Barack Obama
It is only natural the main character of the book is Barack Obama, who wrote the book and about whom this book is about. Originally a community organizer in Chicago, Illinois - and later a Senator for the State - Obama quickly rose through the political ranks to become the United States' first African-American President, a position which he was elected to twice (first in 2008 and then in 2012).
Though this book - the first in a planed two-volume set - ends in 2011, right at the end of his first term, Obama reflects on his Presidency. In his own words, he wrote the book to "provide an honest accounting of my presidency, the forces we grapple with as a nation, and how we can heal our divisions and make democracy work for everybody".
Osama bin Laden
One of Obama's cornerstone achievements as President occurred when he ordered the killing of terrorist and mass-murderer Osama bin Laden. bin Laden, who was the insidious mastermind behind the disastrous attacks on September 11th, 2001 in the United States, also created the terrorist group al-Qaeda.
Obama's Family
The three most important people in Barack's life are his family: his wife Michelle, and his daughters Malia and Sasha. As he explains in the book, Obama made every effort to ensure his children had as normal a childhood as they could. Family, in other words, is incredibly important to Obama.
