BOOK REVIEW: The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield

I had heard a lot of hype about Barack Obama; Fears about him, often unfounded, that distilled down to prejudices based on the actions of leaders at his church, or even how his last name "Obama" sounded like "Osama", the first name of the infamous terrorist leader. When I was given the opportunity through Thomas Nelson Publishers to read and review "The Faith of Barack Obama", I quickly responded. I read this to get factual information, not the mud-slinging that seems inevitable during political campaigns. I did not want to vote for or against a man based on hearsay, rumor, innuendo, or the aforementioned prejudicial fears.

I was delighted to read in the introduction that the author, Stephen Mansfield, unapologetically gave this as the purpose for writing the book. He also stated that he was not voting for Barack Obama. This might imply that the book would be skewed against the presidential candidate, but I did not find it so. In many ways, it portrays Barack Obama as a strong man of character, raised in difficult circumstances and dealing with the same issues we all do, and many unique to him. One man can only truly understand another man at the most superficial of levels, but I feel that the book did an excellent job of conveying a great depth and breadth of understanding of Mr. Obama. It shows him in fairly intimate situations, compelling sympathy and feeling for the man. In reading it, I found myself wondering how or if I would have acted differently. I began to find a new respect for Barack Obama for his strength.

To take me beyond the hype to a feeling of intimacy with -and respect for- someone I am unlikely to ever meet, that is a powerful ability. This is a powerful book, written by a masterful author. Read it, even after the elections. Win or lose, Barack Obama will be someone you will want to understand the motivations of.