Jonathan Alter: The Seattle Public Library's 2009 A. Scott Bullitt Lecture in American History

Published: May 8, 2009, 11:30 p.m.

In his first interview after winning the 2008 Presidential Election, Barack Obama revealed to 60 Minutes' Steve Kroft that "The Defining Moment" held a permanent place on his bedside table and that it would have a great influence over how he governed the country. The 2006 book was a national bestseller.