The World as It Is

A Memoir of the Obama White House

By: Ben Rhodes

Narrated by: Ben Rhodes, Mark Deakins

From one of Obama’s closest aides comes a revelatory, behind-the-scenes account of his presidency - and how idealism can confront harsh reality and still survive - in the tradition of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.’s A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House.

For nearly 10 years, Ben Rhodes saw almost everything that happened at the center of the Obama administration - first as a speechwriter, then as deputy national security advisor, and finally as a multipurpose aide and close collaborator. He started every morning in the Oval Office with the President’s Daily Brief, traveled the world with Obama, and was at the center of some of the most consequential and controversial moments of the presidency. Now, he tells the full story of his partnership - and, ultimately, friendship - with a man who also happened to be a historic president of the United States.

Rhodes was not your typical presidential confidant, and this is not your typical White House memoir. Rendered in vivid, novelistic detail by someone who was a writer before he was a staffer, this is a rare look inside the most poignant, tense, and consequential moments of the Obama presidency - waiting out the bin Laden raid in the Situation Room, responding to the Arab Spring, reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran, leading secret negotiations with the Cuban government to normalize relations, and confronting the resurgence of nationalism and nativism that culminated in the election of Donald Trump.

In The World as It Is, Rhodes shows what it was like to be there - from the early days of the Obama campaign to the final hours of the presidency. It is a story populated by such characters as Susan Rice, Samantha Power, Hillary Clinton, Bob Gates, and - above all - Barack Obama, who comes to life in moments of great urgency and disarming intimacy. This is the most vivid portrayal yet of Obama’s worldview and presidency, a chronicle of a political education by a writer of enormous talent, and an essential record of the forces that shaped the last decade.

Read by Mark Deakins. Prologue read by the author.

©2018 Ben Rhodes (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Ben Rhodes, who served Barack Obama as a foreign policy adviser and speechwriter from beginning to end, has written a book that reflects the president he served - intelligent, amiable, compelling and principled. And there is something more: The World as It Is is a classic coming-of-age story, about the journey from idealism to realism, told with candor and immediacy.... His achievement is rare for a political memoir: He has written a humane and honorable book." (Joe Klein, The New York Times Book Review)

"In The World as It Is, Rhodes shows no trace of the disillusionment that gave George Stephanopoulos's tale of Bill Clinton its bitter, gossipy flavor, or of the light irony that came to inflect Peggy Noonan's adoration of Ronald Reagan. More than any other White House memoirist, Rhodes is a creature of the man he served.... This is the closest view of Obama we're likely to get until he publishes his own memoir." (George Packer, The New Yorker)

"Ben Rhodes is one of the most brilliant minds and powerful storytellers I've ever known. In The World as It Is, he doesn't just bring you inside the room for the key moments of Obama's presidency, he captivates you with the journey of an idealistic young staffer who becomes the president's close friend and advisor - a journey that both cynics and believers will find riveting and hopeful." (Jon Favreau)

Great book

Great book it give me a inside look in Obama administration i love it !

Rhodes is a smart guy & a fantastic storyteller

Very well written book. The narrative comes naturally, like a novel, the reality of the events that take place are, at the same time, inspiring and frightening. It's a must read for any historian, political junkie or American who wants an inside baseball view of the inter-workings of the White House.

A beautiful view into Obama’s mind

Ben Rhodes is a gifted writer who balances well his own mind and experience with the portrayal of his boss. It was a really sympathetic look into how Obama saw the world as a head of state and as a leader (who seemed as graceful with his staff and confidants as he was with his critics).also one of the most cathartic accounts of the 2016 election I’ve heard.

Also the narrator’s Obama voice is SPOT ON without sounding like an “imitation”

A brilliant recounting of President Obama's presidency

Great retelling by a great servant of the American people. Thank You Ben. I'm sure the president appreciates your important help. Best wishes for you and your family. Wish someone like you was still on duty.

remarkable window into the inner workings of Obama

i am going to listen to it again in a couple of months. Great story about two remarkable men.

The World we live in!

An outstanding memoir that gives you perspective and an inside look of the most productive 8 years in the government. Even though I didn't agree with all the policies, I can understand where they were coming from. Great reading! Great storytelling, I loved it.

AMAZING

I do not have the words to explain the depth of this book. Ben covers the intricacies of every day life in government and gives an in depth perspective of the world as it is.

Excellent inner view

This was an absolutely excellent inner view of the Obama presidency. It reviewed a lot of things that I remembered, and many things that I didn’t know in full depth. It is very well written, which I would only expect from a professional speechwriter. My only qualm is that he uses the word “incredulous” way too many times, where it almost became a joke to me! :)

Highly recommend!

Well written. Usually don’t read memoirs, but this was well worth the exception. Great behind the scenes look into the Obama years in the WH. I learned a ton about foreign affairs and current global issues.

Another look into Obama's white house

This ous a well written account of Ben Rhodes time in Obama's white house. My only complaint is that the author didn't read it himself.