I don't agree with a lot of the policies that Barack Obama championed when he was President of the United States, but I have an tremendous amount of respect for him and learned a lot by reading this first of a two part memoir series. I found his early story very interesting and impressive, as he climbed up from his unique childhood to the highest office in the free world. The stories he shares of his first few years in office provide a new lens on some of the biggest issues that faced the world during a global financial crisis, and also insight into the process of passing his controversial healthcare reform law without bipartisan support, which immediately became a rallying cry for Republicans.