Of Books and Leadership

From Books, New President Found Voice

I recall a post not that long ago by Jen at Jen's Book Thoughts which mentioned Obama's ardent book reading. Now, this article from the N.Y. Times detailing the scope of those readings. From fiction and poetry, to history and philosophy. It is very clear, as the writer cites biographer Fred Kaplan in comparing the two: like Mr. Obama, Lincoln "was a lifelong lover of books, indelibly shaped by his reading — most notably, in his case, the Bible and Shakespeare — which honed his poetic sense of language and his philosophical view of the world."

I find Obama's breadth in reading material very comforting. If it's any reflection upon the man, that capacity for learning, appreciation of knowledge, and self-examination (something his lame predecessor lacked in droves) offers us a sea change in leadership during a time we need it the most. We have not seen the bottom of this crisis yet--not in financial terms, nor do we know the extent of the damage in eight years of corrupt governance. When all of these are revealed, we're going to need the same calm direction and the skill Lincoln used to "galvanize a nation reeling from hard times with a new vision of reconciliation and hope."