Overall, what did you think of Becoming?

Overall, what did you think of Becoming?

I thought the book and Michelle Obama are amazing. When I think of living influential women who inspire me, Michelle Obama occupies a position right up there with Gloria Steinem, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor. I guess it's no surprise that someone who would excel in academics and in life would be so skilled with the written word. "Becoming" was informative without being stuffy, casual without being chatty and so well-crafted into the three sections.

I'm usually disdainful of political biographies, but Becoming certainly is exceptional. In clear and forceful language Michelle Obama engulfs us into her worlds (well, most of them) and through then shares insights and wisdom on a wide range of subjects. The most surprising aspect is her realistic view of her own abilities and contributions. She's neither falsely modest nor overly braggadocio. By the time I finished the book, which is a pretty fast read, I felt as if I had just had a wonderful conversation a friend.

I completely agree with everything Paulak said. I loved the book, the writing and the personal tone. And I love Michelle.

I’m still reading it as I got it late. I am enjoying it and I too liked that she never bragged and surely had reason to. She came from such humble beginnings as most of us did but worked hard, listened to her own voice and look where she ended up. Kudos.

I love Michelle Obama and I loved her book....She is class act and it came through in her writing...

I liked the book. It was very readable. I must say that I enjoyed the section on her early years more than the last half dealing with her husband as President. I felt that I knew many of the things she wrote about and it was reliving what I knew. But I did really like learning about her life as a child in Chicago, life as a young woman and the family dynamics at play. She is clearly very intelligent but she also had parents who were very nurturing and supportive. I especially found the part when she was in second grade and had a bad teacher interesting. Her mother was pro active in her education and this made a difference in her life.

I found her memoir astounding. She writes with such honesty, passion, and love. She lays her feelings about her miscarriage, the death of her father and Suzanne, and the difficulties in her marriage. She is also very funny and clear-eyed about trying to balance a career and motherhood. Becoming is a tribute to her parents, her own ambitions, her focus and her love for her husband and daughters. I loved this memoir.

This is a fabulous, informative and uplifting book. I always had a good impression of Michelle Obama and this book enhanced it.
I felt that Michelle really shared herself with her readers and offered an intimate look at her life.

I loved the book. Some biographies with political content start out interesting and then tend to become rather dry. Mrs. Obama’s book held my interest throughout her story. I felt I really got to know her and have gained a lot of admiration after hearing her story. So many political biographies descend into “and then I did/met...” hers did not.

I could not have loved this book more than I did. It was presented in such a way that when you were finished, you had full knowledge of what made Michelle tick. She always did the right thing and was a good girl growing up. The good influence of her parents and relatives were her support systems. Her working class parents were intelligent people who instilled in her the moral compass that was necessary to achieve greatness. I remember the sequence where, when growing up, a black friend of hers asked her why she spoke like a white girl. She was taught to speak correctly. This will remain at the top of my favorite books for a long time to come. Thank you.

Beautifully done

I have always thought Michelle Obama is intelligent, well-educated and hard working. It was interesting to learn about her family background. The book was well written. I listened to the audio book and it was pleasant to hear her read it also.

It was refreshing to read someone so involved in politics and, she was, write a book that is not a mea culpa, or an excoriating attack on those who weren't friends. It was not accusatory or blaming, nor was it an apology. It was a memoir focused on Michele and her experiences from earliest childhood through young womanhood, from young career woman to a woman in love, from a newlywed to a mother, from a wife to a position of impossible prominence on the world stage. It was like meeting a new friend and over time getting to know her through revelations of the stages of her life. It was easy and still thought provoking. I could not read it in one sitting--I needed to absorb the new revelations of her attitudes throughout her life. To absorb the similarities of my own experiences and hers at every step--except the one where her husband stepped into public service--that is where our paths truly digressed. Yet, even then, our husbands both still leave their socks wherever they take them off. That was refreshing,

I loved it. I could hear her voice coming through so clearly. And I appreciate her willingness to share so many of her private thoughts with us.

I think Michelle Obama is fantastic. Her book is so like her. I love how she tells us about her early life and how she met Barack. Some interactions of the young Michelle with her family mirror criticism in her public life of "acting white.". She's an educated woman, what do people expect? This book is a keeper. Remember, it's titled Becoming...she's not done yet.

This was such a wonderful book. It was well written and the descriptive words made it feel like you were there at times. She was open and honest about her struggles and successes. I would love to spend time with her.

I really enjoyed it. She writes very well. She is very honest about her life and her family. It was like having a chat with a friend.

I loved, loved this book! It was so well written and I learned so much about her background, thoughts, ideas, etc. I usually never read memoirs of people in the political arena, but I was so interested in her that I made an exception and was totally impressed. She is a wonderful writer and I so admire her and only wish I could sit down and talk with her. She is a fabulous role model for all women - everyone needs to read this book and I have been recommending it to everyone.

Such an insightful and enlightening book about life in the "public" and all its implications. I had no idea how the Obama's had to live. Michelle has always been one of my favorite First Ladies and now I feel I know her even better. The book is very well written and I felt like I was right in the moment with her and her girls. It's tough being a "single parent" yet she never lost sight of her responsibilities as a mother. Barack, you are one lucky guy to have this beautiful woman in your life!

I loved the book. I have always admired Michelle and do even more so after reading her memoir, filled with honesty and inspiration. I felt I really got to know what Michelle was/is beyond her public life and image, and I found a woman who, like all of us, has had her share of the ups and downs in life. She has shown us that "becoming"is always a work in progress.

I really enjoyed this book. I will admit that I also listened to it since Michelle Obama reads it herself. I thought it was well organized, well written and gave you just enough insight and information without too much details.

I was very impressed with the book, and I look forward to read it a second time. I recommended to my book club and we will be discussing it later this year. Hence, I will read it again in order to lead the discussion. I was touched by some of the descriptions of her emotions especially about her father's death and good friend Suzanne. I actually found myself tearing up several times while reading the book. How she ever survived and thrived for eight years while in the White House is astounding. She came out stronger than she ever was. I have always admired her and I am so glad I read this book.

Thoroughly enjoyed the book. She is an amazing person and exemplifies good values. Inspiring for those less fortunate.

Extremely well written and an interesting read.she delineated the conflict that comes with becoming a public figure and yet remained true to herself.

A big thanks to Book Browse for this opportunity and the beautifully packaged complimentary copy of Becoming. What a wonderful way to start a new year - a year already rife with political upheaval and chaos. Reading Michelle Obama's memoir felt a bit nostalgic, very revealing, and not surprisingly - inspirational. Her account of the transition to life in the White House was heart warming and educational. I will admit that I did not know much about her prior to this book so Becoming filled in many gaps for me. I am such a fan even more now than I was before. She seems determined NOT to enter politics again but we sure could use her. I followed up the book by listening to her interview with Oprah Winfrey, attempting (without success) to get tickets to her book tour, and buying a t-shirt from her website: "When they go low, we go high." Words to truly live by. Thank you!

I liked Becoming. It was skillfully written, with interesting information showing so much unknown White House proceedings as well as the day-to-day presidential family activities. I enjoyed learning about Michelle’s early years; I found I knew nothing about her professional life. This book was well edited which made it a joy to read.

I too loved this book. I do not read many auto-biography type books but this one grabbed me from the beginning and I finished it in record time. I liked her before the book, especially the quote "when they go low, we go high". I like her even more now and feel I understand her better. She is a good writer.

I'm in the minority here. While I certainly didn't hate the book, I've always found M. Obama to be a dynamic speaker and I found parts of this book really slow. I wished the first two sections had been edited down. I was also disappointed in some of my discoveries, such as the fact that when M. Obama wanted to introduce a healthy diet to her own children, she hired a private chef. While she admitted that this was a luxury, I think it's a bit disingenuous to expect other people to create healthier meals for their children when she didn't explore how to do this on her own. I enjoyed aspects of the last third of the book, including some of the "insider" details about the White House and Obama's presidency.

I thoroughly enjoyed her story and the way she expressed it. I feel like I have gotten a wonderful glimpse into her life and it left me wanting to know what is planning to do next. After reading Becoming and watching Carpool Karaoke, there's one thing I do know—she is definitely someone I would love to hang out with and share ideas.

I like and admire Michelle Obama tremendously; even though her life started in a very poor part of Chicago she had loving, caring parents and extended family who where great examples for her brother and her. From an early age she had this drive and desire to suckseed, like when in her senior year she saw the school counselor who told her she was not good material for Princeton and she walked out of the counselors office telling herself “ I’ll show you.”
We learned how she met Barrack and how their love grew, having their two girls, the inside workings of the white house, and so much more I loved this book and I love both the Obama’s.

I thoroughly enjoyed her authentic voice and her ability to admit her failures and fears. She took her celebrity status and pulled back the curtains so we could see the human being she is. That took a lot of courage and grace. Her career experience was also a good reminder that a successful career path may not be straight and that is okay ... it is more important to be open to curves and to utilize a good support system if it is available.

I loved the book. We had the opportunity to see her on stage during her book tour and she is excellent in person, too. It’s inspiring to hear and read the story of her journey.

One thing I would have liked more of is encouragement for others to live into their own “becoming,” as she has. Her appearance on stage began with several ordinary people stepping up and saying “I am becoming....” This part was very powerful and I know it’s an underlying concept for her, but I would have liked part of the final chapters to include something like “this is how I am becoming into my life, and you can do the same in your life.”

What an amazing, well written book! I feel like I have made a new friend. The glimpses into Michelle Obama's were down to earth and honest. I connected with many parts of her life and laugh and cried with her.

I savored every word of this book, so much so that I was late in getting to this discussion! If you loved Michelle Obama before reading Becoming, you will love her ten-fold after reading it!

One thing that kept running through my mind was how detailed her memories were, and how she recalled so much of the fast-paced life in the White House, as well as events and feelings from way back in her childhood. You can tell that she took time to write about everything in such a detailed and interesting way. It was very well written, and so very enjoyable to read. It made me wonder if she kept a diary either in childhood or during the presidency. If not, she has an amazing memory, despite all the details and ups and downs of it all!