The Former President’s New Podcast Explores the Books That Shaped His Thinking as a Young Man
Former President Barack Obama is bringing his longtime love of literature to the podcast world, adding another project to a post-presidency that has stretched across books, film, podcasts and the newly opened Obama Presidential Center.
A Great Book with Barack Obama will feature Obama discussing six books that helped shape his worldview, including works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and Cormac McCarthy.
The six-episode series, produced through Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground partnership with Audible, will debut exclusively on the platform Sept. 24.
“At a time when fewer people are able to sit down with a book, it’s important to remember the joy and power that can come from reading. And some books don’t just tell a story — they change the way we see the world,” Obama wrote while announcing the podcast.
Obama said he revisited books that made an impact on him as a young man and influenced how he thinks about “family, faith, race, politics, and America.”
“I invited some friends to explore why these books resonate, how they can shape our understanding of ourselves and each other, and why literature matters now more than ever,” he said.
From Podcasts to Movies and Books
The new series is not Obama’s first venture into podcasting.
In 2021, he co-hosted Renegades: Born in the USA with Bruce Springsteen, with the two discussing their lives, music and their views of America. Obama has also appeared on podcasts including IMO and Pivot.
His literary work has continued as well. Obama published his presidential memoir, A Promised Land, in 2020 after previously writing books including Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope.
Through Higher Ground, the Obamas have also expanded into film and television, backing documentaries, dramas, comedies and other projects while creating opportunities for Black storytellers and other filmmakers.
Obama Presidential Center Becomes Part of His Legacy
Obama’s second act has increasingly centered on the Obama Foundation and the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
The recently opened center includes a museum, public library, basketball court, plaza, playground, garden and other public spaces designed to serve the surrounding community while preserving Obama’s presidential legacy.
Speaking on All The Smoke with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson, Obama said much of his focus now is on supporting the next generation.
“Even though we’re getting kind of old, we can still inspire young people,” Obama said. “If we can find ways to lift up, support, inspire, shine a spotlight on the next generation of talent … that would be worth doing.”
“So that’s how I’ve been spending a lot of my time,” he added.
With A Great Book with Barack Obama, the former president is returning to one of the interests he has shared publicly for years — reading — while continuing to build a post-White House career increasingly defined by storytelling, culture and the institutions he hopes will outlast him.
