The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)

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."
âSidney 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 measureâas 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 limitsâhis 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.

[...]

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

Average customer rating:

worthless.
A New Kind of Politics
Uplifting and inspirational
Five starts on the title alone
Boring but important

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Barack Obama
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0307237699
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Amazon.com

Barack Obama's first book, Dreams from My Father, was a compelling and moving memoir focusing on personal issues of race, identity, and community. With his second book The Audacity of Hope, Obama engages themes raised in his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, shares personal views on faith and values and offers a vision of the future that involves repairing a "political process that is broken" and restoring a government that has fallen out of touch with the people. We had the opportunity to ask Senator Obama a few questions about writing, reading, and politics--see his responses below. --Daphne Durham

20 Second Interview: A Few Words with Barack Obama

Q: How did writing a book that you knew would be read so closely by so many compare to writing your first book, when few people knew who you were?
A: In many ways, Dreams from My Father was harder to write. At that point, I wasn't even sure that I could write a book. And writing the first book really was a process of self-discovery, since it touched on my family and my childhood in a much more intimate way. On the other hand, writing The Audacity of Hope paralleled the work that I do every day--trying to give shape to all the issues that we face as a country, and providing my own personal stamp on them.

Q: What is your writing process like? You have such a busy schedule, how did you find time to write?
A: I'm a night owl, so I usually wrote at night after my Senate day was over, and after my family was asleep--from 9:30 p.m. or so until 1 a.m. I would work off an outline--certain themes or stories that I wanted to tell--and get them down in longhand on a yellow pad. Then I'd edit while typing in what I'd written.

Q: If readers are to come away from The Audacity of Hope with one action item (a New Year's Resolution for 2007, perhaps?), what should it be?
A: Get involved in an issue that you're passionate about. It almost doesn't matter what it is--improving the school system, developing strategies to wean ourselves off foreign oil, expanding health care for kids. We give too much of our power away, to the professional politicians, to the lobbyists, to cynicism. And our democracy suffers as a result.

Q: You're known for being able to work with people across ideological lines. Is that possible in today's polarized Washington?
A: It is possible. There are a lot of well-meaning people in both political parties. Unfortunately, the political culture tends to emphasize conflict, the media emphasizes conflict, and the structure of our campaigns rewards the negative. I write about these obstacles in chapter 4 of my book, "Politics." When you focus on solving problems instead of scoring political points, and emphasize common sense over ideology, you'd be surprised what can be accomplished. It also helps if you're willing to give other people credit--something politicians have a hard time doing sometimes.

Q: How do you make people passionate about moderate and complex ideas?
A: I think the country recognizes that the challenges we face aren't amenable to sound-bite solutions. People are looking for serious solutions to complex problems. I don't think we need more moderation per se--I think we should be bolder in promoting universal health care, or dealing with global warming. We just need to understand that actually solving these problems won't be easy, and that whatever solutions we come up with will require consensus among groups with divergent interests. That means everybody has to listen, and everybody has to give a little. That's not easy to do.

Q: What has surprised you most about the way Washington works?
A: How little serious debate and deliberation takes place on the floor of the House or the Senate.

Q: You talk about how we have a personal responsibility to educate our children. What small thing can the average parent (or person) do to help improve the educational system in America? What small thing can make a big impact?
A: Nothing has a bigger impact than reading to children early in life. Obviously we all have a personal obligation to turn off the TV and read to our own children; but beyond that, participating in a literacy program, working with parents who themselves may have difficulty reading, helping their children with their literacy skills, can make a huge difference in a child's life.

Q: Do you ever find time to read? What kinds of books do you try to make time for? What is on your nightstand now?
A: Unfortunately, I had very little time to read while I was writing. I'm trying to make up for lost time now. My tastes are pretty eclectic. I just finished Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, a wonderful book. The language just shimmers. I've started Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which is a great study of Lincoln as a political strategist. I read just about anything by Toni Morrison, E.L. Doctorow, or Philip Roth. And I've got a soft spot for John le Carre.

Q: What inspires you? How do you stay motivated?
A: I'm inspired by the people I meet in my travels--hearing their stories, seeing the hardships they overcome, their fundamental optimism and decency. I'm inspired by the love people have for their children. And I'm inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.

Book Description

“A government that truly represents these Americans–that truly serves these Americans–will require a different kind of politics. That politics will need to reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won’t be pre-packaged, ready to pull off the shelf. It will have to be constructed from the best of our traditions and will have to account for the darker aspects of our past. We will need to understand just how we got to this place, this land of warring factions and tribal hatreds. And we’ll need to remind ourselves, despite all our differences, just how much we share: common hopes, common dreams, a bond that will not break.”
–from The Audacity of Hope

In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners’ minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Senator Obama called “the audacity of hope.”

Now, in The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics–a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the “endless clash of armies” we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of “our improbable experiment in democracy.” He explores those forces–from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media–that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.

At the heart of this book is Senator Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats–from terrorism to pandemic–that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy–where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, members of the Senate, even the president, is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.

A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Senator Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writes–“waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.”

Customer Reviews:

worthless........2007-10-04

The usual. More government, more taxes, hate the rich etc. etc. Blame everyone else for your problems, raise taxes more, tax big business, taxes solve all problems, etc et al. government exists to hold your hand because you're helpless and in diapers blah blah etc. raise taxes even more etc.

A New Kind of Politics.......2007-09-30

"They are out there, I think to myself, those ordinary citizens who have grown up in the midst of all the political and cultural battles.....They are out there, waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them".

That statement sets the tone for Senator Obama's refreshingly honest look at policy and politics. In this book, you'll find Obama as open to pointing out flaws in conventional liberal thinking as he is to criticizing his opponents on the right. Likewise, he praises certain aspects of Reagan's policy as openly as he criticizes other parts of it, or as openly as he applauds Bill Clinton's policies. Obama's ability to empathize with a differing point of view, yet maintaining a firm belief in his own position is very endearing.

The most interesting aspect of the book, perhaps, is its ability to see today's issues in a historical context. When examining U.S. foreign policy, Obama first walks the reader through the positions taken by Washington, Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, Nixon, Reagan and others in trying to preserve America's national interests through interventions abroad. Likewise, when looking at the role of faith in American politics, Obama starts by giving the readers a glimpse of the how America's founding fathers thought about these issues, and how the cultural and social changes in the sixties eventually led the religious right to start playing a more active role in politics.

Obama also talks openly about his family, and his experiences while growing up, that have shaped him as a person. While talking about racial issues, he is comfortable talking about personal experiences that offer him hope. He's equally comfortable talking about his initiation into faith, having been brought up by a mother who wasn't religious.

If you're looking to understand the details of policy that Obama would champion if elected President, this book doesn't offer you a lot. However, what it gives you is the framework of beliefs which shape how Obama thinks about politics and policy. It lives true to its title, and offers hope for a new kind of politics, one that would help us all get closer to the American Dream. All in all, a very enjoyable read, and highly recommended.

Uplifting and inspirational.......2007-09-22

Regardless of their political affiliations, it's hard to find a person who doesn't think Barack Obama isn't a decent guy. He never tries to oversell himself and doesn't claim to know everything. He's also very down to Earth and isn't afraid to admit when he's made mistakes. All of these qualities have made Obama a successful politician who may be rewarded with the ultimate prize in November 2008.

However, in addition to being a good politician, Obama also happens to be an excellent writer. I was very impressed with his first book, "Dreams from My Father," which is more of an autobiography than this book is. In "The Audacity of Hope," Obama explores some of the major issues facing Americans today. He does devote a chapter to politics, but also focuses on foreign policy, education, the economy, and family values. Obama peppers his chapters with personal experiences, pieces of American history, and an examination of the current state of affairs. He doesn't offer detailed, step-by-step solutions to these problems, admitting that he doesn't have all the answers. Instead, Obama presents his ideas logically, passionately, and sincerely. He has a very laid-back writing style that is very similar to the way he presents himself when speaking in public. Most importantly, he's very realistic. Obama addresses both sides of each issue and explains his views in a way that's very easy to understand and also illustrates that the senator has a lot of good common sense: something that many of his Washington counterparts are severely lacking.

I'm sure Obama must have at least been considering the idea of a presidential bid when he wrote this book, but "Audacity" isn't just a political text. It's a book about all the things that make America great, and it generates a sense of hope that things have the potential to get a heck of a lot better around here. That alone is enough of a reason to read this inspirational book written by a passionate man who was born to be a leader.

Five starts on the title alone.......2007-09-21

This is a gift for my father so I have not read it. The title and my impression are very positive but I can't help you.

Boring but important.......2007-09-13

I read Obama's memoir "Dreams from My Father" first. Loved it; it read like a novel, or perhaps even a poem. "Audacity of Hope" reads like textbook non-fiction.

Obama is still an astute writer and the subject matter of Audacity of Hope is more important for our country than his personal journey into manhood. My rating unfortunately has been biased by an unreasonable expectation of more dessert than main course. If you're trying to choose one book in order to learn more about the candidate, I'd still recommend "Dreams From My Father" before "Audacity of Hope."

Average customer rating:

"Cross" Over - Boo Hoo
Brilliant of course!
Better Cross
Format book, I'm afraid.
Story was wonderful but the ending seemed an afterthought

Cross
James Patterson
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316159794
Release Date: 2006-11-13

Book Description

Alex Cross was a rising star in the Washington, DC, Police Department when an unknown shooter gunned down his wife, Maria, in front of him. The killer was never found, and the case turned cold, filed among the unsolved drive-bys in D.C.'s rough neighborhoods. Years later, still haunted by his wife's death, Cross is making a bold move in his life. Now a free agent from the police and the FBI, he's set up practice as a psychologist once again. His life with Nana Mama, Damon, Jannie, and little Alex is finally getting in order. He even has a chance at a new love. Then Cross's former partner, John Sampson, calls in a favor. He is tracking a serial rapist in Georgetown, one whose brutal modus operandi recalls a case Sampson and Cross worked together years earlier. When the case reveals a connection to Maria's death, Cross latches on for the most urgent and terrifying ride of his life. From the man USA Today has called the "master of the genre," Cross is the high-velocity thriller James Patterson and Alex Cross's fans have waited years to read--and the pinnacle of the bestselling detective series of the past two decades.

Customer Reviews:

"Cross" Over - Boo Hoo.......2007-09-26

I put off buying "Cross" thinking I'd get it in paperback cheaper and easier to travel with but I couldn't stand the wait so I plunked down the extra bucks at Amazon and waited for it. Well worth the wait. This version of the AC the dragonslayer isn't that complex in terms of the chase, the bad guy manages to come to Alex mostly or stay away totally and we read about his cavorting with knives and saws sparing no one and doing stuff that would make Mandy Patinkin green. The anti-hero "Butcher" serves as JP's means of commenting about current societal ills. Grizzly fun? Can I be saying that? In the beginning Alex loses his wife and we have to wait for the end to find out who killed her but it doesn't matter much because the story is all in the middle. Morgan Freeman even shows up. If you like JP and AC and the usual rapist/murderer suspects, mob vengence, etc, you'll be down with "Cross."

Brilliant of course!.......2007-09-22

As with any other James Patterson book (especially the Alex Cross series), this book could not have been any better, except if it continued forever...

Better Cross.......2007-09-09

I swore off Alex Cross for a while because I found the character FAR too unbelievable in his gushy perfection. I decided to take another try with this novel. It is definitely less gushy and annoying but I can't say I am a Cross fan. It still seemed that the plot for Alex was a bit too contrived. Having said that, however, I was still entertained by Cross. Having to do a good deal of professional reading, that is perfectly acceptable to me. If I pick up a novel, I want to be entertained. I do not expect my socks knocked off but simply to be engaged enough that I enjoy the novel. Patterson was successful in doing that. This book is not a "gripping, page-turner" but is certainly worth reading.

Format book, I'm afraid........2007-08-17

In this book, while chasing a serial killer and helping a battered woman deal with her abusive cop boyfriend, Cross finally gets the chance to go after the man that killed his wife years ago. Sounds good but the writing lacks punch. Patterson needs to take a break from this series for a bit as it has grown stale.

Story was wonderful but the ending seemed an afterthought.......2007-08-16

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I have all the other JP / Alex Cross Novels. I almost could not put it down. But when I got to the end it was almost as if someone else had written it. It seemed like the author had something else to do and just threw in a conclusion. How disappointing for such a wonderful, thrilling novel.

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Average customer rating:

Art Teachers Summer Read
Faster than you think
Excellent tool for personal excellence.
Thought Provoking
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
Daniel H. Pink
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1594481717

Book Description

The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers-creative and holistic "right-brain" thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn't. Drawing on research from around the world, Pink outlines the six fundamentally human abilities that are absolute essentials for professional success and personal fulfillment-and reveals how to master them. A Whole New Mind takes readers to a daring new place, and a provocative and necessary new way of thinking about a future that's already here.

Customer Reviews:

Art Teachers Summer Read.......2007-09-10

Great book to read while I consider my level of burnout. It was interesting and made me want to find out more. I would like to implement some of his straegies with my high school art kids. Thanks.

Faster than you think.......2007-08-28

We are undergoing enormous change and at a pace that seems to be getting faster all the time. This book is an invaluable tool for all of us if we know how to use it properly. He is pointing us in the right direction - now it is up to us to go and do something with the advice he has provided. I loved this book and would strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to have a whole new life.

Excellent tool for personal excellence........2007-08-15

What I love is when a book isn't just conceptual; it's practical. A Whole New Mind fits that bill nicely.

Dan Pink does a great job of not only laying out the essential principles to a well-rounded, complete way to bring your best to work, but he also gives excellent examples and resources to learn from and develop your capabilities.

Well researched, a great read, entertaining, and immensely useful. I highly recommend it.

Thought Provoking.......2007-08-14

What a fascinating take on the age of "Abundance, Asia and Automation." Pink's reflection on what these three realities mean to today's young people and what their future may be has really changed my outlook on my children's future. Among the most important and affirming things that Pink says is that we need "an artist in every room." Amen to that!

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.......2007-08-12

Thought provoking. Right on in describing the transformation that our global economy is moving towards.

And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since: From the Streets of Harlem to the Halls of Congress

Average customer rating:

And I haven't had a bad day yet.
A Very Impressive Man
Charlie Rangel's Book
Evolution of a Good Man
Determination and Faith

And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since: From the Streets of Harlem to the Halls of Congress
Charles B. Rangel
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312372523
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

In this inspiring and often humorous memoir, the outspoken Democratic congressman from Harlem—now the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee—tells about his early years on Lenox Avenue, being awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in a horrific Korean War battle (the last bad day of his life, he says), and his many years in Congress.
A charming, natural storyteller, Rangel recalls growing up in Harlem, where from the age of nine he always had at least one job, including selling the legendary Adam Clayton Powell’s newspaper; his group of streetwise sophisticates who called themselves Les Garçons; and his time in law school—a decision made as much to win his grandfather’s approval as to establish a career. He recounts as well his life in New York politics during the 1960s and the grueling civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery.
With New York street smarts, Rangel is a tough liberal and an independent thinker, but also a collegial legislator respected by Democrats and Republicans alike who knows and honors the House’s traditions. First elected to Congress in 1970, Rangel served on the House Judiciary Committee during the hearings on the articles of impeachment of President Nixon, helped found the Congressional Black Caucus, and led the fight in Congress to pressure U.S. corporations to divest from apartheid South Africa.
Best of all, this is a political memoir with heart, the story of a life filled with friends, humor, and accomplishments. Charles Rangel is one of a kind, and this is the story of how he became the celebrated person and politician he is today.
He opens his memoir with a preface about the 2006 elections and an outline of his goals as chairman of Ways and Means. From day one he wants to put the public first so that more Americans can say they haven’t had a bad day since.

Customer Reviews:

And I haven't had a bad day yet........2007-09-16

Charlie Rangel surprised me with his wit and respect for the institutions he has served in. He is a far more humble man than I would have guessed, but he knows what factors directed his life. Anyone who wants to see how his race has moved up, survived urban conditions, and then served and contributed has to read this book. It also shows how much prejudice and ethnic ties affect politics more this yuppie-fied world we now live in will admit. It has always been this way, and Charlie Rangel accepts it realisticaly and displays the years since the Korean war where he has served his country in its government. I like watching Congressional moves and am personally surprised more do not hang with C-SPAN observing both houses in these critical times. I found myself agreeing with the Congressman from NY City more than I thought I might; he is a brilliant man and I am glad he accomplished becoming chair of the Ways and Means Committee. The years immediately ahead are going to be tough, and we need him there. I am an Independent, but will always vote Democratic after what this current administration has done to this country. My book on flying helicopters in Vietnam stresses the USA's mistakes there, but the Bush Administration has unbelievably exceeded those mistakes of the past.

A Very Impressive Man.......2007-09-07

Congressman Rangel, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has come a long way - thanks to lots of hard work and overcoming blatant racism for many, many years. The books tells his life story from the early days to the Korean War (almost totally surrounded by the Chinese at night, Rangel was wounded but still led 43 others to safety across a frozen river - it was after that experience that he declared he hadn't had a bad day since), to his discharge from the Army, to the present day.

Rangel's post discharge experiences were far from rewarding - one menial job after another, in stark comparison to the high non-commissioned officer status he could have had staying in. Rangel eventually found his way to the VA, battled past the old-time bureaucrats, and eventually settled on a goal of becoming an attorney - despite having two years of high-school remaining. Nonetheless, Rangel accomplished this with the help of the G.I. Bill and a scholarship.

The book is primarily about Rangel (no nasty revelations about fellow Democrats, and only a few down remarks about Republicans). Regardless, without question he is a very inspirational and impressive person!

Charlie Rangel's Book.......2007-05-15

This book is excellent reading for all of America.
If you want to understand politics, racism and urban communities ,then this is the must read book for 2007.

Evolution of a Good Man.......2007-05-13

A candid telling of the development of a good man by the man himself. Without rancor, he recalls a time in America when change was commonplace and opportunity for a black man grew as a result of the efforts of good men and women.

Determination and Faith.......2007-05-12

This shows what a person can do when in a situation when you let your onw selt go and think of what needs to be done. He showed bravery in combat and has taken it into his life. His strong Faith needs to be stressed in today's world. Very good book.

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

Average customer rating:

Moving, eloquent and inspirational...
A worthy memoir of Obama's complicated early life
just great
Worth the read, but slow to start...
Accurate reflection of its title

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Barack Obama
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1400082773
Release Date: 2004-08-10

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.

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Kaylin Kaylin Kaylin!!!!!!!!!
OKAY 4 ME
Free Wahida!!
Thug a Great!!
Everybody loves Kaylin..... Including me !!!!

Thug Matrimony
Wahida Clark
Manufacturer: Dafina
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0758212550

Book Description

Book Description: In Wahida Clark phenomenal, gritty new novel Angel is getting ready to marry the man of her dreams - but his past isn't about to let go...

Angel, Jaz, Tasha and Kyra are four girlfriends pulling themselves out of the ghetto-and trying to bring their hearts up to higher ground with them. Now Angel has started her own law practice and new life with Kaylin. But when an unwamted guest crashes their wedding, all the rage and bloodlust from the hood comes bustin' out - and Angel's gonna need every prayer in heaven to make it to the altar alive...

Customer Reviews:

Kaylin Kaylin Kaylin!!!!!!!!!.......2007-10-03

This is the thrid installment in Whahida's Thug series. This book is about Angela and Kaylin with mention of the other friends(Roz, Tasha, Kyra). I really enjoy Wahida's books but this one was not as exciting 2 me as the others. Although the book is very well written, it lacks the action the other books had. There is one bright spot in the book, KAYLIN. I know every woman that has followed her series would love 2 have a brotha like Kaylin. Damn, Wahida makes him seem so real. I would advise readers that follow the "Thug" series to read it to stay up to date on what's going on with the friends so you won't be lost once the next book comes out. Not my favorite but a good book non-the-less.

OKAY 4 ME.......2007-09-27

I LOVED ALL OF HER BOOKS THIS ONE WAS JUST OKAY 4 ME TOOK A LONG TIME TO READ IT

Free Wahida!!.......2007-09-25

Whoa, Wahida, slow it down!! I can't keep up. When I started reading, guess who was first? I am truly a woman who loves (and married) a thug, because he needed a lady. And you know what, payback is a mutha and we still carry that thug matrimony. Holla!!

Thug a Great!!.......2007-09-11

This book is well worth the wait and brings another great chapter in these character's lives!! I am glad my co-worker turned me on to Wahida and the series she has a fan for LIFE!!!

Everybody loves Kaylin..... Including me !!!!.......2007-09-07

This entire series was beyond great, and you really should read them all from Thugs and the Women Who Love Them, Every Thug Needs a Lady, and Thug Matrimony. I have to admit though, I too love Kaylin!!!! This dude had it goin on!!! (in more ways than one)I had never read any Wahida's work before, but her series was the selection for the book club that I am in, I couldn't beleive I read all 3 books in 3 days, they are real page turners!! I loved the characters so much, I read the books again a week later!!!! i can't wait for Every Thug needs a Lady vol II, or whatever she decides to call it!!! If Wahida writes it, I will be reading it!!!

Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season

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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
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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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!

Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together

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Very touching
A must read book
This book changed my life!
book
A Story of Redemption

Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
Ron Hall , and Denver Moore
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0849900417

Book Description

Meet Denver, a man raised under plantation-style slavery in Louisiana in the 1960s; a man who escaped, hopping a train to wander, homeless, for eighteen years on the streets of Dallas, Texas. No longer a slave, Denver's life was still hopeless-until God moved. First came a godly woman who prayed, listened, and obeyed. And then came her husband, Ron, an international arts dealer at home in a world of Armani-suited millionaires. And then they all came together.

But slavery takes many forms. Deborah discovers that she has cancer. In the face of possible death, she charges her husband to rescue Denver. Who will be saved, and who will be lost? What is the future for these unlikely three? What is God doing?

Same Kind of Different As Me is the emotional story of their story: a telling of pain and laughter, doubt and tears, dug out between the bondages of this earth and the free possibility of heaven. No reader will ever forget it.

Customer Reviews:

Very touching.......2007-10-01

This is a very readable book. It is also extremely touching. Several times as I read,I found tears streaming down my face. It will restore your faith in mankind and that there is more to a person than meets the eye.

A must read book.......2007-09-29

I don't have proper words to express this "amazing" book.

I can now better understand how it used to be in Slave times,
and feel a better understanding of my own faith and life after death.

I cried at moments of revealation! Would help anyone become a believer.

This book changed my life!.......2007-09-25

It's very easy to forget that this is a true story - it is such an amazing story that it could be fiction! It's a beautiful, poignant, touching book and it changed the way I view the homeless and how I share my resources with others. LOVED IT and I've been telling everyone I know to read it too!!

book.......2007-09-18

I ordered this book for my husband who had heard it was wonderful. He thought it was the best book he had ever read and he highly recommends it!!

A Story of Redemption.......2007-09-18

If you believe in and love stories of redemption, Some Kind of Different As Me is a must. If you know someone who does not believe in redemption or who is struggling to find it, give them this book and encourage their reading it.

This engaging book was given to me by my brother-in-law who, like me, grew up in the pre-segregated South working with black acquaintances who we liked because they did our menial work and our bidding. This story helped me to realize, in a new and fresh way, the bondage they were in. The account helped me realize the desperate position of poverty and the plight of one without education.

This is a true story of Ron Hall and Denver Moore, the two extremes of our society, who found friendship and God's gift of forgiveness, grace, and fulfillment in life through a lady named Debbie.

Denver was a sharecropper in Louisiana who escaped virtual enslavement on a freight train to Fort Worth, Texas where, without skills, he became a vagrant on the streets of that city. Alcohol, drugs, and 10 years in prison hardened him to a solitary, untrusting, antisocial street person without identity or hope.

Ron was a wealthy, self-sufficient, international art dealer who began to serve food once a week in a local mission at the insistence of his wife, Debbie, who had a strong social conscience. His first service was done just to please his wife and his involvement inflicted great wounds to his sensibilities. He was surprised to find himself intrigued to get to know the most distant the of the homeless that they served. After months of trauma without success, Ron finally gets Denver to agree to have coffee with him.

At that meeting Denver asks Ron a peculiar question. "There's something I heard about white folks that bothers me, and it has to do with fishin." "I heard that when white folks go fishin they do something called `catch and release'." "That really bothers me", Denver goes on to say, " I just can't figure it out. Cause when colored folks go fishin, we are really proud of what we catch and we take it and show it off to everybody that'll look. Then we eat what we catch. So it really bothers me that white folks would go to all that trouble to catch a fish, then when they done caught it, just throw it back in the water." "So, Mr. Ron, it occurred to me: If you is fishin for a friend you just gon'catch and release, then I ain't got no desire to be your friend." Suddenly his eyes gentled and he spoke more softly than before: But if you is looking for a real friend, then I'll be one. Forever." (pg. 106)

Their friendship does grow and in remarkable ways they help one another overcome great tragedy. As they face these trials together, you see them grow spiritually and truly become the Body of Christ. Redemption comes to both as they find blessing in serving instead of judging. They have different backgrounds, different opportunities but they both come to expressed the love of Christ. As Denver says, "He is our hope".

Drayton Sanders, Dalton Ga. 9-16-07

Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery

Average customer rating:

An outstanding person that we desperately need more of...
Amazing
A small man with a great impact
Yes he ended slavery
Amazing book!

Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery
Eric Metaxas
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0061173002
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

Amazing Grace tells the story of the remarkable life of the British abolitionist William Wilberforce (1759-1833). This accessible biography chronicles Wilberforce's extraordinary role as a human rights activist, cultural reformer, and member of Parliament.

At the center of this heroic life was a passionate twenty-year fight to abolish the British slave trade, a battle Wilberforce won in 1807, as well as efforts to abolish slavery itself in the British colonies, a victory achieved just three days before his death in 1833.

Metaxas discovers in this unsung hero a man of whom it can truly be said: he changed the world. Before Wilberforce, few thought slavery was wrong. After Wilberforce, most societies in the world came to see it as a great moral wrong.

To mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade, HarperSanFrancisco and Bristol Bay Productions have joined together to commemorate the life of William Wilberforce with the feature-length film Amazing Grace and this companion biography, which provides a fuller account of the amazing life of this great man than can be captured on film.

This account of Wilberforce's life will help many become acquainted with an exceptional man who was a hero to Abraham Lincoln and an inspiration to the anti-slavery movement in America.

Customer Reviews:

An outstanding person that we desperately need more of..........2007-09-27

When I first started reading this book, the way the author wrote was so different from so many of the science and histories that I usually read, I was prepared to give the book four stars. It seemed like such a serious topic about the efforts made by English gentlemen to curtail the slavery trade, that Metaxas (author) seemed to be almost flippant. But as I read further in the book, and realized what a good, humorous, and loveable person that Wilberforce was, I could understand why the author chose to write in this vein.

I have yet to see the movie, but from reading the book it definitely aroused my interest in the movements of that time period and the people involved. Wilberforce could not have picked a harder social ill to try to bring to the right conclusion, that of stopping the slave trade with the eventual goal which he did not live to see, of freeing the slaves in the Americas. That he worked on this tirelessly for 40 years, through own personal trials and illness, and saw it to its conclusion is a testimony to the strength of his character. Where are those men and women today? Did they all come during that time period from 1750 through the early 1800s? Like our own American heroes from the Revolutionary War and men like LIncoln, who though fallible, did the very best they could to alleviate the sufferings of others? I wish we could clone a few of these people now to fix the many wrongs of our society, including the ongoing pestilence of slavery.

I eventually learned to enjoy Metaxas writing. It's different to be sure, but a nice relief from the overly serious tomes that I usually read.

Karen SAdler

Amazing.......2007-09-21

A highly readable book about an amazing man who optimisitically believed he could make a difference, and did! Like Frank Capra's Mr. Smith, William Wilberforce was a politician who stuck to his ideals. He was very conscientious about living out his faith and seeking God's will. He believed in the humanity of others and the responsibility to better society and help the less fortunate. Highly recommended!

A small man with a great impact.......2007-09-06

Though the name "William Wilberforce" is hardly at the tips of our collective tongues anymore, author Eric Metaxas thinks it should be. In "Amazing Grace," Metaxas relates the story of Wilberforce -- a slight, stooped and sickly man -- whose physical frailty disguised a great strength of character and soul. Wilberforce, as a member of the British Parliament, was (at least according to Metaxas's telling) the driving force behind both the end of the slave trade in the British colonies in 1807 as well as the abolition of British slavery itself in 1833.
The book covers all of Wilberforce's life, from the controversies between Anglicanism and Methodism of his boyhood, through his indolent college days, to his conversion in 1785 at age 24, to his parliamentary career and his death in 1833. Metaxas tells a rousing story of a young man in search for meaning and relevance, in an age of barbarity toward animals, criminals and "lower" races that is shocking to the modern ear. Metaxas sets the stage by discussing animal cruelty -- bull, horse and bear-beating -- that were popular pastimes of the era. His catalog of the evil done to black slaves is chronicled by those who had first-hand familiarity with the infamous Middle Passage or the treatment of slaves on the sugar plantations of the West Indies. Wilberforce's voice is heard through excerpts from his personal diaries, bringing this now-obscure person to life.

I truly enjoyed the book, though with a few reservations. Metaxas's Wilberforce is a man whose worldview would be recognizable to moderns. As a man born of a racist and vicious era, he used his religious views in ways that ran counter to his society. He took seriously the scriptural dictum that humanity is created in God's image, resulting in the inevitable conclusion that people of color deserved the same treatment as whites. A sickly man, he showed great compassion for the poor and the weak, even extending this soft heartedness to animals. Among many other works, Wilberforce was a founding member of the then-named Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The reservations. Metaxas's style is usually staid, punctuated with the occassional tic -- he suddenly gets overly-cute or uses faux-Elizabethan anachronistic turns of phrase. He also tends to give Wilberforce solitary credit for opposing slavery, when this work started long before he appeared on the scene and ended after he left it. Metaxas's evidently sympathetic view of Wilberforce's spiritual life was another problem. In many passages, Metaxas presumes a conservative Christian worldview, lauding Wilberforce for making decisions that are in line with God's will, as though this was self-evident to the reader. Metaxas clearly roots for young Wilberforce to find God, and he speaks from with seeming familiarity with a convert's stages of maturation through during his conversion experience. There's nothing wrong with religious experience, but I found this overt tilt surprising and a bit troubling in a biography. Appallingly, Metaxas describes Anglicanism as a religion practiced in name only by bishops and clergy who no longer believed in its tenets. Metaxas even notes which bishops of the period are "orthodox," as though the reader understands and agrees to his meaning of the word. Metaxas may also be guilty of painting Wilberforce in too-bright colors. His subject's distrust of Roman Catholicism is minimized and his opposition to the right of labor to organize is left unmentioned. Wilberforce is sometimes portrayed as the most eloquent of speakers and other times as having a rather rambling and disconnected style. These inconsistencies and biases diminished the book's impact.

Nevertheless, I do recommend "Amazing Grace". In an age in which the wounds of racism and cruelty are still borne by too many, it is encouraging to read of a man who, though borne to wealth and privilege, put his faith into practice in a way that benefited so many and is still admirable today. "Amazing Grace" makes the strong case that William Wilberforce ought to merit at least a mention when the roll of the history's great humanitarians is read.

Yes he ended slavery.......2007-08-08

William Wilberforce did more than end slavery, he changed Western Civilization. He created the campaign button, used today to elect mere politicians, but he did it to end slavery and bring Christianity to India. He also helped recreate non-governmental organizations for schools, and widows and orphans of war and poverty. He helped change the penal code of Great Britain and bring back the use of morality to effect change for how small crimes corrupted society. (Note, this was the same tactics used by Giuliani to change the crime rate in New York.) Wilber ( his nickname among friends) was a short sickly man, gifted with a a superb speaking voice, great charisma, and the ability to be a great Christian leader without looking like a "stick in the mud" Puritan. He also had a strong backbone that allowed him to let insults, death threats, and 40 years of frustration slide by the way side. One day I hope to read his sons' 3 volume biography of his life, but in the mean time, you can't go wrong reading this well written and entertaining biography of his life.

Amazing book!.......2007-07-25

This book should have been called The Amazing Book. This is really an uplifting book and a must read. We all should have William Wilberforce as our role model.

William Wilberforce was the man to end slavery. More importantly, he is the man who made slavery unacceptable in our minds. Who today can honestly tell you that slavery is not evil or indeed needed for a country's economy? Merely two centuries ago, slavery was not only accepted but deemed necessary. William Wilberforce was the man who extinguished this belief forever! As a side note, I find it interesting that no prophet of any religion has ever succeeded or even tried to end slavery. A mere mortal by the name of Wilberforce not only succeeded in ending slavery, but succeeded into changing our minds into completely rejecting slavery as immoral. As the author says, Wilberforce truly changed the world! An amazing feat, and truly an amazing grace to befall upon us!

Wilberforce was a religious man, but at no time did he claim that he was chosen by God or claimed of ever receiving a vision or message from God. He was a simple good-hearted person who cared about the well-being of others, especially the less fortunate ones. He was kind and generous, and gave a lot of his wealth to the poor throughout his life. Even though at the start of his life he was indeed very rich, he died poor, and not even owning his own house. He lived the rest of his life living in the homes of his children. Yet he never felt cheated by life. He accomplished something that no one has ever achieved. He is indeed fortunate to be receiving prayers from so many till this day!

The book will expose the horrors of slavery, and how at the time the British (and the Europeans, but emphasize was on the British) viewed the African blacks as inferior beings, if beings at all. At the time, killing a black person, whether child or adult, was no different to the British as killing a rodent. Slaves were viewed as a material object to own and to discard of at any time as fit (usually by murdering and torturing the slave).

After reading this book, you will wonder how it was ever possible to accept the concept of owning slaves. What went through the minds of the Europeans at the time to accept such an abhorrent practice as the ownership and trade of slaves? And why do we think differently about this subject today than we did for the past thousands of years? What suddenly changed in our minds? Read the book, and find out how Wilberforce was able to change our minds on slavery. Don't be surprised if you shed a few too many tears.

However, Wilberforce, a member of the British parliament, had to endure many insults and opposition to finally pass the bill to end slavery. In fact, it was a twenty-year fight just to abolish the British slave trade, a battle Wilberforce won in 1807, and a fierce battle in parliament to abolish slavery itself in the British colonies, a victory achieved just three days before his death in 1833.

Wilberforce was hated by many and often called a hypocrite for caring more for the slaves and less for the poor working class. But as the author says, this accusation against Wilberforce was like saying that Christopher Columbus was a hypocrite for not discovering Australia as well. No one man or woman can ever end all the ills of man and woman, but together we can! If each man and woman today accomplishes just one great humane achievement, that's 5 billion humane achievements during our lifetime! If Wilberforce can do so much for so many millions, why can't we?

The author, Eric Mataxas, did an excellent job bringing to life a man who is truly immortal. Throughout the narrative of this book you will feel as if William Wilberforce is right there besides you. No other author could have written about Wilberforce as beautifully as Metaxas. This book is a real piece of art to be treasured in your library for the next generation, and makes an excellent bedtime story for our children.

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