By Steve Dougherty

A lively overview of Barack Obama's life, this timely book relates the story of his difficult childhood as the son of a Kansas-born mother and a black Kenyan who abandoned the family, through his election to president of the Harvard Law Review (the first black Law Review president ever); his early political career; his own family life with his wife, Michelle, and two daughters; his 2004 election to U.S. Senator; and his emergence as a symbol of hope for America. Including Obama's own words and comments from both his critics and supporters, Hopes and Dreams is essential reading for people curious to know about the man being talked about as a candidate for our highest office.