A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy No.1 new york times bestseller naacp image award nominee named one of the ten best books of the year by the new york times book review and people named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times Npr The Guardian Slate Vox The Economist Marie Claire In the stirring first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil. Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation highest office. Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well