Introducing 'Pocket Obama': Must-have Anthology of Obama Quotes ['Little Blue Book' like Mao's Red]

Just in case you can't get through a day without some refreshing and uplifting words from the new president, the History Company has created the "Pocket Obama."

This is a tiny, pocket-sized book filled with "quotations borrowed from Barack Obama's speeches and writings."

According to its creators, "It is an unofficial requirement for every citizen to own, to read, and to carry this book at all times."

As proudly described [1] at the History Company's website (h/t NB reader John Pagonis):

Printed in a size that easily fits into pocket or purse, this book is an anthology of quotations borrowed from Barack Obama's speeches and writings. POCKET OBAMA serves as a reminder of the amazing power of oratory and the remarkable ability of this man to move people with his words. His superb and captivating oratory style has earned comparisons to John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, and this historic collection presents words that catapulted his remarkable rise to the American Presidency. It is an unofficial requirement for every citizen to own, to read, and to carry this book at all times.

Includes themes of democracy, politics, war, terrorism, race, community, jurisprudence, faith, personal responsibility, national identity, and above all, his hoped-for vision of a new America. POCKET OBAMA is a portable, everyday primer for readers who want to examine the substance of his thought and reflect on the next great chapter in the American story.

Now, I know what you're thinking: this has got to be a hoax. Well, the History Company [2] does indeed exist:

HISTORY COMPANY is a shopping destination like no other. It is a remarkable place where you can discover, enjoy, and find inspiration in the wonderful things that connect us to our past.

For over 10 years, we've offered an uncommon range of products that provide a brilliant glimpse of our uniquely American creativity and ingenuity, craftsmanship and style. In the process, we have been able to share the legacy of our roots in the form of fascinating, sometimes quirky gifts, for keeping or giving. At HISTORY COMPANY, the past becomes a present. Historian David Thalen wrote: "The challenge of history is to recover the past and introduce it to the present."

From May 1966, student members of the Communist Party were encouraged to carry copies of Mao's Little Red Book of quotations. Acting under Mao's leadership, these "Red Guards" used his quotations in their mission to weed out intellectuals. With themes such as Correcting Mistaken Ideas and All Reactionaries are Paper Tigers, the quotations became the standard by which all revolutionary efforts were judged.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/special_report/1999/09/99/china_50/little.htm

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Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong

Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong (simplified Chinese: 毛主席语录; pinyin: Máo zhǔxí yǔlù), better known in the West as The Little Red Book, was published by the Government of the People's Republic of China from April 1964 until approximately 1976. As its title implies, it is a collection of quotations excerpted from Mao Zedong's past speeches and publications. The book's alternative title The Little Red Book was coined by the West for its pocket-sized edition, which was specifically printed and sold to facilitate easy carrying. The closest equivalent in Chinese is 红宝书 (hóng bǎoshū), literally "The Red Treasured Book", which was a term popular during the Cultural Revolution. "Little Red Book" in Chinese would be 小红书 (xiăo hóngshū).

Among the most widely printed books in history, Quotations had an estimated 5 to 6.5 billion copies printed during Mao's attempt to transform Chinese society. The book's phenomenal popularity may be due to the fact that it was essentially an unofficial requirement for every Chinese citizen to own, to read, and to carry it at all times during the later half of Mao's rule, especially during the Cultural Revolution.

During the Cultural Revolution, studying the book was not only required in schools but was also a standard practice in the workplace as well. All units, in the industrial, commercial, agricultural, civil service, and military sectors, organized group sessions for the entire workforce to study the book during working hours. Quotes from Mao were either bold-faced or highlighted in red, and almost all writing, including scientific essays, had to quote Mao.

To defend against the theory that it would be counter-productive, it was argued that understanding Mao's quotes could definitely bring about enlightenment to the work unit, resulting in production improvement to offset the time lost.

During the 1960s, the book was the single most visible icon in mainland China, even more visible than the image of the Chairman himself. In posters and pictures created by CPC's propaganda artists, nearly every painted character, except Mao himself, either smiling or looking determined, was always seen with a copy of the book in his or her hand.

After the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 and the rise of Deng Xiaoping in 1978, the importance of the book waned considerably, and the glorification of Mao's quotations was considered to be left deviationism and a cult of personality. The original books now became a collector's item and some editions are highly sought after. [1]

Mao's quotations are categorized into 33 chapters in the book. Its topics mainly deal with Mao's ideology, known in the West as Maoism and officially as "Mao Zedong Thought."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red_Book

Louis Farrakhan, at the Millions More Movement rally in DC, Oct 15, 2005: "...what Mao Tse Tung did was, he went to the cultural community, and they [Farrakhan spreads his arms beneficently] accepted his idea."... "Mao Tse Tung ... had a billion people whose lives he had to transform."..."the idea of Mao Tse Tung became the idea of a billion people, and China became a world power on the base of the culture and the arts community. If we had a ministry of art and culture in every city we'd create this movement [in the U.S.]."
Source: http://thedrunkablog.blogspot.com/2005/10/communist-plot-noted.html
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Louis Farrakhan, at the annual Saviours' Day celebration in Chicago, Feb. 25, 2008: "This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better"..."If you look at Barack Obama's audiences and look at the effect of his words, those people are being transformed."
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23333598/

Video of Farrakhan's Obama endorsement at the above 'annual Saviours' Day celebration in Chicago, Feb. 25, 2008'. Hear him call Obama "The Messiah" And speak of "universal change":
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=farrakhan+messiah+obama&aq=0&oq=Farrakhan+messiah

I cannot swallow whole the view of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator.
Barack Obama

I think when you spread the wealth around it’s good for everybody.
Barack Obama

I’ve got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.
Barack Obama

It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
Barack Obama

We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK. That’s not leadership. That’s not going to happen.
Barack Obama

We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.
Barack Obama

Why can’t I just eat my waffle?
Barack Obama

Printed in a size that easily fits into pocket or purse, the little blue book is comprised of quotations borrowed from the President's speeches and writings. His guiding principles will enlighten the minds of the people and prepare the way for a new era of change.
In order to master the President's ideology, it is essential to study many of the basic concepts over and over again, and it is best to memorize important statements and apply them repeatedly. Learn earnestly and diligently.
Together we can bring about the next great chapter in the American story.

This is definitely no joke. If it was meant as a joke, it aint funny.

$5.95 Amazon.com temporarily out of stock

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