Favorite Reads of President Obama

This week brought the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President of the United States. While many previous presidents have enjoyed reading, President Obama is especially regarded for being a devoted reader as well as author of two books. Lane Library is pleased to report that President Obama's favorite books are available for you to check out. As you will see from this list, the books that most influenced and inspired President Obama are an excellent sample of classic literature, philosophy and theology, as well as previous presidential writings.

Favorite Books

• Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (PS3563 .O8749 S6 1995)
• The Power and the Glory and The Quiet American by Graham Greene (PR6013 .R44 P6 1958 and PR6013 .R44 Q8 1982)
• Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois (E185.6 .D797 1993)
• The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing (PR6023 .E833 G6 1962)
• Cancer Ward by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (PG3488 .O4 R3 1969)
• In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck (PS3537 .T3234 I5 1963)
• Power Broker by Robert Caro (NA9085 .M68 C37 1975)
• Working by Studs Terkel (HD8072 .T4 1985)
• Wealth of Nations and Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith (HB161 .S66914 1995 and BJ1005 .S642t)
• All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (PS3545 .A748 A7 2005)
• For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway (PS3515 .E37 F6 1940)
  
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville (PS2384 .M6 1999)
• Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch (E185.61 .B7914 1989)
  
• Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (E457.45 .G66 2005)
• Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria (Bestseller CB161 .Z34 2008)

With his daughters, President Obama has read all seven of the Harry Potter books (Juvenile PZ7 .R79835). Elizabeth Alexander, a poet and friend of President Obana, did a reading at his inauguration (PS153 .N5 B28 1991 and PS3503 .R7244 A6 2005).

Favorite Authors

A search in Lane Library's catalog for the following authors is another way to find some of President Obama's favorite reads.

• Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Thomas Jefferson
• Mark Twain
• Abraham Lincoln
• James Baldwin
• Friedrich Nietzsche
• Reinhold Niebuhr
• Paul Tillich
• William Shakespeare
• E.L. Doctorow
• Philip Roth

Finally, President Obama has written two books himself: Dreams From My Father (E185.97 .O23 A3 2004) and Audacity of Hope (E901.1 .O23 A3 2006).

We hope you come to Lane Library and check out one of these inspiring books!