(CNN) — Barack Obama shared his current reading list in a Facebook post on Saturday, offering insight into what the former president is thinking about now that he is no longer in the White House. The list, which Obama describes as “admittedly a slightly heavier” one than he will be reading over the summer, includes a book titled “Why Liberalism Failed,” another by Mitch Landrieu, the former Democratic mayor of New Orleans, about confronting racism, and a report titled “Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life.” In what sounds like a warning, Obama wrote that the report from Rand Corp. is “a look at how a selective sorting of facts and evidence isn’t just dishonest, but self-defeating to a society that has always worked best when reasoned debate and practical problem-solving thrive.” On “Why Liberalism Failed” by Patrick Deneen, Obama wrote, “I don’t agree with most of the author’s conclusions, but the book offers cogent insights into the loss of meaning and community that many in the West feel, issues that liberal democracies ignore at their own peril.” The book Obama is reading by Landrieu, who is considered a potential 2020 prospect, is titled, “In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History.” Last year, Landrieu made headlines for a speech in support of removing Confederate monuments. In his Facebook post, Obama wrote that Landrieu delves into “some of the most painful parts of our history and how they still live in the present,” and called the book “an ultimately optimistic take from someone who believes the South will rise again not by reasserting the past, but by transcending it. Both Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush, regularly released reading lists while on vacation. Obama’s typically included a mix of literary fiction, biographies and historical accounts. Bush liked to consume presidential biographies, novels and even some young-adult titles. President Donald Trump, who has said he doesn’t have time to read books, has not released similar lists, although he has recommended several books individually to his Twitter followers. Other items on Obama’s list “Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging,” by Alex Wagner. “The New Geography of Jobs,” by Enrico Moretti. The 9.9 Percent Is the New American Aristocracy ,” by Matthew Stewart, The Atlantic. CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Hundreds of children arriving illegally at the US border have been separated from their families and placed in detention centers. Former US first lady Laura Bush wrote an op-ed condemning the zero-tolerance policy, but people on Twitter are wondering where other former US presidents are, and why they haven’t spoken publicly about the shelters. Barack Obama, for one, has been relatively quiet on social media of late, except to congratulate the hockey team the Washington Capitals for winning the Stanley Cup and to mourn the death of travel-show host Anthony Bourdain—and to let his former constituents know that he’s reading. In a Facebook post published on Saturday, Obama recommended some of the nonfiction he’s read recently, focused on government, inequality, and history, with one book that addresses immigration. Together the recommendations are an intellectual antidote to the current US president, who eschews reading. Here are the works featured on Obama’s list: Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging, by Alex Wagner (2018) Journalist Alex Wagner investigates a potential new twist in her family’s history. “What she came up with,” Obama writes, “is a thoughtful, beautiful meditation on what makes us who we are—the search for harmony between our own individual identities and the values and ideals that bind us together as Americans.” The New Geography of Jobs, by Enrico Moretti (2012) Economist Enrico Moretti argues that there are three Americas: brain-hub cities like Austin and Boston; cities once dominated by traditional manufacturing; and the cities in between. “Still a timely and smart discussion of how different cities and regions have made a changing economy work for them,” writes Obama, “and how policymakers can learn from that to lift the circumstances of working Americans everywhere.” Why Liberalism Failed, by Patrick J. Deneen (2018) Political scientist Patrick J. Deneen argues that liberalism is not the result of the natural state of politics and lays out the ideology’s inherent contradictions. “In a time of growing inequality, accelerating change, and increasing disillusionment with the liberal democratic order we’ve known for the past few centuries,” says the former president, “I found this book thought-provoking.” “The 9.9 Percent Is the New American Aristocracy,” by Matthew Stewart (June 2018) In The Atlantic, Matthew Stewart, author of The Management Myth, defines a “cognitive elite,” a “9.9%” of Americans who value meritocracy and, he argues, are complicit in the erosion of democracy. “Another thought-provoking analysis, this one about how economic inequality in America isn’t just growing, but self-reinforcing,” says Obama. In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History, by Mitch Landrieu (2018) Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, writes in his memoir of the personal history and reckoning with race that led him to take down four Confederate statues in 2017. “It’s an ultimately optimistic take from someone who believes the South will rise again not by reasserting the past, but by transcending it,” writes Obama. “Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life,” by Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich, RAND Corporation (2018) This report for the nonprofit RAND Corporation, available as a free ebook, attempts to study the erosion of fact-based policy making and discourse in the US. “A look at how a selective sorting of facts and evidence isn’t just dishonest, but self-defeating,” says Obama.<doc-sep>It's always good to hear from President Obama, especially when he's got reading suggestions to share. Barack Obama recommended six books on Facebook on June 16, and they're perfect for anyone who wants to do some heavy reading this summer. You don't have to look very hard to see why a 2014 report by U.S.A. Today ranked Obama as the second most-literary politician of all time, just behind Winston Churchill and ahead of U.S. Presidents Lincoln, Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt. President Obama is the author of two books for adults, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope, and one book for children, Of Thee I Sing. He and his family were frequently spotted at independent bookstores on Small Business Saturdays during his presidency. The New York Times reported in 2017 that books were "Obama's secret to surviving the White House," and Obama recommended 10 books for future leaders to read as he prepared to leave the White House in 2016. Put simply, books and Obama go together like PB&J. The five books — plus one essay, if you want to be technical — Obama recommended on Facebook are all nonfiction, but even novel enthusiasts can find something to love on his shortlist. Check out President Obama's book recommendations below: 'Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging' by Alex Wagner Taking its title from a 1993 Time cover that purported to show the face of the future, which Alex Wagner thought looked very much like her own, Futureface chronicles the author's search for details of her own ancestry. Obama says: "I once wrote a book on my own search for identity, so I was curious to see what Alex, daughter of a Burmese mother and Iowan Irish-Catholic father — and a friend of mine — discovered during her own. What she came up with is a thoughtful, beautiful meditation on what makes us who we are — the search for harmony between our own individual identities and the values and ideals that bind us together as Americans." Click here to buy. 'The New Geography of Jobs' by Enrico Moretti Since the 2008 housing crisis, the working world's landscape has changed, and the U.S. is highly unlikely to revert to its past state. As the economy continues to recover a decade later, we're still wrestling with the shadows of the past and the promises of the future. In The New Geography of Jobs, Enrico Moretti mythbusts some common misconceptions about the American job market, and provides thoughtful suggestions to improve our future. Obama says: "It's six years old now, but still a timely and smart discussion of how different cities and regions have made a changing economy work for them — and how policymakers can learn from that to lift the circumstances of working Americans everywhere." Click here to buy. 'Why Liberalism Failed' by Patrick J. Deneen In Why Liberalism Failed, Patrick J. Deneen examines what he identifies as the flaws in liberal ideology, which he predicts will lead to the 20th century political movement's ultimate failure. Although Obama disagrees "with most of the author's conclusions," he still recommends this book to readers. Obama says: "In a time of growing inequality, accelerating change, and increasing disillusionment with the liberal democratic order we've known for the past few centuries, I found this book thought-provoking. I don’t agree with most of the author’s conclusions, but the book offers cogent insights into the loss of meaning and community that many in the West feel, issues that liberal democracies ignore at their own peril." Click here to buy. "The 9.9 Percent Is the New American Aristocracy" by Matthew Stewart In this essay, Matthew Stewart examines how meritocratic achievement has passed down through generations in much the same way as other, inherited wealth. This money has stabilized the 9.9 percent — the members of the wealthiest tenth of Americans who are not the 0.1 percent — who had a minimum net worth of $1.2 million in 2012, and yet "keep insisting that we're 'middle class.'" Obama says: "Another thought-provoking analysis, this one about how economic inequality in America isn’t just growing, but self-reinforcing — and what that means for education, health, happiness, even the strength of our democracy." Read the essay here. 'In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History' by Mitch Landrieu New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu removed four Confederate monuments from the city in 2017. Part memoir and part microhistory, In the Shadow of Statues traces Landrieu's evolution of thought on race, and examines the history of racism and pro-Confederate sentiment in the modern-day South. Obama says: "A few years ago, I eulogized the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, who was slain by a white supremacist in his church in Charleston, South Carolina. And I'll never forget something Clem said while he was alive: 'Across the South, we have a deep appreciation of history. We haven't always had a deep appreciation of each other's history.' That's something Mitch takes to heart in this book, while grappling with some of the most painful parts of our history and how they still live in the present. It's an ultimately optimistic take from someone who believes the South will rise again not by reasserting the past, but by transcending it." Click here to buy.<doc-sep>Former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaWarren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles in testy exchange Content of Biden's agenda trumps Republican complaints about process Obama to join social media event on vaccines next week MORE shared his summer reading list on Saturday, touting the array of "good writing" and "variety of thought out there these days." The former president often shares what he is reading, watching or listening to, but said the list of books he’s chosen in recent months is “slightly heavier” than his usual summer picks. “There’s so much good writing and art and variety of thought out there these days that this is by no means comprehensive,” he wrote on Facebook. “Like many of you, I’ll miss ‘The Americans.’” ADVERTISEMENT Obama’s picks, all non-fiction, covered a range of topics, from personal memoir to economic inequality. One of the books, written by Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich of the global policy think tank the RAND Corporation, details the authors’ research into “the diminishing role of facts” in American life. “The title is self-explanatory, but the findings are very interesting,” Obama wrote of “Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life.” “A look at how a selective sorting of facts and evidence isn’t just dishonest, but self-defeating to a society that has always worked best when reasoned debate and practical problem-solving thrive,” he added. Obama also listed “Why Liberalism Failed,” by conservative writer and political scientist Patrick Deneed. He wrote that while he doesn’t agree with “most” of Deneen’s arguments, he found the book “thought-provoking.” “The book offers cogent insights into the loss of meaning and community that many in the West feel, issues that liberal democracies ignore at their own peril,” Obama wrote. Also on the list: “Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging,” by Alex Wagner; “The New Geography of Jobs,” by Enrico Moretti; “The 9.9 Percent Is the New American Aristocracy,” by Matthew Stewart of The Atlantic; and “In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History” by former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.<doc-sep>
Former U.S. President Barack Obama has always had a passion for books. "I loved reading when I was a kid, partly because I was traveling so much, and there were times where I'd be displaced, I'd be the outsider," Obama told The New York Times in 2017. "The idea of having these worlds that were portable, that were yours, that you could enter into, was appealing to me." In his role as president, Obama would turn to books for solace. "The ability to slow down and get perspective, along with the ability to get in somebody else's shoes — those two things have been invaluable to me," Obama explained of his penchant for reading. Now as a private citizen, he's still a voracious reader. In a Facebook post Saturday, Obama shared five non-fiction book titles he is currently reading on topics ranging from economics to political philosophy. "I'm often asked what I'm reading, watching, and listening to, so I thought I might share a short list," he writes. These books aren't the only things he's reading, and "It's admittedly a slightly heavier list than what I'll be reading over the summer," Obama says in his post. 1. "Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging" by Alex Wagner Journalist Alex Wagner, who often reported on immigration in her role as a former anchor for MSNBC and current co-host of Showtime's "The Circus," researches her own tangled family history in "Futureface." For Obama, the 2018 book appeals as a story of self-discovery. "I once wrote a book on my own search for identity, so I was curious to see what Alex, daughter of a Burmese mother and Iowan Irish-Catholic father — and a friend of mine — discovered during her own," Obama writes. "What she came up with is a thoughtful, beautiful meditation on what makes us who we are." 2. "The New Geography of Jobs" by Enrico Moretti In his 2012 book, "The New Geography of Jobs," University of California Berkeley economist Enrico Moretti explores the power of location on financial outcomes. For example, he considers why cities like San Jose and Austin have seen economic booms in the last decade, while others have not. "It's six years old now, but still a timely and smart discussion of how different cities and regions have made a changing economy work for them — and how policymakers can learn from that to lift the circumstances of working Americans everywhere," Obama writes. 3. "Why Liberalism Failed" by Patrick J. Deneen University of Notre Dame political philosophy professor Patrick Deneen argues that liberalism — an ideology based on equal rights, free elections and individual choice — is "a system whose success is generating its own failure," in this 2018 book. While Obama writes that he doesn't hold the same viewpoint as the author, he found the book to be, "thought provoking," he explains. "I don't agree with most of the author's conclusions, but the book offers cogent insights into the loss of meaning and community that many in the West feel, issues that liberal democracies ignore at their own peril." 4. "In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History" by Mitch Landrieu The history, culture and racial divisions of the American South are up for examination by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu in his 2018 book, "In the Shadow of Statues," which centers in part on Landrieu's efforts to remove Confederate monuments from New Orleans. For Obama, the book stirred memories of giving a eulogy for Reverend Clementa C. Pinckney, who was killed in 2015 in the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. "I'll never forget something Clem said while he was alive: 'Across the South, we have a deep appreciation of history. We haven't always had a deep appreciation of each other's history,'" Obama writes. "That's something Mitch takes to heart in this book, while grappling with some of the most painful parts of our history and how they still live in the present. It's an ultimately optimistic take from someone who believes the South will rise again not by reasserting the past, but by transcending it." 5. "Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life" by Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich