Barack Obama, 'The Audacity of Hope'. - Contributed

You know there is something wrong with politicians when all they are doing is bickering and opposing one another just for the sake of maintaining party lines.

It is this short-sighted attitude that Barack Obama rails about in much of his book The Audacity of Hope.

Now a serious contender for the democratic party nomination for President of the United States, Obama sets out in this book his inspirations, thoughts and views of a better America, where politicians actually mean what they say; where families are not exploited for political mileage, but nurtured as the bedrock of the future; and where America's global hegemony is an asset, not a liability.

Obama's vision can be, and has been, dismissed as somewhat too idealistic. Can today's America really expect affordable health care, well paying jobs, and a stable economy? Obama thinks so, and he's got millions of supporters who believe he can deliver.

The Audacity of Hope is out now through Canongate Books.