Becoming Paperback – 2 March 2021

BARACK OBAMA IS GREAT INDEED!AND HIS COUNTRY IS GREATER STILL!Barack Obama became the forty-fourth president of America in 2009 at the age of forty eight. He was awarded the Nobel prize for Peace the same year. I did not know of any outstanding work he had done to deserve the high honour. Many in America and elsewhere were also of the same mind.So I started avidly reading the recently published memoirs of his wife, Michelle Obama, when the book was gifted to me by the youngest of my three sons.The 440-page closely printed book convinced me that Obama is indeed a great man, forget the question whether he deserved the prestigious prize or not.Obama emerges from the book as an extraordinary person, a driven idealist consumed by an overwhelming desire to reduce the inequalities and inequities in the American society.He reminded me of the sixteenth American President (1861-65), Abraham Lincoln, who has come to regarded as the greatest President because of his two achievements: preserving the Union and abolishing slavery.Both the person's, Lincoln and Obama, appear to me as made of the same clay.Both had come from economically and socially disadvantaged families. Obama was Black besides, in a predominantly White country riven by deep racial tensions.Both had troubled childhood.Lincoln lost his mother when he was nine, was not on good terms with his father, but his stepmother was kind and encouraged him to learn reading and writing side by side with the hardwork he had to do for a living. By dint of hardwork, he qualified himself in time as a lawyer and started legal practice.Obama was born to Kenyan father (Black) who had come to America for studies and s white mother who fell in love and married him. The marriage was short-lived, the two divorced and the man returned to his native land. The lady married again, this time to a geologist from Indinesia, and went to live with him in Iakarta, taking the five year-old Obama with her. Four years later she sent the child back to America to live with her parents and to study in quality schools. Obama was a bright student and went on to secure degrees from Columbia University and the prestigious Harvard Law School, helped along the way by student loans.At the age of twenty eight Obama married Michelle, who hailed from a working class Black family of Chicago, also a graduate of Harvard Law School. She was then working in a large firm of lawyers in Chicago, with good prospects of becoming a partner in the firm.Brilliant and prosperous careers in the legal field awaited them both, but they decided to take up community development work instead, for a fraction of what they could have earned in legal practice. Obama was insistent that what work they do should have an impact on the society.Very soon Obama came to realise that political power was necessary in order to bring about the changes he thought necessary to render the American society less racial, less violent and more equitable and just. He decided to enter electoral politics.And achieved incredible success in a short span of time.This man with a hybrid geneology but considered by the public as Black in a predominantly White nation, with a weird name Barack Hussain Obama,II, with no financial or social strength to boast, blossomed into a popular leader -- not a leader of the Blacks but a leader of all Americans, Blacks, Whites, Latinos and others --and recorded a meteoric rise in American politics.* He became a Senator in the State of Illinois at the age of thirty five;* A member of the U.S. Senate at forty three ;* President of America at forty eightApart from being the first Black President in the history of America, he was also only the eleventh American President re-elected for a second consecutive term.Obams's achievements as Prrsident are nothing as dramatic as those of Abraham Lincoln, but they can be considered substantial, considering the changed times and circumstances. In the area of foreign relations, he eliminated the dreaded Osama Bin Laden, brought down America's overseas military engagements by totally withdrawing troops from Iraq and gradual draw-down of troops from Afghanistan. He re-engaged America in the global fight against climate change. At home he expanded health care cover for all Americans and strengthened the education system. He resusciated the economy and gave years of continuous growth in economy and jobs.Then, patadoxically Donald Trump came and, with him, the ascendancy of reactionery forces. Referring to his quixotic ways, Michelle Obama has said in a different context, "This is not politics as usual; this is disgraceful; it is intolerable". Many of Trump's actions were indeed so and they took the nation back by several steps in matters of economy, racial relations and global issues.The Trump era came to an abrupt and inglorious end. The nation is now being led by a person who served as Vice-President in Obama's government.Such appears to be the Zig-Zag way in which nations and societies grow and develop historically. A sort of dialectical process.In conclusion I wish to say that Barack Obama is indeed great as a person and as a leader. And Anerica as a nation is still greater for, inspite of its many failings and contradictions, it has raised a person like Obama to its highest office and celebrated the great-granddaughter of a slave named Jim Robinson as its First Lady.It can happen only in America.A.GovindanTidbitFateful seventeen minutesBarack Obama spoke for just seventeen minutes on the night of 27th July 2004. The occasion was the National Convention of the Republican Party held in Boston, USA. John Kerry, the Republican party's candidate for Presidentship, had invited young Barack Obama to deliver the key-note address.Obama was then just a legislator in the state of Illinois and, in Michelle Obama's words, "a complete nobody" in the national politics.That short speech turned Obama overnight into a brilliant star in U.S politics. He would be President of the country in the next five years!It was a passionate speech and it came from his heart.He began the speech explaining who he was and where he came from and referred to his mother's faith in what a good education could do. He cast himself as a literal embodiment of the American story. He reminded the audience that the country was United by a common humanity, compelled to care for the whole society. He called for hope over cynicism.The media response to Obama's speech was hyperbolic. A commentor said on NBC, "I have just seen the first Black President!"He would not have imagined that Obama would indeed become President after five years!Such was the man's transparent belief in his ideals and the power of his words._________

❤️"You belong. You matter. I think highly of you".🍁I was planning to read this book since long but due to some prior commitment i couldn't. This book touched my heart but also gave me inspiration and motivation to be strong, be yourself..🍁In this book, Michelle Obama talks about the experiences in her life that made her what she is. How she became. This autobiography balanced the political and the personal aspects of her life in an honest & insightful way. Its divided in to three parts..⭐Becoming me - In this part she has written about her childhood. Her relationship with her family,what are the issue she has to face being African American girl, her upbringing in Princeton , her struggles because of a not so good financial background and about her friends..⭐Becoming us - Its beautifully written about her Job being a lawyer ,how she met Obama , how her friendship gradually tuned in to love. Her struggles to become a mother, martial counselling and Obama's decision to join politics..⭐ Becoming more - Its about Campaigns , handling work with two daughters , giving speeches and supporting Obama, being first lady and living in white house..🌾I love the fact that inspite of being so powerful,she is such a humble and grounded personality. She sets perfect example of being yourself and creating your own indentity.she writes about her values, people's negative reactions to her achievements and failures in certain aspects of her life.She expresses some of her experiences in a very honest manner which we might not have imagined; like problems due to racism affecting men and women, importance of education and discrimination.She has written about each and every detail from campaigning to becoming the first lady president. The way she has balanced personal and professional life is remarkable. Reaching home before kids bed time, feeding them healthy food plus imparting them important values and teaching them to behave grounded despite of being President's kids is very inspiration. Her work for military families, education of females and healthier food for children will be helpful in present and also it will be beneficial in future also..🌼Overall a fantastic read, please do read.

The book written broadly over 3 chapters is an inspiring one.Auto/Biographies fascinate me and I have read many good ones and this should find a place in the top few.Lucid and easy conversational marks the style in which it is written which sometimes is prosaic and poetic too.I loved it.A personal journey with simple,humble but strong roots to becoming FLOTUS is beautifully captured.I recently read Obama's The Promised Land.Between them they have ensured that these books are complementary and avoid repetitions.For example their love life before marriage is detailed out here but Obama just makes some cursory references.Michelle after 2 Ivy league stints chose to follow her heart and passion and worked towards the upliftment of the poor, marginalised and not cared for community.She could have easily taken a corporate career raking in a few millions but her vision and passion is noteworthy.Her life is one of struggle, compromise and against many challenges being one from Afro American community but that didn't deter her to achieve what she wanted.Michelle and Obama complemented each other,each playing a huge role in other's lives.I loved the book and deserved a 5 rating.But a constant " Am I good enough?" thread that runs through the book was a put off for me and overplayed in my opinion.Go for it.An excellent read.