I think one really needs to be in a right mood to read Obama's books because he is the type of writer who includes a lot of details and loves to take the audience on a journey. The first time I tried reading this book I gave up but the second time took me all the way. I was really engrossed in the story of his life to presidency but after he was elected, I found all the details of politics to be really dry and wasn't that interested in them as a non-american. Overall though, this memoir really solidified the image of Obama as a candidate of a lifetime in my opinion and opened my eyes to how politics work in US.