Customer Reviews

Obamaland: Who is Barack Obama?

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This book is amazing. If you are into Hawaiiana it is also really a collectable as it is filled with everything from old ticket stubs to amazing photos. Photos of Obama never seen before that tells both Obama's history and the history of Hawaii through his experiences. Comments from people who knew him and from people who knew his father. It is also incredibly "user friendly" as it is not a dry fact-history kind of book. It is chock full of photos and memorabilia and is in the category of a keepsake not just a book. Ron Jacobs did an amazing job of researching and collecting photos, stories and interviews and combined it all into a book that you want to show to all your friends and keep out on the coffee table for others to enjoy. I love it!

I loved the book. As I was born and raised in Hawaii and went to Punahou at the same time as Ron Jacobs, it brought back many memories of how it was growing up in the fifties. My two daughters also graduated from Punahou, one in '78 and one in '80, so they were on each side of Obama. Seeing in print the way Hawaii was then really was amazing. Ron did a great job putting this together.

I can certainly see how Obama felt being a black person at Punahou as I am Jewish, although I didn't find out until graduation, that I was the token Jewish girl in my class of 208. I can remember going to my college counseling session in May of my senior year. I had been accepted to UCLA, and the counselor said, "Where are you going to live? There are no dorms at UCLA (1955)." I said I planned to pledge a sorority and live in a sorority house. The counselor said, "You can't pledge a sorority, you aren't white".

As it turned out, UCLA was restricted at that time, however there were three Jewish sororities out of twenty three and I was fortunate to pledge AEPhi, which was my first choice. The Gentile sorority houses did not welcome Jewish girls and there were no black sorority houses.

To give an idea of the times, Raefer Johnson, the decathlon champion of the world was a student at UCLA. He had nowhere to live on campus and one of the Jewish fraternities let him live in their house, liked him so much, they made him a brother. At that point they nearly got thrown out of their national fraternity for pledging a black man. Raefer was threatened with lynching, should he ever attend one of the fraternity's Southern chapters.

I can't even imagine the trials and tribulations Barry must have gone through, however what doesn't kill you makes you stronger....obviously. Fortunately Obama did not go to college until the 80's.

I did not go on to become famous, however Ron Jacobs and I have remained friends for over 50 years and when the book came out, that first day, Ron called me up, I drove to his house in Kaneohe and he autographed Book One to me....I will treasure it always....

Prior to a recent visit to Oahu, I was looking for reading material regarding the island and learned that "Obamaland" was the current best-seller there. Since I was curious to learn more about our new president, as well as Oahu, I got it.

My first perusal was spent scanning the very impressive photos and graphics, then I went back through and read the text. It was far more than I had hoped for. I learned a great deal about the island, which was instrumental in helping us craft our itinerary for our most enjoyable trip. Equally as valuable was gaining an understanding of our remarkable 44th President the mainstream media has not at all demonstrated. Ron Jacobs' knowledge and ability to communicate on each of these subject should be supremely valuable to anyone of any level of interest.

Whether one is seeking a masterfully written history, a travel guide or an amazing pictorial, Obamaland is a masterpiece.

Jacobs on page four, just above the mysterious numerals, the author has inscribed, "Liber per interregnum atque cum mundulis editus."

If my cobwebbed Latin gray drive serves me, it has something to do with, being free and clean when editing a book.

In some ways Ron Jacobs is a Mongrel Literary Savant. He has ravaged the brains of some of Hawaii's most powerful and creative beings to comment for inclusion in this work. Think of Jacobs as an amalgam of a berobed Don at Oxford teaching History shod in rubber slippers, Hunter S. Thompson, Don Rickles, and Avram Noam Chomsky.

Jacobs work, "ObamaLand: WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?" is a study regarding the formative years of our 44th President.

It is a new form of media. It even smells new. Not really a book--hard cover or soft--rather it sort of looks like a magazine one might find alongside "Connoisseur" or "Architectural Digest." It is befittingly printed in the United States on fine paper with excellent photographs and graphics.

Jacobs' use of the language sometimes borders on the poetic yet always with the echoes and overtones of academia. His journalistic "Local Knowledge" is the among the best in the state. If you want to know just about anything about Hawai'i, Jacobs either knows it, has it on his computers, or can find out for you ... for a price. Not always of course, but one must remember Jacobs is a Master Merchant of Media.

Anyone interested in tasting the times of Barack Obama's formative years in Hawai'i must have this book.

At only twenty dollars (New), it is a bargain and you will be hard pressed to put it down. After reading it, you will feel like you have a personal relationship with our 44th President and an increased respect for the insight and talent the former Marathoner: Ron Jacobs.

Whenever Ron Jacobs pours his heart and soul into a media project, the result is a legendary, timeless classic. "Obamaland: Who is Barack Obama?" became a classic masterpiece the moment it left the presses.

Jacobs and a host of island luminaries give us rare and personal glimpses into the world of the 44th President of the United States. From the diversity of his Island roots to his youthful dalliance with Hawaii's budding '70s drug subculture, the reader acquires a better sense of who Barack Obama is. Full of eye-candy photos and enough vintage Hawaiian memorabilia to give eBay's search engine a supreme workout, you will thumb through this book over and over again.

At this crucial turning point in American History, Ron Jacobs' "Obamaland: Who Is Barack Obama?" is a fantastic and fun journey through the birthplace of our 44th President. With `LIFE Magazine' quality photographs, Jacobs, a Hawaiian native himself, has crafted not just a interesting tome of insights, but a tale told from the perspective of someone who truly loves and respects the history and culture of our 50th state...and even founded the Association for the Preservation Of Hawaiiana Online (APHO). Jacobs is a master storyteller, documentarian and historian whose keen observation of Barack Obamaa and his connection with and to Hawaii make it a `must read' for anyone interested in this unique man's road to the Presidency. The day I got it, I couldn't put it down...I read it cover to cover. It now holds a place of honor on my coffee table.

Fantastic. A true collection of stories, recollections...an acurate picture of the Hawaiian influences - the spirit of aloha - that helped shape the President of the United States of America. A time capsule brilliantly describing Obama's Hawaii...right down to the music playing on the radio and in the clubs of the time. A must-buy!

What a fun read. Not only is Ron Jacobs informative in this book, but the book and included information is highly entertaining.

It is quite interesting to look at Obama's roots, that Jacobs presents in such an entertaining style.

It's a look at the man, his life growing up, and the Hawaiian culture that influnces his decisions to this very day.

I couldn't recommend this book any higher. It's an easy, fun, and informative read.

Jacobs is sharpe with his writing and research craft.

Tom Tourville

Obamaland was fantastic and so full of surprises! Living here in Hawaii, I'm familiar with most of the places listed and I loved all the connections (here in Hawaii we only have 3 degrees of separation instead of 6)and am old enough to remember a lot of the people mentioned. It also made a great gift to proudly show off our native son (literally) to mainland friends and family. The pictures, graphics, lists and commentaries were right on!

What a treat! Or as we say in Hawaii, "Good Fun!"
Ron Jacobs has put together a compilation of stories, photos, even poems and original art, that traces the origins of President Obama. We are given new insight into how President Obama might have become the amazing man that he is.
At the same time, we get a bit of modern history of Hawaii, and a portrait of Punahou Academy.
Something for everyone, Hawaii's locals will find it to be a trip down memory lane, others will find it a behind the scenes look at the "real" Hawaii.
I highly recommend this book. As others have said, it is a book to set out, keep, and buy for friends.