Rest assured, gentle reader, there's will be no counterpart of this article when the 45th president leaves office in four years. I can guarantee it.....
185
Books??
I thought it was basketball dribbling and more recently the golf course.
And NBA games and sports metaphors galore.
I thought it was basketball dribbling and more recently the golf course.
And NBA games and sports metaphors galore.
12
anybody's secret to survival: books
75
Benjamin Franklin also taught himself to write.
21
Perhaps a good time for President Obama to read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. LOL!
10
Trump doesn't read books - another reason to dislike him.
54
"We read to know that we are not alone." --C S Lewis
A beautifully written and inspiring news story. I can see it now: the Presidential Book Club. Count me in!
A beautifully written and inspiring news story. I can see it now: the Presidential Book Club. Count me in!
100
We were so lucky to have this man for eight years. The good news is I think he & Michelle are going to try and mentor bright young people to go into politics.
94
This is one book club I want to join, for sure. It might help to get through the next, ...whatever is next.
68
What an elitist. Reading books!
35
NTY -- Can you publish a list of all the books that Pres. Obama enjoyed while in office these past 8 years?
112
I want obama's book list.. can you give that out. Always looking for good recommendations.
97
I will miss President Obama. Like Jackie Robinson, he had to hold back because he was the first of his kind. Like Jackie Robinson, he did not deserve all the abuse that was hurled at him. And like Jackie Robinson, years from now, history will remember and reward his achievements and talent and celebrate his abilities.
125
Could we Krazy Glue the locks so Barack and Michelle can't leave?
64
Oh dear, another "presidential book list"...
The solitary and high-minded intellect searching for wisdom in the dark, political night...
Does anyone believe this liberal myth-making blather?
Of course, I have not been in the living rooms of the famous to verify books being read. But why do I find it easy to believe that President and Mrs. Kennedy (lauded for their bookishness) actually did read Beaudelaire and
Pilgrim's Way , poetry, history and much more.?
Just not buying the image of Obama deep into his books.
Anyway, he would certainly know more and better (his inclination) than any author or writer in the world--why consult the sages?
The solitary and high-minded intellect searching for wisdom in the dark, political night...
Does anyone believe this liberal myth-making blather?
Of course, I have not been in the living rooms of the famous to verify books being read. But why do I find it easy to believe that President and Mrs. Kennedy (lauded for their bookishness) actually did read Beaudelaire and
Pilgrim's Way , poetry, history and much more.?
Just not buying the image of Obama deep into his books.
Anyway, he would certainly know more and better (his inclination) than any author or writer in the world--why consult the sages?
11
Trump's favorite book is the bible, remember? "Two Corinthians walk into a bar . . . .
57
The writer overlooked Benjamin Harrison, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy as individuals greatly shaped by books.
15
The Golden Notebook--well done, Mr. President!
20
couldn't agree more. and the longer the better. thousand pagers esp. well written history or thoughtful fiction. cp.snow - 'Strangers and Brothers' is a good nine volume one or is it seven and so pertinent though written in the thirties to fifties - and if obama had not removed churchill's portrait rom white house one would suggest the two book [four volumes];'Marlborough' except or perhaps because there are quite a lot of Trumpian parallels therein.
5
Lots of time for "reading" from the "community organizer" that campaigned on promises to bring people together by reaching across the aisle (one of the reasons I voted for him in 2008), however, he clearly lied about that, and proved himself to be not only NOT a uniter, but one of the most divisive presidents in our history that, as a result, got VERY LITTLE accomplished in his imperial tower, reading his books. Indeed, a recipe for getting little done...
15
I'll bet you Donald Trump has never read a book in his entire life. What a contrast.
59
Since he likes Shakespeare, I would like to say to President Obama - “He was a man, take him for all in all,/ I shall not look upon his like again.” This is a sad week for our country saying goodbye to such a thoughtful, sensitive Hyperion and ushering in such an ignorant Satyr. President Obama you will be missed.
96
Amazing! There is someone still left in America, who actually reads great books , without the need to be assigned to do so! And he reads a book to others, written by a guy from Brooklyn! Southern Brooklyn! Thank you, Mr.President! PS Someone should ask President elect Trump, what is the last book he has read, and what others are included in his library?
42
Don't forget that Barack Obama interviewed author Marilynne Robinson - the uncompromisingly serious author of "Gilead" - for the New York Review of Books! The man is remarkable.
62
Not since Lincoln?
A little over reach? Maybe a little?
A little over reach? Maybe a little?
21
The depth and breadth of Obama's reading is remarkable. I would add Toni Morrison for him and his daughters.
13
Wow -- this news is just breaking!
Trump's penthouse apartment burned down. He lost all of his books. Both of them
Trump's penthouse apartment burned down. He lost all of his books. Both of them
19
I'll be doing a LOT of reading to survive the next four years.
35
JFK was known for reading many, many books as a youth and wrote (or co-wrote with his speech writer) a book when he was Senator.
It's unfortunate that our president-elect brags about not reading books. SAD!
It's unfortunate that our president-elect brags about not reading books. SAD!
23
I hope he opens a bookstore!
5
I see, so watching ESPN Sports Center all day is what he considers reading books?
7
On the contrary, Trump is busy with reality shows !
16
Imagine this headline describing Trump four years hence.
Can't.
Can't.
18
"Not since Lincoln has there been a president as fundamentally shaped — in his life, convictions and outlook on the world — by reading and writing as Barack Obama."
NOT EVEN Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow Wison?
NOT EVEN Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow Wison?
15
This article makes me wistful. Thank you, President Obama.
36
This article says it all: Obama reads, Trump just tweets!
23
Trump's secret for surviving the White House years: Twitter
14
Kudos to Michiko Kakutani, who has a talent for writing articles that, without mentioning Trump at all, are devastating critiques of his personality and worldview.
30
Trump, has already said." I do not read much" And, we sure can tell!!! How embarrassing will be having this man as our leader. Sad, and scary moments are ahead of us.
28
No surprise, as President Obama is a member of the world's greatest bookstore, Chicago's Seminary Co-op Bookstore.
16
Ms. Kakutani has evidently forgotten about Theodore Roosevelt, a legend as a prodigious reader and writer. Her article might have better begun: "Not since Theodore Roosevelt has there been a president fundamentally shaped ... by reading and writing as Barak Obama."
Implicit comparison of Obama to Lincoln may make great hagiography, but comparison to TR is still quite a compliment.
Implicit comparison of Obama to Lincoln may make great hagiography, but comparison to TR is still quite a compliment.
4
By now, we all know that Donald Trump famously, doesn't read. A quote attributed to the actress Jean Harlow comes to mind, "Don't give me books for Christmas; I already have a book." It would be fascinating to to read what someone like Paul Ryan would have to say on the same topic. I can easily imagine him urging more Americans to read Lord of the Flies and the works of Ayn Rand. Get ready!
9
I'm already missing the guy.
17
I expect the only book Trump will be his bank book. Certainly not his check because he doesn't pay people who work for him!
He probably also has a book of "enemies" (not just a list) to keep track of whom he intends to destroy.
I doubt he's even read the books he claims to have "written", when we know he's lying about that, too!
He probably also has a book of "enemies" (not just a list) to keep track of whom he intends to destroy.
I doubt he's even read the books he claims to have "written", when we know he's lying about that, too!
12
Reading is the key to surviving anything.
Sanctuary!
Sanctuary!
18
Compare with Donald Trump, who has not even read the books which were ghostwritten for him, and whom, according to said ghostwriter, "is unlikely to have ever read en entire book in his adult life." Good job, America!
20
I am going to miss this man as our president.
It just seems so Shakespearean that he is being replaced by someone, someone like me could never miss - an anti-humanist delivered in the middle of a second act designed to change the narrative to something darker - something inescapable.
But, I look forward to any and all public service and presence Barak Obama has from January 21, 2017 onward. I do.
And I'm afraid I am guilty of this simple hackneyed expression:
"You don't know what you got until you lose it."
Well I'm starting to feel the immense gravity of our collective loss . . . and it is heavy.
God speed dear president on your future and the good I hope you and your family experience. You deserve it.
It just seems so Shakespearean that he is being replaced by someone, someone like me could never miss - an anti-humanist delivered in the middle of a second act designed to change the narrative to something darker - something inescapable.
But, I look forward to any and all public service and presence Barak Obama has from January 21, 2017 onward. I do.
And I'm afraid I am guilty of this simple hackneyed expression:
"You don't know what you got until you lose it."
Well I'm starting to feel the immense gravity of our collective loss . . . and it is heavy.
God speed dear president on your future and the good I hope you and your family experience. You deserve it.
37
Teddy Roosevelt was more prolific a reader and writer.
11
Too bad he didn't read any books about the techniques and practice of propaganda. He would have a better idea of what he was saying and doing.
1
I will miss President Obama and his family, who are thoughtful, poised, respectful on many levels. I also look forward to reading his books including his memoir. ( I own two of his last books ) Thank you for serving this great country of ours.
29
Read the transcript. It's amazing how intelligent, insightful, self-critical and articulate this man is. He is too good for the presidency.
26
Perhaps he doesn't read. So many tweets, so little time! He doesn't believe in rational thought either.
We got what we deserved. Now we get to live with it.
Good luck with that.
We got what we deserved. Now we get to live with it.
Good luck with that.
8
Did this guy work at all during his tenure? Sounds like he played golf and read some books and vacationed a lot and made a lot of really bad decisions. Good riddance.
10
Another dark age for America, as a reader of books and man of ideas leaves and a watcher of reality tv and groper of women enters.
It's beyond pathetic.
It's beyond pathetic.
45
The NYT, as it has often been, is a little obsequious to Pres.Obama here. I got as far as the "Not since Lincoln..." sentence before thinking "Teddy Roosevelt? Woodrow Wilson? Obama somehow stands in a class by himself as reader and writer in that league?" I voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012, and I don't regret those votes, but the level of worship here is probably not healthy to a democratic republic. I will miss the Obama presidency itself but I will not miss the NYT's coverage of the Obama presidency.
12
The power of a curious, truth-seeking mind.
22
Reading... What helped Obama survive his own White House Years is an excellent prescription for any of us wishing to survive the next President's White House Years. It's never too late, not even for Trump's voters.
7
Were losing a real intellect and gaining a reality show barker.
16
I'm sure that will be Trump's secret too.
" The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who will not read." Mark Twain.
9
Love Obama's intelligence, his understanding of the role of the President of the People of the United States. Sorrowful at what lies ahead.
26
Neil Postman wrote “Americans ... do not exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials.” And he never knew the anti-itellectual age of the King of Twittertainment - what would he say today? Well before US political life became inane, Logan Pearsall Smith said: "People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading." Great advice! Every time the Fake Prez enlivens your screen, re-read Barack Obama. Recall better days.
10
I had been following his blog posts and book selections. It will be very hard to follow politics after the inauguration. God bless America and the world!
6
Great article on a great President. To think we are going from this well read President to a President who doesn't even read books is mind boggling!
23
As someone looking for additional ways to deal with this recent bombardment of disturbing news and the new administration, I am thankful for thus article.
17
Many of us who came from far off lands do many times feel alone and/or like outsiders especially if we came to the U.S. without our families.
It sometimes appears to me that tho the President was born in the U.S., his type of family.... of mixed race, a father that disappears early, and a mother who took him to other lands where he again felt different and isolated, forced him to find books to be his best transportable friends at all times.
He was intelligent enough to refuse to feel continuously lost. Oh, my guess is that the "loneliness" does not completely go away........
It sometimes appears to me that tho the President was born in the U.S., his type of family.... of mixed race, a father that disappears early, and a mother who took him to other lands where he again felt different and isolated, forced him to find books to be his best transportable friends at all times.
He was intelligent enough to refuse to feel continuously lost. Oh, my guess is that the "loneliness" does not completely go away........
9
Yet another reason added to the many why I revere this man.
14
"An outsider himself — with a father from Kenya, who left when he was 2, and a mother from Kansas, who took him to live for a time in Indonesia …”
I do not think the framers of the Constitution wanted a president who felt like an outsider. This is why the Constitution says a president must have been born in America. Obama was born here, but his abandonment by his Kenyan father and his having spent some of his formative years with his mother in Indonesia, where she did field work as an anthropologist, left him feeling like an outsider. When you look at Obama’s policies, particularly his executive actions on behalf of illegal immigrants, you see how he was motivated by his “outsider status”.
Many Americans have felt his actions were more to benefit other countries and their citizens than our own. This may be why so many wrongly believe he was born outside the country and/ or that he is Muslim. And it helps explain why Trump won with his promise to “Put America first”.
I do not think the framers of the Constitution wanted a president who felt like an outsider. This is why the Constitution says a president must have been born in America. Obama was born here, but his abandonment by his Kenyan father and his having spent some of his formative years with his mother in Indonesia, where she did field work as an anthropologist, left him feeling like an outsider. When you look at Obama’s policies, particularly his executive actions on behalf of illegal immigrants, you see how he was motivated by his “outsider status”.
Many Americans have felt his actions were more to benefit other countries and their citizens than our own. This may be why so many wrongly believe he was born outside the country and/ or that he is Muslim. And it helps explain why Trump won with his promise to “Put America first”.
10
What a marvelous article about a marvelous man!
We have had the great good fortune to have this compassionate, graceful, elegant, and erudite man as our President for the last eight years, and Ms Kakutani's story just confirms that he is a man of towering intellect as well.
Mr. Obama and the compassionate, graceful, elegant and erudite First Lady will be sorely missed in so many ways.
Like the song says, "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."
We have had the great good fortune to have this compassionate, graceful, elegant, and erudite man as our President for the last eight years, and Ms Kakutani's story just confirms that he is a man of towering intellect as well.
Mr. Obama and the compassionate, graceful, elegant and erudite First Lady will be sorely missed in so many ways.
Like the song says, "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."
33
"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." - Harry Truman
40
Am I the only one thinking that Obama ought to publish a short story collection? I'd certainly buy it.
15
Instead of rolling up his sleeves, getting his hands dirty, Mr. Obama did not deign to deal with the aliens who opposed him in Congress.
Instead, he was focusing on “The Three-Body Problem” by the Chinese writer Liu Cixi. "The scope of it was immense. So that was fun to read, partly because my day-to-day problems with Congress seem fairly petty — not something to worry about. Aliens are about to invade!”
When you believe that day-to-day problems with Congress are "fairly petty," you will not be in a good position to take principled objections to your policies seriously.
Instead, he was focusing on “The Three-Body Problem” by the Chinese writer Liu Cixi. "The scope of it was immense. So that was fun to read, partly because my day-to-day problems with Congress seem fairly petty — not something to worry about. Aliens are about to invade!”
When you believe that day-to-day problems with Congress are "fairly petty," you will not be in a good position to take principled objections to your policies seriously.
9
The Trend of Presidential Intelligence: The Gettysburg Address, The Speeches of President Obama, The Book of Tweets.
11
I had thought there was nothing I could feel confident of predicting for the next four to eight years, but I was wrong. I do not need a crystal ball to know that we will never see a headline proclaiming "Trump's Secret to Surviving the White House Years: Books."
30
Trump's favorite book is coloring followed closely by phone, but I believe that's out of print.
8
Curiouser and curiouser what catastrophes awaits us
As the Mad Hatter-elect berates us.
Twitter fights and hurling global insults and more
Only those foreign countries with Trump properties will not see war
NO laws, NO rules, NO diplomacy, NO protocol aplenty
Apply to this man with small hands whose bookshelf is empty
From their fly-over couches, angry white folks high five and rejoice
In their promised greatness and guaranteed Rolls Royce
Meanwhile, the Russians conspire with a sketchy alt-right
To paint an America in one shade of white
As the inaugural orchestra tunes to "Back In The USSR"
More than half of America loathes and fears the new czar.
As the Mad Hatter-elect berates us.
Twitter fights and hurling global insults and more
Only those foreign countries with Trump properties will not see war
NO laws, NO rules, NO diplomacy, NO protocol aplenty
Apply to this man with small hands whose bookshelf is empty
From their fly-over couches, angry white folks high five and rejoice
In their promised greatness and guaranteed Rolls Royce
Meanwhile, the Russians conspire with a sketchy alt-right
To paint an America in one shade of white
As the inaugural orchestra tunes to "Back In The USSR"
More than half of America loathes and fears the new czar.
23
Is your headline really his secret to "surviving"?
He's the most fortunate man in the world. Survival is best used with people who do manual labor for little money, or who serve in our armed forces, police departments, fire departments, or emergency rooms.
Plus, to be accurate, you would write books and cigarettes.
He's the most fortunate man in the world. Survival is best used with people who do manual labor for little money, or who serve in our armed forces, police departments, fire departments, or emergency rooms.
Plus, to be accurate, you would write books and cigarettes.
4
I have been listening to President Obama's playlists on Spotify. Now I will look for books he reads and start adding to my reading lists. It is so discouraging to think of next week, next year etc. without President Obama and family to look up to in the White House.
24
While I appreciate President Obama's love of books and the critical role of reading in his life, I don't think it's accurate to say, "Not since Lincoln has there been a president as fundamentally shaped — in his life, convictions and outlook on the world — by reading and writing as Barack Obama." What about Teddy Roosevelt? He often read more than one book per day, read in multiple languages, and wrote close to 40 books on extremely diverse topics.
15
PMAC and DbB, the point of reading a wide variety of books, and the point of this interview, was to extol the importance of exposure to historical perspectives, others' points of view and well-written literature so we don't become insular in our thinking. It is obvious that whatever your literary leanings, you have not learned to be objective about those who don't share your worldview, which may need to be expanded through reading. That we've had a president who reads suggests a man capable of thoughtful evaluation of the human condition as opposed to reactionary tweets filled with poor spelling, syntax, and insults.
15
I will miss this President more than I can say, for so many reasons... but I do have a feeling that getting acquainted with Citizen Obama is going to be great! This man has a lot to give.
26
What a terrifyingly dislocating experience you are about to experience with the President Obama's successor: from a man with an abiding reverence for the healing and sustaining power of words and ideas, both read and written, to Trump, someone who by all accounts hasn't read a complete book in perhaps ever, and spews whatever venom he can in those precious 140 characters
Does there exist a better personification of "philistine" than Donald J. Trump?
Does there exist a better personification of "philistine" than Donald J. Trump?
23
And our curious, book reading President is about to be replaced by someone who brags that he does not read...or believe in experts.
From interested and introspective to shallow and self-obsessed.
Obama wanders into the Lincoln bedroom to reread the Gettysburg Address. Perhaps Trump will use this historic room to house his massive collection of magazines featuring his mug on the cover.
Heavy sigh.
From interested and introspective to shallow and self-obsessed.
Obama wanders into the Lincoln bedroom to reread the Gettysburg Address. Perhaps Trump will use this historic room to house his massive collection of magazines featuring his mug on the cover.
Heavy sigh.
21
So some people read about how to do things, others just do it. People should decide for themselves how they want to do it and nobody should judge anybody else but themselves. Now we can at least say we have diversity in our presidency, and that's a good thing, right?
1
Is it not amazing in itself, in an age when so many of us complain of being time-poor, that the man who occupied the most powerful chair in the world, found the time to read so many diverse books? Not only found the time, but relished the pleasure and the benefits that good authors and good books brought into his life.
15
"Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations." - Henry David Thoreau in Walden
13
He may read, but this President is numbered among the innumerati. He's a cipher who cannot cipher. Having no capacity to appreciate quantities impairs judgment.
He seems like a guy who would be nice to have as a neighbor, but I would rather he had lived next door to me than in the White House. He made an absolutely horrible president.
He seems like a guy who would be nice to have as a neighbor, but I would rather he had lived next door to me than in the White House. He made an absolutely horrible president.
7
Highly recommended reading for the moment, "Evita: the real lives of Eva Peron" by Nicholas Fraser, first published in 1981.
It is most interesting for all the information regarding Juan Peron and how he achieved his dictatorship.
No German or Italian style fascist was he. He charmed, persuaded, scolded, and distracted his way to power. He dismissed half of the supreme court sitting at the time.
The chapter "A New Argentina" reads like a blueprint for what is to come in the New U.S. You can't control information by shutting off the supply of ink to newspapers anymore, but you can create a 'new' news station and promote it to the exclusion of all else.
It is most interesting for all the information regarding Juan Peron and how he achieved his dictatorship.
No German or Italian style fascist was he. He charmed, persuaded, scolded, and distracted his way to power. He dismissed half of the supreme court sitting at the time.
The chapter "A New Argentina" reads like a blueprint for what is to come in the New U.S. You can't control information by shutting off the supply of ink to newspapers anymore, but you can create a 'new' news station and promote it to the exclusion of all else.
11
Only guarantee one can make: this headline will not be used at the end of the Trump presidency
19
Reading, whether for pleasure or to gain information, hones the mind, makes you think, analyze and prevents knee jerk reactions. Tweeting is great for telling your friends that you are at a good restaurant or movie. Its meant for instant responses that require no thought or analysis ~ not setting national or international policy. How could this country have elected a President whose reaction to everything is no thinking, just bashing and only what fits in 144 characters.
Whether you agreed with Obama or not, just listening to him, he has a bigger vocabulary, uses multi-syllable words and has generally thought before he opened his mouth. That tangerine tornado should stop tweeting a pay attention.
Whether you agreed with Obama or not, just listening to him, he has a bigger vocabulary, uses multi-syllable words and has generally thought before he opened his mouth. That tangerine tornado should stop tweeting a pay attention.
25
1. More and more Buyer's Remorse as Inauguration Day approaches!
2. Now, only if we had books composed of 140 or less characters, our next President would be reading, like, ten or more books a day! Everyday!
2. Now, only if we had books composed of 140 or less characters, our next President would be reading, like, ten or more books a day! Everyday!
1
His books, his wife's dresses, nobody to compare to but Lincoln, a great athlete, a dancer, takes care of his mother-in-law, sends his daughters to the best schools, always explains to everybody what they don't understand, a Nobel prize winner, never said a lie, never failed to keep his word - he is a geniune American role model!
5
The Trump library should be an interesting place to visit. Besides the one book in his library, The Art of the Deal, I would guess the walls would be plastered with the thousands of tweets he will have sent out during his 4 years in office.
9
If reading books was a leadership skill, then Mr. Obama would have evidently been a great President. Unfortunately, leadership takes action, sometimes messy action, and generally one does not learn that from books, though knowing the record of prior art and practices of a trade is helpful. Leadership also requires clear thought, simplicity of character and actionable principles (don't do anything stupid is not a principle). That describes Lincoln pretty well, though he was exceptional. Leaders bring people along, especially those who initially disagree. Leaders are leaders because they are followed.
Most leaders read a lot, some read little. But reading alone does not make you a leader. It is clear that Mr. Obama is an intellectual who somehow made it to the Oval Office, with few leadership qualities.
If you disagree, as most of you here will, think: how many people who were not already persuaded did President Obama persuade during his tenure?
Though a very smart and intelligent person, Mr. Obama wasted a giant opportunity. The world is today worse off for that.
Most leaders read a lot, some read little. But reading alone does not make you a leader. It is clear that Mr. Obama is an intellectual who somehow made it to the Oval Office, with few leadership qualities.
If you disagree, as most of you here will, think: how many people who were not already persuaded did President Obama persuade during his tenure?
Though a very smart and intelligent person, Mr. Obama wasted a giant opportunity. The world is today worse off for that.
5
Maybe President Obama should have read a few less books and spent more time running the country. If he had, we would probably be faring better now and there would be less division within the US. There is a time and place for everything.
6
The Petulant Professor (President Obama) is no Lincoln. T Roosevelt read a ton of books, wrote a couple of score, but what made him a great president (not so great a post president) was his agenda tied to skillful political manipulation, positive rhetoric, engagement with the press and Congress (where the Republican majority was less progressive than he was). TR had a successful seven years in office and his biggest mistake was promising NOT to run for a second elected term. Mr. Obama is a virtuous man, likable, but out of his political depth. His approach to the office doesn't conform to the best models. I am not sure the reading did much good -- he needed to read more about the presidency and less from the pantheon of liberal icons from around the world. No one elected him philosopher king. T Harry Williams, "Lincoln and His Generals" not "The Underground Railroad." While at Columbia he might have studied Richard Neustadt ( 'Presidential Power'), but I doubt he did. Mr. Obama was not a victim: famous prep school, Occidental, Columbia, Harvard an appointment at Chicago -- his reading list would qualify for a Victim Studies major.
5
Nothing of this column surprises me--we've known that this is the good and decent man that we've had for eight years. I can't even begin to express my full thoughts on what we've had with President Obama and what we have lost. Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2 is a start:
"He was a man, take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again."
Another way to look at it is that he chose Barbara Kingsolver as a lunch companion. From her book, Animal Dreams, "we didn't choose the path we're on for the reward at the end, but for how it felt along the way." This President made his choices in that way, and it was to the good of all of us.
"He was a man, take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again."
Another way to look at it is that he chose Barbara Kingsolver as a lunch companion. From her book, Animal Dreams, "we didn't choose the path we're on for the reward at the end, but for how it felt along the way." This President made his choices in that way, and it was to the good of all of us.
15
I doubt that Trump has the attention-span to read the Cliff Notes, Classic Comics, or Sparks versions of any books.
13
We shall now go from this sensitive, well-read man who loves books to a dangerous buffoon who probably will never read more than 140 angry words at a time.
15
More than any other Obama legacy tale -- and there are so many this week -- this one makes me miss him most. His curious mind, his understanding of the power of the written word and all he has learned from reading all manner of great books. I am so sorry that the Obama Years are coming to an end.
17
I don't really know about a President who actually reads books 'n stuff. Seems uppity. (My wife just reminded me that this is where I should say I'm only kidding about that. Unlike many other commentators.)
7
It's been inspirational to have a reader of this range and depth in the White House, in the tradition of Jefferson and Kennedy. It might be mentioned that during the president's two years at Columbia he took the famous Columbia core, where St. Augustine, Nietzsche, Emerson etc. were and still are read intensely by all students, though few ever have the chance to live their philosophy on the public stage quite like him.
12
Why an article about the love of books and the inspiration this man found in them results in so many hateful comments, I will never understand.
27
Obama had to read so much because he's under qualified for the job. He had no business running for President in the first place. The Clinton's put him up to it because they knew that they could control him. They needed Hillary to be seen doing something more than getting a building named. She also needed time to steal money from the people of Haiti and get donations from foreign governments through the back door. The problem turned out she's more clueless than she looks. She got caught, so obviously, breaking the law that even the most politically blind couldn't miss it. Thank God there was a man not afraid to scream it from the mountains. A man with no fear of losing donors because he didn't need their money. A very regular guy that could relate to the people. A man with enough experience to do the job without having to look it up in a book to find out what being the President of the United States of America means.
4
Wonderful. He spent 8 years playing over 400 rounds of golf and curled up in bed and read good books at night. The taxpayers deserve a refund. 3 days at 12 hours to go. Good riddance.
4
Excellent article about Obama, he is a exemplary role model for all Americans. He showed us how a leader could be humble and be understanding of each other. He showed us how people of different diversity can be true strength of America.
10
This is a feel good article, not a bad thing right now, especially, but in exhorting us to look at this side of the man, we are creating our own safe bubble & echo chamber. Obama was also the president who instituted drone attacks, has been our greatest deporter of US residents, who affirmed & strengthened the Patriot act, who has been harsh on whistleblowers & kowtowed to Wall St when Main St was hurting & in deep trouble. I voted for him the first time, couldn't do it the second time, an average presidency, at best.
5
Gee, I figured he got along by always getting a good nights sleep and never making a decision. Or taking so long to make one that it didn't matter by the time he did. Obama is nothing like Lincoln. Instead of uniting the nation he has divided it further. Talk about wasted talent.
4
Thanks for the story. I did not know this about President Obama, but in hindsight it fits perfectly with his measured and thoughtful responses, and his unmatched eloquence as a speaker.
8
President Obama is a great man. Certainly the books played a very important role in the cultural formation of this memorable statesman. People who read assiduously are able to read the world better, the way he did. Thank you President Obama.
8
That President Obama reads "A Bend in the River" is thrilling to know. It is to my mind one of the most profound and most overlooked masterpieces of the 20th and 21st centuries.
5
Thank you for this article. I wish every American had the opportunity to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer or community organizer as did President Obama, whether as a university graduate, or mid-life with a trade or skill to share, or retired with a desire to serve, to continue to learn, to "smell a neighbor's or the world's roses."
Knowing that it might not be possible for most folks, especially many of our youth, maybe the NYT could pilot a partnership with a diverse group of teachers or schools, offering students a school-year subscription in return for sharing, each day, a snapshot of an article, any article, with a complete stranger, any stranger.
To read the NYT, is to take a trip around the world, around the U.S., around a neighborhood, to walk in the shoes of others as President Obama notes, to stretch the mind from art, to science, to history, to read and learn from the daily obituaries of folks from all walks of life, lives fully lived.
And then, with little or no effort, be able to connect with someone, anyone.
Knowing that it might not be possible for most folks, especially many of our youth, maybe the NYT could pilot a partnership with a diverse group of teachers or schools, offering students a school-year subscription in return for sharing, each day, a snapshot of an article, any article, with a complete stranger, any stranger.
To read the NYT, is to take a trip around the world, around the U.S., around a neighborhood, to walk in the shoes of others as President Obama notes, to stretch the mind from art, to science, to history, to read and learn from the daily obituaries of folks from all walks of life, lives fully lived.
And then, with little or no effort, be able to connect with someone, anyone.
5
It's hard for a non-reader to understand that books, like travel, expand one's world. I hope Barrack Obama remains front and center in our nation and in the world community. We need him and others like him, with depth of intellect, compassion, and curiosity.
11
Books have been my refuge since I was a teenager. I guess I will have more opportunity to practice this over the next 4 years. I find myself avoiding any article with Trump in the headlines. It makes me ill. I do hope the NYT and other reputable news organizations keep looking for and publishing the best " truth" we can find, and following the trail of suspicion and red flags that will undoubtedly appear. And I will keep reading the news. I just find I must give myself permission to not read everything that is upsetting.
6
Obama certainly loves fiction -- his favorite subjects are his own Presidency, healthcare laws, unemployment, scandals and corruption in his administration, and his love and pride for the United States.
5
"Like Lincoln, Mr. Obama taught himself how to write, and for him, too, words became a way to define himself, and to communicate his ideas and ideals to the world." This may well be true. But it gives us no insight about why persons are elected presidents of the United States. As even his own advisers admit, the president-elect has probably never read an entire book in his whole adulthood.
1
We are so divided as a nation- even the most prolific reader is attacked because he or she may not be reading "the right" books. Agree with me and you'll be fine- disagree with me then we have a problem.. that's how cut and dry it has become. We are intolerant over divergence of thought and opinion- and we are supposedly a nation which celebrates diversity..? The liberal left is to blame.
1
He'll be greatly missed. Love and always proud the way how he spoke and how he presented himself. Proud that a mind like his was representing me around the world.
And no! You don't need to go to college to make "reading" a habit and train your mind.
Now, sadly, instead we'll see more and more the decline of daily reading habits, which will result on lack of knowledge, and our lives will center around tweets, small vocabulary and lack of awareness of literature, scientific breakthroughs, and global events of the new president of The United States. Fantastic!
And no! You don't need to go to college to make "reading" a habit and train your mind.
Now, sadly, instead we'll see more and more the decline of daily reading habits, which will result on lack of knowledge, and our lives will center around tweets, small vocabulary and lack of awareness of literature, scientific breakthroughs, and global events of the new president of The United States. Fantastic!
4
I used to think, during services, that any sane God must be embarrassed at the fulsome praise being lavished on Him in some of those prayers.
But this series comes very close. Utterly unctuous.
But this series comes very close. Utterly unctuous.
5
How wonderful it would have been for the the president (or mo) to have led a national effort, as JFK had done for fitness, for Americans to read more. Maybe in retirement.
4
What a brilliant man! He knows there is so much to learn from others, and has read widely to do just that: not only "fun" books like easy novels or sci-fi, but serious, profound books that discuss the human condition. He has used his reading experience to test his own ideas, to think more deeply, to explore compassion for others. I will miss him as the head of our government!
7
President Obama's example for forgiveness, dignity and wisdom is astonishing. While others trash Donald Trump for his egotism and small mindedness, President Obama stays centered in his faith in Democracy and the course of human civilization. His message is not one of fear, but of standing up for what you believe but not descending into the blame game.
Books are not like tweets for the allow the full explaration of a topic from many angles and you can stop and meditate on what you are reading. This allows your perspective to open like a beautiful flower. That we have had a man such as President Obama is truly a gift to all of us and perhaps his greatest legacy.
His victory may be that he is not consumed by partisan politics, but that he is true to himself and his beliefs in the face of violent petty obstruction. Will we as a country measure up to his example and the positive path he has created?
Books are not like tweets for the allow the full explaration of a topic from many angles and you can stop and meditate on what you are reading. This allows your perspective to open like a beautiful flower. That we have had a man such as President Obama is truly a gift to all of us and perhaps his greatest legacy.
His victory may be that he is not consumed by partisan politics, but that he is true to himself and his beliefs in the face of violent petty obstruction. Will we as a country measure up to his example and the positive path he has created?
5
I just read both volumes of Ian Kershaw's biography of Hitler. The comparisons to recent American history are chilling. The belief in a messiah figure. The militarism and invasion of countries that posed no threat. The desire to engage Russia in a military conflict. The dehumanizing of a portion of the citizenry by writing them off as "deplorables". We really dodged a bullet this past November.
3
Books stretch your mind and broaden your understanding of the world. I'm forever grateful for the teacher who made me promise that for every romance novel I would read two books of literary value.
I have a dear friend who has observed that all too often people leave college as functionally literature and then never read again. We're about to have one of those people enter the whitehouse.
President Obama will be sorely missed.
I have a dear friend who has observed that all too often people leave college as functionally literature and then never read again. We're about to have one of those people enter the whitehouse.
President Obama will be sorely missed.
3
Four years from now, will the incoming illegitimate one be boasting that not reading a single book over the span of his entire adult life, including the time spent in the White House, has been his key to survival and huge success? The lack of a curious mind is a terrible thing for a great country on which to waste it's time and respect. Sad.
4
what I love most about President Obama's love of books is that it includes fiction. I know that other presidents have been readers of nonfiction, but how many of them have taken the time to read and reflect upon novels, short stories, and poetry, which so many dismiss as escapism but is, imho, a window into truth, empathy, and humanity?
4
It is apparent that Barack Obama reads to widen his world-view, not to confirm it. Kudos to him.
The previous president didn't do that and I doubt the incoming one will either.
They seem to think that all knowledge and wisdom is theirs already; no need to be open to learning the facts or try to see the world though someone else's perspective.
What a pity.
The previous president didn't do that and I doubt the incoming one will either.
They seem to think that all knowledge and wisdom is theirs already; no need to be open to learning the facts or try to see the world though someone else's perspective.
What a pity.
2
That the man did have the intelligence and the intellect to become a great leader there's no doubt about it. Whether he truly used these qualities for the lasting good and welfare of his country and the rest of the world, is quite another story. Professor Noam Chomsky put it very succinctly and hit the mark when he described Obama eight years ago as just another highly "opportunistic" politician.
My father was a ferocious reader and instilled the love of reading in all of us. I'm proud to say, I molded the importance of reading for my daughters also, and reading is an important part of their life. My problem is that I cannot find enough time to read all I want to read.
It is obvious that Mr. Obama, is a master reader and writer. Reading, and writing translates in the way one speaks, and Mr. Obama is an eloquent speaker.
It is obvious that Mr. Obama, is a master reader and writer. Reading, and writing translates in the way one speaks, and Mr. Obama is an eloquent speaker.
2
I love him, but I don't believe he's not been disciplined-enough memoir-writing, and we are going to get a cavalcade of well-done apologia before-too-long. For me, for now, he only has to explain - truthfully - why he didn't pick Sanders, and he must do this with the introspection he's alluded to in Kakutani's piece. Honestly. Honestly he has to do this. He might lose her friendship, but gain respect from the rest of us, ultimately. His legacy is being destroyed. Honest B.O., be honest, about this. Please.
2
Since Donald trump doesn't read much (or so he would have us believe), that gives him the opportunity to unknowing duplicate mistakes other U.S. presidents have made while in office.
In a sense we're blessed that President Obama is ending his presidential years at a comparatively young age, giving him time to continue to have impact on our lives with his speeches and other writings. He will have that luxury, not made possible to other leaders such as Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr.. By God's grace, he will help to fill the void of thoughtful reflection which we are about to experience.
5
I would love Michiko Kakutani do a similar interview with Trump in the last week of his first, and hopefully his last, term as president and see what he read to surviving his presidency. I suspect he will mostly reread his tweets.
2
As a true student and important figure of history, President Obama would seek out direct resources of information, viewpoint and wisdom. I imagine the person who preceded him in office did not think to do this, while the man who soon takes the job will not think it to be important to do anything outside of Twitter.
3
I think it's fair to say that people who read regularly never stop learning. People who read regularly are generally curious individuals, better aware of the larger world around them, and have more open minds.
Along with remarkable intelligence, wisdom, and an awesome laugh, President Obama represents the very best of the regular reader.
trump? books? never read one and never wrote his own.
Along with remarkable intelligence, wisdom, and an awesome laugh, President Obama represents the very best of the regular reader.
trump? books? never read one and never wrote his own.
3
I am so glad this intellectual is leaving office. He could be a great guy to hang around with and listen to hi minded thoughts, but as a practical leader, he was just a huge failure. His leadership style has split this country down the middle, destroyed his own party and is directly responsible for the election of Donald Trump. Now it will be up to Trump to clean up Obama's mess, which will end up being a very nasty task, I wish the man the best.
4
I don't suppose we will be the President's reading list on a regular basis after Trump is elected, and if someone has the nerve to actually release one, we can all be sure it's not true.
1
This article puts me in mind of two things: the marvelous personal and intellectual qualities this man possesses, and the wonder that he was able to become president despite them.
3
I've been and will continue to be critical of the Obama and his presidency. That said, he's, in my opinion, one of the greatest presidents in our country's history.
3
President Obama if you are reading this - YES, I would love to see a book club and recommended reading on your presidential center website! As an avid reader, I am always interested in knowing what others read, too. What a treat to know what our President reads and why.
This year I focused on books from the victorian era, making my way through the classics. What really struck me was that this era had almost no social conscious, no labor laws, little concern for the common working men, women and children at the expense of extravagant wealth. Reading these books give context and demonstrate just how far we have come in protections for the working class, which is actually most of us.
I also read "Underground Railroad". It was difficult and heartbreaking to read, but it should be required reading for everyone. Books like these show us how far we have traveled. We need to fight hard to continue to protect basic human rights for all Americans and people around the world.
Thank you Mr. Obama!
This year I focused on books from the victorian era, making my way through the classics. What really struck me was that this era had almost no social conscious, no labor laws, little concern for the common working men, women and children at the expense of extravagant wealth. Reading these books give context and demonstrate just how far we have come in protections for the working class, which is actually most of us.
I also read "Underground Railroad". It was difficult and heartbreaking to read, but it should be required reading for everyone. Books like these show us how far we have traveled. We need to fight hard to continue to protect basic human rights for all Americans and people around the world.
Thank you Mr. Obama!
5
One can ascertained from the way President Obama speaks that he is very informed. Reading refines a person, not just presidents.
It is never too late to start reading. It would behoove other wold leaders to spend more time reading, not only will they be better speakers but better leaders.
It is never too late to start reading. It would behoove other wold leaders to spend more time reading, not only will they be better speakers but better leaders.
3
It's hard to speculate on the outcome of a Trump presidency because no one--not even the President elect--knows what he is going to do. But one thing is certain....you will not be writing an article about how books helped Trump to get through his presidency and enlarged his understanding of the world. One can only wonder why he grew up in an intellectual vacuum that left him devoid of books and what they teach --or how he would have turned out if he had read.
If there is an inaugural prayer to be prayed it is that he will come to understand and feel compassion for what is in all of those books he did not read.
If there is a lesson to be learned it is the importance of education and inculcating in our children a desire to read and learn.
If there is an inaugural prayer to be prayed it is that he will come to understand and feel compassion for what is in all of those books he did not read.
If there is a lesson to be learned it is the importance of education and inculcating in our children a desire to read and learn.
4
As an avid reader I am going to miss President Obama's annual trip to the local bookstore on small business Saturday. It was important to me to know what he was reading - what book I may have overlooked.
His respect for both novels and history meant to me that he was constantly looking to understand our world in all its diversity and to learn as much as he could from the past. President Obama's recipe for surviving the White House Years is exactly what I will be doing during the Trump years.
I will read and try to better understand the world we now inhabit and look to history for how to change the present.
His respect for both novels and history meant to me that he was constantly looking to understand our world in all its diversity and to learn as much as he could from the past. President Obama's recipe for surviving the White House Years is exactly what I will be doing during the Trump years.
I will read and try to better understand the world we now inhabit and look to history for how to change the present.
5
All the best people read books; all the worst people have no time for them.
It's a question of curiosity, a desire to explore new worlds (“these worlds that were portable”), to find one's place, to understand the standing of others, and for countless other reasons.
Obama is gem.
It's a question of curiosity, a desire to explore new worlds (“these worlds that were portable”), to find one's place, to understand the standing of others, and for countless other reasons.
Obama is gem.
4
Color me skeptical. I can't say if Obama is a big reader or if he isn't. I know he makes a big deal in public of showing up at the cash register of bookstores, filled with books, when he's at the Cape or in Georgetown. He looks the part of a reader, just as he looked the part of being a president. I don't think America ever had a more perfect presentation, almost like a performance, of being presidential. The shifting cadences, the tilted head, the pauses. Like an actor, Obama has a terrific awareness of how he looks and sounds every step of the way. Beautiful. Too bad that self-awareness didn't go a bit deeper. Not so beautiful.
When he says he gave his daughter a Kindle filled with his favorites, among them 100 Years of Solitude--which isn't available on Kindle, it gets me wondering. It's not a mistake I would have made.
But then, I'm no president.
Kudos to Michiko for the Kool Aid. i enjoyed it.
When he says he gave his daughter a Kindle filled with his favorites, among them 100 Years of Solitude--which isn't available on Kindle, it gets me wondering. It's not a mistake I would have made.
But then, I'm no president.
Kudos to Michiko for the Kool Aid. i enjoyed it.
5
This article gives perspective of a President that I have come to respect for his civility and discourse. Though he has not changed course of American hegemony in the world - he has been a polarizing figure simply because he brought different sensibilities to the office. A non-reader just cannot understand how reading widens your understanding of human nature and the diverse of thought - which is shaped to a great extent by one's environment.
3
I think one of the valuable benefits of reading, is the exposure to other's insight and experience. I have often found my opinions challenged by a well written and objective article. Likewise, I find in books a way to connect with cultures and people that I would be unaware of in my normal day to day existence.
I can't help but feel that a society of literate, well read individuals, will be a society more tolerant and understanding, not easily swayed by empty rhetoric.
I can't help but feel that a society of literate, well read individuals, will be a society more tolerant and understanding, not easily swayed by empty rhetoric.
8
Reading this article just makes me mourn even more for the loss of such a sensitive and thoughtful man in a position of power in our country. As a 70 plus lifelong bookworm knowing that a person a bit like me was President gave me such comfort.
6
Mr. Obama shall rise in the estimation of the public despite his failings as he has been on a search for truth and its application to push the United States toward its Constitutional ideals. He knows that the world, the depths of which he is plumbing in his reading and writing, cannot be captured in 140 characters. He too has a dream for the country. Our children's children might experience a part of it.
5
Thanks for this reflective piece. I wish President Obama a long life and hope that he can continue to do good after 20 January. I have a feeling we will need his voice, and others, to deal with the new reality - if that is what it is - of the incoming administration.
7
There is such an incredible sense of loss as Obama and Michelle are leaving the White House. He is truly a Renaissance man and it is unfortunate that he had to struggle against a republican Congress during his Presidency. However, his brilliance, love of family and perseverance are so much greater and the good that the both did will speak for them always.
8
I just happened to notice, in that lovely photograph of the President reading at his desk, a black sculpture on the chest of drawers behind him (side of the room). It is not what I wanted to see: A horse and rider, with the rider whip in hand, as the horse stands on his hind feet. apparently none too happy. Do we really need to see such a disturbing sculpture in the oval office?
I was pleased to read about all the great books President Obama read during his eight years in office. Some might say that by trying to please everyone, he alienated partisans on the far left as well as the far right. But I think his efforts to help all Americans, to find the middle way and to listen and learn, will serve as a shining example of a near great president to future historians. I look forward to reading his memoir and hope that his early short stories will also be published if they still exist. I offer my gratitude and fond farewell to the best president in my lifetime and to his lovely spouse, our First Lady, and children.
11
So, with Trump and Obama we have a man of action and a man of contemplation.
The contemplation may be overdone since there are very few pictures of his reading except to children.
Great things are accomplished by men of action.
Plato is just so.
The contemplation may be overdone since there are very few pictures of his reading except to children.
Great things are accomplished by men of action.
Plato is just so.
1
While this article presents a book selection that is racially diverse, there are far more books by men than women. I think this is representative of Mr. Obama; he always seemed more interested in issues of race rather than gender. While that makes sense in light of his mixed race heritage, I always thought it curious considering that he was raised by a single mother, is married to a woman, has two daughters and a mother-in-law who lives with him. I always hoped misogyny would be a battle he fought harder.
Obama is a great orator, best of this century - motivating and inspiring. I am sure in part due to his intellect and curiosity.
His drive to compensate those who were mistreated for past wrongs overwhelmed the monumental step this nation took in electing a black president. This tremendous opportunity to reduce the impact of race for the youth of America has been missed. The impact seems more intense than ever before.
His drive to compensate those who were mistreated for past wrongs overwhelmed the monumental step this nation took in electing a black president. This tremendous opportunity to reduce the impact of race for the youth of America has been missed. The impact seems more intense than ever before.
As this week winds ever so ominously toward Friday, and all throughout the transition period, I have mourned - yes, mourned - the loss of this man's service in the White House.
He has not been a perfect President. None are. But he has led this country with so much dignity, so much grace, and so much appreciation for the features of our culture that have made it distinctive. His optimism is not contrived. His caution is not the product of an indecisive personality. No, Barack Obama's style of leadership is the product of a personality that is curious, thoughtful, and patient.
The contrast to what has come before, and what will likely be coming very soon, is so obvious as to be disorienting. If only this country's flawed and destructive political system would have been more open to the kind of leadership Mr. Obama has demonstrated, rather than settle into the rank partisan stubbornness that has dominated the last six years, we would be so much farther down the road to solving our problems.
My family and I will deeply miss the comfort and pride that we have felt with Barack Obama in the White House. I hope to live long enough to again feel that way. May Mr. Obama and his whole family prosper and enjoy great happiness in the years ahead and know that this nation values and appreciates his work as chief executive.
He has not been a perfect President. None are. But he has led this country with so much dignity, so much grace, and so much appreciation for the features of our culture that have made it distinctive. His optimism is not contrived. His caution is not the product of an indecisive personality. No, Barack Obama's style of leadership is the product of a personality that is curious, thoughtful, and patient.
The contrast to what has come before, and what will likely be coming very soon, is so obvious as to be disorienting. If only this country's flawed and destructive political system would have been more open to the kind of leadership Mr. Obama has demonstrated, rather than settle into the rank partisan stubbornness that has dominated the last six years, we would be so much farther down the road to solving our problems.
My family and I will deeply miss the comfort and pride that we have felt with Barack Obama in the White House. I hope to live long enough to again feel that way. May Mr. Obama and his whole family prosper and enjoy great happiness in the years ahead and know that this nation values and appreciates his work as chief executive.
2
I read Dreams From My Father during the 2008 campaign, and found it subtle, illuminating, and ironic without being cynical. Ever since Obama won the presidency that year, I've been looking forward to his memoirs. Whatever one may think of his policies and choices, there's no denying that he is a thinker, not to mention a decent man. Now the pendulum swings in the opposite direction...
2
When President Obama was in the midst of his first campaign, I was compleing a Master of Fine Arts at Fresno State University, dedicating myself to being a serious poet and student of literature and writing. I will never forget Inauguration Day 2009: Sharing Elizabeth Alexander's poem with my own undergraduate students, a group that included Hmong refugees, the child of Eiritrian immigrants, white daughters of farmers, and an African American girl who, against all, odds, was thriving in college after a hellish experience in foster care. Eight years later, I find myself writing poems more each day--some featuring our president, and reflecting upon the arc of history, and this frightening moment when a wealthy man who appears to only read puff pieces that flatter him, and who lacks empathy, will take over as President of the United States. A lack of connection and empathy got us here, and books and poetry--not the internet, will lead us back to decency.
1
I'm sure President Obama is very thoughtful and well-read, but this portrait and list seems a bit cliche-ridden. Intellectual, almost nerdy "my natural refuge from the coarseness and philistinism around me, and the nitty-gritty of my day-to-day duties-- running the free world as POTUS!) is books and ideas" democratic personal versus the crass philistinism of money/business-idolizing republicans. Point taken. "Trump would never give Ivana a Marquez novel."
When I was in college to have any credibility you had to read "100 years of solitude." I did, and I'm sure I honed my empathy for indigenous peoples ravaged by European White Male imperialism and hubris. 400 pages of Nobel-worthy counter-Europeanism. Just like the rest of the Gandhi-King-Malcom X-Ellison greatest hits of non-white "you better respect us literature."
My point is not to disparage any of those writers, many of whom were of enormous moral, intellectual and creative stature, but that as the "canon" so presented they bespeak an agenda that boils down to "respect us, yes, we are 'other', etc, etc, it's all about being 'other' and respect, ie., identity politics." With such an obviously pronounced political thrust, I become skeptical that intellectual curiosity or interest in very much beyond confirmation of the starting agenda has much of a role. It all seems, in a word, the reading list of a dedicated, avowed culture warrior, albeit 'nicely' offset by proofs of more cosmopolitan intent and sophistication.
When I was in college to have any credibility you had to read "100 years of solitude." I did, and I'm sure I honed my empathy for indigenous peoples ravaged by European White Male imperialism and hubris. 400 pages of Nobel-worthy counter-Europeanism. Just like the rest of the Gandhi-King-Malcom X-Ellison greatest hits of non-white "you better respect us literature."
My point is not to disparage any of those writers, many of whom were of enormous moral, intellectual and creative stature, but that as the "canon" so presented they bespeak an agenda that boils down to "respect us, yes, we are 'other', etc, etc, it's all about being 'other' and respect, ie., identity politics." With such an obviously pronounced political thrust, I become skeptical that intellectual curiosity or interest in very much beyond confirmation of the starting agenda has much of a role. It all seems, in a word, the reading list of a dedicated, avowed culture warrior, albeit 'nicely' offset by proofs of more cosmopolitan intent and sophistication.
"[Shakespeare's] tragedies, [Obama] says, have been 'foundational for me in understanding how certain patterns repeat themselves and play themselves out between human beings.'" E.g., Macbeth?
Blood hath been shed ere now, i' th' olden time,
Ere humane statute purged the gentle weal.
Obama the Good, methinks, should not have put off so giving Bellona her due. The way we were, "i' th' olden time," is the way we WERE, but is the way much of the world still is. Our leaders must deal with the world as it is, not dream it's otherwise; and never expect your own assumptions to be everyone's, or think every problem can be "solved," or that a solution even should be sought, diplomatically. I might once have thought the contrary but am no longer convinced that war, terrible though it is, should always be a last resort.
Those who most often say war is a last resort mean it is no resort at all.
Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate,
But certain issue strokes must arbitrate --
Towards which advance the war.
Blood hath been shed ere now, i' th' olden time,
Ere humane statute purged the gentle weal.
Obama the Good, methinks, should not have put off so giving Bellona her due. The way we were, "i' th' olden time," is the way we WERE, but is the way much of the world still is. Our leaders must deal with the world as it is, not dream it's otherwise; and never expect your own assumptions to be everyone's, or think every problem can be "solved," or that a solution even should be sought, diplomatically. I might once have thought the contrary but am no longer convinced that war, terrible though it is, should always be a last resort.
Those who most often say war is a last resort mean it is no resort at all.
Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate,
But certain issue strokes must arbitrate --
Towards which advance the war.
A trillion dollars to the person who can conceive of Mr. Obama's successor summoning on his very best day such literacy, insight, self-restraint, or decency.
The successor's supporters will have to learn all over again the futility of hate-based voting, a lesson most spectacularly taught in the 1930s and '40s.
The successor's supporters will have to learn all over again the futility of hate-based voting, a lesson most spectacularly taught in the 1930s and '40s.
1
One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me was my love of reading.
When I was a child my father read to me every night at bedtime and it was something I always looked forward to. We made our way through the works of Jules Verne and classic science fiction authors such as Arthur C Clark and Robert Heinlein. He translated as he read to me books of folk tales written in Czech that were read to him as a child.
When I had to stay at home recuperating from childhood illnesses my mother would read to me from A A Milne and Dr Seuss.
After I was able to read for myself I developed an insatiable desire for reading and that continues to this day. I learned to love biographies and history as well as the works of the literary giants of the ages.
I can't imagine a life without books. Long ago I learned to look at the contents of the bookshelves of people whose homes I visit. It can tell one much about them. I haven't, however, been able to embrace e-books although I appreciate the notion of being able to carry an entire library on a tablet. For me there is something reassuring about the tactile feel of the printed page. Nevertheless, I couldn't do without news sources on the computer such as The New York Times.
I would like to think that no one could become a national leader without having been an avid reader. A sense of wonder, possibility, and consequences can't be conveyed in 140 characters.
When I was a child my father read to me every night at bedtime and it was something I always looked forward to. We made our way through the works of Jules Verne and classic science fiction authors such as Arthur C Clark and Robert Heinlein. He translated as he read to me books of folk tales written in Czech that were read to him as a child.
When I had to stay at home recuperating from childhood illnesses my mother would read to me from A A Milne and Dr Seuss.
After I was able to read for myself I developed an insatiable desire for reading and that continues to this day. I learned to love biographies and history as well as the works of the literary giants of the ages.
I can't imagine a life without books. Long ago I learned to look at the contents of the bookshelves of people whose homes I visit. It can tell one much about them. I haven't, however, been able to embrace e-books although I appreciate the notion of being able to carry an entire library on a tablet. For me there is something reassuring about the tactile feel of the printed page. Nevertheless, I couldn't do without news sources on the computer such as The New York Times.
I would like to think that no one could become a national leader without having been an avid reader. A sense of wonder, possibility, and consequences can't be conveyed in 140 characters.
2
Well, this story did it-- I finally am allowing myself to cry at the thought of the sort of man who will be following President Obama into the White House! Not a well-educated, globally aware and thoughtful man capable of reflecting on the arc of time, as we have had for eight years, but rather a shameful, reflexive and shallow narcissist who sees the whole world in terms of only himself.
As the hours of honor within the White House dwindle to a precious few, my fervent wish is that there be a revival of reading widely and reflecting deeply in the nation, so that we once again reclaim the White House as a place for big ideas and a larger society.
As the hours of honor within the White House dwindle to a precious few, my fervent wish is that there be a revival of reading widely and reflecting deeply in the nation, so that we once again reclaim the White House as a place for big ideas and a larger society.
4
This article about Obama and his love of books sure documents the alternation of generation hypothesis.
Everything that Obama is--intelligent, smart, witty, funny, caring, empathetic, curious, decent--our upcoming president-barely-elected Trump is not.
Where Obama has sown dignity, civility, stability, and calmed us, Trump is upending everything and doing as much as he can to sow disrespect, crude and rude behavior, chaos, uncertainty, and has managed to put everyone on edge and angry at each other.
Since our founding, we have striven for and supported Enlightenment values (Obama did a very good job of that), and now some of us elected a president who is the anthesis of the Enlightenment.
I looked up antonyms for Enlightenment. Welcome to the era of Trumpism and the Disunited States of: "ignorance," "stupidity," "destruction," "bewilderment," "confusion," "puzzlement"
Everything that Obama is--intelligent, smart, witty, funny, caring, empathetic, curious, decent--our upcoming president-barely-elected Trump is not.
Where Obama has sown dignity, civility, stability, and calmed us, Trump is upending everything and doing as much as he can to sow disrespect, crude and rude behavior, chaos, uncertainty, and has managed to put everyone on edge and angry at each other.
Since our founding, we have striven for and supported Enlightenment values (Obama did a very good job of that), and now some of us elected a president who is the anthesis of the Enlightenment.
I looked up antonyms for Enlightenment. Welcome to the era of Trumpism and the Disunited States of: "ignorance," "stupidity," "destruction," "bewilderment," "confusion," "puzzlement"
4
If one makes a list of the "readers" who have occupied the White House as opposed to those who did not, one sees the importance of reading. As President Obama says, it opens a window to the world. It also opens a window to the souls of our fellow citizens -- national and global. God help us that we may now be forever ushering in an era of demagogues who care only about selling themselves. To read voraciously is to be enlightened and therefore open to new information and to change. Long live President Obama, our first truly global President. He will be greatly missed by Americans who value education, decency, and understanding, not only for our fellow countrymen but for all who walk the earth. In no way has God every signaled that he intends for people to hate everyone but their own kind. We are off the path. Badly off the path.
2
Obama's reading gave him a breadth of view that served him well in the presidency. He understands our country's ideals, laws, and institutions. He is steeped in its history. If we needed any further evidence of the difference that reading makes in the way a person perceives and deals with the world around him, we need only look at the terrifyingly constricted mental world of the non-reading president-elect -- and the reckless, unknowing, and irrational way he deals with it.
3
This is a beautiful article. I have noted many of the authors/titles mentioned and am curious to read them.
So many commenters here have noted what a tragedy it is to go from a president who reads (and thinks) so much, to one who never does. But I also think this article captures exactly why Republicans hated Obama so much: here is a thoughtful, articulate, highly educated, intelligent and decent man who, unfortunately, has the nerve to be walking around in skin that is a few shades too dark for them. His high moral standards, family values, lack of even the slightest trace of scandal--well, for eight years, it drove them nuts, absolutely nuts. And so here we are now with Donald Trump. I wonder which Shakespeare tragedy would offer the most comfort at this dire juncture in our history?
So many commenters here have noted what a tragedy it is to go from a president who reads (and thinks) so much, to one who never does. But I also think this article captures exactly why Republicans hated Obama so much: here is a thoughtful, articulate, highly educated, intelligent and decent man who, unfortunately, has the nerve to be walking around in skin that is a few shades too dark for them. His high moral standards, family values, lack of even the slightest trace of scandal--well, for eight years, it drove them nuts, absolutely nuts. And so here we are now with Donald Trump. I wonder which Shakespeare tragedy would offer the most comfort at this dire juncture in our history?
7
It is incredibly sad to know that the incoming administration will not inspire young minds to read, learn, and think critically about the world in the way President Obama and his team have. The office of the president, in addition to all the official duties, serves as a shining beacon of the values and principles we hope our children strive towards. I'm looking forward to seeing those who were fortunate enough to live their formative years during the Obama administration growing old enough to become involved in the political stage, and my heart goes out to all those who tragically will grow up in the looming Trumpian years.
2
I love this story. Over the holidays I decided to rededicate myself to reading more and writing rather than watching TV/posting on social media. I've found that my thoughts are more organized and less frantic when electronic stimulation is removed from my routine. The one thing too many students accept is the value of silence and reflection found in the realm of the written word.
2
I'm sure President Obama is very well-read, but the opening paragraph stating "not since Lincoln" have we had a President so intellectually engaged and accomplished as Mr. Obama is certainly an overstatement, if it's even a meaningful claim at all.
We have had some obtuse & intellectually shallow, even philistine Presidents, but *generally* you have to be fairly smart and well-educated to be in the running (Trump's probably an exception). Personal morality and political outlooks aside, Wilson, Arthur, Clinton, both Roosevelts, Garfield, Carter & others were known to be pretty voracious readers even by the higher standards of the pre-television age, when learning and scholarship were much more highly esteemed than today. (Yes, as Hofstadter showed, antiintellectalism is an American tradition, but not to the point of stigmatizing intellectuality in the White House.)
Obama is a fine President, & probably impressively-read, but that his reading list is so obviously politically tendentious (Gandhi, Ellison, King, Malcolm X, Marquez) - basically what any student on the left side of the 80s-90s "culture wars" would have been required to read, either in class or to have credibility outside of class, suggests stronger political motivation than the broad curiosity and eclecticism typical of scholarly personalities.
Yes, smart, well-read, etc etc. But not necessarily in category of Lincoln, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, that I suspect other post-Lincolns came at least as close to.
We have had some obtuse & intellectually shallow, even philistine Presidents, but *generally* you have to be fairly smart and well-educated to be in the running (Trump's probably an exception). Personal morality and political outlooks aside, Wilson, Arthur, Clinton, both Roosevelts, Garfield, Carter & others were known to be pretty voracious readers even by the higher standards of the pre-television age, when learning and scholarship were much more highly esteemed than today. (Yes, as Hofstadter showed, antiintellectalism is an American tradition, but not to the point of stigmatizing intellectuality in the White House.)
Obama is a fine President, & probably impressively-read, but that his reading list is so obviously politically tendentious (Gandhi, Ellison, King, Malcolm X, Marquez) - basically what any student on the left side of the 80s-90s "culture wars" would have been required to read, either in class or to have credibility outside of class, suggests stronger political motivation than the broad curiosity and eclecticism typical of scholarly personalities.
Yes, smart, well-read, etc etc. But not necessarily in category of Lincoln, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, that I suspect other post-Lincolns came at least as close to.
2
I will surely miss President Obama. I feel honored that he has served as President during this portion of my days. I only wish there could be more such days.
I think what I'll do to help me with this sense of loss is to send, care of the White House, a postcard or the like to President Obama. What I write on it may be simply "I miss you, Sir" or perhaps something more verbose, but hopefully worth a moment's attention.
I figure those at the White House can collect and forward these notes for me.
Hey, maybe others will want to do the same. It would be kinda nice to see a mailbag full of cards and notes being delivered to President Obama by a White House aide from time to time.
You're all welcome to join me in this effort. It'd be quite OK if my card(s) is just one of many. Besides, a good number of those who make frequent comments are superb writers. Not doubt President Obama would enjoy their thoughts and wordsmith as much as I.
Right now, it's the thought that counts, the time for action will come soon enough.
I think what I'll do to help me with this sense of loss is to send, care of the White House, a postcard or the like to President Obama. What I write on it may be simply "I miss you, Sir" or perhaps something more verbose, but hopefully worth a moment's attention.
I figure those at the White House can collect and forward these notes for me.
Hey, maybe others will want to do the same. It would be kinda nice to see a mailbag full of cards and notes being delivered to President Obama by a White House aide from time to time.
You're all welcome to join me in this effort. It'd be quite OK if my card(s) is just one of many. Besides, a good number of those who make frequent comments are superb writers. Not doubt President Obama would enjoy their thoughts and wordsmith as much as I.
Right now, it's the thought that counts, the time for action will come soon enough.
4
Three comments.
First, thank you for this article.
Second, perhaps only in my imagination, my hope is that with Donald Trump we have reached a tipping point, and that part of our collective response to Trump will be to realize that books, ideas, thought, criticism and self-criticism matter and are worthy of being valued more highly than the nonsense of so-called reality television, the inanity of talking heads, and Twitter-defined thinking, among other things.
Third, the dissonance between who we are losing and who we are getting is disconcerting. If I could have one wish before the presidential transfer of power, it would be for Trump and President Obama to spend, say, a leisurely afternoon in thoughtful and reflective conversation broadcast to the nation--conversation about the currents of ideas and books they have read that give shape to their personal histories, philosophies of governance, social ethics, moral characters, and perspectives on the future of our democracy.
First, thank you for this article.
Second, perhaps only in my imagination, my hope is that with Donald Trump we have reached a tipping point, and that part of our collective response to Trump will be to realize that books, ideas, thought, criticism and self-criticism matter and are worthy of being valued more highly than the nonsense of so-called reality television, the inanity of talking heads, and Twitter-defined thinking, among other things.
Third, the dissonance between who we are losing and who we are getting is disconcerting. If I could have one wish before the presidential transfer of power, it would be for Trump and President Obama to spend, say, a leisurely afternoon in thoughtful and reflective conversation broadcast to the nation--conversation about the currents of ideas and books they have read that give shape to their personal histories, philosophies of governance, social ethics, moral characters, and perspectives on the future of our democracy.
3
Without a doubt, the scariest part of Trump's myopic outlook is its utter lack of knowledge and education - in fact, the outright disregard for those things. How one can occupy high office - the most public, outward-facing position there is - without an ounce of intellectual curiosity is as unfathomable as it is terrifying. Trump highlights the difference between a degree and an education: he may have the former, but he most definitely lacks the latter.
Obama is a true scholar. Here he talks about fiction, but he's mentioned reading Foucault, Fanon, and I'm sure many other works of critical theory that contribute to a richer, more complex and analytical understanding of the world. The anti-intellectual strain of America, much shriller this last year than before, has always mystified me. But now, it's downright dangerous. To occupy a position of public responsibility while actively championing ignorance, falsities, and anti-intellectualism... Make no mistake, we all stand to suffer from Trump's stunted cerebral development.
Obama is a true scholar. Here he talks about fiction, but he's mentioned reading Foucault, Fanon, and I'm sure many other works of critical theory that contribute to a richer, more complex and analytical understanding of the world. The anti-intellectual strain of America, much shriller this last year than before, has always mystified me. But now, it's downright dangerous. To occupy a position of public responsibility while actively championing ignorance, falsities, and anti-intellectualism... Make no mistake, we all stand to suffer from Trump's stunted cerebral development.
6
Books and golf.
8
... whereas there won't be so much as a comic book in the next White House...
30
I couldn't say it any better
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/opinion/sunday/eight-was-enough.html?s... NYTimes: Eight Was Enough
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/opinion/sunday/eight-was-enough.html?s... NYTimes: Eight Was Enough
9
I'm going to miss the presence of intellectual curiosity in the Oval Office every day. Our new President watches a lot of television and his apparent reading list consists mostly of reading about himself in digital media.
We know Trump has read at least one book, My New Order, a collection of Hitler's speeches that Ivana Trump claimed he kept at his bedside.
We know Trump has read at least one book, My New Order, a collection of Hitler's speeches that Ivana Trump claimed he kept at his bedside.
74
Too bad he didn't read (and take to heart) the books,
"How to stop colluding with the Military Industrial Complex," and
"How to stop producing nuclear warheads" and
___________
___________
_____________
"How to stop colluding with the Military Industrial Complex," and
"How to stop producing nuclear warheads" and
___________
___________
_____________
4
The secret behind President Obama's secret--books...and cigarettes.
5
Appreciate this article, thank you NY Times. Refreshing to see how a President sought out history, philosophy, fiction and more to shape his perspective and enrich his mind. A great lesson for all of us.
54
He must have read the wrong books.
9
Can we have a "By the Book" with Obama?
6
Well, my goodness! All the venomous comments about President Obama. He didn't do this--he didn't do this--he's "basically illiterate"--he should have read books about economics--he should have dealt more knowledgeably with Mr. Putin . . . . . .This and that. This and that.
His Republican friends in Congress were by no means--shall we say? accommodating. He inherited a long disastrous war in Iraq. He stepped in when the American economy--no! the world economy--was in free fall. So many problems! Might I point out--all these were little going-away presents left him by his predecessor? Really--one might go on and on.
But I won't. No--I would rather just point out what so many others have pointed out: my goodness! what a thoughtful, what a literate man President Obama is. Mr. President, you will be missed. By millions of Americans. Including me. Write those books! Share what you've seen and learned. God bless you, sir. Take care.
His Republican friends in Congress were by no means--shall we say? accommodating. He inherited a long disastrous war in Iraq. He stepped in when the American economy--no! the world economy--was in free fall. So many problems! Might I point out--all these were little going-away presents left him by his predecessor? Really--one might go on and on.
But I won't. No--I would rather just point out what so many others have pointed out: my goodness! what a thoughtful, what a literate man President Obama is. Mr. President, you will be missed. By millions of Americans. Including me. Write those books! Share what you've seen and learned. God bless you, sir. Take care.
125
This article brought a smile to my lips. What a good writer this reporter is. President Obama is and was a great President who brought us from the brink of an economic cliff. He will be sorely missed! Despite the criticisms and the outright hatred by the Republicans and others, he is a man at peace with himself and leaves the country better off than he found it eight years ago. Well done Sir and thank you for your service to our country.
77
compare the books written by these two men: Pres. Obama's about his father, trump's about the "art" of the "deal" (and he didn't mean New Deal). idk
12
Secret???????? Answer is Obama's 333 rounds of golf and watching Judge Judy over eight years -- time he should have spent on USA biz, creating jobs, stopping manufacturing job-flight to Mexico, and seeking ways to bridge the gap between races and political parties. Instead he occupied his time by seeking ways to demonize Republicans, blowing off Boehner, and constantly criticizing the universe of those folks -- in and outside government -- who had alternate views and opinions while be flouted the "I am the winner" button to EVERYONE. He falsely felt that Hollywood adulation for him was an indicator of the true feeling of common Americans for him -- NOT.
12
Inspiring, but I think Pres. Obama was too bookish and ALOOF!
======================================================
Trump was elected because he is NOT a reader, but an internet TEXTER.
As John Kennedy said in opening to his inaugural address: "...the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans." The new generation relies on the immediacy of the internet, more than on the slow process of reading books. Sadly, it was Trump who understood this, not Obama or Clinton.
======================================================
Trump was elected because he is NOT a reader, but an internet TEXTER.
As John Kennedy said in opening to his inaugural address: "...the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans." The new generation relies on the immediacy of the internet, more than on the slow process of reading books. Sadly, it was Trump who understood this, not Obama or Clinton.
6
Good for Obama when he acknowledges reading books and notice he does not mention his golf game making him a better president. Fly the Flag by Edgewater Morsky is a book about growing up in difficult times and learning in school, after school, and from experience so he has a chance to use his education to make things better. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4F7HDY
5
The countries leadership is going from intelligence and grace to Twitter-dee Twitter-Dumb.
48
I wish she had mentioned books read as a young kid?
2
Again,the power of a book.Even,the most powerful man on earth reads rather than tweets.
31
Thank you Ms. Kakutani for your edifying article, and please recommend to President Obama this non-fiction book, A MATTER OF HONOR PEARL HARBOR: BETRAYAL, BLAME, AND A FAMILY'S QUEST FOR JUSTICE, by Anthony Summers & Robbyn Swan, as it deals with a timely call for action directly affecting the President's legacy.
Regards,
Tom Kimmel (an Admiral Kimmel grandson)
Regards,
Tom Kimmel (an Admiral Kimmel grandson)
4
Lover of books is followed by lover of tweets. Sad...
76
It's easy to trash Obama, or anyone, but name a president in modern history who did better. Nixon? Ha. Ford? Ha. Carter? Ha.
Reagan? Iran Contra. Bush Sr.? Weak. Clinton? Self-serving. W? Incompetent.
What standard are people using to judge Obama? Because it certainly isn't the same yardstick we use for all of the other clowns.
Reagan? Iran Contra. Bush Sr.? Weak. Clinton? Self-serving. W? Incompetent.
What standard are people using to judge Obama? Because it certainly isn't the same yardstick we use for all of the other clowns.
55
Wait, wait - he taught himself to read??
11
"Bookish" has been described as one of his faults.
A bookish (truly well educated, reflective, deliberative, informed) president who talks in complex sentences and respects the complexity and intractability of this world's problems that he has the responsibility to work through doesn't go over well with a lot of people in this country.
A bookish (truly well educated, reflective, deliberative, informed) president who talks in complex sentences and respects the complexity and intractability of this world's problems that he has the responsibility to work through doesn't go over well with a lot of people in this country.
117
Obamas secret to surviving the White House Years.... an adoring liberal media who refused to hold him accountable for anything.
7
Make America read again.
59
Such a beautiful article about the power of books. Sharing with friends, family, and my book club. Thank you, President Obama and NYT.
36
Books and golf, how nice for him
11
Hmmm...maybe I'll start recycling my books by sending them to the White House so Trump can spend his insomnia bouts reading books instead of tweeting.
23
Obama - now there's "like a smart guy"...Trump not so much.
Like Elaine said to Jerry, "he reads books Jerry, not comic books..." or Tweets.
Like Elaine said to Jerry, "he reads books Jerry, not comic books..." or Tweets.
19
Yeah, I wish he'd read Milton Friedman.
7
Books are wonderful and a great way to learn. Reading to escape the Whitehouse bubble... I thought he wanted to be in the Whitehouse and wanted to serve? Trump has written many many books as well. Perhaps Obama can read some of them also and learn even more. Globalization? Would that not put everyone including Russia and China on the same playing field with America? I personally favor our sovereignty! The UN favoring "strong cities" where our cities can be governed by other countries... what would world order do for America... please tell me.
6
A shame he hasn't read the US Constitution, that "somewhere I read" document referred to by MLK in his Mountaintop speech.
7
Thank you for this... yet another poignant goodbye to a beloved. "Please don't go! We'll eat you up, we love you so! But Max said no".
17
If he were really from Chicago then Obama would have known and mentioned that he read and relied on the insight of Gwendolyn Brooks and Lorraine Hansberry.
And if he wanted to know the black life he never lived nor knew then Obama would have mentioned August Wilson.
If he were not trying to mislead us and elevate himself Obama would have mentioned reading the Bible and the Koran including any history of the faiths of Abraham.
Clearly Obama knew and relied on "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli.
And if he wanted to know the black life he never lived nor knew then Obama would have mentioned August Wilson.
If he were not trying to mislead us and elevate himself Obama would have mentioned reading the Bible and the Koran including any history of the faiths of Abraham.
Clearly Obama knew and relied on "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli.
4
We immigrants and all Americans will miss President Obama. He so humbly tries to understand our plights,our hopes ,and displacements from our first motherland.We sincerely thank him for all he has done for country and World. "May the force be with you".
38
Thanks, Obama!
19
A President well read, thoughtful and scholarly will be replaced on Friday by a Mean Girl from Reality Television. Please, let the asteroids come this week.....
39
Time to reread Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. We might be entering that frightening time.
29
More flattering pablum. If you read Obama's speeches from his pre-2008 period it was quite apparent he was a corporatist all along. When he said Capitalism is what made this country great he wasn't just saying that. Some writers reported on Obama as early as 2002 as just another person interested in serving the rich with faux populist rhetoric thrown in. See e.g.
Http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/we_were_warned_about_barack_obama_--...
Cornel West had Obama pegged rightly as just another fake. See e.g.
http://www.salon.com/2014/08/24/cornel_west_he_posed_as_a_progressive_an...
It was the MSM that helped sell us a bill of phony goods. And now we are supposed to get nostalgic for the man that paved the way for Trump. Obama represented the slow death of democracy and always did. Enough flattery of this Judas Goat.
Http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/we_were_warned_about_barack_obama_--...
Cornel West had Obama pegged rightly as just another fake. See e.g.
http://www.salon.com/2014/08/24/cornel_west_he_posed_as_a_progressive_an...
It was the MSM that helped sell us a bill of phony goods. And now we are supposed to get nostalgic for the man that paved the way for Trump. Obama represented the slow death of democracy and always did. Enough flattery of this Judas Goat.
6
Future US Presidents will play Video Games.
In retrospect Mr. Obama quells the Brither Issue. In Future when USS Obama docks with Kenya, Kenya would be the Fifty first state of USA.
In retrospect Mr. Obama quells the Brither Issue. In Future when USS Obama docks with Kenya, Kenya would be the Fifty first state of USA.
"Like Lincoln, Obama taught himself to write." No--Lincoln went to Punahou School in Hawaii where he learned to read and write.
3
Obama, the guy who once wrote about how cool it was to do "a little blow," is being replaced by a teetoaling man who made the difficult journey form Democratic shibboleths to Republican truths.
Funny enough, books got me through Obama's second term too. I was downright disconsolate my intelligent friends thought he was not a liar. Goodbye, Obama. I will not miss you.
Funny enough, books got me through Obama's second term too. I was downright disconsolate my intelligent friends thought he was not a liar. Goodbye, Obama. I will not miss you.
7
I read this...and wept.
25
Enough with Obama diid this did that ....what he did not do filled in most of terms.
3
Birds tweet.
People speak.
People speak.
25
It's a matter of pride for any person with roots in India that there were at least three authors named by Obama in his interview coming from the same background -- Mohandas Gandhi, V. S. Naipaul, and Jhumpa Lahiri.
Obama commendably talks about the global family.
Obama commendably talks about the global family.
27
Don't you think Woodrow Wilson, president of Princeton University, and Teddy Roosevelt were both a little more bookish than Obama? James Garfield could reputedly write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other. But who cares about getting your facts right?
13
As pointed out by many commenters here, the contrast between deep thinker and READER Obama, and the pathologically pragmatic Trump, is extremely troubling.
41
Too bad his successor doesn't know how to read.
31
One book it appears that he did not read was Hans Morgenthau's POLITICS AMONG NATIONS.
2
And let us turn to reading to soothe our souls when President Barack Obama is no longer in the White House.
Bring on the library!
Bring on the library!
17
JFK was well read- and not a bad writer either.
5
Thanks Obama!
11
Can you imagine how short this article will be when it is written about the next occupant of the White House?
23
Enjoyed the story of Obama and his reading list, and how books kept him centered. Cound't help but wonder what Donald has read. Sorry, can't help myself - probably 'Art of the Deal' since he didn't write it himself, and would want to see what was in it?
13
Theodore Roosevelt read history and wrote dozens of books.
14
Can we get Trump a library card?
23
Lauren Groff's "Fates and Furies" is pictured, then not mentioned in the article. Does Obama admire it? I'd love to know why.
1
Obama likes to read, huh? So I recommend, to him and his friend Hillary, "The Wealth of Nations," from Adam Smith and, perhaps, some Ludwig von Mises.
5
Go Mr. Obama. Write a book/novel continue changing the world again next few years. You can stem the flood of hate and bigotry like no other.
20
I am thrilled at the attention you bring to reading for an already accomplished person. I just wish you didn't need to lead with the statement, "Not since Lincoln..." you dismiss Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, James Garfield, Harry Truman, all voracious readers.
11
Books? We don't need no stinkin' books! They give you ideas, before you know it you may be listening to others to understand them, instead of tweeting nice counter punches! Yeah! Man! Forget books, they are too long, go for tweets, 142 characters, short and sweet! Pow!
26
What was the last book Dump read?
"Mein Kampf"?
"Mein Kampf"?
22
Can anyone imagine "President Trump" reading anything as long as a BOOK?
24
How many books do you think Trump has read?
25
“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
― Isaac Asimov
Welcome aboard the Trump Trash Nation Express !
"Next stop..... the bottom of a right-wing cliff."
― Isaac Asimov
Welcome aboard the Trump Trash Nation Express !
"Next stop..... the bottom of a right-wing cliff."
342
Reading Socrates' comments over the years, I'm very glad to see a reaction to his way of thinking by so many Americans. Trump is a direct reaction to this Socrates and his ilk.
Shame!
Conjecture has no place when weighing a person's character, action counts.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said,
"My friend, I do not accuse you of deliberate anti-Semitism. I know you feel, as I do, a deep love of truth and justice and revulsion for racism, prejudice, and discrimination. But I know you have been misled—as others have been—into thinking you can be 'anti-Zionist' and yet remain true to those heartfelt principles that you and I share. Let my words echo in the depths of your soul:
When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews—make no mistake about it."
This last act of office against Israel at the UN unraveled Obama's legacy.
I shall greatly miss the civilized, humane, thoughtful couple who have occupied the White House the past eight years.
Not mirroring history, but metaphorically: after Marcus Aurelius, we get Nero.
Not mirroring history, but metaphorically: after Marcus Aurelius, we get Nero.
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Actually, the metaphor still works if you mirror history: after Marcus Aurelius, Commodus. From Wikipedia: "Whereas the reign of Marcus Aurelius had been marked by almost continuous warfare, that of Commodus was comparatively peaceful in the military sense but was marked by political strife and the increasingly arbitrary and capricious behaviour of the emperor himself. In the view of Dio Cassius, a contemporary observer of the period, his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust"
I have said for a long time that we shouldn't be looking at Nazi Germany for clues about a Trump administration but rather to the Roman Empire, especially Nero! He wanted the title and the perks but not the responsibility. More to the point, he lacked the ability to deal with the crises that are the stock of life at the top. As some wag said today, where Nero fiddled while Rome burned, Trump will be tweeting while the world burns in a nuclear holocaust. I pray to Ipthar than I'm wrong.
Marcus Aurelius' actual successor, Commodus, is also a good analogy. Notably, he shared our current President-elect's penchant for narcissism. He renamed the city of Rome Colonia Commodiana, or Commodus' Colony. Notably, Gibbon pegged the beginning of the decline and fall of Rome at the accession of Commodus.
in many ways, Obama is more a writer than a wielder of power. And in that contradiction, lies his greatest strengths and most profound weaknesses.
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Like Blunder Woman Sarah Palin, Trumpty Drumpty always struggles to name a single book he's ever read.
"All of them"....."none of them"....."what's the difference....literacy is for suckers"...
"All of them"....."none of them"....."what's the difference....literacy is for suckers"...
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"The Obama years, which left us divided and angry,
paved the way for the ascent of Donald J. Trump."
paved the way for the ascent of Donald J. Trump."
22
Yes, we had no idea that a much larger portion of our population than we would have dreamed was deeply and profoundly racist. For them the notion of a black man in the Oval Office or, worse, a black family in the White House, was unbearable. So now we go from grace, intelligence and decency to the exact opposite. This swing of the pendulum is SO extreme that I fear we may never recover.
3
From an outsider's perspective, I can not understand what made Americans so angry at Obama.
Obama was a sober voice in a world full of hatred against people who held different beliefs and orientation. He recognized that cultural and racial differences are not the greatest threats to humanity, rather, it is capitalist greed that has brought on climate change. He knows there is very little we can do when nature starts unleashing its power against us.
His policies took care of the most marginalized in the United States--the poor who did not have access to healthcare, the illegal immigrants who contributed to the American economy via their informal work but who were offered very little protection by the government, people of color who like every American just wishes to live in a safe and free society, and the homosexuals who while they have different preferences compared to most of us are still made of the same skin and bones we are all made of.
In a sea of shallow and empty politicians, Obama represents what could be a dying breed of humanists who long for a better world based on mutual respect, on empathy and compassion for the most marginalized in society, and on the care for the only planet we live in. While I did not always agree with his policies, Obama will surely be missed not only by his American supporters, but by the rest of the world as well.
Obama was a sober voice in a world full of hatred against people who held different beliefs and orientation. He recognized that cultural and racial differences are not the greatest threats to humanity, rather, it is capitalist greed that has brought on climate change. He knows there is very little we can do when nature starts unleashing its power against us.
His policies took care of the most marginalized in the United States--the poor who did not have access to healthcare, the illegal immigrants who contributed to the American economy via their informal work but who were offered very little protection by the government, people of color who like every American just wishes to live in a safe and free society, and the homosexuals who while they have different preferences compared to most of us are still made of the same skin and bones we are all made of.
In a sea of shallow and empty politicians, Obama represents what could be a dying breed of humanists who long for a better world based on mutual respect, on empathy and compassion for the most marginalized in society, and on the care for the only planet we live in. While I did not always agree with his policies, Obama will surely be missed not only by his American supporters, but by the rest of the world as well.
4
"The Obama years, which left us divided and angry,
paved the way for the ascent of Donald J. Trump."
paved the way for the ascent of Donald J. Trump."
17
The Obama years revealed the (hidden in plain sight) fear and rage in America. He didn't cause it, we have been carrying these feelings for a long time. He was a handy scapegoat for a lot of people for a lot of reasons. The American quagmire is that we have become the dis-United States. Let the new leadership heal that and I will be a convert. I will give the President-elect and Congress every chance to make it happen, I want them to succeed at this task. Heal our nation!
So it's Obama's fault that paved the way for the ascent of Orange Hairball?
So no accountability for the failure of the GOP and how they lied incessantly to their base?
17 buffoons in the clown for the GOP nomination and this is the idiot GOP voters wanted?
You are one of the best candidates I ever read for revisionist history.
Enjoy being conned by the Huckster and his Merry Pranksters.
You have been forewarned. Enjoy.
Not my President.
So no accountability for the failure of the GOP and how they lied incessantly to their base?
17 buffoons in the clown for the GOP nomination and this is the idiot GOP voters wanted?
You are one of the best candidates I ever read for revisionist history.
Enjoy being conned by the Huckster and his Merry Pranksters.
You have been forewarned. Enjoy.
Not my President.
1
The Obama years, during which republicans/tea party members/trump worked hard to ensure America was ever more divided and angry...and, I'd say, in furtherance of an agenda meant to ensure no one would want to risk electing another non-white president - look at the trouble it causes. I'm sure you've heard: Obama personally set about to incite a race war. It's been an 8-year long pathetically transparent game.
Reading books is also how I have been surviving since the election of Mr. T. History and science fiction and biographies of people who overcame long odds...
I've got a list of books that will take me four years to read... I hope in two years, by 2018, that enough of us can make some changes in Congress....
Educate yourselves!
I've got a list of books that will take me four years to read... I hope in two years, by 2018, that enough of us can make some changes in Congress....
Educate yourselves!
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Would you share your list of books
Those who think Trump never cracks a book should remember that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. It's not clear that he made much of it, but Hitler's New World Order was an item he appears to have studied, if only briefly: http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2015/07/donald-ivana-trump-divorce-pr...
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you guys are living in a fantasy world. We're really sick of you calling Trump a racist. It's funny how none of you will say any of this out in the streets or out in public Because deep down you know that if it's true. You would have heard about this stuff for the last 40 years that he's been relevant. How come we didn't hear about any of this until he ran for president. Did you ever ask yourself that question smart guy. Don't you find it kind of weird that the only bad press has ever gotten was when he decided to run for president. And how quickly we forget how much the country loves him when he just was on his TV show everyone walking around saying you're fired. Number one show on television award winning. Then all the sudden he says I'm running for president. He's a businessman not a politician he's an outsider everyone knew he was going to be crucified himself included. He still put up with all the lies about him and won. He had to beat an extremely crooked left-leaning media. He had to go against Obama who put him down at every step. He had to beat Hillary Clinton. He had to beat the Department of Justice he had to beat the FBI. He had to beat all of you crooked people. He had to beat CNN giving up questions to Donna brazile. He had to beat the smear campaign run against him at every corner the media said he had zero chance of winning which was a lie Obviously.
I am convinced that THE formative, influential in Barack Obama's life has been ''Rules for Radicals'' by Saul Alinsky. When you read Alinsky's dreams and top topics, you recognize them as the most salient points of Mr. Obama's entire approach to governing.
The over-reactions to the slightest criticisms are a big issue for Alinsky and have marked Obama as especially brittle. The peddling of free government handouts aren't just to buy votes, but to damage the ability of the national government.
Read Alinsky and you understand Obama - and once we see Obama's college writings begin to emerge, I daresay that we'll see the less digested, more brazen radicalization in black and white.
The over-reactions to the slightest criticisms are a big issue for Alinsky and have marked Obama as especially brittle. The peddling of free government handouts aren't just to buy votes, but to damage the ability of the national government.
Read Alinsky and you understand Obama - and once we see Obama's college writings begin to emerge, I daresay that we'll see the less digested, more brazen radicalization in black and white.
22
thin-skinned and making promises he can't keep sounds more like Trump than Obama.
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Utterly laughable. The brittleness you cite is the hallmark of the president-elect, not the outgoing President who distinguished himself as a statesman and patriot. The president-elect is neither, having done nothing to serve his country prior to his election and who received five deferments rather than serve in the military.
2
The TeaParty organized and gained power, through reading, adopting and employing Alinsky's tactics. It's well-documented online if you care to educate yourself. "Over-reaction" is the hallmark of TeaParty members and republicans in general and, indeed, a very polite description of their behavior over the past either years. I sometimes wish President Obama had, on occasion, over-reacted.
And now, I fear, we're about to inaugurate a president who probably never cracks a book... or has even take the time to read the US Constitution.
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Ess, a terrifying thought but I agree with your assessment. Books saved me through many good and bad times.
One of the most shocking things about many American homes, even middle-class homes, is the absence of books. This is almost incomprehensible for somebody who grew up in Europe - or even China, for that matter, where people read voraciously and respect learning. Not so in the States. My husband was born in rural Iowa and had few books in his home when he was a child. His classmates mocked him for his desire to read. He went to MIT and now our house is filled with books. His classmates...well, those who did not succumb to opioids or obesity, voted for Trump. The illiterates elected one of their own.
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Agree that books may be relatively rare in US homes. A sorry reflection of our education system and our fixation on the infotainment industry. As to your snotty remark about voters, you showed your own prejudices, intolerance and elitism -- as well as the left's well-known preference for feeling and and wishing rather than facts and action.
My daughter has watched the Kardashian shows over the past several years. I have offered her $100 for each book she can spot on camera.
Haven't paid her a nickel yet.
BTW, I have had times in my career where I worked nearly 24/7 to keep a client's company from the barbarians. I imagine being President would be triple that commitment. I don't see how the President finds so much time to read. (I couldn't and I love books.) Just sayin'.
Haven't paid her a nickel yet.
BTW, I have had times in my career where I worked nearly 24/7 to keep a client's company from the barbarians. I imagine being President would be triple that commitment. I don't see how the President finds so much time to read. (I couldn't and I love books.) Just sayin'.
Not sure what obesity, or even opioid addiction, have to do with illiteracy.
This is very touching. I am an avid reader although not nearly as broad a one as our President (I can still write that he is!) I knew he read because you can't speak and write as well as he does without having delved into the art of writers. And how touching that he presented his elder daughter with a Kindle and books he hopes she will read. Thanks, New York Times, for publshing this.
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Being a major non fiction bibliophile its clear that those who are avid readers tend to have a broader world view, and are better at looking at the bigger picture. Reading calms and inspires.
Sadly an avid reader surrounded by self imposed ignorant non readers is akin to a lover of good, healthy, nourishing, life sustaining food, trying to have a serious conversation with someone who only eats unhealthy junk food.
Sadly an avid reader surrounded by self imposed ignorant non readers is akin to a lover of good, healthy, nourishing, life sustaining food, trying to have a serious conversation with someone who only eats unhealthy junk food.
81
It is delightful to read about a president who loves reading and who writes himself, and to know what books have influenced him. But is saying that Obama--like Lincoln--taught himself to write going a step too far? Did his Ivy League bachelor's and law degrees not also teach the president to write?
31
A fair question, any time someone seeks to clothe him or herself in the aura of a great historic figure. In this case, I'm not sure whether Mr. Obama or the interviewer drew this comparison, but either way, it is entirely to possible to achieve advanced degrees in various fields and yet not be a very good writer; conversely, many great writers never completed college. Therefore it seems plausible that Mr. Obama did in fact undertake to develop his writing skills, in which case it would not be surprising if he looked to Lincoln's legendary speeches and correspondence as a model, since he seems to admire and identify with the 16 President in many ways.
Like Lincoln, Mr. Obama is a "political animal" who sometimes has felt isolated since becoming President. For these reasons, IMHO it's not that self-aggrandizing for him to have drawn the comparison.
Last, as major achievements he has worked long and hard to accomplish are apparently about to be dismantled or reversed by the next White House occupant, can we please allow this leader, who, while not perfect, gave us hope, spoke of ideals like unity and equality, agonized over the right course of action at times, joked, smiled, accomplished some good things, and in eight years in office did not bring so much as a whiff of scandal upon himself or our nation, to portray himself in his final days in office as he wishes to be seen and remembered. It seems not too much to ask,
Like Lincoln, Mr. Obama is a "political animal" who sometimes has felt isolated since becoming President. For these reasons, IMHO it's not that self-aggrandizing for him to have drawn the comparison.
Last, as major achievements he has worked long and hard to accomplish are apparently about to be dismantled or reversed by the next White House occupant, can we please allow this leader, who, while not perfect, gave us hope, spoke of ideals like unity and equality, agonized over the right course of action at times, joked, smiled, accomplished some good things, and in eight years in office did not bring so much as a whiff of scandal upon himself or our nation, to portray himself in his final days in office as he wishes to be seen and remembered. It seems not too much to ask,
1
Probably not. Courses typically deal with content rather than style. Writing; the concept of lyricism, of melding various strands of thought into a cohesive whole is really not something that can be taught not even, in my view, in creative writing courses. Reading, extensive reading over time on myriad subjects is the first essential as it creates an ongoing wide ranging databank of matter and opinion from which a writer can draw metaphor, historicity, humor, irony, context and develop his own voice from within such a soup.
When all of this is said and done, a writer must hone his craft by doing and editing and tossing away ideas which he finds impedes the flow of the narrative. By doing so he also is able to think more clearly about the thrust of his argument. But his style itself is ineffable, informed by the style of all he has read but unique nonetheless.
When all of this is said and done, a writer must hone his craft by doing and editing and tossing away ideas which he finds impedes the flow of the narrative. By doing so he also is able to think more clearly about the thrust of his argument. But his style itself is ineffable, informed by the style of all he has read but unique nonetheless.
Amanda Seligman, you don't get into those schools without first knowing how to write. You do realize that? The Ivy League isn't a place where totally unformed human beings go to learn the basics. They would have helped him hone those skills, but said skills would have already been present and likely due to him being a self starter. I sympathize, coming from a background of completely uneducated Midwesterners (where not a book was ever in the house growing up and not a high school diploma to rub together between my extended family) and finding myself at the same higher education institutions as him.
It's time to drop the thinly veiled sneer directed towards the man's incredible academic achievements, particularly the face of a life, prior to those, that one wouldn't have exactly said put him on a clear path to achieving those things. Unlike, say Trump, who went to the right private schools, came from the appropriate social circles, had a family that would have donated the correct amount of money and would have been all but guaranteed a spot in the Ancient Eight.
It's time to drop the thinly veiled sneer directed towards the man's incredible academic achievements, particularly the face of a life, prior to those, that one wouldn't have exactly said put him on a clear path to achieving those things. Unlike, say Trump, who went to the right private schools, came from the appropriate social circles, had a family that would have donated the correct amount of money and would have been all but guaranteed a spot in the Ancient Eight.
1
I don't think Trump has read any meaningful books as most extend beyond 140 characters. I'm sure he won't time to read any during the next four years unless the characters are Cyrillic.
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Well, there was that book of Hitler's speeches on The New Order in his bedside stand ... search for Hitler here: the whole article is revealing and nauseating:
http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2015/07/donald-ivana-trump-divorce-pr...
http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2015/07/donald-ivana-trump-divorce-pr...
59
I am a little shocked to find in the comments about this gentle well
written hopeful article the nastiness and hyperbole that passes for political
dialogue in our time. Doesn't anyone feel the urge to give it a rest.
written hopeful article the nastiness and hyperbole that passes for political
dialogue in our time. Doesn't anyone feel the urge to give it a rest.
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The nastiness may come from the hatred those who rarely think or reason through matters harbor for those who seem thoughtful and tolerant. I imagine those who jeer at this article and at the humane man it describes are all Trump devotees. Every insulting remark that Trump issued in the last two years made me anticipate the full emergence of his earliest personality traits -- I kept waiting for him to call his opponent "four-eyes" or "bookworm" or "sissy boy." His surrogates are doing that for him here. As he said, with good reason, "I love the poorly educated."
1
Not for the next four years, or hopefully less.
The times has done a softball interview with Mr. Obama, then opened it up for comments. You're not going to get a chorus of praise for either the times or the politician.
What is the website where he will be discussing books?
26
"I don't like books, they're all fact, no heart." - Colbert
I am going to miss President Obama.
I am going to miss President Obama.
66
Mr. Obama's successor's interview will consist of 140 letters and of books of the same length, excluding expletives.
If there is one book I wish Mr. Obama had read it is Wilson by Berg. Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Mr. Berg or the publisher and I do not know anyone who does.
If there is one book I wish Mr. Obama had read it is Wilson by Berg. Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Mr. Berg or the publisher and I do not know anyone who does.
10
I do. Well worth reading, for both its obvious lessons and its subtleties.
Even he wants to, Trump can't follow this advice since he does not read.
58
Looking forward to the Obama Book Club! Wish we'd had it month by month over the last 8 years. Almost surely both parties would have ended up with different candidates!
58
When I was a teenager, John Kennedy got tired of the attention paid to his fondness for James Bond's adventures and put out a list of his 10 favorite books. I read them all. I recall Stendhal's The Red and the Black, The Raven, a biography of Sam Houston, Melbourne by David Cecil, and Pilgrim's Way by John Buchan. Those books gave me a better sense of Kennedy the man as well as introducing me to Stendhal, a favorite of my youth.
During the presidential campaign, I kept wishing one of the debate questions would be on favorite books. So much more revealing than the repetitive questions.
Look forward to Obama's next memoir.
During the presidential campaign, I kept wishing one of the debate questions would be on favorite books. So much more revealing than the repetitive questions.
Look forward to Obama's next memoir.
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I read a book of short essays about Cuba. One of the essays was written by a mobster who related a story about Santo Trafficante and casino partner Evaristo Garcia who watched JFK cavort with three prostitutes from behind a two way mirror when the senator was visiting Havana. They immediately lost respect for the man.
More than likely they were Sorenson's favorites. He seemed to handle anything that involved reading or writing, such as Profiles in Courage.
I will miss having a President who reads.
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Yeah I'm going to miss a president who plays golf every week and goes on vacation on our tax dollars
And I will miss having a president who reflects...
1
Well read is key, don't you think? I completely agree.
1
Obama's guide to surviving the last 8 years.
1 Vacation
2. Golf
3. Fly overseas and stick his foot in his mouth.
4. Lie and blame it on Bush
5. Publicly demonize anything about the truth and his agenda.
6. Pay the media to support your socialist leanings.
7. Pay the media to lie about the truth and lie to the American People.
8. Repeat as often as necessary.
1 Vacation
2. Golf
3. Fly overseas and stick his foot in his mouth.
4. Lie and blame it on Bush
5. Publicly demonize anything about the truth and his agenda.
6. Pay the media to support your socialist leanings.
7. Pay the media to lie about the truth and lie to the American People.
8. Repeat as often as necessary.
15
9. Don't step in stuff left in the road by the rear-end of horses from Texas.
And yet for all that he still had time to lead this country back to full recovery after the financial ruin brought about by the very types of Wall Street jackals that inhabit the Trump cabinet. I dare you you to list Trump's meaningful accomplishments over the past eight years - besides lining his pockets at the expense of others. Go for it.
You just outlined obama's legacy! Hopefully, the media will finally report accurate and honest news to the American people......we deserve at least that.
Was such an article written about either 43 or 41? Laura Bush was a teacher and librarian and contriuted a love of books to both Texas and the White House through her efforts. While one respects the President's interest in reading, this article seems to go overboard in appreciation.
17
I don't recall such an article being written about them, I will admit. Perhaps their love of books was not as great as President Obama's. I can't say for certain and it would have been nice to know such facts about them. I would also have loved to have read such an article about Laura Bush. Her work as a librarian and her love of literature was not as well-known as I think it could have been.
However, there's long been an anti-intellectual bent in this country, and I'm not sure how far such an article would have gone in highlighting the positives in the administrations of past presidents, particularly 43. Laura Bush may have appreciated a good book and been inclined to promote literature, but at the end of the day her husband was the guy everyone wanted to have a beer with, and that sophomoric personal characteristic was deemed more important on a public scale than the man's intellectual capabilities. It's not just the people in power who face this intellectual brush-off: it happens daily in employment and educational settings. In high school I was made fun of for reading, but the kids who played sports obsessively or let their grades slide never received flack.
For me, it was refreshing to have a president who didn't hide his intelligence or his love of books. I'll miss that, especially because in four days we get Trump, who cannot seem to communicate unless it's in 140 characters or less.
However, I think that it is gratifying and a point of pride to know that we had
However, there's long been an anti-intellectual bent in this country, and I'm not sure how far such an article would have gone in highlighting the positives in the administrations of past presidents, particularly 43. Laura Bush may have appreciated a good book and been inclined to promote literature, but at the end of the day her husband was the guy everyone wanted to have a beer with, and that sophomoric personal characteristic was deemed more important on a public scale than the man's intellectual capabilities. It's not just the people in power who face this intellectual brush-off: it happens daily in employment and educational settings. In high school I was made fun of for reading, but the kids who played sports obsessively or let their grades slide never received flack.
For me, it was refreshing to have a president who didn't hide his intelligence or his love of books. I'll miss that, especially because in four days we get Trump, who cannot seem to communicate unless it's in 140 characters or less.
However, I think that it is gratifying and a point of pride to know that we had
2
Laura Bush was not the President. And the overboard tone may come from the obvious fact that we won't be able to read about the incoming President's reading habits, as he doesn't read.
To be fair, this article was written by a professional book lover. Going overboard in appreciation is to be expected.
I saw the saddest thing when I was out working yesterday. Two different parents, at two different restaurants, were out eating with their young kids and they set screens in front of them throughout dinner. One mom set her cellphone in front of her 18-month-old child and let her watch a video as she ate. The other set of parents set a tablet in front of their 3-year-old and he watched some stupid cartoon for the entire 20 minutes I was there waiting.
In the old days (the 1980s and 90s) when you took your kids out to eat you were advised to bring some books and toys along to keep them occupied. You would sit there and read to your child, talk to them, or let them scribble on paper. You played Patty Cake and Peek-a-Boo with the very young.
Books have helped me through many hard times. Somehow, everyone who knows the value of reading has to warn the younger generations that screens and videos are not the solution to every problem. Next time you're out Readers, look at how many parents are NOT reading to their kids. We have to fix this somehow.
In the old days (the 1980s and 90s) when you took your kids out to eat you were advised to bring some books and toys along to keep them occupied. You would sit there and read to your child, talk to them, or let them scribble on paper. You played Patty Cake and Peek-a-Boo with the very young.
Books have helped me through many hard times. Somehow, everyone who knows the value of reading has to warn the younger generations that screens and videos are not the solution to every problem. Next time you're out Readers, look at how many parents are NOT reading to their kids. We have to fix this somehow.
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I agree!! Hopefully the tablet contained a book to be read. There are so many great, great books for children. I enjoy them still at 51 !! Very proud that both of my boys love to read. Need to take away the electronic!! They are like donuts for the brain and soul.
Please save the judgment. You don't know anything else than what you saw. Maybe those parents read to their kids for hours at home and all they wanted was a nice quiet meal out with the family.
Is that sad? Maybe. How about the time when you saw a homeless person and crossed the street? Way sadder. Less judging and more understanding for fellow humans may help you even more than books.
Is that sad? Maybe. How about the time when you saw a homeless person and crossed the street? Way sadder. Less judging and more understanding for fellow humans may help you even more than books.
Well, now books are the escape from the present state of politics. Regardless of what one might think of DT, he was elected and it was not Putin or Comey that did it. It was the rust belt that HC ignored that DT did not: 70 electoral votes that DT received in the rust belt that made him President. But with Lewis and other claiming DT is not legitimate and DT responding in kind and the intelligence community apparently leaking "unverified" garbage on DT, escape is necessary to maintain sanity. So, pick a book, any book( just nothing about politics or the present- fiction is best) and try to get through the next four years, if we make it. PS you can not watch tv unless you are interested in depression. Steaming is another escape, but books offer so much more.
17
Fact check: The intelligence community did not leak the Trump Russian dossier. It's been circulating among news agencies and politicians for at least six months. That's why the intelligence community briefed trump on it. So he'd know it was out there. They did not leak it.
1
Bian, let's wait until the Senate investigation and others complete their work before reaching any conclusions about Putin and Comey's involvement in the presidential election. That is, if President Trump allows them to proceed. Don't hold your breath.
This article about the solace and perspective reading has brought the President during his tenure in the White House itself brings solace to me, one of millions who will sorely miss this President. Thanks for this fine piece, and thanks, Mr. President, Mr. Reading and Writing President, for sharing your thoughts and your books for this article.
39
Harry Truman, to compensate for his lack of formal higher education, was a great reader of history, especially ancient history. He borrowed many books on ancient history from the Library of Congress. It is said that many ancient history books in the Library of Congress bear his handwritten comments in the margins. He was fond of saying that there is nothing new in life except the history we do not know.
33
What a gift this article is! As a reader, writer and someone who believes we are not as different from each other as we think, this is a most wonderful surprise. Thank you to the Times for dedicating time and space to a meaningful, intriguing and inspirational subject.
27
George W. Bush was a voracious reader, which goes against the image that people choose to hold of him as a product of their biases. One hopes that people learn from their reading.
16
Yes, I read that about Bush. Also, in context of this bit of Presidential fluff about Bush, the voraciousness was associated with the perpetual contest he was in against Karl Rove about who could read the most books in a week. This volume of literary consumption was certainly evident in his diction. My favorite Bush-ism still remains: "Rarely do we ask ourselves is our children learning."
GWB made some serious mistakes as President, but in reality seems to be an intelligent, friendly and generally good person. I find it hard to imagine being able to say that about Trump some years down the road.
Inspiring and important. Would you rather have a president who reads and reflects or one who tweets? The concept of stories as unifying forces is excellent and very true.
36
Great article. Reminded me of the one from summer of 2016 where NYT discussed Obama's late-night schedule, "Obama After Dark: The Precious Hours Alone". Say what you want about him. You can't deny he has an incredible work ethic, that he is well-read and a good writer, and that he has a diverse array of knowledge. Too bad he couldn't recognize the dangers after 2010 of the new obstructionist strain of the GOP.
I wish there more socially-skilled intellectuals like him in our national, state, and local governments. Sadly, I can't even get a replacement for his role who is remotely close to his qualities. Our country and planet will suffer from this immense talent drop off starting Friday.
I wish there more socially-skilled intellectuals like him in our national, state, and local governments. Sadly, I can't even get a replacement for his role who is remotely close to his qualities. Our country and planet will suffer from this immense talent drop off starting Friday.
64
Possibly a replacement would be in the cards if Mr. Obama hadn't carelessly lost a thousand congressional and legislative seats for his party as he read ... why does the image of Ichabod Crane come to mind?
Side bar comment/question, but when did 100 Days of Solitude become available on Kindle?!?! I have been waiting for this day to come. Or is this some special presidential perk?
7
Good point. I see an Audible version on amazon's website, but not a Kindle version.
The title is "One Hundred Years of Solitude", and is available in several different editions on Kindle. Perhaps you haven't found it because you've been using the wrong title in your search?
100 YEARS of Solitude is available on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Years-Solitude-Marquez-2014-ebook/dp/B00H... with audible narration as well.
It is good to know how the President Obama tries to remind himself of his spirit, thoughts, focus and determination. A very genuine way of a thoughful person to assess himself of whether he is still on the right track to realize his ideals.
23
To go from a president who is a life-long learner to one who scorns knowledge and reveres the uneducated is a bitter blow for me as a teacher of language arts. Thanks goodness for the words of MLK, Obama and others to inspire me during this season of both literal and figurative darkness here in the frozen Midwest.
King wrote, "Only in the darkness can you see the stars." "Words matter'', I tell my students, '' for they have the power to lead, inspire, damage and destroy." It will take strength for me to make it through Inauguration Day, but I hope to be sustained through the words of those who have survived and even flourished through dark times.
King wrote, "Only in the darkness can you see the stars." "Words matter'', I tell my students, '' for they have the power to lead, inspire, damage and destroy." It will take strength for me to make it through Inauguration Day, but I hope to be sustained through the words of those who have survived and even flourished through dark times.
73
PBS 's young Victoria series which began last night had Melbourne giving the queen on her 19th birthday a telescope accompanied by a note admonishing her to look to the heavens for similar reasons. Shakespeare does "stars" and "underlings." (The fault, dear Brutus...)
Sadly, there are no visible stars over Manhattan, ever... I would like all lights out from 2-3 AM so one might see the stars if one so desired. Even in the suburbs now with light pollution....another topic..
Sadly, there are no visible stars over Manhattan, ever... I would like all lights out from 2-3 AM so one might see the stars if one so desired. Even in the suburbs now with light pollution....another topic..
1
Michelle and Barack Obama have set back race relations by decades in the last 8 years. What a shame they did not choose
to use their elite education and high political profile to advance race relations in the US.
Here we are on MLK day and Michelle applauds John Lewis for leading a boycott of the inauguration.
Dr. King is very sad up there in paradise as he sees those who could have made a positive advance in race relations yet chose to advocate for the opposite.
I do hope Barack follows Bush43's example and disappears after lunch on Friday. His staying in the ring will only serve to stir the pot. Very disappointing!! After so much promise in November of 2008....Obama is like the homecoming queen who doesn't make it to the prom because she and her friends got arrested for shoplifting!!
to use their elite education and high political profile to advance race relations in the US.
Here we are on MLK day and Michelle applauds John Lewis for leading a boycott of the inauguration.
Dr. King is very sad up there in paradise as he sees those who could have made a positive advance in race relations yet chose to advocate for the opposite.
I do hope Barack follows Bush43's example and disappears after lunch on Friday. His staying in the ring will only serve to stir the pot. Very disappointing!! After so much promise in November of 2008....Obama is like the homecoming queen who doesn't make it to the prom because she and her friends got arrested for shoplifting!!
16
In what way did either Obama "set back race relations"? I suggest that just by being black--or in the case of the President, of mixed race, they inevitably raised issues that made white people uncomfortable. One example: after the horrific police shootings in Dallas, Obama praised Americans law enforcement officers and valued their efforts, putting themselves in harm's way on our behalf every day. His words in that regard are not remembered--but you can look them up to refresh your recollection. What I wager you remember is that he called on our police to be better trained so that systematic racism in law enforcement can be diminished. It is possible for him to hold both views simultaneously--as many white people do--and not be racially divisive.
Dr. King would be sad that the unspoken racism of a segment of our population prevented Obama from improving relations between ALL races in this country.
Like the prom in a Stephen King novel, the bullies that spilled pig's blood on the title character will discover that all they've done is awakened a sleeping power. Something they might well regret.
Like the prom in a Stephen King novel, the bullies that spilled pig's blood on the title character will discover that all they've done is awakened a sleeping power. Something they might well regret.
1
Michelle Obama would make a wonderful president. I hope to see it in my lifetime.
I would love to know all the books the president put on Malia's Kindle. My daughter turns 21 soon, and that sounds like a sweet and meaningful gift.
53
They say that there is a silver lining on the darkest of clouds. After a short while of hearing a pompous know-it-all spout on about everything and anything, but say nothing insightful, I am hoping that the silver lining is that more people of all stripes throughout our country will come to realize that the man who was president was wiser, smarter, more compassionate, honorable, respectful and deserving of sitting in the seat of POTUS. Maybe the black dude wasn't so bad after all...
50
Sorry, but that is pure wishful thinking. Propaganda is deadly effective.
Reading and writing hone the mind and expand ones horizons. President Obama is thoughtful, insightful and intelligent. He is a shining example of why education, and particularly, reading, literature, and writing are so very important for the citizens of a democracy. Keep on reading and writing, Mr. President...we need your fine example.
87
obama could not even give a speech without a teleprompter. he is a crooked politician......who leads people to believe he reads and writes (he does not write his speeches - in case you did not know).
Perhaps President Obama could recommend a few books--actually just one book would suffice--to his successor, who does not seem to have the desire to read anything that does not feature him as its subject. It would not have to be a shining work of literature or a great volume of history or even an insightful presidential biography. Just something that might captivate his attention for longer than a television program and remind him that he is just another human being, albeit one with tremendous responsibilities.
18
Albeit one with tremendous inadequacies.
Obama will long be remembered in the history books for his strengths...character, integrity, intellect, honesty, sense of humor, ability to understand/relate/communicate...some of the best qualities in a leader. Yes, the legislative things will be recorded too, as well as the obstructionist Congress that only illuminated his strengths. I hope that in my lifetime I will have a chance to visit his Presidential Library, read his post-Presidency books, and, hopefully, something by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
The thought crossed my mind that Donald's library, no doubt on prime real estate in NYC, will be an empty tower. Sad.
The thought crossed my mind that Donald's library, no doubt on prime real estate in NYC, will be an empty tower. Sad.
24
What a contrast between an erudite, well-read President and one who can barely read and has probably read only "The Art of the Deal" but believes he is smarter than ten wise men because he is smarter than a chicken.
21
I disagree with the opening statement. Harry Truman was probably the greatest reader ever to sit in the Oval Office.
9
My money's on Millard Fillmore, who with his first wife Abigail founded the first White House library.
I'm glad he can read, for he surely couldn't lead. His presidency will be treated by historians as a 'no-show', the president who cried, who bowed to power, and who left his own worse off than when he took office. All in all, as the president-elect (who may surprise many with his abilities) said, one of the worse presidents.
8
The NYT, NPR, and many writers have been successfully conveying the perspectives of the economic migrants who have illegally moved to our country. It is out-of-fashion, but what we and President Obama could use would be more reports and books on down-and-out Americans. I’d like to know about the people who have lost their jobs to automation or to our free trade pacts. I wish we had more stories on our fellow Americans who have had to compete with illegal immigrants for the remaining low-skilled jobs, and on how Americans have had to “make-do” on the wages which the plethora of illegal immigrants have kept employers from having to raise.
Books which say every human being is worthwhile, and imply that all deserve to live in America, need to be balanced with those that focus on what life is actually like for everyday Americans. Our president is first and foremost the leader of our country, and we need to be his or her primary concern.
Books which say every human being is worthwhile, and imply that all deserve to live in America, need to be balanced with those that focus on what life is actually like for everyday Americans. Our president is first and foremost the leader of our country, and we need to be his or her primary concern.
5
Never an intellectual, Trump will scan every daytime and evening talk show and news broadcast, looking for stories of himself, and spend hours tweeting knee-jerk reactions, insults and grievances.
These days, however, he can't brag about his ever-falling poll numbers and unprecedented 37% approval of the job he's doing. Or the 44% approval of the way he's handing this transition--a number very far below presidents who proceeded him, and a number that continues to fall since December.
He's a man who never reads anything other than articles about himself.
His personal office at Trump Tower is an entire homage to himself.
He's photographed all week with his desk piled with copies of Time Magazine Person of the Year where he is on the front cover.
At his desk, he is cluttered by endless images and symbols of himself on walls and tables. The huge room can barely store the self love.
And no doubt Trump will hang a museum-sized painting of himself in The Oval Office.
These days, however, he can't brag about his ever-falling poll numbers and unprecedented 37% approval of the job he's doing. Or the 44% approval of the way he's handing this transition--a number very far below presidents who proceeded him, and a number that continues to fall since December.
He's a man who never reads anything other than articles about himself.
His personal office at Trump Tower is an entire homage to himself.
He's photographed all week with his desk piled with copies of Time Magazine Person of the Year where he is on the front cover.
At his desk, he is cluttered by endless images and symbols of himself on walls and tables. The huge room can barely store the self love.
And no doubt Trump will hang a museum-sized painting of himself in The Oval Office.
26
Presumably the polls are not by the pollsters who showed Mrs. Clinton up by 15 points a few days before the election? Or the ones who took the exit polls that predicted a thumping victory for her?
Wow, you guys started believing in polls again real fast. And without any evidence they have improved. Sad!
Wow, you guys started believing in polls again real fast. And without any evidence they have improved. Sad!
Trump is not even the president and already people are speculating - without facts - that he's never cracked open a book. I believe this is profoundly unfair and would argue that given the many opportunities that the president-elect has had to show his generally antagonistic disposition that he most likely has read more than his fair share of books - coloring books.
13
Trump has stated that he does not read. He likes to get information verbally, in short form. This is about the only thing he has said that I actually believe. A dead giveaway is his poor, limited vocabulary.
You can bet Trump won't be reading briefing books at 2 a.m. as President Obama frequently does.
You can bet Trump won't be reading briefing books at 2 a.m. as President Obama frequently does.
3
"Unfair! So unfair! Just a bunch of whining losers! I could buy billions of books! The best books! But better things to do! Massively better! Sad!
2
Witness this wise, literate and thoughtful man whom we've had the privilege to call our President these last eight years. Now consider his replacement. It makes me sick at heart.
79
While Obama was reading "Thinking , Fast and Slow", Assad was braking the red-line Obama had draw in Syria and went on to kill hundreds of thousands.
Let's hope the next president is not reading fiction while reality is spilling blood. No fiction ever imagined a Holocaust or the killing of 11 million farmers during soviet collectivization. You would think that a learned person like Obama would know the stunning fact that reality surpasses fiction in its horrors on a grand scale. Obama was a lot of things, but definitely not a gifted politician.
Let's hope the next president is not reading fiction while reality is spilling blood. No fiction ever imagined a Holocaust or the killing of 11 million farmers during soviet collectivization. You would think that a learned person like Obama would know the stunning fact that reality surpasses fiction in its horrors on a grand scale. Obama was a lot of things, but definitely not a gifted politician.
10
I think it speaks volumes that you apparently didn't even realize that "Thinking, Fast and Slow" is (a) NON-fiction and (b) deals specifically with cognitive biases such as prospect theory and loss aversion which are major drivers of poor decision making at the family dinner table and in geopolitical events alike.
Perhaps a little more nuanced understanding of the way people (all people) make decisions and navigate uncertainty (sound relevant now?) would help our elected officials.
Perhaps a little more nuanced understanding of the way people (all people) make decisions and navigate uncertainty (sound relevant now?) would help our elected officials.
1
I voted for Obama each time. I stiff-armed a former girlfriend that I've known all my life who said a vote for anyone but HRC was a vote against her. I'm not a true-believer. I resented being told how to cast my vote. I didn't vote for Trump and I didn't vote for Sanders or Stein either. I don't do gender-based politics. I'm glad that Obama reads. Books are the best (I have hardcover editions of "Thinking, Fast and Slow" and "The Sixth Extinction"). Sure: they're trees and they're printer's ink but still. No batteries required. Just more than a lemming brain!
8
Our recent elect was in reality a very binary affair. Only two outcomes were possible, and every eligible voter contributed to the decision - those who voted for Clinton, or Trump, or 'other', or not at all. Remember that: There were only two possible results. You apparently contributed to Trump's win. I'm glad that you voted for Obama, as did I; I was somewhat disappointed with his performance and expected to be disappointed by HRC. But she would have been far better than the cannon that is soon to be loose on the deck of the ship of state.
I have read many times how erudite and well-read the children of Joseph P. and Rose Kennedy were. One need only listen to comments made by JFK and RFK who could extemporaneously quote authors, poets, and scripture with equal ease. On the death of MLK, RFK quoted the poet Aeschylus. I do believe that President Obama is comparably well-read and erudite. I am just surprised that Ms. Kakutani jumped from Lincoln to Obama without mentioning the Kennedy clan in between.
22
I have read numerous biographies of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis that explore the literary influence she had on her husband and brother-in-law. The love of the ancient Greeks, whom Robert Kennedy turned to in his grief after the JFK assassination, was part of the Jackie influence. -- thegamesmenplay.com
Quoting Barnes (or maybe a character in one of his books): history is where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation. I rarely read non-fiction. Who says it's real? 99% of it is one person's POV. Much of non-fiction is fictitious. And, for me anyway, fiction has much - if not more - in it that's very real.
2
Have you mixed up fiction with nonfiction? Or are you trying to justify your preference? An autobiography may be a person's POV but not 99% of non fiction. You could read a book on how molecules interact, the events leading up to the civil war, Newton's calculus, or how to fix a mortorcycle and it will be more than just on opinion. Fiction is more of the author's POV. Also consider that a ton of non fiction is written by more than one author.
Am I the only person who doubts that even as he takes the oath of office, Donald Trump will never have read the Constitution which he will swear to uphold?
78
I betcha Jimmy Carter never read it either, Obama only dissected it.
1
No, not even the Cliff's notes version. This ignorance of our Constitution is just one reason his oath is meaningless. The other being that he lies constantly, of course.
By saying that you doubt if he never read the constitution, you affirm he has read it, which was probably not what you intended. 36 recommends!
The man who ghost wrote the Art of the Deal is mortified that his book might have let people to believe that Trump was smart. The writer said he learned during working with Trump that he could not read anything for more than five minutes before getting distracted and irritable. How will Trump govern us who does not read briefing papers, let alone books about the larger arc of history? How will a man who knows nothing about ethno-religious conflict, for example, be a good Commander-in-Chief? It was bad enough when GWB and his cronies thought after bombing Iraq that democracy would grow like a magic beanstalk. Or. when they booted all Sunnis out of government, ignorant of the 1,000 year old blood feud between Sunni and Shia, and that they would cause the rise of ISIS. It's bad enough that Republicans in general think a liberal arts education is a waste of time, and that the only honorable pursuit is business. Now we have the most superficial and ignorant GOP President of all, who knows about nothing except the construction industry, who is impulsive, hot-tempered, and worst of all, has the attention span of a squirrel.
40
This article is a keeper. It will be stuck to my refrigerator as an antidote to the uncertainty of these next four years. President Obama has been personally inspiring as a leader, a writer, a father, as a human being. And, yes, keep reading—studying history and considering new points of view; we've got problems to solve.
18
There is a book by Eric Sevareid "Not So Wild a Dream".
This book has really drawn me in.
It is exceptional by it's broad sweep of society's ability to interpret process and proceed.
The time period covered is USA depression years thru post World War Two years.
Highly recommended to those feeling disappointed and possibly dispirited by current events.
It is a book to read and you may want to study it.
This book has really drawn me in.
It is exceptional by it's broad sweep of society's ability to interpret process and proceed.
The time period covered is USA depression years thru post World War Two years.
Highly recommended to those feeling disappointed and possibly dispirited by current events.
It is a book to read and you may want to study it.
4
He's one of the most well read, well educated, president's we've had. He was one of the most charismatic, one of the most intelligent and certainly, one of the most well intentioned. He was a community organizer, a 1 term state senator, and 2 years into his US Senate position when he started being courted as the next President. We voted him into office twice. He has done a better job than anyone could have predicted or could have done, given his experience.
18
A gift from the gods. Classes start week, and my new plan is to give students this essay for day one. It sets the tone for what they too might do: read, write, discuss, reflect, and grow (in whatever order). There are just so many gems in this: The image of him “‘wandering over" to read the handwritten Gettysburg address, reading Shakespeare and/or a Chinese author for perspective, thinking about thinking via Kahneman. It will interesting to see what the students respond to, if anything. Most of all, it shows a person who used reading to rise. Might be old school, but it works.
Obama’s own words - “to raise myself to be a black man in America” - are both beautiful and painful. They point to a certain experience, yes, but they also contain power for all, the power to face adversity, to see it for what it is, and to fight in a way where one might actually win. By all counts, Obama has won a great deal, but not for just himself. There is no comparison between this kind of grace vs the vulgar gluttony that is about to spill out over all. Please please give me the books that will guide through that!
Obama’s own words - “to raise myself to be a black man in America” - are both beautiful and painful. They point to a certain experience, yes, but they also contain power for all, the power to face adversity, to see it for what it is, and to fight in a way where one might actually win. By all counts, Obama has won a great deal, but not for just himself. There is no comparison between this kind of grace vs the vulgar gluttony that is about to spill out over all. Please please give me the books that will guide through that!
17
And now we usher in a presidency that is, at best, a metaphor for book burning, and one that cements the unfortunate stereotype of proud anti-intellectualism that has long run through American society. President "I Know Everything" Trump will fill his presidential library with pictures of himself and gold-framed covers from the National Enquirer. It all leaves me shivering with despair.
Thank goodness President and Mrs. Obama are young: many more their years to keep learning and teaching.
Thank goodness President and Mrs. Obama are young: many more their years to keep learning and teaching.
20
I will miss our urbane, cosmopolitan, intellectual, modern, elite President who is mostly misunderstood because he is black.
Obama made sense of himself a long time ago by burying himself in books and digesting his ideas and experiences in writing-- from sweeping memoir, to political polemic, to children's literature, to countless contributions to books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc.
I look forward to his memoir of his life in the White House with hungry anticipation.
Obama will always be my President.
Obama made sense of himself a long time ago by burying himself in books and digesting his ideas and experiences in writing-- from sweeping memoir, to political polemic, to children's literature, to countless contributions to books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc.
I look forward to his memoir of his life in the White House with hungry anticipation.
Obama will always be my President.
25
People often identify trump's supporters as middle Americans who are uneducated and underemployed. I think the real marker of his supporters is insularity, and living circumscribed lives. His supporters are those who cannot honestly say "books are an indispensable part of my life." Books and the arts, as Meryl Streep said, foster empathy.
I know some very wealthy people who voted trump. They don't read much, they watch reality tv and socialize only within their family or with people in their own race and class. The same projections that he makes, calling others dishonest when he is a serial liar, corrupt when he has cheated and harmed so many, puppet (I could go on) seems also to apply to the clueless "bubble" label given to so-called elite Hillary supporters. Who is it really lives in an unempathetic clueless bubble?
I know some very wealthy people who voted trump. They don't read much, they watch reality tv and socialize only within their family or with people in their own race and class. The same projections that he makes, calling others dishonest when he is a serial liar, corrupt when he has cheated and harmed so many, puppet (I could go on) seems also to apply to the clueless "bubble" label given to so-called elite Hillary supporters. Who is it really lives in an unempathetic clueless bubble?
13
One of the many tropes spoken about president Obama was that he should have spent more time schmoozing his congressional opponents, that somehow their implacable determination to derail his presidency with a fire hose stream of falsehood and slander could have been shut off with bourbon on the rocks and cigars. The fact was that nobody in the GOP wanted to be seen even shaking his hand, that in the eyes of their gerrymandered districts and blood red states, putting an arm around his shoulder was little different than embracing the second coming of Satan.
A lesser man would have taken offense, fired back (who does THAT sound like?) or just have gotten cynical and played out his time. President Obama chose to read and reflect and then to flash that megawatt smile, tell a "wicked smart" joke, and move on. He has not only led with clarity and much success, he has provided a roll model for all targets of crumby, petty, bullying, that the best response, the best ultimate revenge is to rise above the crumbs and creeps and demonstrate grace and success. Thanks Obama!
A lesser man would have taken offense, fired back (who does THAT sound like?) or just have gotten cynical and played out his time. President Obama chose to read and reflect and then to flash that megawatt smile, tell a "wicked smart" joke, and move on. He has not only led with clarity and much success, he has provided a roll model for all targets of crumby, petty, bullying, that the best response, the best ultimate revenge is to rise above the crumbs and creeps and demonstrate grace and success. Thanks Obama!
30
Anyone else noticed that T can't read? That's why he needs family in the room: to read to him. Probably uses Siri to dictate those abhorrent tweets. Some evidence: derides teleprompter; refuses printed security briefs; flubs words; hones mimicry as work-around; paranoia from not-knowing; hand-saw repetition from nothing to draw on; ignorance. In a year of shadowing, ghostwriter never saw a book in any residence or office. (NYer 7.18.16). Also see Samantha Bee (10.13.16). She nails it.
17
As the president is, I am also a great lover of books. My love for them goes far beyond my B. A. in English Literature. Books, as a young boy, were the central pillar of what would become my intellectual interior. It didn't have to be magnificent; it merely had to be my own: how a young person sees the world and how it develops, ever-changing, never static.
The process continues; now in my 73rd year, I must depend on audiobooks as my eyesight cannot endure the hours required to focus on words and ideas. I am dependent upon a spoken arsenal of words built up over a lifetime.
The president's love of books brings me to an unhappy juncture. He is obviously curious and inquisitive to a degree of sharpness that is nearly scary in its intensity. Yet it is truly comforting that words and ideas, to which he is inexorably tethered, have guided his thinking about policy and planning, not for a tiny nuclear dynamic like a family, but for an entire nation, disparate, far-flung, complex and bewilderingly irreconcilable to the currents of history, how they flow into the present and presage the future.
The man who will be our next president is as far removed from books and ideas and the plastic gymnastics of the intellectual process as the night is from the day. The 46% of our citizens who found him appealing--this in spite of his obvious limitations for leadership and governance--will, perhaps very soon, rue the empty barrel whose noise will jar.
Their empty fulfillment awaits.
The process continues; now in my 73rd year, I must depend on audiobooks as my eyesight cannot endure the hours required to focus on words and ideas. I am dependent upon a spoken arsenal of words built up over a lifetime.
The president's love of books brings me to an unhappy juncture. He is obviously curious and inquisitive to a degree of sharpness that is nearly scary in its intensity. Yet it is truly comforting that words and ideas, to which he is inexorably tethered, have guided his thinking about policy and planning, not for a tiny nuclear dynamic like a family, but for an entire nation, disparate, far-flung, complex and bewilderingly irreconcilable to the currents of history, how they flow into the present and presage the future.
The man who will be our next president is as far removed from books and ideas and the plastic gymnastics of the intellectual process as the night is from the day. The 46% of our citizens who found him appealing--this in spite of his obvious limitations for leadership and governance--will, perhaps very soon, rue the empty barrel whose noise will jar.
Their empty fulfillment awaits.
17
Books are navigational tools to and keys to knowledge in general.
The more we read, the more we become empowered with that knowledge. The more we experience other people's points of view, the more we can judge our history, present and future. The more voices that become present in our everyday lives, the more we can subject ourselves to our realities.
The written word is our key to survival, and Mr. Obama is a master of them. He brought us through many of our crises of the last 8 years unscathed as could be possible. He gave us hope and the time to reflect and inflect with that spoken word. He will leave us with many a word in book and speeches to delve over throughout history.
Will the incoming President offer anywhere near the same ? no.
The more we read, the more we become empowered with that knowledge. The more we experience other people's points of view, the more we can judge our history, present and future. The more voices that become present in our everyday lives, the more we can subject ourselves to our realities.
The written word is our key to survival, and Mr. Obama is a master of them. He brought us through many of our crises of the last 8 years unscathed as could be possible. He gave us hope and the time to reflect and inflect with that spoken word. He will leave us with many a word in book and speeches to delve over throughout history.
Will the incoming President offer anywhere near the same ? no.
23
My life is defined by reading and writing. I tend to identify people by whether or not they read and it is rather easy to make that determination.
President Obama is a role model for a new generation of thinkers and doers. I just hope we can survive the next president, until he is impeached or resigns.
President Obama is a role model for a new generation of thinkers and doers. I just hope we can survive the next president, until he is impeached or resigns.
20
I was not an admirer of President Obama when he ran for his first term. And I have had differences of opinion with his stands on foreign affairs. But he has grown while in office, and the fact that he is such a reader has broadened his perspective. Today compared with what is coming in that office, he looks and sounds so much better that I am saddened at losing him.
15
Great to hear that a few lucky fiction writers got a visit to the White House. But of the five writers mentioned who had lunch with the President, one is British, not American (Zadie Smith), and only two were women. I can't help but wish this group had better represented our society.
Trump is going to be a terrible President (in a matter of days) for many reasons, but one big one is that he clearly does not have the moral or intellectual imagination to be a reader, which to me indicates an inability to feel empathy. But we all know Trump can't feel empathy, what am I saying? Fiction writers everywhere should be sharpening their pens as we speak, because we are going to need a lot of people who are not afraid to tell the truth.
Trump is going to be a terrible President (in a matter of days) for many reasons, but one big one is that he clearly does not have the moral or intellectual imagination to be a reader, which to me indicates an inability to feel empathy. But we all know Trump can't feel empathy, what am I saying? Fiction writers everywhere should be sharpening their pens as we speak, because we are going to need a lot of people who are not afraid to tell the truth.
6
In my opinion, in soul years, President Obama is a wise transcendent "old soul." That became apparent to me upon reading his book "Dreams From My Father" when he first became president written way back in 1995, when he was only in his thirties. Yet, while his level of depth is a good thing, it can also be a double edged sword.
For example, It's that trait which first impressed and wowed me about this amazing young (in chronological years) man with a funny name wise beyond his years when he spoke at the Democratic Convention in 2004. And it's probably a big part of what got him elected. However, old souls, like him, can also intimidate "new souls" who find it difficult to understand more advanced souls and thus feel threatened by them. Thus they become blindly driven to bring down--or obstruct what they perceive as an not understandable threat.
Personally speaking, I will terribly miss this old soul whose informative and inspirational speeches I never miss and whose ability to maintain equanimity served as a model for how to be in this often crazy world.
I also find it utterly insane and unimaginable that his replacement is a brand new soul; an immature rebel without a cause soul (except for he himself.) I can't help but wonder if this is a cosmic joke. And that's because the usual nature of things is progress and evolution not regression and devolution.
For example, It's that trait which first impressed and wowed me about this amazing young (in chronological years) man with a funny name wise beyond his years when he spoke at the Democratic Convention in 2004. And it's probably a big part of what got him elected. However, old souls, like him, can also intimidate "new souls" who find it difficult to understand more advanced souls and thus feel threatened by them. Thus they become blindly driven to bring down--or obstruct what they perceive as an not understandable threat.
Personally speaking, I will terribly miss this old soul whose informative and inspirational speeches I never miss and whose ability to maintain equanimity served as a model for how to be in this often crazy world.
I also find it utterly insane and unimaginable that his replacement is a brand new soul; an immature rebel without a cause soul (except for he himself.) I can't help but wonder if this is a cosmic joke. And that's because the usual nature of things is progress and evolution not regression and devolution.
15
I do admire his willingness to wander around the people's thoughts in his attempt to be a leader who has capabilities in seeing things from many different angles. He is genuinely a president who has eqipped himself with knowledge and emphaty to better understand what it is expected to make the humanity values relevant to the progress of democracy.
14
It is remarkable that this digital newspaper still has among its posters folks who defile this President. This man who is obviously decent, caring, and respectful of others. That reads a great deal doesn't come as a surprise. He has always come across as a contemplative and well-read person.
Bashing the Trump pinata is an easy whack. And yes, he deserves it.
But what underlies the Trump presidency are structural economic problems in the country that belittling Trump does not address.
I applaud each and every attempt by Trump and his Republican colleagues to concentrate power, disenfranchise the poor, and overrun their opposition. This will inevitably result in the final rightward swing of the political pendulum. If that happens, we will thank Trump for decades to come for both his attitudes and reactions. If we and the Republic survive it. That regrettably, is not a given.
We wish the president well and hope that many millions take to streets in the coming year(s) and stand tall in the face of the armored cars that are bound to greet them.
I will be among them. Will you?
Bashing the Trump pinata is an easy whack. And yes, he deserves it.
But what underlies the Trump presidency are structural economic problems in the country that belittling Trump does not address.
I applaud each and every attempt by Trump and his Republican colleagues to concentrate power, disenfranchise the poor, and overrun their opposition. This will inevitably result in the final rightward swing of the political pendulum. If that happens, we will thank Trump for decades to come for both his attitudes and reactions. If we and the Republic survive it. That regrettably, is not a given.
We wish the president well and hope that many millions take to streets in the coming year(s) and stand tall in the face of the armored cars that are bound to greet them.
I will be among them. Will you?
12
It's been mentioned more than once that decades ago Americans gathered around the idiot box to tune into a very limited menu of viewer options. CBS, NBC, ABC, and a handful of local stations offering no original programming, just re-runs, cartoons, and old movies. Meaning the most popular shows were watched by a large swathe of the population, giving everyone something to chat about while gathered around the proverbial water cooler.
Today everything's splintered. Dozens of cable channels. The ability to watch anything one chooses at any time, which was all but impossible not that long ago. Meaning the commonality for topics of conversation has largely evaporated, at least in terms of what everyone watched on the idiot box last night.
But books are exponentially more powerful. Read great books with other folks, now you've got fodder for hours of stimulating conversation. Alas, fewer people have the attention span and desire to immerse themselves into the pages of a well written book, whether fiction or non. Computers, video games, and social media have served as distractions. Even smart young kids who do well in school are rarely seen lugging around a book to read. Or as the quote goes, "curiosity is the cure for boredom. There is no cure for curiosity."
Nothing beats stimulating curiosity like cultivating a young person to fall in love with books. You can classify people into two groups, those who love to read, and those who don't. I'll take the latter 8 days a week.
Today everything's splintered. Dozens of cable channels. The ability to watch anything one chooses at any time, which was all but impossible not that long ago. Meaning the commonality for topics of conversation has largely evaporated, at least in terms of what everyone watched on the idiot box last night.
But books are exponentially more powerful. Read great books with other folks, now you've got fodder for hours of stimulating conversation. Alas, fewer people have the attention span and desire to immerse themselves into the pages of a well written book, whether fiction or non. Computers, video games, and social media have served as distractions. Even smart young kids who do well in school are rarely seen lugging around a book to read. Or as the quote goes, "curiosity is the cure for boredom. There is no cure for curiosity."
Nothing beats stimulating curiosity like cultivating a young person to fall in love with books. You can classify people into two groups, those who love to read, and those who don't. I'll take the latter 8 days a week.
10
I think you've made a rather serious error in your final sentence.
I always liked President Obama. This is one more reason to like him. There was a great deal of publicity about how he made his aides read books. Not always to the best effect. The war in Afghanistan was not fought with more intelligence or a better outcome after his well publicized request that his advisors read a book on Vietnam. However, one can appreciate his great intellect which cannot always be measured in political success.
11
Ultimately, the pen is mightier than the sword. One can persuade or one can try to intimidate and bully. And to persuade, you have to understand both what is and what can be. Thus you read and write, listen and learn.
Those who persuade make the true, lasting changes in the world. Those who bully, if they are remembered at all, are remembered for their ignorance and destruction.
President Obama is a persuader. In the long run, his persuasive words will outlive any attempts to bully us.
Those who persuade make the true, lasting changes in the world. Those who bully, if they are remembered at all, are remembered for their ignorance and destruction.
President Obama is a persuader. In the long run, his persuasive words will outlive any attempts to bully us.
61
Philip, your comment is so beautiful, I am very moved by it on this MLK day in 2017. It gives me great hope and a light on the journey forward.
Blessings to you.
Blessings to you.
3
What about those Mr. Obama has chosen to bully himself?
The angry man actually SUES Catholic nuns for holding on to their standards in the face of Obamacare dogma.
When bond-holders dared request their bonds be redeemed FIRST during the GM & Chrysler bankruptcies, Mr. Obama actually threatened the attorneys with ''street justice.'' What's you worshipful-of-Obama response to that?
Obama sicced the IRS on his political opponents with the I.R.S., a cause for the Nixon impeachment, except Obama's misuse was more brazen.
Mr. Obama's example of misuse of government agencies to attack his political enemies will be the headline as this man goes into the history books.
The angry man actually SUES Catholic nuns for holding on to their standards in the face of Obamacare dogma.
When bond-holders dared request their bonds be redeemed FIRST during the GM & Chrysler bankruptcies, Mr. Obama actually threatened the attorneys with ''street justice.'' What's you worshipful-of-Obama response to that?
Obama sicced the IRS on his political opponents with the I.R.S., a cause for the Nixon impeachment, except Obama's misuse was more brazen.
Mr. Obama's example of misuse of government agencies to attack his political enemies will be the headline as this man goes into the history books.
2
How enlightening this article is to President Obama and his thought process---his ability to see the value of fiction--how it can expose us to the internal and very private moments of someone we might never know in another way. Fiction singularly allows us to walk in another's shoes and thus we are able to be empathetic.
Thank you, Michiko Kakutani!
Thank you, Michiko Kakutani!
93
Now we have a Twit as president-elect.
120
Do you want a practiced liar who dresses and speaks well or a truthful brute brand new at the political game? Mr. Obama never told the truth about anything important, from gun-walking to Obamacare to Benghazi to his treasonous deal with Iran.
4
BHO read enough books before he entered the Presidency. He has an Ivy League education, after all.
Too bad he chose to avoid congress members when interacting with people on both sides of the aisle might have resulted in building a consensus to achieve more than he did.
He avoids those who do not agree with him...what an adolescent choice! Look at how much Bill Clinton achieved by using interpersonal skills. WJC was great at working with all members of Congress.
Golfing does not build consensus in Congress. Grow up!!
Too bad he chose to avoid congress members when interacting with people on both sides of the aisle might have resulted in building a consensus to achieve more than he did.
He avoids those who do not agree with him...what an adolescent choice! Look at how much Bill Clinton achieved by using interpersonal skills. WJC was great at working with all members of Congress.
Golfing does not build consensus in Congress. Grow up!!
14
The Republican leadership made it clear they had no intention of working with President Obama from Day 1. Consider where we would be today had finding practical solutions to our and the world's problems been foremost in our efforts, rather than political grandstanding and profiteering. For those critics of Mr. Obama, how can being well-read, educated and compassionate become a negetive personality trait for our political leaders, let alone for ourselves or our children?
10
From where comes the hatred you spew.
Obama avoided no one, during his presidency, although the Reep Congress, with its clear intention to block his Supreme Court appointment, his ambassador appointments, his federal court appointments, had the contrary posture...and in your face, we hate you, pose.
Books are not avoidance devices, so much as they are concentrated formulas that explain more interactions than we could ever have during our lifetimes.
Thank goodness, Obama took the solace of books, when the Reeps decided to be adverse.
And soon we will have, a bookless "president," who proudly states he has never read a book.
Not my president.
A malfunction of our system.
Obama avoided no one, during his presidency, although the Reep Congress, with its clear intention to block his Supreme Court appointment, his ambassador appointments, his federal court appointments, had the contrary posture...and in your face, we hate you, pose.
Books are not avoidance devices, so much as they are concentrated formulas that explain more interactions than we could ever have during our lifetimes.
Thank goodness, Obama took the solace of books, when the Reeps decided to be adverse.
And soon we will have, a bookless "president," who proudly states he has never read a book.
Not my president.
A malfunction of our system.
14
That's funny given he probably spends a bit more time on the golf course as he didn't have multiple private estates, private ranches, his own 40-mile network of bike trails, a secluded tree-shaded swimming pool and a private 10-acre lake like Bush and the others do. I don't even believe the Trump do anything remotely scholarly such as reading.
5
"Not since Lincoln has there been a president as fundamentally shaped — in his life, convictions and outlook on the world — by reading and writing as Barack Obama."
Theodore Roosevelt wrote more than thirty books in his lifetime, most of which were published either before or during his presidency. He was a voracious speed reader who read multiple books a day, and a prolific letter writer who wrote an estimated 150,000 letters in his lifetime. Roosevelt once responded to a correspondent's request for reading recommendations with a list of 100 books that included Greek philosophies, Icelandic sagas, histories, poetry, and Shakespeare. Roosevelt added that this list was drawn only from books he had read over the previous two years.
Mr. Obama's considerable literary talents and output pale in comparison. Ms. Kakutani is reaching when she attempts to cast Mr. Obama's as Lincoln's heir, informed as she is by sentiment rather than history. She does her readers a disservice by minimizing the many other presidents--Theodore Roosevelt principal among them--shaped by the written word.
Theodore Roosevelt wrote more than thirty books in his lifetime, most of which were published either before or during his presidency. He was a voracious speed reader who read multiple books a day, and a prolific letter writer who wrote an estimated 150,000 letters in his lifetime. Roosevelt once responded to a correspondent's request for reading recommendations with a list of 100 books that included Greek philosophies, Icelandic sagas, histories, poetry, and Shakespeare. Roosevelt added that this list was drawn only from books he had read over the previous two years.
Mr. Obama's considerable literary talents and output pale in comparison. Ms. Kakutani is reaching when she attempts to cast Mr. Obama's as Lincoln's heir, informed as she is by sentiment rather than history. She does her readers a disservice by minimizing the many other presidents--Theodore Roosevelt principal among them--shaped by the written word.
40
T Jefferson, slave owner, was also a bibliophile, and his library was the core of US library of Congress, well not quite, the core after a fire during the war of 1812
And T Roosevelt also, voracious book-person, as noted
but what do facts matter when we have hagiography and legacy legend at stake
And T Roosevelt also, voracious book-person, as noted
but what do facts matter when we have hagiography and legacy legend at stake
1
"informed as she is by sentiment rather than history"
Here here! thank you for this. She and millions of others. As for Trump, I invite anyone reading this sentence to Google "The Atlantic, Why Do Jerks Get Ahead?" and read the marvelous article there from about a year ago about "Disagreeable managers" and how "jerks" are sometimes the bosses we think we don't want, but ultimately, become the leaders we needed. Trump is such a "jerk" - a disagreeable manager. So was George Steinbrenner, George Patton, Bill Parcells, Phil Knight and too many others to mention. Buck up, America.
Here here! thank you for this. She and millions of others. As for Trump, I invite anyone reading this sentence to Google "The Atlantic, Why Do Jerks Get Ahead?" and read the marvelous article there from about a year ago about "Disagreeable managers" and how "jerks" are sometimes the bosses we think we don't want, but ultimately, become the leaders we needed. Trump is such a "jerk" - a disagreeable manager. So was George Steinbrenner, George Patton, Bill Parcells, Phil Knight and too many others to mention. Buck up, America.
1
Kakutani should know this if she reviewed TR's biography.
In contrast, this shows how much the incoming president needs intelligence briefings.
35
He needs intelligence. And briefings.
1
Today, as we honor the legacy of MLK JR and reflect on the service of President Obama let us ask ourselves the following question:
How will I carry this sacred flame?
This torch of wisdom is passed along, across history as President Obama said, and today I will hold it up for all to see. In my way, in my place, but for all people.
*insert Statue of Liberty emoji here*
How will I carry this sacred flame?
This torch of wisdom is passed along, across history as President Obama said, and today I will hold it up for all to see. In my way, in my place, but for all people.
*insert Statue of Liberty emoji here*
17
One who reads. One who tweets.
45
Writing most intimately links the lessons and feelings of the human experience across the span of its existence. Five hundred years from now, people will be able to read "The Art of The Deal" and it's sequels. The stark contrast to what will doubtlessly be a long list of books written by and about Barack Obama should prove very enlightening. They will wonder aloud about us afterwards.
27
Yes, truly a sensitive and intelligent guy your President Obama. Not only you will miss him, so will we over here, I can assure you!
End October 12016 I read a shocking article in the New Yorker about the Bronx NY, where there will be NO bookshop left over for the whole borough, can you imagine what a loss for those people.
Perhaps from his own future library, President Obama can start a national stimulus programme for libraries and educational book centres in such areas in big cities and in rural communities which are deprived concerning books and other sources of good information! There are simple solutions too: swapping books, leaving a book in the subway or bus to share, (we have some libraries in train stations) and in our neighbourhoods people make small weatherproof cases for "take one leave one". It does work. We'll all the best to Mr. Obama and family, and too you all too. Keep the good spirit up and combine forces to fight against the nasty powers to come. Resistance is never futile.
End October 12016 I read a shocking article in the New Yorker about the Bronx NY, where there will be NO bookshop left over for the whole borough, can you imagine what a loss for those people.
Perhaps from his own future library, President Obama can start a national stimulus programme for libraries and educational book centres in such areas in big cities and in rural communities which are deprived concerning books and other sources of good information! There are simple solutions too: swapping books, leaving a book in the subway or bus to share, (we have some libraries in train stations) and in our neighbourhoods people make small weatherproof cases for "take one leave one". It does work. We'll all the best to Mr. Obama and family, and too you all too. Keep the good spirit up and combine forces to fight against the nasty powers to come. Resistance is never futile.
64
Sas,
We have Little Free Libraries here, which (I think) are like the take-one-leave-one "cases" you describe. And it's a good start! But nothing will replace a strong emphasis on reading by citizens from early childhood and throughout life, underscored from the top down by a president who loves reading. Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to get either anytime soon.
We have Little Free Libraries here, which (I think) are like the take-one-leave-one "cases" you describe. And it's a good start! But nothing will replace a strong emphasis on reading by citizens from early childhood and throughout life, underscored from the top down by a president who loves reading. Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to get either anytime soon.
8
Thank you, Amsterdam
2
No bookshop in the Bronx... sad.. but once upon a time it was common practice for libraries to sell their deaccessioned and donated books to the public CHEAP.
Now it's either too much work or takes up too much space or whatever, and books are simply thrown out.
And just as a PS, public libraries spend plenty of $$ on what I would categorize as trash... not worthy of bein read. (And sometimes cutting hours of operation!! I know different budgets... blah blah blah... How about using volunteer labor some of the time?
Now it's either too much work or takes up too much space or whatever, and books are simply thrown out.
And just as a PS, public libraries spend plenty of $$ on what I would categorize as trash... not worthy of bein read. (And sometimes cutting hours of operation!! I know different budgets... blah blah blah... How about using volunteer labor some of the time?
1
It's depressing and frighening that a intelligent,well spoken President who not only reads, but writes, is being succeeded by a man whose idea of writing is
out of control tweeting,and probably doesn't own a book,other than, I suspect, a copy of Mein Kampf.
out of control tweeting,and probably doesn't own a book,other than, I suspect, a copy of Mein Kampf.
67
He did go on record that he had Mein Kampf. But denied reading it. Or anything.
5
Two books. The other is The Art of the Deal.
3
Not true! He also owns 'Middle School The Worst Years of My Life' and 'Spot Loves his Mommy'
2
Maybe if Trump would take the time to read a good novel, he'd learn what it's like to be human, with real feelings and character.
48
What President Obama describes is a love of learning. A love so deep that he would read the great philosophers in college, apparently in his spare time. And reading philosophy is extraordinarily challenging!
I just visited the new 53rd Street Donnell branch of the New York Public Library this weekend. The renovation was controversial since the old building was sold to a developer who agreed to find space for the library in their proposal. But I was delighted to see a modern new library, filled with New York City children who will be our future leaders. Books, and a love of learning will give them their foundation for success. City budgets struggle to find adequate funds for our essential public libraries. But as Obama notes, books are the pillars of our cultures, and they must be housed for free and open access in libraries that are our top priority and infinite pride.
I just visited the new 53rd Street Donnell branch of the New York Public Library this weekend. The renovation was controversial since the old building was sold to a developer who agreed to find space for the library in their proposal. But I was delighted to see a modern new library, filled with New York City children who will be our future leaders. Books, and a love of learning will give them their foundation for success. City budgets struggle to find adequate funds for our essential public libraries. But as Obama notes, books are the pillars of our cultures, and they must be housed for free and open access in libraries that are our top priority and infinite pride.
65
many trump voters love him for his ignorance and coarse view of life. they hated Obama for being the opposite of trump (and of themselves) ; all while being black.
122
I'd wanted the debate moderators to ask each of the candidates to reveal the last five books they'd read and their most influential book they'd read. It would have been revealing.
80
I asked that question once to people running for office of my professional organization. Their answers influenced my vote.
2
I don't agree with everything that Obama did, but it saddens me that a thoughtful and empathetic reader is about to be replaced by an internet troll. Whatever the scoffers may say, and there are a number of them here, there's an alarming gap between a man who reads Lincoln, Garcia Marquez, and Robinson, and a man who gets his kicks by posting racist tweets about John Lewis.
195
And guy whose take on war veterans is 'I like people who weren't captured.' And on female political candidates is, 'Look at that face! Would you vote for that face?!'
3
Fake news. Unfair. Trump reads the hugest books. The greatest books. Such great books. Even books in Russian - such a great language. Sad!
180
Word is that the new prez will have a huge collection of books, including a complete collection of Captian America comics along with all back issues of the Farmer's Almanac, which he uses to study climate change.
9
Perfect - LOL
1
Obama, a man of honor and curiosity who has quenched his desire for wisdom through books, responded to personal attacks throughout his presidency by privately reading to regain balance. Trump, a man in need of immediate gratification with thin skin, responds to personal attacks with very public tweets that slam anyone he perceives as a critic. In this chaotic world, we need a man of quiet reflection. Now we are getting a loud bully who has neither the patience nor quality of self-reflection to merely pick up a book. A U.S. President in this unquiet world needs the strength to deflect criticism. Instead, we are getting a leader who goes after people of true heroism to quell his childish ego. As he sinks, so does this nation.
130
President Obama cut, entirely, the Federal grant to Reading Is Fundamental, a child literacy program renowned for reaching the most disadvantaged children around the nation and with a decades-log track record of bringing real books into the hands and homes of these children, just three books a year, to own and cherish. The First Lady chose not to follow many of her predecessors' support for child literacy and concentrated on nutrition. Well so, but not as life-changing as a child becoming able to read. If Trump does any good, a big if, then perhaps it will be to return to the basics and help children read. I get the article, but had trouble with the photo of the President reading from Where the wild Things Are. That is exactly the kind of book - soft cover mind you - that millions of children in the U.S. have never owned and read at night, because of President Obama's choices.
10
health and nutritions come before literacy in importance - with out health one is not able to learn as well or apply the knowledge. Plus there are public libraries - my mom took us as often as we requested. I grew up in a very poor family yet learned to love reading and read ravenously thanks to the public library!!
1
Actually, it was Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter who characterized the program as "wasteful" when he introduced the bill cutting the program, among others. Part of the Republicans standard, rampant budget obstructionism and hostage-taking.
17
Malcolm, instead of providing us with partial information in order to cast aspersions, why didn't you explain that the cuts to RIF were part of the temporary 2-week spending bill prepared by the Republican controlled congress that Obama HAD to sign in 2011 in order to keep the government going while the congress continued to work on the fiscal plan for 2011? Why not be honest and transparent? Who in congress should we pick a bone with over funding for literacy programs. I welcome your response and suggestions for how we can influence the current congress to continue funding programs like this.
15
As the Bard put it :
A beggar's book outworths a noble's blood.
Rather than the quote Obama to in the Naipaul's Bend In the River,' The world is what it is; men who are nothing have no place in it' recent political events suggest a more appropriate excerpt from this profound novel, towards its end:
'If there was a plan, these events had meaning. If there was law, the events had meaning. But there was no plan; there was no law; this was only make-believe, play, a waste of men's time in the world'
A beggar's book outworths a noble's blood.
Rather than the quote Obama to in the Naipaul's Bend In the River,' The world is what it is; men who are nothing have no place in it' recent political events suggest a more appropriate excerpt from this profound novel, towards its end:
'If there was a plan, these events had meaning. If there was law, the events had meaning. But there was no plan; there was no law; this was only make-believe, play, a waste of men's time in the world'
27
You were my President for 8 years and you will be forever. I admire your sensibility and the rare ability to connect with all people. I wish you lots of success as a writer in the years to come. Your books, I know, will comfort me. The American people and the rest of the world will miss you greatly.
Go on forward, Mr. President.
Go on forward, Mr. President.
29
Obama's impression after future Nobel laureate in literature Bob Dylan performed for him at the White House, February 2010:
"He finishes the song, steps off the stage - I'm sitting right in the front row - comes up, shakes my hand, sort of tips his head, gives me just a little grin, and then leaves. And that was it, then he left. That was our only interaction with him. And I thought: that's how you want Bob Dylan, right? You don't want him to be all cheesin' and grinnin' with you. You want him to be a little skeptical about the whole enterprise. So that was a real treat."
"He finishes the song, steps off the stage - I'm sitting right in the front row - comes up, shakes my hand, sort of tips his head, gives me just a little grin, and then leaves. And that was it, then he left. That was our only interaction with him. And I thought: that's how you want Bob Dylan, right? You don't want him to be all cheesin' and grinnin' with you. You want him to be a little skeptical about the whole enterprise. So that was a real treat."
26
Has Trump ever even read a book? He speaks like an 8th grader.
32
Please don't disrespect 8th graders!
No doubt you will continue the canonization of Barack Obama long after his term ends, but really, "not since Lincoln"? Perhaps you have forgotten Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter, for example.
11
Hikers' mantra is "Never trust anybody under 10,000 feet." The reader's mantra is "Never trust anybody who doesn't love books."
Books are the only alternative universe that we can enter at whim, anywhere, anytime, and imagine ourselves in situations only the most creative individuals could make real. Books save lives and bring to people who live with confusion and disappointment, sorrow and longing all the possibilities to choose from, including a refuge while building a better idea of how to live, what to do.
That is why Ray Bradbury's _Fahrenheit 451_ is the logical extension of 1984 and one of the greatest books of the 20th century.
Books are the only alternative universe that we can enter at whim, anywhere, anytime, and imagine ourselves in situations only the most creative individuals could make real. Books save lives and bring to people who live with confusion and disappointment, sorrow and longing all the possibilities to choose from, including a refuge while building a better idea of how to live, what to do.
That is why Ray Bradbury's _Fahrenheit 451_ is the logical extension of 1984 and one of the greatest books of the 20th century.
18
"Not since Lincoln" blah blah blah. I cannot wait for this poseur to leave. Inauguration Day cannot come soon enough.
5
Inauguration Day. Sad.
2
Not to quibble but let's stay real. "Like Lincoln, Mr. Obama taught himself how to write"? Really? Guy went to college, didn't he?
6
Precociously gifted children don't fall within the normal bell curve. Rather than waiting for a teacher, Obama apparently had the intelligence, will and motivation to teach himself to write. That's REAL. Gotta think outside the box sometimes.
6
Well, if you don't know how to write before going to college, you won't be going to college (except perhaps a community college).
1
Obama has written more books than Trump has read. And, let's not forget, Obama actually wrote his books rather than farming them out to a ghostwriter who now scorns him.
51
Now you can interview Donnie about the 100 greatest tweets he has read in his life! So erudite, in depth, am sure he can give us a very deep exposition of the ideas, conflicts and human drama and insight from his daily quest on Twitter.
Right? .
Right? .
21
"Trump's Secret to Surviving the White House: Rage Tweeting."
There's a headline you can tuck away for future use.
There's a headline you can tuck away for future use.
28
Thanks, I so agree with the Pres about books and reading...though I don't read many these days. Still, everything he says reminds me of my younger years when books opened worlds to me and I read all the time. They helped me thru a dysfunctional childhood and later to understand the world, others and myself better...and inspired my creative side in writing, painting, etc....Thanks for the interview and thanks to Barack Obama for being one of the noblest Presidents in my long life...
27
I'm sure books will be very important to the incoming President Trump too: as a footrest, to prop up a table, as a doorstop... or, on very cold nights, as fuel for the many fireplaces in the White House.
62
Don't panic, MB. I'm sure that he'll keep all of the ones that he hasn't finished coloring yet.
2
I was most struck by his mention that fiction allows one to put themselves in the shoes of another human being. It's long been shown that fiction increases empathy and helps foster compassion for other human beings. It would be nice to see more emphasis on reading fiction in our schools and for a certain political figure to consider opening his perspective in such a manner.
43
Another reason why this Friday will be a day of mourning for me.
126
As a 75 year old voracious reader, I can attest to the power of books to help one survive. At many of the most painful, stressful, tragic and difficult times in my life, books have been my sanctuary. During one year, when my child was gravely ill, my days were consumed with managing her care, my work and the rest of my family. But at night, I escaped to another world and another time making my way through William Faulkner's entire body of work. Books are my drug of choice!
73
Thank you for the article. Just like Lincoln, King and Gandhi, Obama has been demonized by the opposition. I remember my parents, life long conservatives speaking against Dr. King, in his time. And now these men are honored, admired! I predict the same for our brilliant, wise and eloquent Pres. Obama.
God bless you and your beautiful family, you will be dearly missed!
God bless you and your beautiful family, you will be dearly missed!
69
The man who ghost wrote The Art of the Deal said Trump has never read a book in his adult life. If a person doesn't read books, how does he know about history, government, economics, poverty, inequality, justice and injustice and the human spirit?
Neil Gaiman once said that books were little empathy factories. Maybe if Trump ever read, he'd have some empathy for people instead of bitter, condemning insults.
I will miss the well-read Obama in the White House.
Neil Gaiman once said that books were little empathy factories. Maybe if Trump ever read, he'd have some empathy for people instead of bitter, condemning insults.
I will miss the well-read Obama in the White House.
108
I was sure his inspiration came from golf.
5
And where does Trump's come from do you think?
Personally, I would be amazingly comforted if Trump would promise to play golf and stop that endless tweeting.
Personally, I would be amazingly comforted if Trump would promise to play golf and stop that endless tweeting.
1
You're thinking of Trump.
1
In defense of Mr. Trump, let it be remembered that he is a man who has on different occasions said “Don’t you think my daughter’s hot? She’s hot, right?” and that he'd probably be dating her, if he wasn't her father.
So one thing we can say about him with absolute certainty is that he's been reading something.
So one thing we can say about him with absolute certainty is that he's been reading something.
17
LOL!
Obama - books
Trump - National Enquirer
Trump - National Enquirer
87
Fine interview and summary. But since Lincoln we have had Teddy Roosevelt, a prodigious writer and reader. Should not overlook him.
17
This is very good, Mr. President. However, I wish as an antiquarian book lover, you'd given your daughter real books, not collected titles on a Kindle!
We read the news on electronic devices. Literature belongs on paper.
We read the news on electronic devices. Literature belongs on paper.
12
I'm an antiquarian reader, too, I had an entire library room in my house. But I am temporarily living where I do not have space for them, so while my book table is full, I have also been buying them on a Kindle app. When you don't have room for a four-course meal, you can temporarily availe yourself with cup-a-soup. Literature is literature no matter the medium; on a Kindle or Kindle app it is a moveable feast.
3
Don't you think books are really ideas - not paper or pixels?
1
Realistically, however: Malia is about to go to college -- and even at Harvard (as I know from experience), the freshman dorm rooms have limited shelf space. She won't be taking more than a handful of books with her: but I'd bet you anything she'll be taking, and reading, that Kindle.
Another paean to Obama courtesy of the NYT. Another prompt for Trump-haters to rush to judgment. Can Mount Rushmore be in the cards? I recall that while Obama was in Trinidad for the Summit of the Americas at the beginning of his first term, he was handed a book by the late Hugo Chavez: "The Open Veins of Latin America." I wonder if he read it? Perhaps he did, considering his overture to Cuba. You see, readers come in all stripes.
5
You are referring to Galeano's book, The Open Veins of Latin America, which is considered essential LA history reading. It is worth reading. I wonder if DT has read it?
1
Meshugas for the true believers.
5
Oh how we will miss the cerebral yet all so human man who will soon be leaving the White House. Future historians will ponder and debate why this President was not able to capture a nation in a deeper and more meaningful and enduring way. He is such a decent and honorable man. I hope that his legacy will match his unique character. Farewell Mr. President. May your stack of reading material always remain endless.
56
As a lover of words and ideas, I was struck yet again by the realization that one may be fully able to read, and read well, and still be illiterate.
3
Perhaps if he read some books on basic economics he would understand why doubling the national debt was a bad thing to do. If he had read some basic science books he might understand why "man-made climate change" is rubbish. If he had read a few books on 20th-century history he might not have abetted the rise of Putin and numerous other strong men who are now on the march throughout the world.
9
I guess the Republican Congress was too busy no actually read those budgets and spending bills they passed, huh? Somebody over there should have been watching when President Obama whipped out the USA 's American Express Card and went around the world "doubling the national debt". Those slackers!
4
Which basic science books could have made Obama understand that man-made climate change is rubbish?
If there is anything rubbish in climate change research it seems to me that the pace of climate change has been vastly underestimated. Maybe the scientists have been intimidated by the cynical climate change deniers?
And is Putin a strong man? And who are the other strong men? Simple dictators that together with their coteries plunder their own countries, and need the banks in western democracies to store their loot.
If there is anything rubbish in climate change research it seems to me that the pace of climate change has been vastly underestimated. Maybe the scientists have been intimidated by the cynical climate change deniers?
And is Putin a strong man? And who are the other strong men? Simple dictators that together with their coteries plunder their own countries, and need the banks in western democracies to store their loot.
I do recall numerous times throughout the Obama years that the Republicans attempted to put a ceiling on the national debt. They were vilified for it, most especially from individuals in the White House. The Democrats own this issue. Our children and grandchildren will own it as well.
1
I realize that not everyone will value education and literacy as I do. I grew up in a house that had many books, 2 newspapers delivered everyday (one liberal, on conservative) and large amount of news magazines, plus National Geographic and others. Accumulated knowledge and a curiosity about the world are the most valuable traits a person can have.
But when a candidate relishes the fact that he does not read and actively encourages his followers not do their due diligence on important subjects, I weep for our future. President Obama is a true Gentleman and Scholar. His thoughtful insights and presence will be sorely missed.
Literacy tests were used to keep African Americans from voting during a disgraceful period in our history. I wish there was a way to quiz people on their knowledge on a topic, before letting them cast a vote on that topic. A knowledgeable citizen is the requirement for a democracy to flourish.
But when a candidate relishes the fact that he does not read and actively encourages his followers not do their due diligence on important subjects, I weep for our future. President Obama is a true Gentleman and Scholar. His thoughtful insights and presence will be sorely missed.
Literacy tests were used to keep African Americans from voting during a disgraceful period in our history. I wish there was a way to quiz people on their knowledge on a topic, before letting them cast a vote on that topic. A knowledgeable citizen is the requirement for a democracy to flourish.
73
Its a shame he didn't read some books that discussed the failure of many of the policies he imposed upon the United States as President. He obviously did not study economics or foreign relations much less negotiating tactics. I know many think he is a smart guy; but, really, how smart were some of the policies he advocated? He certainly didn't study ways to bring people together as he wasn't a talented unifier and the race and class divisions are much more pronounced because of his service. I am glad to hear he found some meaning in President's Lincoln's writings; but, did it ever occur to him to act with a similar unifying belief?
9
What unifying action were you looking for? After seeing countless videos of police unnecessarily killing unarmed black men you wanted him to come out and say: I'm fully on the side of these cops no matter what they do? The fact that he didn't do that makes you feel "racially divided"? We prosper in a country whose wealth is built on stolen land that was worked by generations of stolen slaves and you are the one feeling vulnerable? If the president admits the possibility that we have a race and justice problem in society it makes you feel uncomfortable and makes you feel "racially divided"?
7
You mean like the Civil War?
I am so glad this intellectual failed to start a global nuclear war
16
Say rather that he succeeded at preventing one.
10
Perhaps because he reads. Something our up and coming "leader" doesn't do.
9
I have lived a long time, but I never though I would see the day that being "intellectual" would be considered an insult.
Lord help us all.
Lord help us all.
11
Difficult to read this and to think of what is about to follow:
He who didn't write "The Art of the Deal" and who almost certainly never reads anything of substance, or perhaps anything at all, unless it's about him.
The rough beast with "the best words" cometh, slouching toward Washington.
He who didn't write "The Art of the Deal" and who almost certainly never reads anything of substance, or perhaps anything at all, unless it's about him.
The rough beast with "the best words" cometh, slouching toward Washington.
40
From a well-read, thoughful president to one that doesn't read and can't think.
23
What a great interview. Thank you Michiko Kakutani.
In this time when so many are busy ignorantly tweeting instead of expanding their knowledge by reading books by Colson Whitehead, Marilyn Robinson & Dave Eggers, thank you to President Obama for bringing these great writers to the White House.
Another example of President Obama's shining legacy of wisdom, knowledge, promoting what is best about America - our great artists.
Well done again, Sir.
In this time when so many are busy ignorantly tweeting instead of expanding their knowledge by reading books by Colson Whitehead, Marilyn Robinson & Dave Eggers, thank you to President Obama for bringing these great writers to the White House.
Another example of President Obama's shining legacy of wisdom, knowledge, promoting what is best about America - our great artists.
Well done again, Sir.
23
Extraordinarily inspiring and admirable. Searching for knowledge and meaning and connection while doing arguably the toughest job in the world. We will miss you so much, President Obama!
21
Oh boyo are we in trouble - the contrasts are truly terrifying.
12
This is a well-written and relevant article. In the frantic scramble to do things, it's worth making time to read things.
15
Reading Glorious Reading! What I would have done to be at that luncheon with those five authors!
20
Oh yes!
A nice addendum to this story would be his reading list.
26
As per Emily Dickinson: There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away.
15
And what dream land was Obama living in for the last 8 years?
5
Don't worry, Trump supporters, I'm sure the New York Times is planning a companion article soon in which Trump reveals which reality TV shows have most influenced his world view.
57
Phyllis
I wonder what Trump is reading these days.
I wonder what Trump is reading these days.
6
When will the Times do some investigative journalism on why Trump doesn't/can't read? He's certainly not a Millennial who grew up with aggregator sites. For someone who brags that he doesn't sleep and has a staff to delegate the real work to, it isn't lack of time. Where is the research-based reportage on his medical history and its interaction with attention span and medication?
41
I don't recall this magnitude of fawning over any president in living memory. It is almost as if you were trying to deify the man. Take him up to the level of King. Was the publisher of the NYT lying when he promised objectivity? If this was actually published by the WSJ, it would have a lot more credibility.
The race divisions in this country, the culture divisions, our lack of respect from world leaders, our intensely pro-Muslim stance at the expense of our European and Israeli allies..... all this goes against the deification.
The race divisions in this country, the culture divisions, our lack of respect from world leaders, our intensely pro-Muslim stance at the expense of our European and Israeli allies..... all this goes against the deification.
9
Please let us know which international leaders disrespect the president and your sources for this information (not conjecture), please.
16
"Race division" in this country is a new coded way for saying that the president has refused to deny the reality of racism in this country and many people don't like hearing that.
11
Great article. Books makes us who we are. Obama as President made us proud citizen of complex world. Thanks to NY times for publishing.
34
From the outset, I liked his copy. And I especially liked that he wrote every word of it.
9
I did not need another reason to love and admire this man, yet here it is. I especially like his comment about keeping his journals in the White house "but not with the sort of discipline I would have hoped for." In all things, even now, at the end of his term, holding himself to the very highest personal standards. What a guy. Has there ever been such a deep, dark and terrifying chasm between the character and personality of an outgoing president and his successor?
66
We've gone from a bibliophile to a reality tv star. The only thing Trump reads are articles that criticize him. Which shows that a little knowledge can be dangerous. If I were a political cartoonist I'd draw a tombstone with the inscription, "USA from 1776 to 2017."
18
And now we will have a functional illiterate as President. Biggest example of white privilege anywhere, any when.
45
Thank you! If only such a wise, understanding and thoughtful person would our next president.
19
Yet another reason to admire President Obama. If only he'd stood up to the banks.
10
All politics aside, let's at least all admit that we're trading a very thoughtful man for one who is not.
30
Reading this brought tears to my eyes. America what in the world have we done?
40
So impressed Obama included Barbara Kingsolver among his guests. Her book "Flight Behavior" helps me understand Trump's appeal to those who don't live in the privileged enclaves of our country.
14
"Like Lincoln, Obama taught himself to write."
Give me a break! Lincoln didn't go beyond 2-3 years of elementary school plus his parents were minimally educated. Obama went to an excellent private high school in Hawaii, Columbia University, and Harvard Law School and although he had virtually no contact with his father, his mother was highly educated. Are we to believe he didn't learn anything more about writing in those august institutions than Lincoln did during his minimal schooling? As a CU alumnus myself, I'd be shocked at that conclusion.
Give me a break! Lincoln didn't go beyond 2-3 years of elementary school plus his parents were minimally educated. Obama went to an excellent private high school in Hawaii, Columbia University, and Harvard Law School and although he had virtually no contact with his father, his mother was highly educated. Are we to believe he didn't learn anything more about writing in those august institutions than Lincoln did during his minimal schooling? As a CU alumnus myself, I'd be shocked at that conclusion.
12
There is a difference between reading and comprehension.
7
Reading is the greatest escape. Thank-you, NYX for this piece about our magnificent President. It cushions our descent into postpartum. We await anxiously the memoirs of both our President and First Lady.
14
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” -- Groucho Marx
40
Also Groucho:
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
14
Well. We certainly don't need to worry about Mr. Trump's time being consumed by that distraction.
14
I will surely miss having a thinking man in the White House.
40
To anyone who would criticize President Obama bitterly or speak ill of him personally, please read "Dreams From My Father" and then get back to me.
20
Much of which was fictitious. Just Google it.
2
Mr. Trump's secret to surviving the next four years in the White House-Tweets'-no books ever.
Obama is probably our last book reading president.
We enter a new era. Cell phone and internet presidents, much of whose in depth knowledge will come from Wikipedia and Wikileaks.
Obama is probably our last book reading president.
We enter a new era. Cell phone and internet presidents, much of whose in depth knowledge will come from Wikipedia and Wikileaks.
6
I'll miss having a president who reads.
30
I think the first sentence needs to be edited. An "as" is missing.
From online comments of right wingers I would venture to surmise it was the Secret Service, not books.
3
To think that we go from this thoughtful, literate president to one who can think no more than 140 characters at a time. Sad!
12
Everything coalesces to mark the shock of the pending succession.
4
Do you suppose Mr. Trump has read a book lately? Or at any time in the past decade? Or thought deeply (or fleetingly) about the future of America and of humankind? Or been inspired or delighted or motivated by the writings of great thinkers and writers. I would love to be surprised by an answer in the positive. But I'm sad to say that I wouldn't believe it. Perhaps someone should send him a book. Maybe "Where the Wild Things Are." Or King's discourse on "Loving Your Enemies." Or "How to Win Friends and Influence People."
3
I too, powered my adventurous life via books, via trips to the library. Every reader admires another reader. We make up the club of the self-taught.
On the other hand, what's with the pity party for Obama? 'Survive' the presidency? Because living in the greatest house we have was too much? Dozens of servants were just annoying? Fabulous trips abroad weren't luxurious enough? Martha's vineyard was a bummer. Oh, because congress was recalcitrant? Stop, already.
Obama had eight years to leave his mark on history. He left many positive narratives, but he also created quite a few vacuums, ones that fiction and non-fiction reader knows too well.
On the other hand, what's with the pity party for Obama? 'Survive' the presidency? Because living in the greatest house we have was too much? Dozens of servants were just annoying? Fabulous trips abroad weren't luxurious enough? Martha's vineyard was a bummer. Oh, because congress was recalcitrant? Stop, already.
Obama had eight years to leave his mark on history. He left many positive narratives, but he also created quite a few vacuums, ones that fiction and non-fiction reader knows too well.
7
Oh, my goodness. Just when I think that my admiration for this president can't get any higher I read something like this and am amazed, again, by his intelligence and grasp of the world. Here stands a man the likes of which we may not see again for a very long time, certainly not in the near future.
10
It is interesting to read these comments. I am sorry to feel this way, but I do. Mr. President Peace Prize sold America to the highest corporate bidder. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. And I voted for him twice.
3
Can't blame the man for something that happened before he was born.
6
You'll be okay. Trump already had another buyer in mind for the USA.
1
Maybe the reporters have to be moved out of the White House to make room for President Trump's extensive personal library.
9
Oh yes, that must be it!
Although didn't Priebus claim that it was because so many more journalists wanted to cover Trump than any previous president?
Although didn't Priebus claim that it was because so many more journalists wanted to cover Trump than any previous president?
Yes, but poor Reince was too embarrassed to admit that Trump is a secret bookworm. Might alienate the base.
1
"Not since Lincoln has there been a president as fundamentally shaped — in his life, convictions and outlook on the world — by reading and writing as Barack Obama."
That's a darn strong opinion, presented as fact. T. Roosevelt, famous for devouring books and writing the "man in the arena," existed too. Not everything and everyone of the present is automatically the biggest, smartest, greatest, most dangerous, etc., just because they're the only ones you know about. Enough with the constant hyperbole, it severely tests credibility.
That's a darn strong opinion, presented as fact. T. Roosevelt, famous for devouring books and writing the "man in the arena," existed too. Not everything and everyone of the present is automatically the biggest, smartest, greatest, most dangerous, etc., just because they're the only ones you know about. Enough with the constant hyperbole, it severely tests credibility.
14
Think maybe describing something as "constant hyperbole" is itself a bit on the hyperbolic side?
Pity that Trump has never read one cover to cover. Although, I'm sure he's colored in a few.
7
Trump doesn't have the attention span to finish a page in a coloring book.
21
A book loving president bookended (pun intended) by two of the most book averse presidents, W and Trump.
7
If more Americans shared such reading and writing habits our nation would be a far better place.
27
Oh dear. When I stop and think that this thoughtful, intelligent, profoundly decent man is soon to leave the White House to Donald Trump I could just cry. Yet another reason I'm glad to go to Washington on 2/21 to march for the values that President Obama embodies.
22
"Mr. Obama taught himself to write as a young man by keeping a journal and writing short stories when he was a community organizer in Chicago — working on them after he came home from work and drawing upon the stories of the people he met."
So I guess Mr. Obama's education at the very prestigious, elite Punahou School from the 5th through 12th grades, or his Occidental/Columbia education did not include/require any writing/english lit courses? Or did Mr. Obama just comp out of all that after his K-4 parochial/public education (enhanced with Calver-based home schooling) in Indonesia? I admire the presidents erudition, but this fawning, no, slobering, article is way over the top. More unbridled, biased publishing from the NYT. More to come, I'm sure.
So I guess Mr. Obama's education at the very prestigious, elite Punahou School from the 5th through 12th grades, or his Occidental/Columbia education did not include/require any writing/english lit courses? Or did Mr. Obama just comp out of all that after his K-4 parochial/public education (enhanced with Calver-based home schooling) in Indonesia? I admire the presidents erudition, but this fawning, no, slobering, article is way over the top. More unbridled, biased publishing from the NYT. More to come, I'm sure.
5
I don't recall a similar front page puff piece on George W. Bush's prolific reading.
2
Gee...really? By the time, GWB left office, with a 21% approval rating...no one wanted to read another word about him. We are still paying for Bush's errors, let's not forget.
I'm confused. If pres Obama took time to read before going to bed, when did he have time to Tweet?!
7
Good Morning: Good article, except I wonder about the first sentence--could we not say that Theodore Roosevelt was also as "fundamentally shaped" by reading and writing as Presidents Lincoln and Obama?
6
If Prsident Obama were Catholic, he should be cannonized as this latest article implies. I don't know if other Christian denominations have this process.
6
My blurry eyes from tears of sadness are obscuring any vision of hope in the near future for all of us in this world. There have been so few leaders that have the dignity, depth and perception that Obama has shown in the short time of guiding our country and humankind to a better future. Whether from reading books or from his personal life experiences, he is an individual who has the gift to inspire and has shared freely a commitment to believe in the good of others. He has nourished our nation.
I fear the famine in what is ahead but cherish the sustenance Obama has provided for each of us to carry forward the uncompromising principle of truth.
I fear the famine in what is ahead but cherish the sustenance Obama has provided for each of us to carry forward the uncompromising principle of truth.
14
Now this explain everything to me. His rational thinking, great orations and calmness in calamities. We will miss President Obama. He will be remember as one of America's great presidents.
12
More hagiography. Evidently, University of Chicago professor Roman Weil's text, "Financial Accounting," didn't make the list: US debt, $20 Trillion and counting. As for those comments asserting the president-elect is not of such interests, he attended military academy and the University of Penn's Wharton School, which along with Chicago, Stanford and Harvard, is among the finest B-schools in the world. These two men inhabit two completely different worlds and the differences are most clearly seen when you contrast their civilian, private lives and strip away the illusions of office. Otherwise, one might distinguish between intellect and intelligence. "Surviving" the White House? What a fascinating inversion of presidential character. The "book" may otherwise be a succinct symbol of this administration: something done alone, in private, with private thoughts, self-dialogue and self-belief, self-centered: "Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity." Lord Acton. Too bad he sent that bust of Churchill back to the Brits.
5
You mean the same business schools whose many alumni in finance helped bring on the 2008 subprime crisis?
Trump's BA or BS is from Wharton/ UPenn. He does not have an MBA.
FACTS are nice... everyone.. And if you are unsure, there's "possibly," or "may" "reportedly" that allow one to get by being lazy and not trying to solve the problem of finding the fact.
FACTS are nice... everyone.. And if you are unsure, there's "possibly," or "may" "reportedly" that allow one to get by being lazy and not trying to solve the problem of finding the fact.
Farewell Mr. Obama & family, and I mean Fare Well in that sense. We will miss your intellect, grace and wisdom and the tools you brought to the job done so very well for eight years. It's obvious that reading guided and abetted your efforts. And it's very sad that part of the Obama legacy will forevermore be defined by a successor with little interest in creative, intellectually inspired wisdom. If Americans ever need an icon of noble and inspired leadership, we need look no further than Barack Hussein Obama, a president who loved books and the world they opened to him, and could to us as well.
23
I would recommend that Obama find the time to read some economic history and economic philosophy books. Philosophy of thought does not put food on the table or a roof over your head or solve inequality of opportunity or increase your standard of living; the problems people face daily in today's world. Trump is the direct opposite, he represents the narrow self-interest of the capitalist. Obama represents tolerance, Trump represents success. Americans want winners, winners that share.
1
Some Americans have a different value of what being a winner means.
8
As a public librarian living at the front lines of the fight for common sense and thoughtful responses to our world of immediacy and fake news, I hope people take this article as inspiration for seeing the value and importance of books and the power they can wield. Novels and storytelling stretch our imaginations of what is and what could be and help us become more empathetic towards others who are different from us. Long form, well-written history show us the cyclical nature of our world and teach us valuable lessons about the present.
I worry for our future when have leaders who does not value books or the deep, critical thinking they inspire. Whatever you want to say about Obama, it is difficult to dispute that he sought knowledge on how to make the best decision he could using the vast repository of information provided in books, writers, historians, and thinkers. Such intelligence and curiosity will be sorely missed in the White House.
I worry for our future when have leaders who does not value books or the deep, critical thinking they inspire. Whatever you want to say about Obama, it is difficult to dispute that he sought knowledge on how to make the best decision he could using the vast repository of information provided in books, writers, historians, and thinkers. Such intelligence and curiosity will be sorely missed in the White House.
23
When I was 9 years old my parents instituted a mandatory one hour time slot in the early evening when my two older brothers must do their homework and I, a fourth grader without homework back in those innocent days, must read a book. This was the greatest gift my parents ever gave me. Without even realizing it, I learned how to see, to think, to feel. At age 60 I continue to turn over the mysteries of the human spirit explored between the covers of books. Many of those mysteries are so inscrutable that I must return to certain books periodically. With each reading I find yet another facet.
The recent decades' fetish for a singular focus on STEM education is a gross cultural mistake that will threaten the well-being of our entire human race. Barack Obama understands this. Unlike me he is wise enough not to raise anyone's hackles by saying as much. In my world he will always be my President regardless of who might be currently occupying the Oval Office.
The recent decades' fetish for a singular focus on STEM education is a gross cultural mistake that will threaten the well-being of our entire human race. Barack Obama understands this. Unlike me he is wise enough not to raise anyone's hackles by saying as much. In my world he will always be my President regardless of who might be currently occupying the Oval Office.
21
It's been a privilege to have President Obama representing the hopes and dreams of Americans. The honor of the Presidency should be reserved for people who have the depth of character is outlined in this personal piece. Bravo, Mr. President, bravo.
25
What a contrast with our president-elect, who seems to only read Twitter and media stories about himself. My guess is that he hasn't even read The Art of the Deal all the way through.
4
Another reason why I love Obama- the written word is powerful, informative and necessary, and he understood that. I also looked forward to his summer reading lists that he released each year-- he always choose amazing books that I also wanted to read.
7
President Obama should have been speaking with Senators and Congressman during the evenings than reading books.
1
Over the last 8 years, I have often thought that Mr. Obama was too cerebral to be President. This article only solidifies that belief. Try as I might, I cannot see this type of article being written in 4 years.
2
Obama will be an even better advocate and stronger voice after his Presidency than he was during his Presidency. I look forward to his next few years.
10
Interesting article and conversation, one which we will never have with our new President-elect idiot, Trump.
9
Reading allows us to rest in the mind of another.
Reading books allows us to commune with great thinkers throughout history, to travel, not just to other places in this world, but to other times and spaces--some only existing within another's imagination.
If a person doesn't read, how can that person's mind expand beyond their own wall of mirrors? And, how can that person understand the importance of the First Amendment?
Reading books allows us to commune with great thinkers throughout history, to travel, not just to other places in this world, but to other times and spaces--some only existing within another's imagination.
If a person doesn't read, how can that person's mind expand beyond their own wall of mirrors? And, how can that person understand the importance of the First Amendment?
12
This is the difference between Obama and Trump -- one reads, the other rants.
20
And of course the contrast with the man who, according to the author of The Art of Deal, has never read a book all the way thought, will be first in everyone's minds.
6
This is perfect. It explains why Obama was unwilling to play hardball like LBJ or negotiate like Clinton. He preferred books to the dirty job of getting the job done. It's the Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
5
Gosh I am looking forward to the donalds forthcoming collection of memorable tweets.
4
I'm looking forward to the day that person's account is terminated, perhaps by some "accident", and those comments are lost for all time in the whooshing wave of digital white noise that surrounds us.
6
Can you think of one memorable quote from Obama? Oh yes, "if you like your present doctor...." And there was another about a "red line"?
This is the time to reflect on a truism. Men who read, write and reflect, deeply, seriously, competently, are never tyrants. The converse holds as well. Trump writes, speaks, no doubt thinks, directly from the most primitive, simplistic, part of his mind, which may well be his only extant and functioning part. The most cretinous have no trouble to comprehend his juvenile twitter spews. Read anything by Hitler, Stalin, or any other more contemporary monster and you will find the same crude, awkward, ill written drivel. "Us good, them bad. Kill them."
That said, Mr. Still President---promise, please, never to use the expression "going to" again. You are not "going to" be missed. You will be missed.
That said, Mr. Still President---promise, please, never to use the expression "going to" again. You are not "going to" be missed. You will be missed.
2
Intelligent and curious. Open to new ideas. Complexity and nuance. Connected to our humanity through the word. Knowing that words matter. Reading, writing, and speaking.
And living that great example for our kids, for all of us.
Thanks, O.
And living that great example for our kids, for all of us.
Thanks, O.
8
I don't identify with actors, or athletes, or politicians, or rock stars.
But I do identify with writers.
Thats because when you read a book you are directly entering the writer's mind and heart. You get to experience life as someone else for a little while.
It says a lot that Obama loves literature and Trump, like most Americans, has no patience for it.
The only thing I have no patience for is willful ignorance.
But I do identify with writers.
Thats because when you read a book you are directly entering the writer's mind and heart. You get to experience life as someone else for a little while.
It says a lot that Obama loves literature and Trump, like most Americans, has no patience for it.
The only thing I have no patience for is willful ignorance.
12
Thank you, Ms. Kakutani, for this moving and invaluable insight into the habits of reading, writing, and reflection that have shaped our remarkable and inspiring President Obama. I admire the President's efforts to learn about and highlight the work of some of our finest journalists, essayists, and novelists working today. This is a testament to the power of reaching across history and traditions to find wisdom and direction.
6
How fortunate we've been to have this man as president! I think of myself as a reader, but the range of his interests leaves me awestruck.
5
And beginning next week we'll have a president whose idea of a literary masterpiece is a 140-character tweet.
4
Hundreds of books--only one of the reasons that President Obama is so admired for his broad minded intelligence. Wonder when was the last time trump read anything but a tweet.
5
Every article about Obama makes me feel worse about our new president. Of course books sustained Obama through hard times and of course incoherent tweets and TV will be the intellectual food for Trump. Sigh.
4
Thank you Mr. President for being such an example of the power of continued enlightenment through reading, especially to the youth of our country tied to their devices. As far as our next President, well he gets his reading and writing done for him by V Putin.
8
Obama's preference for solitude and a good read did not serve our country well. Believe it or not, part of being a successful president is spending time with other leaders, especially the opposition. I know it sounds corny, but did he ever invite a few Republicans over to bowl a few frames? Books may have been Obama's secret to surviving the White House...but that's all he did, and just barely.
1
He golfed with Boehner. Maybe there are some checkers matches we don't know about.
I am happy to see Obama's presidency end - most of his accomplishments are not worthy of the mass fawning and rock-star cult status the media and fans have shoved on him. Yet, one thing I have always admired about Obama is his love of books, and this interview captured that well. The richness and depth that reading offers all of us cannot be underestimated. And, as Arturo Perez-Revete said, "One is never alone with a book nearby ..."
One of the basic premises of this article is simply wrong: even more than Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt's life was shaped by reading. He sometimes read more than a book a day; he estimated that he pretty much always read hundreds of books a year. And those which he found compelling he read a second or third time. His near photographic memory allowed him to remember favorite passages years later. He read novels, history, poetry. Didn't much like drama; was bored by Hamlet. But he admitted that 'reading is sometimes almost an illness with me.'
So, there are three reading presidents. But not Trump.
Tom Bailey
So, there are three reading presidents. But not Trump.
Tom Bailey
7
As someone who loves to read, I appreciate this wonderful man who will no longer be our President in a few short days. I have listened to every speech, watched his interactions with people from all walks of life from leaders of nations to small children and have never seen, read or heard him say a disrespectful word to or about any of them. God bless you, Mr. President. Stay in touch!
10
I doubt very much that Trump could even name five living fiction writers, let alone want to have lunch with them.
8
I hope President Obama realizes how much of an intellectual and emotional inspiration he is. And I hope have the opportunity to read his White House memoirs.
I also hope you stay in the public, sir; you are one of the rare people whose existence makes the world a different and better place.
I also hope you stay in the public, sir; you are one of the rare people whose existence makes the world a different and better place.
17
Another contrast between the President leaving office and the one coming in. There will be no need for bookcases or Kindle's for the next four years.
9
This President who loves books and writes so beautifully has made the world better. Dreams from My Father is a thoughtful and eloquent work by a sophisticated thinker and wonderful, complex person. A hundred years from now it will be read and studied as a classic of American autobiography. Obama wrote it himself. He's the real thing. Yes we'll miss him, But I'm guessing, hoping that he'll publish more in his post-Presidential life.
23
Americans who still have their brains intact will sorely miss President Obama. An intelligent, thoughtful, human being. We're about to enter a new phase in America, the rule of stupid, heartless monsters. The leader of this coming horror show, the immoral. pathological liar, imbecile Donald Trump will reign in his shallow, vulgar stupidity. The dark age begins in seven days.
25
I voted for Obama but I believe he squandered possibilities by not talking to the American people, who, by and large do not read. He did not leave his comfort zone - his nose in a book.
1
@Kim - I think you need to read more.
10
As so many other comments make the same obvious point, we are about to "transition" from a man who reads and thinks to and ignoramus who has no interest in reading books at all, much less anything approaching intellectual thought. Alas, the voters have spoken.
20
The Gettysburg Address vs. rants of 140 characters. That, America, is is the level to which the discourse from the President has devolved.
19
So sorry to see this type of ending. Not only as a Progressive Democrat but as a fellow reader. My days of reading are now enhanced as watching the news is just too painful in it's immediacy and i prefer a settling of the facts and also a buffering to ease the pain inflicted by bad news. I am hoping that this regime now entering the White House will eventually bring about real change not by their efforts to tear us apart but by our efforts to confront their shredding of our Democracy. As was the Vietnam-Nam War an awakening of our citizenry to the illicit dealings of the Nixon administration so too has this election been an awakening for our major news outlets including the NYT. As i remember when Walter Cronkite finally broke down on CBS and stood on the side against the War which was the first time i ever saw a news reporter take a side. Yes, that was TV but now i rely on reading as did our last great President. Press on Regardless!
5
These words come to mind when I think about President Obama: curiosity; wholeness; integrity - confirmed by this interview with Ms. Kakutani
18
One item that came to mind: the ostracism in ancient Athens of Aristides because, evidently, at least in part, many were jealous of him, feeling so much smaller in comparison.
12
Yes indeed.
2
Reading this piece by Michiko Kakutani brings into crystal clear relief the vast difference in character and sensibility between the erudite and thoughtful Mr. Obama and his soon-to-be successor, a man of childish and shallow mien who prefers to lash out at others with little thought or care given to his venal outbursts.
22
I don't doubt that Mr. Obama is an intelligent man and has used books to shape his world view. However, this piece is just another example of how the NYT is simply a propaganda arm of a certain ideology. A better approach to understanding him and this ideology is to actually interview him and ask what prompted him to read a particular book and what he gained from that particular book. Mr. Obama did not merely "survive the White House." He profited from it (as do most Presidents), and he extended the reach of his party into areas that the rest of us will be working to free ourselves for a very long time. I'm not in the adoration society of Mr. Obama. He has had his time, and he served his purpose---being the figurehead and preacher in the bully pulpit of a movement that has helped to weaken our culture and warp our national identity into something that looks just like the rest of the world---severely damaged and flailing.
3
Enjoy the think-skinned con-man who's going to sell you up the river then,
Now Obama needs to start making a real contribution to his fellow Americans by starting a company and employing people. I m not talking about another useless foundation for self enrichment like the Clintons, But a company that actually builds things and ships them abroad. Hopefully not a bridge too far for a person who has made a career paying himself a salary,.. by taking money from hard working taxpayers paychecks.
2
First of all, it's not true that the only people who make a real contribution to America are those who start businesses. If that were the case the vast majority of Americans could be called useless to our country. And on taking a salary, I'd remind you of some other people who take paychecks from taxpayers: Firefighters, Law Enforcement, the CIA, even the Armed Forces. Are all of these people worthless to society? No. In fact they are extremely neccessary, as they've chosen to enter capital 'P' Public service rather than pursuing a career in a field where they would make far more income. Obama himself interned at a law firm in Chicago, Sidley Austin, that wanted him to join under a six figure starting salary. Had he stayed he would be far richer today. Ultimately, don't forget that all of the operations you count on a daily basis are done by people who "take money from hard working taxpayers paychecks". School Boards, Waste Management, Planning and Zoning, and many more.
18
troll, baby, troll
10
Allow me to correct you, Hombre. The President Is paid by the citizenry for his services. He does not pay himself. In fact, he is underpaid, given his responsibilities compared to many who "build things." One of his responsible acts was to save the bacon of all those "builders" whose precious fortunes were near extinction at the close of the Bush Administration. He did this at a salary far smaller than those the "builders" awarded themselves with the approval of compliant boards of directors.
6
One of the many things that I love about President Obama! The fact that he is a reader and a writer is glaringly apparent in the way that he relates to the country and the world. This article leaves me sad as the loss of an intellect in the whitehouse is a profound loss indeed!
38
The fact that our president finds time to read for pleasure before bed time--for an hour!--should be an inspiration and a motivation to us all.
43
Hard to imagine having the time while playing all that golf
1
What a contrast between our outgoing President and the one who's not really the legitimate one incoming. Total class act Obama was. People can criticize till they are blue in the face, but, trust me, after just one year with the other guy, you'll be feeling nostalgic for the elegance, class and intelligence that once was.
38
Reading this story only heightens the sadness one feels about the outcome of this Presidential election and the wish President Obama had one more term.
51
I read this article with a mix of gratitude for the character, intellect and grace of Mr. Obama and dread about the next four (or, God help us, eight) years.
53
Loved the piece. Ironic that the places that value "hard work and honesty and humility" voted for a man who possesses none of these traits.
43
There are few role models in political life today. One wouldn't take a Bill Clinton or a George Bush and tell your children to be like them. Certainly not Donald Trump. But Barack Obama is the exception. You might argue about his political decisions or whether he was a good president or leader, but in his life he's been exemplary. I bet there thousands of parents of all colors and backgrounds telling their children to be like Barack Obama. For resurrecting the role of a role model, for that alone, he deserves a place in history.
11
Reading novels and biographies is a wonderful way to travel the world without having to leave home. Plus it increases ones understanding of other countries, other people and can provide inspiration for dealing with whatever life throws our way. I usually have several books going at any one time, often keeping one in my car for times I have to wait for someone. Having just returned from spending Christmas with my sister who is a voracious reader and whose library I raid regularly, I can recommend "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah, "The Elephant Company" by Vicki Constantine Croke and the one I am just starting, "The Hired Man" by Aminatta Forna. Not just for escape, but inspiration for working through tough times.
4
It's been a pleasure to see a writer, reader, and thinker in the White House for the last eight years. Even candidates who share his beliefs—or are even more progressive—fall short in this area. Of course, the President-Elect is the kind of man who, as a student, no doubt couldn't be bothered to even read the CliffsNotes of the books assigned to him.
4
As a person who spent my entire adult life teaching, I find this one of the most remarkable documents I have ever encountered. It not only provides us with an awe-inspiring picture of this brilliant ethical, profound man who has been our president for eight years, but it offers a guide for thinking, reading, working, and how these can be woven together into a powerful fabric for anyone's life. Thank you, Michiko Kakutani, and thank you, President Obama!
22
I hope someday we can read Mr. Obama's short stories.
Reading saved my life as a kid in a dysfunctional family. But I never read kids' books and no one read them to me. I was reading adult books in fourth grade on up. It was not until I had my own child that I discovered children's books and oh, what a delight that was. I read and read and read to my daughter who early on began writing her own short stories and building a life on a large and encompassing vocabulary which I believe is a foundation necessary for everything that comes later in life.
But now I have so many books and I don't read them. I sit with the computer for my reading (political readings/current events) and somehow never seem to get to the stack of books.
Thank you for the article. Mr. Obama has inspired me to get back to the books and take a break from politics. Perhaps to hide from the reality of a President Trump who I find illegitimate and who will do great damage to this country and world. (He already has so I don't have to wait and 'give him a chance' as Republicans opine). Books can bring so many other worlds to us. President Obama, thank you for your literate and knowledgeable presidency.
Reading saved my life as a kid in a dysfunctional family. But I never read kids' books and no one read them to me. I was reading adult books in fourth grade on up. It was not until I had my own child that I discovered children's books and oh, what a delight that was. I read and read and read to my daughter who early on began writing her own short stories and building a life on a large and encompassing vocabulary which I believe is a foundation necessary for everything that comes later in life.
But now I have so many books and I don't read them. I sit with the computer for my reading (political readings/current events) and somehow never seem to get to the stack of books.
Thank you for the article. Mr. Obama has inspired me to get back to the books and take a break from politics. Perhaps to hide from the reality of a President Trump who I find illegitimate and who will do great damage to this country and world. (He already has so I don't have to wait and 'give him a chance' as Republicans opine). Books can bring so many other worlds to us. President Obama, thank you for your literate and knowledgeable presidency.
4
What a fine tribute, sophia. Thank you.
Your comment is actually a short story. Have you considered writing short stories yourself?
Your comment is actually a short story. Have you considered writing short stories yourself?
President Obama is a national treasure. I wondered how he dealt with things, now I know he consulted and searched across the ages. I hope he does not give up on the US.
10
Perhaps Obama's greatest gift as president was his ability to connect to the lives of others, especially after national tragedies. The clear empathy in his sorrowful, sometimes angry words encouraged the rest of us to connect to those directly affected, whether it was Sandy Hook or the shooting of an unarmed black man. Now we have a president who, according to his ghostwriter Tony Schwartz, is apparently unable to finish a book, let alone pick one up unless it's got his name on the cover.
6
My mind reels, my soul weeps. We are losing a president so admirable. And getting one soon so despicable.
"Melancholy and reflective" stories I hope will come into fashion. Might help.
"Melancholy and reflective" stories I hope will come into fashion. Might help.
7
This is what we have been forced to exchange. A shmuck, who when he takes the oath of office to 'preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of The United States of America', will not know exactly what that means because he probably never read it!
5
How wonderful to learn more about our President's specific tastes, inspirations and his love of big and hopeful ideas. It is uplifting...and also so sad when considering the person who will be moving into the white house. I image Trump right now barking something rude and incoherent into his Twitter account while discounting most any substantive thought.
2
I dream of being in a book club with Mr Obama. I always loved seeing his reading lists and seeing the similarities to what I was reading. His love of reading connected me to him beyond what I have felt toward any other president in my lifetime.
6
Thank you for this story. I will so miss this president, a man who possesses the intellectual and historical curiosity to pick up a book and read it, often with the goal of providing insight and ideas to make him a better president.
To my great fear, his soon to be inaugurated successor only likes to read about himself. And his writings?? Well, if they can fit into a 140 word format, so much the better.
I heard this morning that he is writing most of his inauguration speech. Given his preference for the 140 word format, it could be a very short speech.
To my great fear, his soon to be inaugurated successor only likes to read about himself. And his writings?? Well, if they can fit into a 140 word format, so much the better.
I heard this morning that he is writing most of his inauguration speech. Given his preference for the 140 word format, it could be a very short speech.
8
I sometimes think we're in the process of deifying President Obama--somewhat like we did with President Kennedy. Then I watch him on 60 minutes or read a piece like this and think instead that this man is not saintly, but pretty special. For me, he has been an example of how to lead a good life. At age 71, I'm always happy for the breath of fresh air.
23
Here's something not-so-crazy to consider. Have you known anyone Trump's age who doesn't use reading glasses? All the jokes about Trump not being a reader (and not being able to follow notes placed in front of him on a lectern) may reflect an odd but believable truth. Trump he may be too vain to put on a pair of reading glasses.
Maybe he's had laser surgery, in the process of which his long distance vision was corrected. But most people who have that surgery don't have the one-eye-long-range and the other-eye-short-range. Most people need reading glasses if you needed bifocals before you went into the surgery.
Which reminds me. Did we ever get a full account of Trump's health?
Samantha Bee humorously asks if Trump is able to read. I have a different question: Can Trump take the measures he needs to read? Is he temperamentally able to put on a pair of reading glasses -- big, clunky, bottle-glass, old man glasses?
No accusations or fake news -- this is just an idea to explore (presented, admittedly, with humor and a bit of bias). An investigative journalist should get to the bottom of Trump's health, including his eyesight. I've never seen Trump read a paper document in person. When it suits him, Trump reads (portions of) what's written on teleprompters -- but a teleprompter can be adjusted to account for a person's visual limitations.
Trump would be a great role model if he put on a pair of glasses. He needs to see things that are right under his nose.
Maybe he's had laser surgery, in the process of which his long distance vision was corrected. But most people who have that surgery don't have the one-eye-long-range and the other-eye-short-range. Most people need reading glasses if you needed bifocals before you went into the surgery.
Which reminds me. Did we ever get a full account of Trump's health?
Samantha Bee humorously asks if Trump is able to read. I have a different question: Can Trump take the measures he needs to read? Is he temperamentally able to put on a pair of reading glasses -- big, clunky, bottle-glass, old man glasses?
No accusations or fake news -- this is just an idea to explore (presented, admittedly, with humor and a bit of bias). An investigative journalist should get to the bottom of Trump's health, including his eyesight. I've never seen Trump read a paper document in person. When it suits him, Trump reads (portions of) what's written on teleprompters -- but a teleprompter can be adjusted to account for a person's visual limitations.
Trump would be a great role model if he put on a pair of glasses. He needs to see things that are right under his nose.
8
Corrective surgery is available for both near sightedness and farsightedness.. FYI. Reading has helped to make him extremely successful!! Jobs are pouring back to the US and before he has even taken the oath.. Obama said it could not be done! Guess again. We finally have a President who can do it!!
1
Americans in their ignorance have made a grave mistake. There will be no new jobs, the 80's (happily) won't return, and with all of this goes the country's dignity and influence. We have a lunatic at the helm. No, I'm not angry because a Republican won. I'm scared because a sociopath won. The people that say they like him because, "he speaks his mind" are as ignorant as he is.
19
I once, as a student, was interviewed by 5 professors deciding if I did qualify for a Masters Degree scholarship. The key question was what kind of books I read to gain more knowledge. I answered that I could give a quickie answer that this was a personal matter and that it was none of their business but I preferred speaking the truth and that I just didn't like reading books. I got my scholarship.
3
I have a BA in English from The University of West Georgia, a minor achievement. My Mama and Daddy, born in the very early 1900s, did not progress beyond the third grade--but they read all the time. In my apartment I am surrounded by books. In my bedroom I am surrounded by books. I am going to miss my erudite President.
7
This is another reason I'm going to miss President Obama, he reads, he is informed, he wants to know how and what people think. He is empathetic.
Like a successful painter, he focus and works on the entire canvas, being always aware of the actions and interactions of the different parts.
Like a successful painter, he focus and works on the entire canvas, being always aware of the actions and interactions of the different parts.
5
One of the many notable strengths of this president has been his value for scholarship. He honors learning and he demonstrates the ability to take perspective that is often drawn from studying, not just history, but a vast variety of narratives about life. I haven't always agreed with him, but I have always respected and admired him, and much of that respect and admiration has been due to his willingness to be a student of the world and of life beyond his job. I will always be a better American for having had him as my president.
7
The fact that President Obama reads and writes has given me faith in his leadership. After a long day at work I find it hard to concentrate to read yet the President has the discipline to read. I once heard that reading is not a passive activity instead it requires the reader to participate and engage. Sadly, I doubt Trump has the capacity for this except for 140 characters. The rest of us should get a copy of President Obama's reading list.
4
Such a powerful testament to the power of reading to develop empathy and imagination, which travel together. I see dark days ahead, with a non-reader (and everything that implies) in charge. God help us. And God bless President Obama. I first heard him speak in 2004 and I've been listening every since, including one speech I was able to attend in person. I look forward to seeing what he will do in coming years aside from writing. And reading, of course!
5
It is so evident, President Obama's love of story telling. Not only did he tell them, himself, but he created a White House Office of Digital Strategy. He had other story tellers who told their own stories, even, Mr. Gruber told few interesting ones, later. And former SoS Clinton told a few whoppers, also. She even had story tellers assist her on occasion. I'm not sure America has ever turned loose a president who found it necessary to tell so many stories without simply doing a better job and then let Americans be the storytellers. That would be a true legacy.
1
We have always known that Mr. Obama was a reader. This is clearly evident from his own books. Perhaps he has been too much of a reader, too contemplative. I remember clearly my own frustration during his first term. There were so many things that he needed to do to put the country right after the Republicans under George Bush drove the economy into the ground, but he wasn't moving on them. By his second term it was already too late.
2
This article made me admire the man even more. People who don't read are missing out on so much of the world. Reading is solace and inspiration and understanding. He's read several of my favorite authors and I have The Underground Railroad on my nightstand waiting to be read. To think I have those books in common with the President is amazing to me.
6
The fact that President Obama is an avid reader is clear in his public addresses. He knows how to consider alternate perspectives; and is not dismissive of them without first putting them to the test of critical analysis.
Now, we are stuck with the billionaire non-reader, Donald Trump, who, despite all of his travels and contacts, lives in an echo chamber. His totally unsophisticated worldview is shaped by stereotypes. He is hardcore and concrete.
Trump should first read something appropriate for his limited attention span, comic books, and progress from there.
Now, we are stuck with the billionaire non-reader, Donald Trump, who, despite all of his travels and contacts, lives in an echo chamber. His totally unsophisticated worldview is shaped by stereotypes. He is hardcore and concrete.
Trump should first read something appropriate for his limited attention span, comic books, and progress from there.
7
I discovered reading late in life after high school, my Vietnam vet service, and my attempt to get a college degree - I have always attempted to read what my role models read, and Obama's choice have been great. Mr Obama will be missed. I hope he goes on to continue the great work he has accomplished
6
There is a Harvard Business School case study that describes a very successful chief executive officer who is dismissed by his board of directors because he was derelict in performing one important job duty: succession planning. It looks like Mr. Obama failed to read that one.
I know the president-elect doesn't read. However, if there's one book that should be required reading for him as well as those who've voted him into office, it's Richard Hofstadter's "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life". A prophetic book written back in 1963 that couldn't have greater implications than where we find ourselves today. For some reason there's an attack and distrust of anything science-based or academic. Perhaps it's because we've become a nation of citizens who only want to read or hear what legitimizes the pre-conceived notions(agendas) in our head. Sad.
5
Hmmm. Fantastic piece, however, I don't necessarily agree that he's the only president "since Lincoln" to have been so engaged in reading and writing. Theodore Roosevelt authored some 45 books on a wide variety of topics and Kennedy (God rest his soul), was an exceptionally well-read and literate president. But Obama, without question, has been exceptional in this area.
4
And President Carter has written many books, including memoir and poetry.
2
It is public service of inestimable value to praise self-education, striving for understanding, pointing to outstanding models.
If serious civics were still taught in US schools, this article would make excellent in class reading.
But no. The football and basketball coaches teaching in too many of our schools will grunt out something about no time for reading books or . . .
If serious civics were still taught in US schools, this article would make excellent in class reading.
But no. The football and basketball coaches teaching in too many of our schools will grunt out something about no time for reading books or . . .
5
The moral of the story is that presidents should read fewer books while in office and spend more time out in the real world with the American citizens he was elected to represent. Obama isolated himself in the insular world of Washington, appearing now and then to attend another in an endless series of fundraisers, or to play one of his 300+ rounds of golf. His arrogance and ability to pat himself on the back at every public occasion reveal a narcissistic personality that needs constant adulation. It's always about "me" with Obama. Good riddance.
2
Oh yes thank GOODNESS that in a week we will not have in our Oval Office a self-claimed billionaire with gold toilets who spends all his time in the "real world" with "real people" like his multimillionaire cabinet appointees. A man who would NEVER waste his time on frivolous things like golf, gambling, reality tv, beauty pageants, grabbing women by the crotch, or such nonsense. A man who shows real humility, and not a hint of narcissism.
BTW, that was sarcasm. People who don't read books usually don't recognize it when they see it.
BTW, that was sarcasm. People who don't read books usually don't recognize it when they see it.
1
I will think of your comment as Trump's billionaire "advisors" tell him how he should behave. He's done with the real world; he never lived in it like Obama has. Good luck with your president.
Reality check im more intrested in obamas book on what actually occured . Was obama care really the sum of the repulicans plans for american people. Was real purpose of obama care save wall street by making health care for profit? Why would congress pass an act when allready have medicare which is fully funded by taxs. Medicare is perfect single payer system for not only the old but for children. Question is this all about money at expense of childrens future?
2
Conversations between him and a favorite author of his, Marilynne Robinson, led us to buy and read her novels and to understand, perhaps, why he thinks so much of her. She, a deeply religious Calvinist, manages in her novels to have her characters questioning religion, having even the minister better understand why one might question, and even in her essays to explain how it is not only present-day Muslims who war with themselves.
I am sure President Obama will be writing books and I know what I would like him to write about but will leave that unsaid so I can enjoy looking forward to one or more pleasant surprises from him.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Dual citizen US SE
I am sure President Obama will be writing books and I know what I would like him to write about but will leave that unsaid so I can enjoy looking forward to one or more pleasant surprises from him.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Dual citizen US SE
5
It was heartening to read this article on a grey, wet morning in Hove, Sussex, England - a country in which continuing cuts to libraries (and to book stocks within those that remain) have made it the laughing stock of the international libraries community.
There should be a separate book(s) by President Obama on his reading. It could outsell political memoirs!
This brings to mind the fact that Ian Fleming's Bond novels really took off, saleswise, towards the end of his life when JFK mentioned them.
As others have said here, it will be, shall we say, curious to find what the next President's taste in reading turns out to be. I suspect it could some of those yellow-and-black covered volumes which offer advice for D*****es.
There should be a separate book(s) by President Obama on his reading. It could outsell political memoirs!
This brings to mind the fact that Ian Fleming's Bond novels really took off, saleswise, towards the end of his life when JFK mentioned them.
As others have said here, it will be, shall we say, curious to find what the next President's taste in reading turns out to be. I suspect it could some of those yellow-and-black covered volumes which offer advice for D*****es.
8
Obama will remain one of the most-loved presidents in recent history (mid- to late-20th century and early 21st century). Of course, I'm not including detractors in this equation. Obama's level of intelligence, general knowledge, statesmanship, emotional balance and emotional register are all very high. Thank you, Mr. President.
12
In between shifts at the T-Shirt Shack and your well deserved 6 month hibernation, you might want to consider these books.
Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness by Ed Abbey
He would appreciate your new National Monuments and I think had you met him, you two might have been good friends.
The Last Grain Race & Learning The Ropes (Photo companion book) by Eric Newby
As a young man, Newby signed as an apprentice on one of the last Windjammers just before World War 2 changed everything.
Men To Match My Mountains by I.F. Stone
One of the great American stories.
No politics, just good times with good books.
I did not vote for you, but respect you and the work you have done.