Review: The Obama Revolution by Alan Kennedy-Shaffer

Title: The Obama Revolution
Author: Alan Kennedy-Shaffer
Pages: 266
Publisher: Phoenix Books (March 1, 2009)
Genre: Non-Fiction / Political Science
Edition: Paperback - many thanks to Dorothy from Pump Up Your Book Promotion for sending me a copy to review!



Perfect for : Personal Use, The person who wants to know more about "behind-the-scenes" from the Obama campaign

In a nutshell: Alan Kennedy-Shaffer's book, The Obama Revolution, is an insider's look at the policies and campaign promises made throughout the 2008 Presidential Election. He shares what he learned about President Obama's beliefs regarding our country, our status in the war, and our economic troubles. He also shares what it was like to be involved in the political campaign itself. I was particularly interested to learn about the 50-State Strategy, and what the author considered to be 10 pivotal speeches made throughout the campaign [p. 105]. Throughout the book, Kennedy-Shaffer has shown that this was a campaign of hope, and that a lot of hard work and effort went into the success of this campaign. The book includes the 10 speeches mentioned above [p. 157-233], and I really enjoyed being able to read them, especially the Yes We Can speech because of the tone it sets.

Extended Review:
Content: The book starts with an introduction and progresses with: Change We Still Believe In, A Green Deal, 50-State Strategy, Community Organizing, Generation Change, The Rhetoric of Hope, The New Faith, Obama's America. There are also sections that cover: Obama's Speeches for Change, Notes, Bibliography and Acknowledgements.

Format: Written from his experiences, Alan Kennedy-Shaffer has included plenty of quotes and verifiable facts.

Readability: I will admit that I skimmed through various sections of the book, mostly the beginning, where the author talks about the war in Iraq. Regardless of how a person feels about the war, it is a topic that has been beaten to death, and I only care about our men and women who are involved in the war and how they will be treated and supported in the future. I also ignored the slightly less favorable comments about President Bush. Otherwise, I found much of the information interesting.

Overall: Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican (or have other Party affiliations), this book will provide you with some insight into what Obama claimed to stand for throughout his campaign, and will show you the inner workings of a political campaign.

From the Pump Up Your Book Promotional Tour:
The first book to be written by a campaign staffer and offering rare insider glimpses, The Obama Revolution explores how a generation of believers and the politics of hope won the presidency for Barack Obama and changed the world.

The Obama Revolution carefully examines what Obama plans to do as president, how Obama clinched the Democratic nomination and won the general election, and why Obama’s evocative rhetoric inspired millions of Americans to create a political revolution that toppled the status quo and changed the face of American politics forever.

Drawing on both first-hand campaign experience and scholarly analysis, the author delivers everything from personal stories of grass-roots organizing and grueling all-nighters to candid assessments of the Obama campaign’s strengths and weaknesses. Insightful and powerfully written The Obama Revolution offers an enlightening, annotated, documented overview of Obama’s path to the White House and what it means to every American.

Learn how Obama used policies of change, strategic vision, and the rhetoric of hope to transform the campaign into a political movement. Discover how field organizers (most under 30), using cell phones and the Internet, mobilized and energized a whole new generation of voters. Follow the author as he registers voters, spreads the word and is touched by the people he meets.

Anyone wondering whether America's flame still burns brightly needs to read this book and be inspired by the hope, the promise, and the ardor of Barack Obama and “Generation Change”—the future of America—as they work hand-in-hand to fulfill the legacy of change that is the Obama Revolution.

About the Author: (From the Pump Up Your Book Promotion Tour)
Alan Kennedy-Shaffer served as a regional field director for Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in Virginia. Educated at Yale University and William & Mary Law School, Kennedy-Shaffer is the author of Denial and Deception: A Study of the Bush Administration’s Rhetorical Case for Invading Iraq. Kennedy-Shaffer’s writings have also appeared in The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Washington Post, the Patriot-News, the Daily Press, and the Virginia Gazette. Alan lives in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. You can visit his website at www.alankennedy-shaffer.com.


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