Book Description
"I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I've suddenly come up with the answers to all life's questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I've done at measuring up to the values I myself have set."
—Sidney Poitier
In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measure—as a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.
Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. "In the kind of place where I grew up," recalls Poitier, "what's coming at you is the sound of the sea and the smell of the wind and momma's voice and the voice of your dad and the craziness of your brothers and sisters...and that's it." Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.
Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates to who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.
Here is Poitier's own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limits—his own and the world's. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.
Customer Reviews:
****LOVED IT****.......2007-09-24
Kept me interested...I really enjoyed this book...I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading it!!!!
MEASURE OF A MAN does not measure up.......2007-09-21
Wow, a book about Sidney Poitier. An outstanding actor with a book that just does not give him true justice. The reading tends to be dry and lacks substance. His life struggles could have been the story of any man or woman, black or white. The writing and editing are weak in some sections.
You should rent or buy one of Poitier's movies instead. His movie roles show his true skills.
SPIRITUAL "Of, Relating to, Consisting of, or Affecting the Spirit" MERRIAM-WEBSTER.......2007-08-30
I've always been smitten with Poitier's voice--his diction and control on film, the flow of his words as they travel in and around ideas during interviews--so I read THE MEASURE OF A MAN with an ear for his voice. I wondered, Is it translatable to print? It is, but that means allowing Poitier's thoughts to meander until they find their point, and that his thoughts are less formulated (or formal) and more "in his own words," than they might be if they were written by a biographer. (I read just enough "You know?"s "You hear me when I tell you?"s and "You follow?"s to feel like he was talking to me, but not too many to be annoyed.) I read to imagine what it might be like to have a conversation with Poitier. The book reinforced what I already knew--I'd be as intimidated as heck--but it also gave me the courage to think I'd be able to speak my mind.
As an editor, I read Poitier's book because I wanted to know how he defines a "spiritual" autobiography. Is it a I-Was-A-Sinner-But-I-Found-Jesus-And-Now-I'm-Saved chronology? Is it about how Christianity or another faith influenced his life? Neither. Poitier examines the people, events, circumstances, beliefs, and so on, which have related to, consisted of, or affected his "spirit," and, in doing so, he writes about childhood experiences in the Bahamas, his changing perceptions of his parents, how he adapts to living in the United States, his approach to acting and filmmaking, and his attitude toward fatherhood. He also shares a debate a friend and he had about the Basic Truth of Nature, a debate worth every second of reading it takes to get to.
Is THE MEASURE OF A MAN going to satisfy readers interested only in Poitier's film career? No, but I urge them to read it anyway, if for no other reason than to find out how his "spirit" influenced the films he starred in.
Books.......2007-08-21
I purchased this book for my daughter and she loved it!
She is a teacher and plans to teach this story in her English class fall 2007.
A great story with a great moral.
Never cared for the man, but his book is great........2007-08-12
I have my preferences as to actors. Poitier was never in a prominent standing. But, then neither were a few others; like John Wayne. Not saying they both weren't good actors, just two of the many I didn't watch much.
Having said that, I find Mr. Poitier's book an interesting read. I feel it was well worth the money.
[...]
Book Description
In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey—first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother’s family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father’s life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance.
Customer Reviews:
Moving, eloquent and inspirational..........2007-09-26
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama is a moving, eloquent and honest book that was originally published in 1995. This is an amazing story, and not just because he is a presidential candidate. Although autobiographical in scope, it is not intended to be a complete history of the author's life. Instead, it is "a boy's search for his father."
Barack Obama had a most unusual childhood. His mother was a white American living in Hawaii. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was a brilliant black Kenyan who received a college scholarship to the University of Hawaii. When Obama was two, his father graduated college and received a scholarship to obtain his PhD at Harvard. Unfortunately, the scholarship did not include living expenses for his family, and this proved the end of the marriage. After that, Obama only saw his father one more time before being killed in an auto accident when Obama was 21. Obama's mother subsequently married a man from Indoesia, where Obama lived for several years. But that marriage also ended and Obama returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Dreams from My Father also includes Obama's college experiences, as well as the work he did as an organizer in Chicago.
The most moving part of Dreams from My Father involves his trip to Kenya for the first time several years after his father died. As a youth, he describes the reaction of others when they discover his background "Privately, they guess at my troubled heart, I supposed--the mixed blood, the divided soul, the ghostly image of a tragic mulatto trapped between two worlds." In Kenya, he meets his African family including grandparents, half-brothers and sisters, step-mothers, aunts, uncles and cousins. At the Kenyan airport, an airport employee recognizes his name and knew his father. "For the first time in my life, I felt the comfort, the firmness of identity that a name might provide, how it could carry an entire history in other people's memories...My name belonged and so I belonged." I was also moved by Obama's discovery of faith.
Even if Obama was not a presidential candidate for the 2008 election, Dreams is still an eloquent and inspirational story about his search for his father and his efforts to reconcile the histories of this white and black families.
A worthy memoir of Obama's complicated early life.......2007-09-06
Due to its multi-section arrangement, falling into three precise stages, this book feels like a well-paced coming-of-age novel, an impression buoyed by the fact that, to a degree that is unusual for politicians, Obama can actually write well. If you are looking for information on what policies Obama would support as a presidential candidate, you should look elsewhere. However, the book does give the impression that the writer is unusually forthright, both about himself and his beliefs.
Watching Obama's attitudes on race evolve is one of the key points of interest in the book, and the reader comes away with a picture of a man who is both reflective and self-critical. It is somewhat apparent that the author was not running for office at the time the book was written, and yes, it (very briefly) mentions his now infamous flirtation with cocaine use. However, if you want to read a portrait of the man, if not his political platform, and interested in the struggles of someone growing up in between two different cultures, this book is well worth reading.
just great.......2007-08-17
Obama wrote his memoirs of his growing up some years ago (and with his political career I expect he'll be writing them again in twenty or so years). It is an honest book about a remarkable man who had a remarkable life. Nothing political about it.
Worth the read, but slow to start..........2007-08-06
I chose to read this book because I am very interested in Obama as a presidential candidate, and logically wanted to get to know him a little better. His memoir gives a really good picture of his life and has helped me understand where he is coming from in his politics. That said, this book was a little slow to start and a bit hard to get through, partially because he is a bit verbose throughout. The good news is that the excerpt of "The Audacity of Hope" in the back was not in the same vein as this book. So, I'll still read the second book without hesitation.
Accurate reflection of its title.......2007-08-04
Well written depiction of how Barack Obama came to be a man with much focus on his paternal side of the family. I would like to read a follow up book with more focus on his mother's influences on him.
Average customer rating:
- An engaging and elegantly written account of Jackie Robinson's groundbreaking rookie season with the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers
- Walking in Jackie's shoes
- The opening day of my memories...
- a Must read
- RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "I LOVE JACKIE ROBINSON!"
|
Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season
Jonathan Eig
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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ASIN: 0743294602 |
Book Description
April 15, 1947, marked the most important opening day in baseball history. When Jackie Robinson stepped onto the diamond that afternoon at Ebbets Field, he became the first black man to break into major-league baseball in the twentieth century. World War II had just ended. Democracy had triumphed. Now Americans were beginning to press for justice on the home front -- and Robinson had a chance to lead the way.
He was an unlikely hero. He had little experience in organized baseball. His swing was far from graceful. And he was assigned to play first base, a position he had never tried before that season. But the biggest concern was his temper. Robinson was an angry man who played an aggressive style of ball. In order to succeed he would have to control himself in the face of what promised to be a brutal assault by opponents of integration.
In Opening Day, Jonathan Eig tells the true story behind the national pastime's most sacred myth. Along the way he offers new insights into events of sixty years ago and punctures some familiar legends. Was it true that the St. Louis Cardinals plotted to boycott their first home game against the Brooklyn Dodgers? Was Pee Wee Reese really Robinson's closest ally on the team? Was Dixie Walker his greatest foe? How did Robinson handle the extraordinary stress of being the only black man in baseball and still manage to perform so well on the field? Opening Day is also the story of a team of underdogs that came together against tremendous odds to capture the pennant. Facing the powerful New York Yankees, Robinson and the Dodgers battled to the seventh game in one of the most thrilling World Series competitions of all time.
Drawing on interviews with surviving players, sportswriters, and eyewitnesses, as well as newly discovered material from archives around the country, Jonathan Eig presents a fresh portrait of a ferocious competitor who embodied integration's promise and helped launch the modern civil-rights era. Full of new details and thrilling action, Opening Day brings to life baseball's ultimate story.
Customer Reviews:
An engaging and elegantly written account of Jackie Robinson's groundbreaking rookie season with the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers.......2007-09-08
By the time the middle of the 1940's rolled around Branch Rickey, President of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was already widely acknowledged as one of the smartest, most innovative executives in all of baseball. After all, it had been Rickey who had conceived the notion of a system of minor league farm teams to supply talent to the major league club. In addition, Rickey knew how to evaluate talent like no one else. It got to the point that other general managers did not want to deal with him for fear of getting snookered again. It was sometime around 1944 that Branch Rickey made up his mind that he was going to be the one to integrate Major League Baseball. Always seeking an advantage, Rickey was the first to fully understand that there was a wealth of untapped talent playing in the Negro Leagues. And so it was that before the 1946 season Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was Rickey's plan to bring Robinson along slowing with the hope of Robinson contributing to the big league club in a year or two. After a magnificent season at AAA Montreal in 1946 it was apparent to most observers that Jackie Robinson would likely find himself suiting up for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. "Opening Day" is Jonathan Eig's splendid account of that historic and memorable season. It is a book that will grab your attention immediately and never let go.
I was quite surprised to learn that Jackie Robinson had really not played all that much baseball before signing with the Dodgers. While in college at UCLA Jackie Robinson had run track and been a star football player. He only dabbled in baseball. But Robinson was widely recognized as one of the best all-around athletes in the nation. It was this athleticism that intrigued Branch Rickey. On August 28, 1945 Robinson and Rickey would meet for the very first time. After taking careful measure of the man Rickey was convinced that Jackie Robinson had the proper temperment to endure the difficulties that were sure to arise as major league baseball attempted to integrate its game. After just one year in the minors Branch Rickey deemed Jackie Robinson ready to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In "Opening Day" Jonathan Eig introduces us to Burt Shotten, the unassuming manager of the 1947 Dodgers and to the men who would be Jackie's teammates. Make no mistake about it. There was a ton of pressure on these men as well. Players like Eddie Stanky, Dixie Walker and Pee Wee Reese really had no idea what to expect in 1947. You will come to understand how the players coped with the drama unfolding all around them. And you see how a team that little was expected of would come together over the course of the long season and make this the most memorable season in the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
But of course it is important to understand that "Opening Day" is not just a book about baseball. For this is a story of courage and tenacity.
For one very special season Jackie Robinson took the whole world upon his shoulders. Rickey and Robinson were gambling that if this experiment was successful Major League Baseball would finally see the error of its ways and integrate the game. And it proved to be a risk worth taking. "Opening Day" managed to hold my interest from cover to cover. Jonathan Eig is a wonderful storyteller and I simply could not put this one down. One of the best sports books I have read in a very long time!
Highly recommended!
Walking in Jackie's shoes.......2007-08-04
Author Jonathan Eig does an excellent job of putting the reader in Jackie Robinson's shoes for the 1947 season. You get a good sense of what life was like for Robinson, on and off the field. He and his wife Rachael and young son, Jack Jr., shared a small bedroom in the Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment of a woman in a black neighborhood. The living conditions only added to the stress of Robinson's rookie season. Can you imagine any rookie living that way today?
Eig details how teammates and opponents treated Robinson. Many of his teammates were aloof, at best. Many were Southerns who didn't care for him. The role Dixie Walker played in supposedly circulating a petition protesting Robinson's addition to the Dodgers is covered.
Eig recounts each series of the 1947, detailing how opponents treated Robinson, how he performed on the field, and how he had to room with black families when he was on the road. It's interesting to see how some things changed as the season progressed.
This book is essential for any fan who wants to know more about Jackie Robinson and the 1947 season. It will increase whatever admiration you have for Robinson.
The opening day of my memories..........2007-07-18
indeed the book is about baseball, however it is about soooo much more.
From my perspective of someone who was four years old in 1947 Eig's work instantly turned the shadows on my wall of rememberances into a vivid dance of joy.
There was MacArthur, Rickey, Flatbush Ave, stars earning a few bucks more than Ralph Kramden, a guy named Moses who lead NYC to international prominence and forced "them Bums" out of Brooklyn. I can not tell you how much I signed bitter sweet tears of joy through out this Illid.
I had kept this Father's day gift ominously staring at me from my bedside night table for two weeks as I had declared it's purpose in life was to be my companion on a transatlantic trip w/my son to Spain and Italy.
It turned out to be the best traveling companion I ever had so I knew the era forgave me for letting it linger in the brink for those weeks.
I was reminded that in the late forties why my family, sterotypical Italianos, were die hard Yankee fans and why I had to be different. I flashed back to 1949 when I got a Leaf bubble card and opened to see a black face with a mesmerizing smile looking at me and how nonplused I was when I asked my dad who this "Negro" was since living in San Antonio at the time my exposure to there culture was next to nil.
My foggy view of the Korean "conflict" came to light as did all the references to Caro's _The Power Broker_ started to make sense. How social change evolved and the sturm un drang (sp)of the times accelerated the process. This and so much more kept me enchanted across the pond and I was only jarred back to 2007 when we touched down at Frankfurt and I had so kiss my friend farewell, blinked my eyes and uncremoniously place him in my overnight bag all the while thanking him for sixty years of memories brought to life.
a Must read.......2007-06-18
Jackie Robinson was a true Ambassador of the game of Baseball. it's well known about Branch Rickey signing Jackie to the Dodgers and the Historic Impact of Jackie Robinson being the first Black Baseball Player to break the Color Barrier in Major League baseball 60 years ago. Jackie Robinson was also a 4 letter Athlete at the University of UCLA. He was a Gifted Athlete and a Smart Man whose first Season hadn't been fully told until now. this is a Great Book and it answers so much about just how things went down 60 years ago. Jackie Robinson is a true Civil Rights Leader and a Ground-Breaker who paved the way for so many.
RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "I LOVE JACKIE ROBINSON!".......2007-06-12
I am a born and raised Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodger fan. In fact my family moved from New York to Los Angeles the same year as the Dodgers. Before my brothers and I were born, my parents went to Ebbets field every weekend. I still have a box full of Brooklyn scorecards from those days. I was too young to see Jackie in his prime, but my Dad took me to some games in 1956 and I got to see Jackie and all the "Boys Of Summer"! I was a Brooklyn Dodger fanatic even at that age. Besides watching the Dodgers, I read everything available on them, and still do, 50 years later. I can unabashedly say I love Jackie Robinson. One of my many fond memories of my Dad, was him talking to me in front of our tiny black and white TV watching the Dodgers. He said "I have gone to hundreds of baseball games, and have seen 1,000 players, and the most exciting player I ever saw was Jackie Robinson!" "What Jackie did, was not displayed only in the statistics. Over the history of baseball, many players stole more bases. (Such as Ricky Henderson stealing bases with a 7 run lead in the 8th inning.) But no one unnerved every player on the team just by leading off the base and dancing on his pigeon toes, like Jackie. This book points out little, subtle, beneficial affects, on the whole Dodger team, that the average fan wouldn't see. The pitcher and catcher would be so nervous with Jackie dancing around on the base paths, that they would be afraid to throw curve balls, so the batters got better pitches to hit. Jackie stole home more times, than just about anyone except Ty Cobb. When we moved to Los Angeles there was a program on called the "Million Dollar Theatre", in which they showed the same movie on TV every day for a week. When the "Jackie Robinson Story" was on, I watched it every night, and literally memorized the dialogue. People forget that the Brooklyn Dodgers were the "original America's team". And that was because of Jackie. When Jackie broke the color line, he wasn't only fighting for the blacks, but he also was fighting for the Jews, and every minority that has been suppressed. When I watch old sports shows, when they talk about Jackie, I actually get tears in my eyes, because I know what he went through. I've read just about every meaningful book on Jackie and the Brooklyn Dodgers. I would rate this book as the 2nd best Jackie book of them all. (My personal favorite is "Great Time Coming".)
This book was interesting to me as compared to many others, because it not
only zoomed in on his first year as a player, but also went deeper into
his personal life during that first year. All the way to the size of a little room he and Rachel rented, along with their infant son. If you were to ask me, what, with all my knowledge, I have on Jackie's playing, was the biggest thing I learned from this book, I would say his affect, and dominance, in every facet of the game, that didn't appear in his batting average, in a losing cause as a rookie in the 1947 World Series against the hated and despised Yankees. This is a great book and I recommend it to everyone. P.S. In my opinion Jackie was the greatest all around athlete since Jim Thorpe. A lot of people forget that Jackie was the first 4-sport letterman at UCLA. He was an All American football player, the top scorer on UCLA's basketball team, a record setter in the long jump, and of course baseball, which was actually his weakest sport at that time. Duke Snider tells a story about when Duke was in high school in Compton California, and Jackie was playing for Pasadena City College (A junior college). Duke went to see Jackie play a baseball game. One inning Jackie hit a homerun, and then in his full baseball uniform, with spikes on, ran over to the track field between innings, won the broad jump, and ran back to the baseball field in time to play the next inning!
Book Description
When Legendary Negro League player Buck O'Neil asked sports columnist Joe Posnanski how he fell in love with baseball, Posnanski had to think about it. From that question was born the idea behind BASEBALL AND JAZZ. Posnanski and the 94 year old O'Neil decided to spend the 2005 baseball season touring the country in hopes of stirring up the love that first drew them to the game. This book is just as much the story of Buck O'Neil as it is the story of baseball. In a time when disillusioned, steroid–shooting, money hungry athletes define the sport, Buck O'Neil stands out as a man that truly played for the love of the game. Posnanski writes about that love and the one thing that O'Neil loved almost as much as baseball: jazz. BASEBALL AND JAZZ is an endearing step back in time to the days when the crack of a bat and the smoky notes of a midnight jam session were the sounds that brought the most joy to a man's heart.
Customer Reviews:
Buck: Almost too good to be true.......2007-09-23
Like many baseball followers, my admiration for Buck O'Neil can be traced to Ken Burns' documentary on baseball. How a black man could live through the era in which Buck lived with the attitudes he has is beyond me. (I am white, not American but lived in the US in the 60s and 70s.) Mr Posnanski's book is is a little too sugary, uncritical and unprobing for my liking. I cannot but help to think that with a little probing there is probably bit more to Buck's attitudes than is presented. However, if you want a feel-good book about this topic, this is the dream book.
On the road with Buck.......2007-09-10
A splendid collection of stories, told by one of our most valuable citizens, and conveyed by a very talented listener and writer.
I Knew Buck O'Neil.......2007-08-24
A great read of a great human being, and baseball man. I would see Buck several times a year in the '80s at the Detroit Tigers, Joker Marchant Stadium, when he was a scout with the Kansas City Royals. He was a pleasant a man you could ever meet. I am pleased to have known the man, even if only those brief moments I was able see and to talk to him.
Buy this book, and read a great tribute of this man and to the Negro Leagues of the past.
A year in the life of Buck O'Neil.......2007-08-23
I found the book very readable and never really got bored with it. I would have liked more in depth stories from when Buck played and managed. Most of the reminisces were short and sweet versions. All and all, I did enjoy the book and consider it a good book, not a great book.
Hmmm..........2007-08-08
I can't help but wonder if the 22 reviews -- all giving this book 5 stars -- are some of the author's closest friends. I am not saying I didn't like the book, but the writing was drab. Through the first few chapters, I got it, Buck O'neal was a good man. So, I'm just saying that the stories were not told in a way that made me connect with Mr. O'Neal --he was just a nice guy and then he died. There are a few editing errors as well, which made it confusing. I am by no means a critic of writing, but I just don't see the amazing book everyone else here did -- anyone agree with me?
Average customer rating:
- wow
- Masterpiece Revisited
- One of the best books I've ever read.
- A Must Read for Everyone --- Especially Black Men---
- One of the most powerful American stories...
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X : As Told to Alex Haley
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ASIN: 0345350685
Release Date: 1987-10-12 |
Amazon.com
Malcolm X's searing memoir belongs on the small shelf of great autobiographies. The reasons are many: the blistering honesty with which he recounts his transformation from a bitter, self-destructive petty criminal into an articulate political activist, the continued relevance of his militant analysis of white racism, and his emphasis on self-respect and self-help for African Americans. And there's the vividness with which he depicts black popular culture--try as he might to criticize those lindy hops at Boston's Roseland dance hall from the perspective of his Muslim faith, he can't help but make them sound pretty wonderful. These are but a few examples. The Autobiography of Malcolm X limns an archetypal journey from ignorance and despair to knowledge and spiritual awakening. When Malcolm tells coauthor Alex Haley, "People don't realize how a man's whole life can be changed by one book," he voices the central belief underpinning every attempt to set down a personal story as an example for others. Although many believe his ethic was directly opposed to Martin Luther King Jr.'s during the civil rights struggle of the '60s, the two were not so different. Malcolm may have displayed a most un-Christian distaste for loving his enemies, but he understood with King that love of God and love of self are the necessary first steps on the road to freedom. --Wendy Smith
Book Description
If there was any one man who articulated the anger, the struggle, and the beliefs of African Americans in the 1960s, that man was Malxolm X. His AUTOBIOGRAPHY is now an established classic of modern America, a book that expresses like none other the crucial truth about our times.
"Extraordinary. A brilliant, painful, important book."
TEH NEW YORKTIMES
Customer Reviews:
wow.......2007-09-14
this book was my guide book to loving my race and myself as a black woman..
Masterpiece Revisited.......2007-08-04
I read this book once about a decade ago and felt it was my civic duty to read it again. This book is the gospel truth. Reading it was deja vu. I blink once or twice feeling like I just witnessed a scene described in the book. There is nothing radical about this piece of work. It is an eye opener and often times people will put a negative slant on this story or any story of this calibre when they don't want the truth revealed/discovered. I recommend this book to every breathing human being, especial blacks, negroes and the "n-word" as we were branded. The book is personal, political, emotional and above all a forecast of the present state of America. Read and process it and pass it on!
One of the best books I've ever read........2007-07-22
You can't have a discussion on race in America without reading this book first. I loved the movie, but this books will leave you with a lot to think about, which I don't believe the movie does. It has totally opened my eyes. A must read!!
A Must Read for Everyone --- Especially Black Men---.......2007-07-09
This book has seriously changed the way I view the world around me. As an African-American male who once led a life "in the mud" as Malcom would describe, it is inspiring to see how far one can rise. History has truly committed one of the most heinous crimes in keeping his life hidden away from mainstream society. Even if one does not agree with his thoughts, words, or actions, you have to agree with his conviction and dedication to change. This book will be a required reading for all members of my family.
One of the most powerful American stories..........2007-05-03
Alex Haley, in his pre-"Roots" days, did a wonderful job getting the charismatic but skeptical Malcolm X to open up in the year before his assassination at the hands of other "Black Muslims." When this book first came out, I bought it because I was a white racist who was terrified of the Black Muslim movement, which was growing large in New Jersey. When I finished the book, I was a different person in some ways. Malcolm was a remarkable figure, and once he began to separate himself from Elijah Muhammed (Louis Farrakhan, on the other hand, stuck with the disgraced prophet) he became a statesman, not a bitter race-baiter. I think this is a book that all American adults interested in politics, religion and the improvement of society should read at least once. For Malcolm, becoming a true Muslim allowed him to stop hating America and Christians and whites. Compare that transformation to what we hear from Farrakhan and from Islamic radicals.
Average customer rating:
- Sowell fan
- A way with words!
- A treasure from a treasure
- A delight to read.
- A wonderful companion to Sowell's "A Personal Odyssey"
|
A Man of Letters
Thomas Sowell
Manufacturer: Encounter Books
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Binding: Hardcover
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Knowledge and Decisions
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Freedomnomics: Why the Free Market Works and Other Half-Baked Theories Don't
ASIN: 1594031967 |
Book Description
A Man of Letters traces the life, career, and commentaries on controversial issues of Thomas Sowell over a period of more than four decades through his letters to and from family, friends, and public figures ranging from Milton Friedman to Clarence Thomas, David Riesman, Arthur Ashe, William Proxmire, Vernon Jordan, Charles Murray, Shelby Steele, and Condoleezza Rice. These letters begin with Sowell as a graduate student at the University of Chicago in 1960 and conclude with a reflective letter to his fellow economist and longtime friend Walter Williams in 2005.
Customer Reviews:
Sowell fan.......2007-07-18
I am a long time T Sowell fan. My rating would no doubt be prejudiced. This book shows him to be a regular guy. His letters are straight forward. No big words, everything easy to grasp
A way with words!.......2007-07-05
Thomas Sowell is a really great writer. This "auto-biography" told by his correspondence over the years was most enjoyable.
A treasure from a treasure.......2007-07-03
Dr. Sowell continues his personal revelations through a series of letters sent and received. Because of Dr. Sowell's clear thinking and uncompromising honesty plus his sense of the ridiculous, these letters are a joy to read. However, they also offer a view of the evolvement of parts of society (i.e. the academic life) seldom examined so closely. Read this book! It will lead you to his other works which you will want to read. My favorites are "Conflict of Visions" and "Black Rednecks and White Liberals". I encourage everyone to read this book. It will awaken young people to new views and reassure the over 50 crowd that what they suspected was true.
A delight to read........2007-05-27
His letters of the past 40 years gives us a glimpse to one of the greatest modern thinker's life. I have read Mr. Sowell's editorials many times and always find his commonsense to be refreshing. This book takes us through history as he recounts the current events of the time, from his unique perspective, with colleagues, students and policy-makers.
A wonderful companion to Sowell's "A Personal Odyssey".......2007-05-24
I have admired Thomas Sowell since I first read his writings more that twenty years ago. When clerks at the local Ann Arbor Borders (in the original store on State St.) chided me for buying a book of his I asked them why they disliked him. They (and there was more than one) said that he had benefited from Affirmative Action and now wanted to keep anyone else from doing so. Knowing how wrong this idea was, I pointed out to them that he was born in 1930 and that his achievements were made long before anyone had dreamt up those crippling policies. For this they had no reply.
If you haven't read Thomas Sowell's memoir "A Personal Odyssey" (ISBN 0684864657), I encourage you to get a copy and read about his extraordinary life. It will certainly surprise you. His background was not only unlikely for someone who became a highly regarded economist and commentator; it was unlikely that he would even go to college. He certainly had no straight path to success, either. What he had was an intense focus on where he wanted to go (even though that changed in unexpected ways over the years), a core understanding of who he was, and a commitment to reason and truth. Still, he did not have an easy personal or professional life. You will learn more about that interesting and inspiring life by reading the memoir and this wonderful book.
This book is a collection of letters he wrote and received throughout his life. They are so valuable because they are contemporary to the man Sowell was at the time. As we look back on our lives it is quite easy to fall into the trap of making the path of our life too straight a path to where we are today. When Sowell first got to college he was a Marxist, if you can believe it. It is quite fascinating to watch his grappling with ideas that lead him to the University of Chicago, George Stigler, Milton Friedman, and the other greats in the freshwater school.
He provides us with some background for the letters and in a few places refers the reader to more extended commentary in the memoir (another reason I recommend it to you). Sowell is also a writer of wit. I laughed out loud several times. He is also writes concisely. No rambling or side journeys for him. The letters get to the point and say what they meant to say quite directly and clearly. He covers the issues of the relevant decades, what was happening in his life, and even provides us with a few of his favorite articles and columns when that became a bigger part of his life.
His work in late talking children that grew out of his own son's development is also quite inspiring and shows the background of what became a much bigger movement than he ever expected or desired.
This book is inspiring, informative, and I believe it is quite valuable. Get it, read it, learn from it, and enjoy it (along with the memoir).
Book Description
Finding Fish meets The Pact in this gripping story of Chris Gardner, a homeless father turned millionaire who refused to let his dire circumstances define him––and who pulled himself up by his bootstraps to achieve the American Dream.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Will Smith, The Pursuit Of Happyness is the inspiring, rags–to–riches story of the charismatic Chris Gardner –– a once homeless father who raised and cared for his son on the mean streets of San Francisco and went on to become a crown prince of Wall Street.
At the age of twenty, Milwaukee native Chris Gardner, just out of the Navy, arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. Considered a prodigy in scientific research, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry level position at a prestigious firm, Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him homeless with his toddler son. Instead of giving in to despair, the two spent almost a year moving from shelters, "HO–tels", and soup–lines, even sleeping in the public restroom of a subway station – ultimately making an astonishing transformation from the bathroom to the boardroom.
Customer Reviews:
Meaningful Inspiration.......2007-09-11
Mr. Gardner's story is more than another story about having to pull oneself up by their own bootstraps, it is a mantra for Urban Americans who are dealing with cyclical social issues. Poor Education, Poverty and Single Parent household stories are no longer acceptable reasons for not achieving, unfortunately they are too common place. The Pursuit of Happyness is a great example of the saying "In order to be it, one must see it"!
Heartwarming.......2007-09-08
I've read one of the most touching and heartwarming book of one's life. It is a story that spreads open past hurts, the need for bottom-line respect that should come from the people who should give it (family) and speaks of success despite of...
The Pursuit of the Imagined.......2007-08-28
Chris Gardner says in the Acknowledgments, "Quincy Troupe [co-author] once paid me a backhand compliment by telling me that I was as crazy as his previous subject, Miles Davis. I'll definitely take that as a compliment!" Gardner's imaginings, that he could possibly become anything other than a replica of the hardworking poor men who enveloped his childhood, define him as crazy. His success is crazy. How he managed it defies sanity.
Gardner imagined a future bright enough to deflect the piercing influences of his childhood--violence, an alcoholic stepfather, a jailed mother, rape--and was able to grow up to be a man possessing little, if any, humility (refreshingly different than most memoirs). Good for him. That Gardner was once homeless and is now wealthy is interesting; that he had no reason to expect to succeed but succeeded anyway, is inspiring.
I should be so crazy.
Note: The movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" deals only with Gardner after he has lived in San Francisco for a while. My only complaint with the movie is its depiction of Gardner's wife. She is shown as an uneducated woman only capable of working in restaurants; she's actually quite educated, a dental school graduate who is waiting to sit for her dental boards. Tsk, tsk.
Engaging and Entertaining.......2007-08-23
I haven't seen the film, so I have nothing to compare it with. I found this book to be inspiring. It was a quick and easy read. It was entertaining and realistic. The language is colorful and his life is graphic. It's not a story for the faint of heart, but his experience is a wonderful read. Some of the other reviews have taken exception with the way he lives his life, but his account is genuine. His life is real in all its glory and its shortcomings. It's a wonderful read.
Satisfying story, though not much like the movie.......2007-08-15
Successful and wealthy businessman Chris Gardner truly knows what it means to achieve -- it was only through hard work and good luck that he managed to escape a lifetime of poverty and hopelessness.
As a child, Gardner grew up fatherless and poor, experiencing physical and emotional abuse at the hands of a stepfather who almost killed his mother on numerous occasions. Gardner and his sisters spent several years in foster care, and life was often bleak. But, thanks to the Navy, he was able to escape his inner-city existence and begin a promising medical career.
Just as things were beginning to look promising, a series of small misfortunes all piled up together, and Gardner -- along with his toddler son -- became homeless.
Despite the enormity of the task at hand, he managed to make the best of his circumstances, even with a large amount of humility and humor.
If you're like me, however, and decided to read the book after seeing the movie, you may be a bit startled. While the 2006 movie focuses mainly upon Gardner's homelessness and struggle within the world of stocks, that portion of his life -- however poignant and powerful -- is but a small section of the book.
Overall, this memoir is engaging and memorable, a true journey from rock bottom to success.
Book Description
Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to "Mister," a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sister's letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative and loving self.
Customer Reviews:
Issues of Feminism.......2007-09-21
"The Color Purple," involves struggles of women to achieve recognition as individuals deserving of fair and equal treatment, in face of male dominance. Both the book and the movie, of the same title, shed light on feminist issues.
The male dominance is in various forms and includes physical aggressiveness. Albert (Mr.) adamantly declares to Celie, "Men spose to wear the pants" (1982: 272).The narrator conveys by way of letters from one person (Celie) to another, the epistolary form. The feminist level of stance is powerful in the novel. Celie struggles to find peace and establish her worthiness. She was abused and raped by her "father," she was dispossessed of her infant children, she is forced to marry Albert (Mr___) who she does not want, she loses her sister Nettie because of her adulterous husband's sexual aggressiveness and philandering.
Women are heavily exploited, more so Celie who in the marriage is made to look after Albert's offspring, to toil on the farm, and to submit to all of Albert's demands and those of his offspring. Celie writes, "Mr...marry me to take care of his children. I marry him cause my daddy made me. I don't love Mr___and he don't love me" (1982: 64). The book dramatically displays how female inequality is rampant. The preacher condemns and attacks Shug for her looseness, whereas Albert's wanton infidelity is tolerated. Celie's relationship with Albert is unloving and vile. Mary Agnes solicits a white uncle to help get Sofia out of prison, the uncle rapes her. Albert attempts to force Nettie (Celie's sister) to submit to him, but she leaves after successfully fighting him off. Physical violence against the women is common, apparently even in relationships of lovingness, such as that between Harpo and his wife Sofia. Harpo beats Sofia because, as he says, "The wife s'pose to mind" (1982: 64). Harpo even considers it respectable to physically violate his wife.
The narrator conveys the message that woman must full-fledgedly oppose the treatment of unfairness meted on them by men, and that they should achieve this through uniting and helping each other. The women in the novel, often converge in taking a feminist stance. They band together to hold each other up in support and sustenance, even those with interest in the same men. Feminist bonds of sisterhood are borne out as important, these we see in Nettie and Celie, in Sophia and Odessa, even in Mary Agnes and Sofia, in Albert's sister and Celie. in Tashi and Olivia, and in Shug Avery and Celie. The latter, in their relationship, encapsulate the twin roles of sisters and lovers.
Some of the women, such as Sofia adapt to fighting for and defending themselves. Sofia is of strong character, she is not subservient, she is powerful and physically strong. She can be quite aggressive but this spills into a dreadful experience at the hands of the police after she had the nerve to talk back to the white mayor. Subsequently, Sofia is sentenced to be the mayor's servant; doing dull, irksome, and fatiguing work for many years. The sisterhood feminist bond between Sofia and Mary Agnes is stronger than their mutual interest of affection for Harpo. Mary goes as far as enduring rape on behalf of attempting to get Sofia released. And when Mary Agnes goes off to pursue a singing career, it is Sophia who looks after her child.
The most feminist liberated and independent-thinking woman, of them all, is Shug Avery; despite the verbal attacks meted on her by church elders because of her lifestyle. She is a career blues singer, an occupation that offers her much more freedom than the others who are under the confines of home, housework and bringing up children. Shug's stance on sexual freedom is stronger than that of many other women, she has numerous affairs. Her feminist strength still involves her strong belief in God, she does not worship or believe in the conventional way. Indeed it is the relationship between Shug and Celie that is the central theme in the novel. Shug will liberate Celie in numerous aspects of her life. Shug simultaneously becomes a sister, friend and lover to Celie as she guides her into emotional and financial independence. Shug's feminist stance stands out. Her gender and opinions do not preclude her from being humanly equal to everybody and possessing the integrity. She passes these qualities onto Celie. Paradoxically, it is the occupation of sewing, "a woman's job," that significantly gains Celie independence--but the product is trousers, to be worn by women. Celie becomes strong enough to point out to Albert that the qualities of honesty, integrity, and independence are valid for both genders. Celie criticizes Albert's contention that, "...Shug act more manly than most men. I mean she upright, honest. Speak her mind and the devil take the hindmost. You know Shug will fight...Just like Sophia. She bound to live her life and be herself no matter what" (1982: 270). This exemplifies addressing the issues of feminine and masculine temperament in the novel. The novel asserts that women, as people can be just as weak and strong as men, therefore gender should never be a yardstick for perceptions of human qualities.
The book is a complex weaving of events in a woman's life that are hard to completely represent in a movie. Nevertheless, the movie maintains most of the heartbreaking issues which mirror the hardships that happened in the author's life. Whoopi Goldberg artfully plays the shy and abused Celie, Oprah Winfrey is powerful as the strong and no-nonsense Sophia, Margaret Avery is the gifted and independent singer Shug Avery, and Danny Glover is the abusive husband who disallows Celie having contact with Nettie and others. The issues that were toned down or understated in this movie, such as the lesbian loving and the violence, would probably be more graphically played during this era. That was 1985, not that long ago, but film-makers were less blunt with their images. The "lesbian" (the word is not mentioned in the book) acts are not conceived as being lesbian at all, but as a means (for Shug) to show Celie that a person can be loved and not just used as a toilet for sex. Compared to the book the movie rendition can sometimes appear to be too glamorous, too glorified, and too sweet. Director Spielberg commendably images the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed.
The actors performed their roles exceptionally well. These include Whoopi Goldberg who plays the shy and abused Celie, Oprah Winfrey who plays the strong, no nonsense Sophia, Margaret Aver as the gifted singer Shug Avery, Danny Glover as the abusive husband to Celie who goes to the extent of not allowing Celie to have any contact with her sister Nettie, among others. The movie depicts the female characters as generally good persons, not flawless. The women are of unique backgrounds, conditions and talents, and they weave together to help each other out, in feminism strength. The men are generally likeable, save for abusive Danny Glover (who, anyway, later redeems himself); so it is difficult to look at the movie and the book as an attack on black masculinity in the course of displaying black (or overall) feminist strength. Consider that Rev. Samuel the missionary adopts Celie's children; Buster the boxer dates and does not try to overrule the strong-willed Sophia; even Shug's husband, Grady (in the movie version) accepts Shug for who she is, despite knowing her past of licentiousness.
Both the book and movie turn out to be amongst the most powerful in addressing issues of feminism in everyday life. Alice Walker prevalently employs black English and black characters, but this is a book and movie that almost anyone, near and far, can relate to. The book offers much more in that sphere than the movie, but both declare that triumph in a woman's life often happens when misfortune and adversity are challenged by feminist unity and forthrightness in face of a male dominated world. Women's issues come in various shapes and sizes, as the book and movie illustrate, but strength is indeed in numbers, ambitiousness, education, and becoming outward looking other than insular. A woman is to significantly love and cherish herself, get rid of the oppression blocking her, before she can fully appreciate and enjoy herself as well as others.
Incredible.......2007-09-14
I have seen the movie a million and one times but this book did it in for me. Although the movie was amazing, you have to read the book. There was a lot in the book I felt should have been in the movie. Overall this is a great book to read.
Excellent product........2007-09-11
Absolutely loved this book. It was in almost perfect condition. Better than described. Thanks for the great book and the great price.
a timeless story about redemption and the power of forgiveness.......2007-09-05
This gem of a story is about Celie, an abused
woman that uses the magic of reading and writing
letters to help her overcome the abusive life
she lives with Mister, her husband in an arranged
marriage. Through her friendship with Shug Avery,
and her belief in God, she learns to stand up
and value herself as a human being. She eventually
forgives those that abused her when she realizes
that they cannot have power over her if she doesn't
let them.
Some have accused the author and the story of being
anti-black men but the story is anti- a system that
oppressed the meak, and that's something that
everyone can relate to if they are willing to open
their minds to this wonderful book.
Lovely Reading.......2007-07-13
This story is a captivating and wonderful tale of a family torn apart by abuse. It's lovely but may not be suitable for younger audiences because of some sexual content. I feel in love with this book once I got to the end. I wont spoil it but I greatly recommend it.
Book Description
PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America is a five-year plan to make Black America a prosperous and empowered race that is self-sufficient and competitive as a group by the year 2005. In this book, Dr. Anderson obliterates the myths and illusions of black progress and brings together data and information from many different sources to construct a framework for solutions to the dilemma of Black America. In PowerNomics: The National Plan, Dr. Anderson proposes new principles, strategies and concepts that show blacks a new way to see, think, and behave in race matters. The new mind set prepares blacks to take strategic steps to create a new reality for their race. It offers guidance to others who support blacks self-sufficiency. In this book, Dr. Anderson offers insightful analysis and action steps blacks can take to redesign core areas of life - Education, Economics, Politics and Religion - to better benefit their race. The action steps in each area require new empowerment tools that Dr. Anderson presents - a new group vision and a new culture of empowerment - tools designed to counter, if not break many of the racial monopolies in society. Vertical integration and Industrializing black communities are other major concepts and strategies that he presents in the book. He places a great deal of importance on building industries in black communities that are constructed upon group competitive advantages. A the same time he announced the release of PowerNomics: The National Plan, he also announced that he has established several models of the strategies he proposes in the book. PowerNomics: The Plan, is infused with Dr. Anderson's trademark creative thinking and answers questions such as: - Why are blacks the only group that equates success with working in a White corporation, government or the entertainment industry? - How did power and wealth - businesses, resources, privileges, income and control of all levels of government get so disproportionately distributed into the hands of White society?
- Industrialization brings many economic benefits to the geographic locations where it occurs. Why has Black America never been industrialized and how can it be done? - Why do visible blacks and black leaders avoid blackness, identifying the focus of their work instead for people of color, minorities, women, gays , the poor, Hispanics, and other immigrant groups? - What enables a constant stream of immigrant groups to politically, economically and socially dominate blacks? - In politics, how is it that blacks can be monolithic and loyal political supporters yet their group receives no quid pro quo benefits? - In his first book, Black Labor, White Wealth, Dr. Anderson examined history and showed how racism has locked and boxed blacks into a near permanent underclass. Picking up where Black Labor, White Wealth left off, PowerNomics: The National Plan is the missing link between the historical analysis of problems facing blacks and the strategies needed to correct those problems. Dr. Anderson's books are a phenomenon in the publishing industry. His work is distinguished because he has turned books that are serious, non-fiction, and heavy on black history, into best-sellers. PowerNomics: The National Plan continues that pattern. It is an astounding work.
Customer Reviews:
Release The Power.......2006-07-10
PowerNomics should be required reading for every African American book club, community organization, church, and family. The book embodies tenents set forth from Marcus Garvey to Elijah Muhammed to DuBois and Washington. If you believe that "God helps those who help themselves," PowerNomics is an action plan to achieve self-sufficiency.
This is truly Black America's second Bible.......2006-05-24
Before I read this book, I had not one clue how bad we as African Americans had it. This book truly opened my eyes. The statistics that were presented would make Dr. King literally cry. We have gotten so far behind other nationalities that it is literally pathetic. Claud Anderson's vision if implemented can really change the course that us as Blacks are on. This book should be in every Black American's household.
Live on your feet or die on your knees.......2005-10-15
Mr. Andersons' book provides a thorough examination, diagnosis, and best possible cure for what ails black america. Not poor whites, hispanics, arabs, jews, gays, or white women. You owe it to you and your family to at least check out the facts of this examination and then decide.
White america has always put their modus operandi in our face; this is our society, these are our rules, do the best you can with what we decide to give you; don't bother me while I make my money. If you do, the police will handle you.
Here is Black americas' call to focus on what should have been the legacy of civil rights - economic empowerment.
Economic common sense!!.......2005-04-10
A continuation of Black labor White wealth, this account is a program of action for those interested with the implimentaion of the economic model based on Powernomics and the fascinating industries available for exploitation within certain communities. Additionally this addition has updated stats and excellent examples of programs designed to help control-preserve community economic development and culture as well as history...to protect communities from outsiders with their own interests thru ethno-aggregation and consolidation urban communities can learn to impliment basic protective procedures. Fascinating far reaching analysis, that should be of interest for those areas facing population displacement thru gentrification. If developed properly this Powerenomics plan can serve areas well into the next century and beyond.
This book has changed my life........2004-10-29
I have been a self-proclaimed conscious person for 5 years now.
I began with reading black history studying ancient african civilizations and traditions. When I found out about Ancient Kemit and Kush and the African connection to the Hebrews I honestly believed that the major problem we had in this country was lack of self-knowledge. Even though I still beleive that to be a major issue, I know now that the force that keeps us down is ignorance of a different type. It is the ignorance of how a Democratic Capitalist system truly works that keeps us at the bottom. It was and is the ignorance of our past and present leaders who push and promote intergration when it's obvious it has failed us. And finally it is each and every black individuals ignorance when he moves out of a black community when they become middle class, diluting our voting and economic base. But now i have no excuses I now know what is going on around me. If you want to know buy this book.
Book Description
Most Americans regard the World War II period as belonging to the greatest generation, but it was also a time when religious intolerance and racial violence flourished. It is within this world that this compelling memoir is set. Against impossible odds, Bill would be elected to serve his country as a U.S. Congressman and Senator, and Janet would become a prominent television personality, activist, and highly respected businesswoman and author. This powerful book is one of inspiration, hope and ultimately the redemption of America's soul.
Customer Reviews:
This lady is NOT BLACK, she could pass for white!!.......2007-05-27
I find it really amusing that these people with caucasion features who have a pretty easy time being accepted in the "white world", some how think they are the authority on race relations or interracial relationships. I have friends who married very dark skinned African Americans who lived in working class neighborhoods. Their love survived more pain, hardship, and strife then that half-breed Mrs. Cohen could ever imagine. I seriously doubt that Mr. Cohen would have it as bad a dark skinned male, with a white woman on his arm.
Get a clue!
TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS ARE ONE.......2007-03-19
This is a love story. The journey of two people arriving at the same place in time, finally. They share their respective experiences with sharp incisive candor. Readers are given a "no holds barred" look into their world.
Quite frankly, they are right. It is the time for a book of this quality to be written. Two little children born and raised in America, each having individual, separate horrendous struggles, - yet surviving, maturing, achieving success. Through their eyes, we experience life in the political, journalist, entertainment,social, personal, civil rights, and sports arena of action. Through them We meet a young Muhammad Ali, Quincey Jones, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Hilary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Sidney Poiter, Richard Nixon, Herbert Hoover, the FBI, Deepak Chopra, Bruce Gordon, Mahalia Jackson, John Johnson, Andrew Young, soldiers in Bosnia and many many more. Beautiful glossy photographs capture memorable moments. Thank you Bill and Janet. Your respective journeys were often jarring, but seldom boring. The book contains enlightening perspectives and is a wake-up call to the sometimes harsh yet mostly beautiful realities of life here on planet earth. And much like the lyrics of that sweet old poignant song, " We will show them as we walk together in the sun, that our two different worlds are one," -- you have indeed done just that.
I have never met William Cohen and Janet Langhart Cohen, but I have observed Janet's steady progress and achievements, over the years, from the cover of Jet Magazine to the Ebony Fashion Fair, and her television show. I have always been inspired by her courage, intelligence and professionalism. I am an African-American woman. This book is excellent and informative. Its final chapter features Janet's masterfully crafted play, a dialogue between murdered Emmitt Till and the Holocaust's Anne Frank.
My next read will be Janet's book, "From Rage to Reason."
it takes all kinds.......2007-03-01
I found the book to be an enjoyable and interesting read and I share some of the other readers comments about the book. One of the great things about the internet is that anyone is free to go online, write a review, and show how foolish they are. I sometimes wonder of some people deliberately write nasty or very poor reviews just to "stir the pot". Anyway, the world is slowly but steadily blending itself together. First products & stores, now language, and within a couple of hundred years or so, the majority of humans will be blended, too. "That's life", as Frankie sang.
A different perspective.......2007-02-22
I found the book of interest and enjoyed many segments of it. In particularly, I liked the focus on how to overcome the adversity of one's surroundings and the misperceptions around oneself. The book also is a barometer of how America has changed and for the better too.
Like the authors, I also am married to someone outside my 'race". I came to the US as an immigrant from the Netherlands,earned a PhD in the physical Sciences from an Ivy League University and taught in three major research universities, including an ivy league university and a Big 10 unviersity. Now I run a consulting business. I'm Protestant. My wife is an immigrant from Korea, was educated there as a nurse, and is Buddhist. We met in New York CIty.
If I have learned anything from our multicultiural and multiracial amrriage it is this. The key to keeping it going is mutual respect for each other, mutual respect for the cultures from which we came, a willingness to try new things considered foreign by some, a willingess to accomodate to the partner's wishes even if one doesn't understand the cultural context, and a willingness to try new things. Bill Cohen and Janet Langhart portray these critical components very well.
I realize a review is not the place to advertise but for those interested, the novel "Dissensions" has an interesting subplot and about an inter-racial and multi-cultural marriage. The book can be orderved via:
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Response to Review.......2007-02-22
This is to Alesha Bryant, How dare you say Janet Langhart Coehn is not black. Both her parents are fair skinned black folks. There is something wrong with Black people who have issues about their own skin color complaining that another person is not black. FYI most African Americans are mixed no thanks to slavery. I have a Black Father and an Italian mother and I am Ms. Langhart's complexion, and i am BLACK, so please do not say such idiotic things again, without knowing the facts. If that is your opinion, if you "think she looks Italian" your entitled to your opinion but you sound ignorant. Ms. Coehn is a Beautiful and Accomplished African American woman, so STOP hating on her COLOR, its not about COLOR its about culture. Are you really black, because your name is spelled the ghetto way???
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