The end of the world as they knew it: Chicago's far South Side, March 1980-July 1985

A place in the world: Honolulu, Seattle, Honolulu, Jakarta, and Honolulu: August 1961-September 1979

Searching for home: Eagle Rock, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Hermitage, PA: September 1979-July 1985

Transformation and identity: Roseland, Hyde Park, and Kenya, August 1985-August 1988

Emergence and achievement: Harvard Law School, September 1988-May 1991

Building a future: Chicago, June 1991-August 1995

Into the arena: Chicago and Springfield, September 1995-September 1999

Failure and recovery: Chicago and Springfield, October 1999-January 2003

Calculation, coincidence, and coronation: Illinois and Boston, January 2003-November 2004

Disappointment and destiny: the U.S. Senate, November 2004-January 2007

Epilogue: the president did not attend, as he was golfing.