Dream Begins: How Hawaii Shaped Barack Obama

Born and raised in the most multicultural state in the union, Barack Obama bears the indelible stamp of his native Hawai'i. The self-described "skinny kid with the funny name" flourished in the Islands, where local values foster tolerance, compromise and mutual respect-and where diversity defines people rather than divides them. Here is a coming-of-age story set in Hawi'i's storied "melting pot"-a revealing look at what makes Obama tick.