Whatever you may think of Barack Obama's presidential chances, there's no denying the man can write.

His first book, "Dreams From My Father," originally published in 1995, unfolds like a prose poem — spare and elegant, compelling and unsentimental. The pages fly beneath your fingers and the outside world slips away.

By now, the outlines of his life story are well-known. The son of a black African father and a white American mother, Obama has sought to reconcile the disparate strands of his identity. In the process, he has emerged as a Democratic Party superstar, already touted as a 2008 presidential front-runner after just two years in the U.S. Senate.

His early memoir, though, goes beyond the lines of black and white, power and politics to weave together a flowing narrative that explores class and faith, geography and opportunity, and what keeps hope alive.

He brings painterly writing to liberal politics — just as the incomparable Peggy Noonan does for the conservative cause.

We'll no doubt be hearing a lot more from Obama in the coming months. His latest book "The Audacity of Hope" is taking root in the nation's best seller lists this holiday season, and his book-speaking tour is akin to a pre-pre-campaign.

Set aside the hype. For an intimate look at a man behind the headlines, it's worth picking up a copy of his modest first book written more than a decade ago — before he ever ran for political office.

Now in paperback, "Dreams From My Father" has a list price of $14.95, is offered on Amazon for $8.67 and can be purchased used as well.

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Stephanie Hoo is asap's business writer.

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