrote for The New York Times. His column was syndicated to other newspapers around the country. Herbert frequently writes on poverty, the Iraq war, racism and American political apathy towards race issues...
on fora.tv (video and real-time transcript, October 20, 2006) - All editions at WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...