Una Tierra Prometida / A Promised Land

En este extraordinario primer volumen de sus esperadas memorias presidenciales, Barack Obama narra la historia de su sorprendente evoluci n de ser un joven en busca de su identidad a convertirse en l der del mundo occidental, describiendo con incre ble detalle tanto su formaci n pol tica como los momentos cumbre del primer per odo de su hist rica presidencia, una poca de una gran conmoci n y de profunda transformaci n.

Obama invita a sus lectores a un viaje cautivador que va desde sus m s tempranas aspiraciones pol ticas, pasando por la decisiva victoria de Iowa que demostr el poder del activismo comunitario, hasta la emotiva noche del 4 de noviembre de 2008, cuando fue elegido el presidente n mero 44 de los Estados Unidos, convirti ndose en el primer afroamericano en ocupar el m s alto cargo de la naci n.

El autor reflexiona sobre la presidencia ofreciendo un an lisis nico y profundo tanto del alcance como de los l mites que tiene el poder presidencial, y brinda una visi n singular sobre el funcionamiento de la pol tica bipartidista de los Estados Unidos y la diplomacia internacional. Obama lleva a los lectores al interior de la Oficina Oval y de la Sala de Crisis de la Casa Blanca, a Mosc , Cairo, y Beijing, entre otros lugares. Somos espectadores de su pensamiento mientras compone su gabinete, lidia con una crisis financiera global, mide a Vladimir Putin, vence obst culos aparentemente insuperables para lograr la aprobaci n del Affordable Care Act, se enfrenta a generales sobre la estrategia de Estados Unidos en Afganist n, aborda la reforma de Wall Street, responde al devastador derrame de petr leo de Deepwater Horizon, y autoriza la Operaci n Neptune Spear que termina con la muerte de Osama bin Laden.

Una tierra prometida es excepcionalmente ntimo y reflexivo, narra la apuesta de un hombre con la historia, la fe de un organizador comunitario puesto a prueba ante el mundo. Obama expone el dif cil equilibrio entre hacer campa a pol tica como afroamericano -cargando con las expectativas de una generaci n ilusionada por ideales como "esperanza y cambio"- y enfrentar el desaf o moral de tomar decisiones de gran trascendencia. Obama habla con franqueza de la fuerte oposici n que sufri tanto en su pa s como en el extranjero, revela c mo la vida en la Casa Blanca afect a su esposa y a sus hijas, y no teme confesar sus inseguridades ni decepciones. Sin embargo, nunca duda de su convicci n de que, dentro del gran experimento americano, el progreso siempre es posible.

Este libro escrito magistralmente refleja la convicci n de Barack Obama de que la democracia no es un regalo divino, sino algo cimentado en la empat a y el com n acuerdo, que construimos juntos d a a d a.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making--from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy

In the stirring, highly anticipated 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's 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 as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune's Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.

A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective--the story of one man's bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of "hope and change," and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.

This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama's conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.