This episode is an audio version of my blog post A Promised Land by Barack Obama Summary.

My Favorite Quotes from A Promised Land

• Enthusiasm makes up for a host of deficiencies.


• The power to inspire is rare.


• You don’t choose the time, the time chooses you.


• People are moved by emotion, not facts.


• It is important to take the long view. To stay focused on your goals rather than getting hung up on the daily ups and downs.


• There is a direct link between doing your work and having your wishes come true.


• No problem that lands on the president’s desk has a clean one-hundred percent solution.


• Most presidents labor without knowing the economic impact of their actions.


• The absence of catastrophe, and the preservation of normalcy, do not attract attention.


• Having at least one contrarian in the room makes us think harder about the issues.


• Sometimes your most important work involves the stuff nobody notices.


• Resolve without foresight is worse than useless.


• To be known, to be heard, and to have one’s unique identity recognized and seen as worthy is a universal human desire.


• Getting things done means subjecting yourself to criticism. The alternative, playing it safe and avoiding controversy, is a recipe for mediocrity.