• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind

2

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

3

An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948

1

College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind

2

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

3

An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
Arts & Entertainmentsummer reading

Obama Just Told Us About Five More Books He Read This Summer, and Truth Is a Big Theme

By
Hallie Detrick
Hallie Detrick
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Hallie Detrick
Hallie Detrick
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 20, 2018, 5:30 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Barack Obama is back with a second round of summer reading recommendations for 2018.

In July, the former president released a list inspired by his first trip to Africa since the end of his presidency. Coming in the days after President Trump characterized the African continent as “vicious and violent,” Obama’s list of books by African authors was an implicit critique of the current president’s stance.

That critical undertone is not gone in Obama’s second summer reading list of 2018. In introducing his list, the former president said the books had “reaffirmed my faith in our ability to move forward together when we seek the truth,” an implicit critique of an administration that has been accused of peddling lies.

Here’s what Obama is reading right now:

Educated by Tara Westover

This book is a memoir of Westover’s education, from her faith-based childhood education at home to her Cambridge doctorate. Obama remarks at the “great understanding and love for the world she leaves behind” that Westover shows throughout the book.

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

Ondaatje tells the story of two children left in London by their parents during World War II. As one of the children remembers his adolescence and then tries to piece together the story of his parents, the book plays with the nature of memory and provides vivid images along the way. Obama calls it “a meditation on the lingering effects of war on family.”

A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul

Obama marked the passing of V.S. Naipaul in August by re-reading what he called the author’s “first great novel about growing up in Trinidad and the challenge of post-colonial identity.”

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

This novel describes the impact of wrongful conviction on a family after a husband is sent to jail for a sexual assault he didn’t commit. This may be a subtle suggestion that the “American carnage” approach to solving crime may not be the best one.

Factfulness by Hans Rosling

In the most-direct dig at President Trump, Obama closed off his list by recommending a hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases. Written by a Swedish physician and also endorsed by Bill Gates, Obama’s final pick stands out from the rest of his fiction and memoir picks.

About the Author
By Hallie Detrick
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

James Cameron tried to warn us: ‘Skynet Day’ is now shorthand for OpenAI’s agent going rogue and hacking into a startup
AIOpenAI
James Cameron tried to warn us: ‘Skynet Day’ is now shorthand for OpenAI’s agent going rogue and hacking into a startup
By Laurie Kellman, Lindsey Bahr and The Associated PressJuly 26, 2026
14 hours ago
The ‘White Lotus’ effect: How fabulous TV locations are reshaping luxury travel and infuriating locals
MagazineLuxury
The ‘White Lotus’ effect: How fabulous TV locations are reshaping luxury travel and infuriating locals
By Adam EraceJuly 26, 2026
18 hours ago
Why lotteries can make winning feel more valuable than buying
Arts & EntertainmentBusiness
Why lotteries can make winning feel more valuable than buying
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 26, 2026
22 hours ago
g
SuccessCrime
Gen Z ‘teen takeovers’ go from hijinks to shootings, theft and vandalism. Blame ‘adolescent brain development’
By Safiyah Riddle, Corey Williams and The Associated PressJuly 25, 2026
2 days ago
m
Commentarydisruption
The Messi Test and how the Spaniards messed with it: what the World Cup final taught me about the jobs AI can’t touch
By Bhaskar ChakravortiJuly 25, 2026
2 days ago
Capital One’s big bet on baseball—and why they think it can help win the credit card loyalty wars
Arts & EntertainmentCapital One Financial
Capital One’s big bet on baseball—and why they think it can help win the credit card loyalty wars
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 25, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
Economy
College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 26, 2026
22 hours ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
2 days ago
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
Success
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 25, 2026
2 days ago
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
Commentary
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
By Austin SaratJuly 26, 2026
22 hours ago
Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
Middle East
Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
By Jason MaJuly 25, 2026
2 days ago
Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes to reduce strain on the beleaguered electrical grid
Environment
Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes to reduce strain on the beleaguered electrical grid
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 25, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.