People are always going to have opinions, and people have a right to their opinions.

This is really what the White House is all about. It’s the “People’s House.” It’s a place that is steeped in history, but it’s also a place where everyone should feel welcome. And that's why my husband and I have made it our mission to open up the house to as many people as we can.

I mean, hope doesn't get actualized in three and a half years. If that were the case, we'd be out of luck as a country.

The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.

When I was a young lawyer, there were other women and men in the firm who took me under their wing. Sometimes mentors don't find you - sometimes you seek them out. You shouldn't hesitate to plop herself in someone's office and ask them to be that support.... Oftentimes, they're flattered and glad to lend a hand. So I would encourage any reader to seek out a mentor, then follow through and be very focused and persistent.

Happiness for me is when my kids are good and when my family is whole.

Barack and I were both raised by families who didn't have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable - their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.