No matter what your politics, no one can deny the impact that Barack Obama has had on the election, on politics, and on our political views. Whoever comes out victorious, the election of 2008 will be one for the ages.

Politics can be extremely confusing, especially for the lay person not well versed in bipartisan politics, electoral votes, electronic voting machines, and primary elections. Most of us only know that gas is too high, many schools are no longer safe. The main focus for many of us is keeping the mortgage paid and keeping food in the house. Barack Obama has been seen as a candidate who will change politics and give the American people a new sense of unity and hope. He is seen as a serious contender for the White House especially after the Iowa caucuses and impressive showing in New Hampshire.

For those interested in discovering more about Senator Barack Obama, there are some very good books about the Presidential hopeful.

There are a number of books written by Obama himself detailing his his life and his politics. These books include, “Dreams of My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance”, “Barack Obama in His Own Words”, and the latest book “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.”

“The Audacity of Hope” published last November has Obama calling for a new kind of politics. The book build upon his ideal that there are shared understandings between most Americans that pull us together as a country and a people.

The book has garnered praise from critics and it is on the New York Times best seller list. Michael Kabulani of the Times praised “The Audacity of Hope” for taking political opinions and writing about them in practical, common language. Michael Kazin of the Washington Post stated that Senator Obama has a talent for presenting very human and very sensible solutions to the current problems in the country. Mr. Kazin calls Obama’s prose “uplifting and elegant”.

One of the points Obama makes in this book is the need to have a government that represents how Americans really live. This would be the only way for the government to properly serve the people. He asserts that the government would have to “be constructed from the best of our traditions”. This would bring about an understanding of where our problems come from. He believes that once that understanding comes about, we will realize that we are all bonded as Americans, apart from race, creed or color. This is the heart of the book, moving beyond divisions and working together to tackle societal problems and unify the country.

An attractive aspect of this book is the call for a new type of politics “rooted in the faith inclusiveness, and nobility of the spirit” that is the basis of democracy. There is also the very honest way Obama speaks about his life and family. The positive and hopeful outlook that makes the Senator such an engaging political candidate is evident in “The Audacity of Hope”.

For those who are interested in more background information on Barack Obama, there is the biography “Obama--From Promise to Power” by David Mendel. This more “literary” piece details Obama’s life and political career. Having covered Obama since the beginning of the campaign, David Mendel was granted a great deal of access to the presidential hopeful. This access results in an intimate portrait of Obama’s life. Through interviews with Obama, his aides, mentors, political adversaries and his family, the writer gives a close look at the man changing how so many people see politics and politicians.

No matter what your political views, these books will give you an insight into a fascinating new face on the political scene.