I recently read Sen. Obama's first book that he wrote after
law school.

This is a rare book by a politician who wrote it before entering politics. Obviously, you see the candor that is refreshing. He wouldn't have written the same book as a politician.

Sen. Obama is  a good writer. He wrote quite impressively at a number of places. You cannot read this book and be impressed with at least some of the things that he writes about.  I know quite well on a personal level about some of the experiences that he writes about. : third world, living as an outsider etc...

Obviously, it is his book. he sets the tone. he selects what he writes about and what he excludes. I suspect that he included most even some uncomfortable ones. A career
politician would not have not that.

My impressions :

1. Sen. Obama is a fortunate person with a mother, grand parents. (Gramps  and Toot). His mother comes across as quite impressive person. Sen. Obama owes his gift of language to his mom. Those English lessons that she taught
in early Indonesian mornings really made the man he is today. Gramps and Toot : What a wonderful people  !
They loved Sen. Obama very much. Sen. Obama is probably wrong when he said his grandmother is a 'typical' white woman. I guess that a typical white woman of 1960s is much different from 'Toot' Sen. Obama writes about.
Even his Indonesian stepfather Lolo loved Sen. Obama.
He taught him a thing or too to fight back..

If you look in Sen. Obama's face, you can see traces of his
grandfather (Gramps) army picture in the book.

Unfortunately, Sen. Obama's biological father whom he met only once comes across as rather complicated. He never
took care of Sen. Obama but his Kenyan relatives speak of him as a person given to sharing and kindness. He acted quite selfishly by abandoning an young mother and baby to
go to Harvad. Sen. Obama writes about this with a hint of
anger until he goes to visit his Kenyan family.

2. He chose to be an African American firmly at some point in Occidental college years in LA.  After that, you could see a gradual change in him - a sort of self awareness.
Perhaps, he recognized that the larger soceity sees him
as African American.

2. Community work in Chicago : 
    He was recruited into community work by Marty Feldman/Friedman  (SP?)
    The 3 years that he spent in Chicago doing community work are an eye opening experience to Sen. Obama.  This starts as a disappointing thing but he spends 3 years with some achievements to speak of. The woman of
community projects : they are impressive in their survival.
Your heart aches for all these black woman with kids and no father and you cannot but admire their will to survive despite the daily struggle.

Until Chicago years, he led a carefree/prosaic life, not much different from average Joe. You donot see the high minded high school/College Hillary in him. No visits to hear civil rights leaders or attempts to integrate your church etc...

3. His Kenyan stepsister and stepbrother visits during his
    Chicago years. His stepsister Auma is the link to Sen. Obama to his Kenyan relatives. She is quite impresive.

4. His visit to Kenya: He writes about Kenyan relatives in
    an understanding manner. For me, here is where he revealed his true heart. He didn't look down on their plight.
 He writes about them with a heart. at times he is too indulgent.

If I take some liberty and deduce from this book: Sen. Obama is likely to be fairly liberal - quite left of the center. He is likely to pro grovernment. A Sort of GWBush of the
left ? But, he also displays an open mind to listen.  If GWBush has a thin resume before WH, Sen. Obama has even thinner resume but much much much better life experiences.. though. Hopefully, he will be different..left version...