The riddle of Barack Obama: a psychobiography: XA-GB

The Riddle of Barack Obama: A Psychobiography is the first complete psychological biography of President Barack Obama written by a professional clinical psychologist. Covering Obama's life to date, as well as the lives of his parents, grandparents, and other ancestors, this fascinating volume illuminates the personal, professional, political, emotional, intellectual, and creative aspects of Obama's personality, as well as the motives--conscious and unconscious--for his beliefs and actions.Dr. Avner Falk draws on hundreds of biographies, newspaper and magazine articles, interviews, investigative reports, and more, using psychoanalytic models developed by Sigmund Freud, Donald Winnicott, Peter Blos, Heinz Kohut, and Schiffer to probe Obama's psychological development. Examining every facet of the president's biography, he delves into his earliest feelings of abandonment and helplessness, his inner conflicts, his protective relationship with his mother, his ambivalent identification with his father, and his quest for identity. Perhaps most intriguingly, Dr. Falk explores the psychological origins of Obama's "fierce ambitions" and the ingredients of his charisma. An internationally noted clinical psychologist offers readers the first psychological biography of Barack Obama.The Riddle of Barack Obama: A Psychobiography is the first complete psychological biography of President Barack Obama written by a professional clinical psychologist. Covering Obama's life to date, as well as the lives of his parents, grandparents, and other ancestors, this fascinating volume illuminates the personal, professional, political, emotional, intellectual, and creative aspects of Obama's personality, as well as the motives—conscious and unconscious—for his beliefs and actions.Dr. Avner Falk draws on hundreds of biographies, newspaper and magazine articles, interviews, investigative reports, and more, using psychoanalytic models developed by Sigmund Freud, Donald Winnicott, Peter Blos, Heinz Kohut, and Schiffer to probe Obama's psychological development. Examining every facet of the president's biography, he delves into his earliest feelings of abandonment and helplessness, his inner conflicts, his protective relationship with his mother, his ambivalent identification with his father, and his quest for identity. Perhaps most intriguingly, Dr. Falk explores the psychological origins of Obama's'fierce ambitions'and the ingredients of his charisma. The Riddle of Barack Obama: A Psychobiography is the first complete psychological biography of President Barack Obama written by a professional clinical psychologist. Covering Obama's life to date, as well as the lives of his parents, grandparents, and other ancestors, this fascinating volume illuminates the personal, professional, political, emotional, intellectual, and creative aspects of Obama's personality, as well as the motives—conscious and unconscious—for his beliefs and actions. Dr. Avner Falk draws on hundreds of biographies, newspaper and magazine articles, interviews, investigative reports, and more, using psychoanalytic models developed by Sigmund Freud, Donald Winnicott, Peter Blos, Heinz Kohut, and Schiffer to probe Obama's psychological development. Examining every facet of the president's biography, he delves into his earliest feelings of abandonment and helplessness, his inner conflicts, his protective relationship with his mother, his ambivalent identification with his father, and his quest for identity. Perhaps most intriguingly, Dr. Falk explores the psychological origins of Obama's "fierce ambitions" and the ingredients of his charisma The Riddle of Barack Obama......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 1. “Gramps” and “Toot”......Page 22 2. A Girl Named Stanley......Page 30 3. A Paternal Grandfather Named “The Terror”......Page 38 4. A Narcissistic and Self-Destructive Father......Page 42 5. The Fatherless Child and His Unhappy Mother......Page 60 6. A Stepfather from Indonesia......Page 68 7. Protecting His Mother......Page 72 8. Adolescence and the Quest for Identity......Page 102 9. In His Father’s Footsteps......Page 120 10. Name Change and Identity Struggle......Page 126 11. The Community as Family......Page 138 12. Outdoing His Father......Page 178 13. Michelle: Mentor, Lover, Wife, and Mother......Page 214 14. Marriage: The New Family......Page 224 15. Fatherhood and Politics......Page 228 16. A Humiliating Defeat......Page 244 17. Fierce Ambitions......Page 250 18. Th e Audacity of Ambition......Page 268 19. Abandoning Another “Bad Father”......Page 272 20. Obama’s Charisma......Page 280 21. Repairing “Mother America”......Page 290 22. A Happy Conclusion......Page 304 References......Page 324 Index......Page 348 Not Since Lincoln, Whose Style President Obama Clearly Resembles, Has A President Captivated A Nation With The Possible Exception Of John Kennedy. It Is Interesting That Kennedy Was Also Considered To Be A Right Brain/left Brain Individual As This Field Of Brain Lateralization Was Just Getting Serious. This Offers An Insightful Account And Analysis Of Obama's Meteoric Rise And Unprecedented Mass Appeal To The American People. Gramps And Toot -- A Girl Named Stanley -- A Paternal Grandfather Named The Terror -- A Narcissistic And Self-destructive Father -- The Fatherless Child And His Unhappy Mother -- A Stepfather From Indonesia -- Protecting His Mother -- Adolescence And The Quest For Identity -- In His Father's Footsteps -- Name Change And Identity Struggle -- The Community As Family -- Outdoing His Father -- Michelle : Mentor, Lover, Wife, And Mother -- Marriage : The New Family -- Fatherhood And Politics -- A Humiliating Defeat -- Fierce Ambitions -- The Audacity Of Ambition -- Abandoning Another Bad Father -- Obama's Charisma -- Repairing Mother America -- A Happy Conclusion. Avner Falk. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.