Like all of us, President Obama prefers certain movies, music and books. During his years in public life, he’s let the world in on some favorites. Here are a few of his picks, which show a taste for everything from classical music to pop culture.
1. An annual tradition
Every spring, the White House hosts thousands of guests for an Easter egg roll. It has become a tradition for President Obama to read one of his favorite childhood books, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
2. Film buff
President Obama has named Casablanca as his favorite film, also mentioning Lawrence of Arabia and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as favorites.
3. Artistic reminder
On the president’s desk in the Oval Office is a wooden statue he received on the campaign trail. It depicts a hand holding an egg, a Kenyan symbol of the fragility of life.
4. Music to unwind by
President Obama has said that if you listen to his iPod, you’ll hear music by Bob Dylan (above), jazz great Miles Davis, ’90s hip-hop group Fugees and classical compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.
5. Comics cameo
As a candidate for the presidency, Barack Obama mentioned his fondness for Spider-Man at a number of child-oriented events and named the web slinger his favorite superhero along with Batman. Marvel Comics returned the compliment by putting the president-elect in a special issue published just before Obama’s first inauguration in 2009.
