Customer Reviews

The Plan: Barack Obama's Promise to America and His Plan for the Economy, Iraq, Healthcare, and More

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was a big let down. I wanted something that was written by the president, but instead this book was a collection speeches that he has said about these topics. Then after every speech someone else writes a dumbed down version of what the speech was about. They even refer to the president in the third person saying things like, "President Obama says..." Or, "what the president means..."
If you want a collection of speeches that the president didn't write in a book that wasn't written by the president then this book is for you. If you want something that was actually written by the president look elsewhere.

I'm a political junky, so I loved the book. If you like to follow politics, this book is a must have. I'm not sure there has ever been a book like this, where a president is willing to let the whole nation be reminded of his campaign promises. This is the kind of transparency I've been waiting 8 years for. Thanks. Five Stars.

I read a previous review that implied Obama was "willing" to put this info out there. The truth is, he may have wanted it "out there" during the campaign, but now that he's president, he may not. Maybe the release of this book will finally help keep a politician honest.

This book is the perfect combination of Barack Obama's actual words and his written agenda for the United States. Each chapter covers starts out with a quote or excerpt from a speech relevant to the topic. Then it really gets into the meat of it. As I first read through the book, I thought, "wow, these campaign promises are huge". But I realized that he is already following through on many of them.

If you get this book, you'll have his plan right in your hands. You can flip to any topic: the war, veterans, urban planning, etc, and look at what his goals are for the country. As bills and legislation are passed, you will know if he got all that he wanted and where he had to make compromises. It's a very interesting concept for a book.

We actually got him elected, and now we get to read about what Obama plans and hopes to do as president - even more than what we heard during the election. It's well organized, well thought-out, and contains a lot of great information. The book is like having a sneak peek inside Obama's head into what he's really thinking, what he believes. It's much, much more than I realized based on listening to his speeches. The man is a real visionary. I knew he was going for "change", but now I know exactly what that meant in detailed explanations. It's surprising, after following the campaign so closely, at how much I didn't know about his vision. He has some very lofty goals detailed in this book, and I really hope we can see many of them come to life.

"The Plan" is an outstanding detail of Barack Obama's policy proposals. The information is presented in a very straightforward way that is easy to understand and not bogged down with rhetoric. Each section describes his plans a goals for a particular issue, then the specifics are presented with bullet points and short paragraphs that make it easy to read and glance through.

It's really nice to have a book that lays out the policies of the sitting presidents, and it's interesting to note some of the areas where he is already making head-way and delivering on those promises. For example, the healthcare fund that he has already secured money for and the green car initiative for government owned vehicles.

If there was a way to put this book on the coffee tables of homes throughout the country, we would have a better chance of holding him and the congress to these commitments.

Now that the campaign is over, the conventions are done, the speeches that brought us to tears and rallied our country are fewer, Barack Obama must begin to meet the challenges our country faces in real way that involves so much more than inspiration alone.

For anyone who thought Obama was all talk and no substance, this book will set them straight. It discloses all of the plans and the agenda Obama wants to put forth for the country. Instead of a book of speeches, this is a book of well thought-out plans and policies. It's a quick and easy read of what we can look forward to in this president.

It's broken down into four sections:
Section 1- Restoring the Economy and Meeting Our National Obligations
a. Detailed outline of the Economic plan
b. Taxes and Tax Cuts
c. Fiscal Policy and the Deficit
d. Energy and the Environment
e. Science and Technology

Section 2- Improving the Lives of Americans
a. Healthcare
b. Education
c. Family and Women
d. Social Security and Medicare

Section 3- Protecting the Nation and Restoring American Values
a. Iraq
b. Nuclear Threats and Terrorism
c. Foreign Policy
d. Homeland Security
e. Defense

Section 4- Improving Our Communities
a. Veterans
b. Civil Rights
c. Poverty
d. Rural and Urban Planning
e. Community Service
f. Disabilities
g. Immigration

This small book gives a good picture of where President Obama formed his political ideas. He has been down in the trenches working in non-profits with the neediest in our nation. His jargon and planning style are typically that of non-profits. This book shows that he is the first president of our country to really understand what is going on where the majority live. It proves he is not from the minority upper class that is so out of touch with what the rest of us are going through. This is where his hope comes from; the place where changes can be made.

The details included in this book surpassed my expectations. When you think about a published agenda for a president, it's easy to envision a bunch of rhetoric. I like to hear Obama speak as much as anyone (well, maybe more than anyone), so I was expecting a book of speeches. Instead, the book is his actual plan as president, so it wasn't quite what I thought it would be, but it's a great book, and I'm glad I have it.

The book doesn't just say he wants to address clean energy. It tells you exactly how he plans to do it, and the specifics of what he wants to address. The book uses real dollar amounts, goals that include dates by which he wants to have things accomplished, and the specifics of the plan itself.

For example, the section on fuel efficiency states that he wants to:
Increase fuel economy standards by 4% each year
Put 1 million plug-in electric vehicles on the road by 2015 that get up to 150 miles per gallon
Provide a $7000 tax credit for the purchase of a clean vehicle
Convert the White House fleet to plug-ins
By 2012 half the cars purchased by the federal government will be plug-ins

That should give a decent example of what to expect. The book uses that level of detail for every topic you can think of. It's a great book to have handy.

This book provides a great opportunity to hear the voice Obama off the camera. Though several quotes and portions of a few speeches are included, what you get here is the intelligence we finally have in the White House. You get to see what kind of change he wants in so many areas that weren't covered in-depth in the debates or in sound bites on the nightly news. His plans are very impressive. After reading this book, I'm even more hopeful about turning the country around.