A Man of Letters

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).

Letters from Felix: A Little Rabbit on a World Tour

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Little Rabbit
Better read in childhood ...
Felix : A Little Rabbit on a World Tour
A wonderful way to open the world for young children
a great read

Letters from Felix: A Little Rabbit on a World Tour
Annette Langen , and Laura Lindgren
Manufacturer: Parklane Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1593840349

Book Description

In the bestselling book Letters from Felix, something terrible hasppens at the end of vacation: Sophie's cuddly rabbit, Felix, disappears in the airport! The is very, very bad, because Sophie and Felix are inseparable. But when schools starts again, suddenly a letter for Sophie arrives from London - a letter from Felix! Over 4.8 million Felix books have been sold worldwide!

Customer Reviews:

Little Rabbit.......2007-05-20

Some of my family and I participated in a school project for a friend's grandson - Felix was the inspiration - Very nice book and story - little envelopes with letters throughout - and a couple other inserts - very enjoyable - I plan to buy more Felix more my little boy.

Better read in childhood ... .......2007-02-01

This travelogue of a lost stuffed rabbit, Felix, was translated into English from the German. Felix's owner Sophie is disconsolate until letters start arriving from around the world, describing Felix's adventures and prompting Sophie's family to learn more about the various cultures Felix is enjoying and the world history he describes. You take the letters out of envelopes pasted into the book a la "Griffin & Sabine." A close examination of the first page illustration will show what happened to Felix (though it doesn't explain his later adventures). This was a sweet book but would need to be read during childhood to become a favorite, as it didn't have enough interest to captivate this new adult reader.

Felix : A Little Rabbit on a World Tour.......2005-09-14

A beautifully presented book, with a lovely story. The information it gives is easy from the age group it is aimed at to comprehend and learn without knowing their learning. A fun read.

A wonderful way to open the world for young children.......2005-04-27

My son (now 4 1/2) and I have been enjoying this book for the past year. A friend of mine sent it as a gift. My son is fascinated with geography and has a wonderfully active imagination. He is enthralled with the adventures of Felix and still cannot wait to take the next letter out of the envelope. My parents do a great deal of travelling and I may "lend" them one of my son's stuffed animals so that he can learn of it's adventures too. I just ordered two more books from this series. This book is a delight and an excellent learning tool!

a great read.......2004-11-07

This book was a perfect solution for my 4 year old who I felt was ready for more advanced reading. His interest was kept even though there was quite a bit of writing on each page. His anticipation in reading Felix's letters was a joy to watch. The picture of Felix next to the Eiffel Tower actually made me laught out loud the first time I saw it. I am definitely going to buy the next in the series. Loved it.

Muslim-Christian Polemic During the Crusades: The Letter From the People of Cyprus and Ibn Abi Talib Al-Dimashqi's Response (The History of Christian-Muslim ... (The History of Christian-Muslim Relations)

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The Fine Arts of Christian Muslim Dialogue

Muslim-Christian Polemic During the Crusades: The Letter From the People of Cyprus and Ibn Abi Talib Al-Dimashqi's Response (The History of Christian-Muslim ... (The History of Christian-Muslim Relations)
David Thomas
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9004135898
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Product Description

This volume comprises an edition and English translation of the response in Arabic made by the fourteenth century scholar Ibn Abî Tâlib al-Dimashqî to a Letter sent to him by anonymous Christians from Cyprus. The Christian letter was also sent to al-Dimashqîs contemporary Ibn Taymiyya, and this response is thus a parallel to Ibn Taymiyyas Al-jawâb al-sahîh.

In their Letter the Christians subtly suggest that the Quran supports Christian doctrines. Al-Dimashqî replies with a comprehensive series of elaborate and wide-ranging arguments that incorporate not only themes familiar from earlier polemical works but also his own original points. His response is thus an important source of information about the development of Muslim interfaith attitudes, and a significant example of polemic in the later medieval period.

The edition presents the two parts of this correspondence in parallel Arabic and English versions, together with an extensive introduction, textual notes and commentary.

Customer Reviews:

The Fine Arts of Christian Muslim Dialogue.......2005-07-04

Medieval Bilingual Dialogue:
This volume comprises an Arabic edition with English translation of the Arabic response made by Damascene Islamic scholar Shams Ibn Abî Tâlib, a fourteenth century 'faquih', in response to a provocative letter from 'across Mediterrenian' Cypriot Christians. In his Letter, the Cypriot Christian eludes that the Qur'an does not contradict, but in fact affirms the Christian religion and its basic doctrines. the Moslem scholar elaborates in his comprehensive reply, in detailed and wide-ranging themes, rewriting earlier familiar polemical works, in a reply to Christian's letter, which was also sent to Ibn Taymiyya, a controversial Islamic contemporary. This response is thus a parallel to Ibn Taymiyya's (Al-jawâb al-sahîh)*.

Note on Master of Jihad:
In his original book, (Aljawaab AlSaheeh)*;'The Correct Answer,' Ibn Tayymiya elaborated an encyclopedic answer,in 7 volumes, to many Christian polemics. Ibn Taymiyya (1263-1328), well versed in Qur'anic studies, and scholastic theology, started giving fatwas on religious legal matters without following any of the four traditional legal schools, influenced by Ibn Hanbal. He was unyielding in his political and religious positions.
His jihad against the enemies of Islam, which he is now best known for, did not help him in his times, and he died in jail because of his daring opinions. Most notably, the Ibn Taymiyya writings were incorporated into Wahhabi doctrine in order to legitimize fighting anti-Islam as holy Jihad.

A Model Muslim/Christian Dialogue:
The development of Muslim christian interfaith dialogues, in the later medieval period is a good example of those polemics, is thus a rich source of information about the trends, attitudes, and rules of oral and written engagement.
The edition, in parallel Arabic versions and English translation presents in vivid account both parts of this correspondence, as a dialogue. The authors provide an elaborate introduction, detailed notes and commentary on the Arabic text rendered in a clear English translation.

Toil Lover Editors:
The Catholic Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission , inspired by Vatican II, and pioneered by two great scholars in the field Fr. Samir Khalil, and Fr. Sidney Griffith has progressed vastly this area of research. Dr. Rifaat Ebied, Professor of Semitic Studies, University of Sydney, has published extensively on Christian Arabic and Syriac studies, Studies on the Christian Arabic Heritage. Dr. David Thomas, of U. Birmingham, Islamic Studies has published profusely on Christian/Islamic issues, (Christians at the Heart of Islamic Rule, Brill, 2003).

Dear Levi: Letters from the Overland Trail

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Oregon or Bust!!!
Adventures on a Wagon Train
Great book and author!
Exciting, and the letter format made it even more realistic.

Dear Levi: Letters from the Overland Trail
Elvira Woodruff
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679885587
Release Date: 1998-02-10

Book Description

In 1851, 12-year-old orphan Austin Ives joins a wagon train headed for California. As he makes his way across the country, Austin writes home to his brother Levi, describing life on the rugged Overland Trail. Extensively researched, with episodes based on true incidents, "the epistolary format and character development offer solid reading."--Booklist

An IRA Teachers' Choice

Customer Reviews:

Oregon or Bust!!!.......2004-04-26

We recently read this as an adjunct to an Oregon Trail unit. Most of the fourth grade students could relate to what was going on in the story, especially the relationships that parents and children have. An excellent tool to "hook the learner" and keep them interested. I would recommend this to teachers and students. It convinced me that I need to visit the real Oregon Trail before I teach this again!!

Adventures on a Wagon Train.......2000-11-18

Dear Levi is a historical fiction book that is based on a true story. This splendid story is about a boy named Austin who is traveling on a wagon train to Oregon, while writing letters to his little brother Levi. On the way he meets new friends and has many difficult problems. We recommend this book to anyone. So,read Dear Levi by Elvira Woodruff.

Great book and author!.......2000-05-08

I've met the author and would recomend any one of her books to you! This book is about a boy who writes to his brother while he(austin) is on the Oregon Trail. There is a sequel coming or is out that's called dear Austin. It's about Levi Writing back to austin.

Exciting, and the letter format made it even more realistic........1998-08-08

I read this book a couple of years ago (to my son). We both loved it. The events that happen to the boy as he travels along the Oregon Trail gave my son a realistic account of what it was like for the people who lived it. At the end of each letter he would beg me to go on, and it was so interesting I never needed much convincing. Even though the reading level is probably 4th-6th grade, I have decided to use the book with my special education students (grades 10, 11, 12). I predict they will love it too!

Letters from a Slave Boy: The Story of Joseph Jacobs

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Letters from a Slave Boy: The Story of Joseph Jacobs
Mary E. Lyons
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689878672

Book Description

Like his mother and grandmother before him, Joseph Jacobs was born into slavery. Joseph lives with his grandmother and sister in North Carolina, but he has not seen his mother for more than seven years. Unbeknownst to Joseph, his mother, Harriet, has been hiding from her owner in the attic of the house that Joseph lives in. But when Harriet's hiding place is in danger of being revealed, she is forced to flee north to safety only moments after being reunited with her family.

Devastated by losing his mother for the second time, Joseph begins to ponder the nature of the world he lives in. Soon Joseph, seeking freedom and a place where he can be himself, follows his mother north. As he searches for answers, Joseph experiences life in Massachusetts, California, Australia, and aboard a whaling ship -- but there's no place where Joseph feels that he can truly be free.

In this companion novel to Letters from a Slave Girl, Joseph's stirring quest for freedom and identity is told through letters imagined by the author. Based on the real-life stories of Harriet and Joseph Jacobs, Letters from a Slave Boy is set against the backdrop of some of the most exciting and turbulent times in American history.

Customer Reviews:

A history teacher's review.......2007-08-15

Mary E. Lyons' book is a fictionalized account of the true story of Harriet Jacobs, a slave girl from North Carolina who escaped and hid in her grandmother's attic for several years before making her way north to freedom.

Lyons chose to use a fictional diary format to tell the story of Harriet Jacobs. In real life Jacobs could read and write and actually wrote a book about her life in 1861.

The diary format has some strengths - it is an efficient way to note the passage of time and to tell about Harriet's feelings. However, it is not nearly as memorable as telling her story as a novel.

The book also include a set of pictures of some of the real people and places involved, a family tree and a thorough bibliography.

About Harriet Jacobs.......2007-04-11

I use this book to teach 8th graders about the local history of slavery in our area. What is wonderful about this book is the fact that I can take my students to Edenton and visit the actual places that Harriet wrote about in her book. Sadly, many of the buildings are long gone, but Edenton has done a good job in commemorating Harriet. The jail where her children, brother, and aunt still stands and the students were able to walk around inside. Also, the headstones of James and Maria Norcom are in Edenton, too. Powerful book for students to read. Just make sure that they are fully aware of the content of the book. I wouldn't recommend this for elementary school students.

escape.......2006-12-13

Mary E. Lyons writes captivatingly about a slave girl named Harriet Jacobs in this historical novel. The story takes place around the time of the Civil War in the North and Suth territories. Harriet is a livley young irl who has a father and a brother named John. Harriet, whos mother died, lives with her grandmother on a plantation. When the owner of the plantation dies, Harriet is sent to be a servant for a cross up tight docter near by. A short while later her father dies. Durring her time as the docter's servant, Harriet has two children with a white man eventually she goes into hiding.
I would recomend this book to girls who want to learn more about slavery. The author rewrote parts of Harriets actual diary.
harriet Jacobs was a real girl. I learned a lot from this book.

The Truth About Slavery.......2006-02-14

The book that I am revewing is Letters From a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons. This book is about a slave girl in North Carolina. When her mother dies she is given to James Norcom and his wife, but her new master tries to sexually abuse her. She doesn't know how to stop him so she gets pregnant by another slave owner. Harriet finds out that her brother has run away while he was in a free state. Harriet decides that she has to run away and somehow bring her childrn to freedom. What will happen to Harriet? Will she escape, or will she be caught?

I really loved this book, because it tells a true story of a determined slave girl while still helping you learn how terrible slavery was. This book is great for anyone who wants to learn about slavery, or even just read a great book! You should read this book if you're looking for a suspensful story about a young girl, or if you like historical-fiction. I give this book a two thumbs up!

A slave girl.......2005-03-15

This book is a great book. The slave girl,Harriet,is a really smart girl and lives with a lady who refuses to give her away, her name is Gram. She also has her brother, john, with her. At the beginning of the book, Harriet is only 12 years old. She writes to her family members like her mom,dad,aunt,R,and alot of other people. She didn't say what R's real name was because if the Mistress found the letters than they would be in big trouble. Later in the book she sneaks out of the house leaving her babies behind. You'll have to read and find out if she gets caught or if she finds a place to hide.

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The lost art of letter writing
A Gold Mine Of Humorous Letters
Humorous collection that was also touching
funny and touching
Charels OzGOD!!

Funny Letters from Famous People
Charles Osgood
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767911768
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Book Description

In this humorous collection of celebrity wit, acclaimed broadcaster and humorist Charles Osgood offers witticisms penned by luminaries ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Andy Rooney.

Known for his clever commentary and witty radio-show rhymes, Charles Osgood here selects and introduces a collection of hilarious correspondence from some of our best-loved politicians, authors, and stars of the stage and screen. Funny Letters from Famous People delivers rib-tickling communications from the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Flannery O’Connor, S. J. Perelman, Groucho Marx, Bob Hope, John Cheever and dozens more.
Providing an entertaining look at celebrated lives, Osgood lets us glimpse Mark Twain squabbling with the gas company, Dwight D. Eisenhower kvetching to Mamie about Patton, and radio personality Fred Allen desperately seeking logic from his insurance carrier in one of comedy’s most amusing epistles.
Sprinkled throughout with Osgood’s own humorous quips, Funny Letters from Famous People is a delightful compendium of clever letter writing at its side-splitting best.

Customer Reviews:

The lost art of letter writing.......2005-01-06

When I picked up this book, I thought the letters in it would be more ha-ha funny, or maybe unintentionally funny. Instead, I was treated to finely-constructed correspondences from politicians, authors, and entertainers. Some of my favorites: everything from Abraham Lincoln, Churchill's treatise on the unintended consequences of praying for rain, Bush The Elder's letter to the chairman of the Roach Bowl in Hawaii, Lewis Carroll's over-the-top apology for missing an appointment, everything by Mark Twain, groaners by Dorothy Parker and Carl Sandburg, and the exchange between Eddie Cantor and Florenz Ziegfeld.

Some letters are laugh-out-loud funny, but many are more subtle, understated, and dry. All display the wit and expressiveness of their authors. While I don't want to give up telephone and e-mail, I can see how these technologies have made the thoughtfully composed letter an endangered species.

So read this book and then get out some stationery and write a real letter!

A Gold Mine Of Humorous Letters.......2004-10-19

There is always something audacious about reading other people's letters. You have the feeling that you are secretly looking into the soul and mind of the letter writer without his or her knowledge.
Unfortunately, in today's age of emails, television, and every other modern day distraction, we have little time or the patience for the letter writing that was quite prevalent years ago.
Luckily for us, many letters written by famous people have been saved, providing a virtual gold mine of information pertaining to these individuals. Gleaning through these letters, you will also discover a great deal of humor as evidenced in Charles Osgood's collection Funny Letters From Famous People.

One of the difficulties of publishing this kind of a book is to decipher hundreds of letters before deciding which ones to include in a book that has as its principal objective humor.
Osgood, who is the anchorperson of CBS News Sunday Morning, succeeds admirably in his presentation of letters written by politicians, authors, artists and show business personalities.
We can't help but have a good chuckle reading the letters of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Groucho Marx, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Eugene O'Neill, Charles Dickens, and many more.
As an example, an extract taken from one of Chopin's letters to his friend Julien Fontana pertaining to Chopin's health describes how awful he feels after contacting a cold and goes onto to say that three doctors examined him. The first doctor said he was going to die, the second indicated that he was actually dying and the third told him he was dead already.
In another letter, American short story writer and novelist John Cheever and his wife Mary were asked by their friend Josephine Herbst to take care of her cat Delmore. After several years, Cheevers writes to his friend to recount his experiences with the cat. He tells of how the cat used the Kleenex box as a place to "dump a load," and unfortunately for Cheevers, who had a cold at the time, used one of the tissues to wipe his nose. Cheevers goes on to recount that he took Delmore to the kitchen door and dropkicked him into the clothes yard. I hope animal rights activists will not come knocking on Cheevers' door!

This is a wonderful collection of humorous letters to meander through, as it adheres to the often -quoted adage "laughter is the best medicine."

Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com

Humorous collection that was also touching.......2003-09-22

FUNNY LETTERS FROM FAMOUS PEOPLE by Charles Osgood,
the acclaimed broadcaster and humorist, is a humorous collection
of correspondence from politicians, writers and show business
figures--organized chronologically . . . there are contributions
from those you might expect, such as Groucho Marx and Bob
Hope, as well a surprising entry from George Washington . . . I
also got a kick from reading Dwight D. Eisenhower kvetch
to Mamie about Patton.

Some of the letters are actually quite touching; e.g., one
from an aging and convicted Oscar Wilde, as well as another from an
ailing but resilient Frederic Chopin . . . they appear to be written by
men trying to laugh in order to avoid crying.

Osgood's commentary also added to my enjoyment.

My only criticism: There are very few women represented in this
male-heavy collection.

Among the many passages that caught my attention were the
following:

* Truman was, of course, famous for his "plain speaking." He did not
suffer fools lightly, and he found a good deal of his job as president
to be a tremendous waste of time. In a letter to his sister in 1947,
Truman wrote: "All the President is, is a glorified public relations man
who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get
them to do what they are supposed to do anyway."

* As Elizabeth Dole's fame and power grew over the years, even to
the point of being-with her husband-a front-runner for George
Bush's choice of a vice president, Bob Dole was utterly undisturbed.
When she was appointed Secretary of Transportation, Dole
remembered, "There were a lot of stories and a lot of pictures taken.
I was always in the picture, but I was never identified. They said,
'The man on the left is the husband.' PEOPLE magazine took an
interest in Elizabeth, so a photographer followed us around and took
about three hundred pictures. They wound up using three, and one
showed us making the bed.

"Some guy out in California whose wife had read the story wrote
that he was now helping make the bed. He said, "Senator, I don't
mind your wife getting the job. She's well qualified. She's doing
good work. But you've got to stop doing the work around the house.
You're causing problems for men all across the country."

Dole wrote back:
"Buster, you don't know the half of it. The only reason she was
helping was because they were taking the pictures."

* From time to time throughout her illustrious career, Julia Child was
attacked by people she began to refer to as "food police"--those who
thought her recipes and culinary edicts were too high-fat and unhealthy.
One such attacker wrote asking why Child couldn't advocate healthy
foods in her books and television programs-after all, she'd been
seen in public eating a salad.

Julia sent her the following recipe for a healthy life:

Small helpings,
no seconds,
eat a little bit of everything,
no snacking,
have a good time,
and pick your grandparents!

funny and touching.......2003-07-09

very funny book that gives a glimpse into the lives of famous folks. a great read for a trip or to share with friends and family.

Charels OzGOD!!.......2003-04-14

Wow. Charles Osgood you, my friend, have done it again. This book is absolute dynamite, KA-POW! I am twenty two years old and many of my friends don't consider "Ozzie" to be "cool" or "hip". Well this book is physical evidence of the overwhelming sweetness that is "The Oz". The following is a quote from a letter written by Abe Lincoln (Yes, the President!) to his wife Mary Todd:
"Mary, I have recieved word that you have made a cuckold of me with the young man who trims our hedges. I am dismayed. I spoke to a large group of soldiers today but all through the speach thought of nothing but you lying in MY bed, orally gratifying the young lad, and then laughing about my mole over a snifter of brandy."
Need I go on?! This is just a sample of the hijinks "Ozwald P. Funny Man" packs into this small book. Do yourself a favor, read it today.

The Autobiography Of Medgar Evers: A Hero's Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters, and Speeches

Average customer rating:

A valuable historical record made public. Let's make sure it gets into every single public and school library.
Documents of an Underrated Hero
Powerful Book

The Autobiography Of Medgar Evers: A Hero's Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters, and Speeches
Myrlie Evers-Williams , Manning Marable , and Medgar Wiley Evers
Manufacturer: Basic Civitas Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0465021778
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Book Description

For the first time, the life of Medgar Evers as told through his speeches, letters, and papers, in a volume edited by his widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams, and scholar Manning Marable

On the evening of June 12, 1963-the day President John F. Kennedy gave his most impassioned speech about the need for interracial tolerance -Medgar Evers, the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi, was shot and killed by an assassin's bullet in his driveway. The still-smoking gun-bearing the fingerprints of Byron De La Beckwith, a staunch white supremacist-was recovered moments later in some nearby bushes. Still, Beckwith remained free for over thirty years, until Evers's widow finally forced the Mississippi courts to bring him to justice. The Autobiography of Medgar Evers tells the full story of one the greatest leaders of the civil rights movement, bringing his achievement to life for a new generation. Although Evers's memory has remained a force in the civil rights movement, the legal battles surrounding his death have too often overshadowed the example and inspiration of his life.

Myrlie Evers-Williams and Manning Marable have assembled the previously untouched cache of Medgar's personal documents, writings, and speeches. These remarkable pieces range from Medgar's monthly reports to the NAACP to his correspondence with luminaries of the time such as Robert Carter, General Counsel for the NAACP in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. Most important of all are the recollections of Myrlie Evers, combined with letters from her personal collection. These documents and memories form the backbone of The Autobiography of Medgar Evers- a cohesive narrative detailing the rise and tragic death of a civil rights hero

Customer Reviews:

A valuable historical record made public. Let's make sure it gets into every single public and school library........2005-07-11

I watched Myrlie Evers-Williams talk about the book and so much more on C-SPAN II, Book TV. She was appearing at Karibu Bookstore in Hyattsville, Maryland on 6/17/05 and I was so moved by what she said that I bought and read the book. I wish the book were bundled with a copy of that talk because in her talk it is beautifully and forcefully made clear that although Medgar Evers was assassinated on June 12, 1963, his spirit and his work survive and continue to nudge, persuade, inspire, and demand of us that his vision is not nearly fulfilled and it is our job to join together to keep up the work. And dare I say, in the midst of such serious considerations, that the man had a wicked sense of the satiric? His letters to Eisenhower, to the admissions people at the white college that refused admission to him, and others are not only important historical documents about the civil rights struggle in the U.S., they are also really wonderful writing and make great reading-aloud material. I'd love to see one of those moving one-man theatrical productions staged based on this book, his writings, and his wife's continued growth, struggle, and determined leadership after his murder. What a story! What wonderful American lives!

Documents of an Underrated Hero.......2005-07-04

Not a bad text. I have heard a rare recording of the underrated hero Medgar Evers speaking once, and no he was not a "personality cult" leader who dazzled the masses with snappy slogans, but a sincere individual who appealed to people on the grounds of reason and integrity.

In texts such as the 1958 Ebony magazine article and the 1963 television show in Jackson, Miss (where he lived and died), he appeals to those unconvinced by his fight against segregation to put themselves in his place. His stands for human dignity as described in his NAACP reports in the book is heartwarming when you consider that he risked his life to make such statements.

The Life of Evers cries out for a DVD or an "American Experience" episode. Unfortuantely, the so-called "leaders" and their paper-tiger soundbyte "causes" of today are a far comedown from the true heroes of Evers' era (and Mrs. Myrlie Evers herself makes this point in far more polite terms in her intro). Sadly, most of the truly great ones like Evers are now dead. Hopefully, this will inspire a future generation to get it right and back on track.

Powerful Book.......2005-06-27

Medger Evers was truly a Pioneer of Change. He died far too young at only age 37. this Book traces His speeches,writings&Letters at about bringing changes.He was One of the Most Important figures during the Civil Rights Movement.Much Respect to His Widow Myrlie Evers-Williams for sharing these Important Documents of History that speak of a Ugly chapter in America.this is a Must Read Book&Have Book.very Educational&a Book that reflects a time period that wasn't that long ago.

Back Talk from Appalachia: Confronting Stereotypes

Average customer rating:

Trying to Debunk the last "PC" Prejudice

Back Talk from Appalachia: Confronting Stereotypes

Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0813190010

Book Description

“Envisioned as a response to Robert Schenkkan's 1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Kentucky Cycle, the book's editors hoped to directly confront what they viewed as the play's unfair characterizations of Appalachians. . . . In that goal, the book succeeds and exceeds. Rather than just a knee-jerk reaction to Schenkkan's play, the book's 21 essays instead tackle a century's worth of stereotypes. . . . An additional benefit is that it also lends its readers a sense of Appalachian pride which all too often seems nonexistent today.”—The Paintsville (KY) Herald

Customer Reviews:

Trying to Debunk the last "PC" Prejudice.......2003-10-24

Having lived in the Northeast and Upper Midwest for most of my adult life, it was with some trepidation that I accepted a position as a doc at a Southern Appalachian hospital. To deal with my cognitive dissonance, I purchased this book and was reassured. Now, after months of working and living in Appalachia, I can only agree: My anecdotal experiences support Backtalk from Appalachia. The region is populated, for the most part, with people with a refreshingly strong sense of home and place, and an appreciation for nature--imagine that! There are professional, blue collar, unemployed, and everything-in-between folks down here. The bell curve of IQs around here is normally distributed: The oft-repeated Deliverance nonsense has no place outside of the book and the film. So, if, like me, you have tired of the big cities with their congestion, pollution, and crime, come on out here for a visit. You might decide to stay.

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Letters from Mongolia
Reginald Hibbert , and Ann Hibbert
Manufacturer: Radcliffe Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Mongolia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The ways of the Foreign Office are mysterious: "the FO is sometimes like the army: if you belong to a minority faith you can be dismissed from church parade and sent on an obscure fatigue". Reginald Hibbert had read Russian at Oxford and it was thus he found himself resident Chargé d'Affaires at Ulan Bator in the Mongolian Peoples' Republic from 1964 to 1967. The Hibberts travelled to Mongolia to become the first Westerners resident there at the height of the Cold War among a diplomatic corps consisting entirely of representatives from eastern Europe and Asia. Letters from Mongolia is a vivid chronicle of the authors' experiences and an invaluable insight into the country in which they served.

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