Reading for Better
Recommended by3 books

Barack Obama

44th President of the United States

Barack Obama published reading lists throughout his presidency and after, and they became the closest thing publishing has to a national book club. His non-fiction picks lean toward the sweep of history and institutions, plus memoirs of self-invention. These are his picks from the index.

3
Books picked
1,339
Total pages
~27h
Reading time
  1. 01
    Cover of Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

    Sapiens

    Yuval Noah Harari·443 pp
    Why Barack rates itObama recommended Harari's history of the species in 2016, praising the way it pulls the camera all the way back from daily politics.
  2. 02
    Cover of Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson

    Why Nations Fail

    Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson·544 pp
    Why Barack rates itHe picked up Acemoglu and Robinson's book on a 2012 holiday, in the middle of national arguments about inequality and why institutions matter.
  3. 03
    Cover of Educated by Tara Westover

    Educated

    Tara Westover·352 pp
    Why Barack rates itWestover's memoir made his 2018 favourites list: a story about how far education can carry someone, and what it costs.
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