5 comments about A Taste of Power: A Black Woman's Story.

1. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Black Panther Party. Comrade Brown's memior is well written and very interesting.
   
   The main problem I have with this book is that I feel Elaine's narrative is biased and self serving. (Especially her commentary on Bobby Seale.)Furthermore, I can't help but to wonder if some of her sexual adventure chronicled in this book are overblown.



2. Intelligently written and inspiring!! The truth about the black panthers is revealed in this book. Enter Elaine Brown, Smart, intelligent, witty, and truthful. A member of the black panther party exposed and subjected to the sexism, chauvinism, and often sinister side of the party. Elaine Brown has endured the harsh realities of living in a time of revolution. In their search for social and economic change, the party insisted on doing things on their own terms by setting up programs, fighting against oppression, police brutality, and racial discrimination. However, there was a darker side to the panthers only few knew, and in this book Elaine tells it all. The sex, drugs, and divisiveness of the panthers is only the beginning of what eventually caused the destruction of the party. A long but powerful look into the nation's most powerful revolutionary group.



3. Elaine Brown went from the hood to the governor's office in her search for identity as a black woman coming of age in the 1970s and to make the black power movement - the Black Panther Party - a powerful voice in California state politics.
   
   The autobiography is seemingly an act of catharsis as Brown bares her soul without justifying what she has done with her life. It is what it is and she keeps it real.
   
   There will be segments that you'll be touched by, others that will repulse you and some where you question why, but it ultimately is her life story. Sexuality and violence - oftentimes at the hands of her lovers in the BPP - overshadows Brown's quest for love and acceptance, but you will find segments of her life that intertwine with snapshots from your past.
   
   Brown takes what I consider some unnecessary swipes at Angela Davis - it is taken for granted that many in the black power movement questioned her membership in the Communist Party, USA - but she does have unapologetic portraits of people throughout her life.
   
   If you are looking for an autobiography solely on the BPP from a party member's perspective, you may want to look for another book to read. But you will be missing one of the most powerful writings on one's life that has ever been published.



4. While reading this book I experienced a wide range of feelings because Elaine Brown basically bared her soul when writing this book. She also has a great sense of humor. I give her the highest respect for the soul searching she did while penning her autobiography.
   
   The book gives a clear look into the BPP and its members and the changes the party went through. I found the information of Huey P Newton, Eldrige Cleaver, and George Jackson especially eye opening and helpful-it answered some of the questions I had been seeking answers for.
   
   The book also gives a clear look of what it was like to be a woman, a black women, in the 60s and 70s operating in a male dominated party and society as a whole
   
   I noticed there are a lot of negative reviews on this book and wonder if the people who left them, wrote them because they really disliked how Elaine presented her story or are using the media's interpretation her legacy and the historical legacy of the BPP to fuel their comments. The story in the context of times and situation of the party and Elaine along with the political and social changes the party was trying to achieve.
   Anyway I high recommend.



5. I read this book several years ago and never before reading it or since have I been so completely affected by a book. Reading the story of this woman who elected to dedicate her life to improving the social and political conditions of her people helped me to understand the responsibility we all have to continue the struggle. The book is such an interesting and honest look at the Black Panther party. It is not always comforting, but it is very real. I would not only recommend this book, I would urge anyone who wants to really understand the trials, tribulations, successes, triumphs and ultimately, the failure of the Black Panther Party to read this book. Today!

5 comments about Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery.

1. This is a well written book with lots of insight, humor and a good snapshot of life in 18th and early 19th century England. BUT, there is no index which was frustrating for me when using this book to prepare a lecture for my adult Sunday School class and no bibliography and no notes which buts some question to the validity of some of the material.



2. This is not an all-emcompassing biography of William Wilberforce. Its author tips his hat to John Pollock who did write the reformer's most comprehensive biography. But for those who want an overview of the anti-slavery movement in Britain and its players, this is an excellent choice. I found Mextaxas's witticisms to be a deligtful contrast to its grim subject. When Wilberforce won a seat in Parliament from a previously safe seat in York, the author described it as "an unprecedented and truly shocking leap, like someone pole-vaulting into the balcony at the opera [and saying], is this seat taken?" Some of the descriptions of cruely to animals, so common at this time, and the conditions of the slave ships make for difficult reading, but it is important that we read it as slavery and animal cruelty continue to this day. The only problem I had with this non-fiction work is its lack of an index.



3. A staggering life story. Wilberforce's decision to live his new found Christianity ultimately abolished slavery in England and then around the world. Upon that success he changed his focus to the treatment of the Indian's within Indian society and under the British East India Company. A politician and humanitarian who knew and was known by the leaders and shakers of his day. Rivetting, absorbing and up front about a Decidedly Christian Life well lived.. Read this Book...!



4. "Amazing Grace," Eric Metaxas' biography of British MP and abolitionist William Wilberforce, is a fantastic narrative on one of Britain's greatest heroes. Metaxas takes the readers back to that fateful time in Britain's history, when Wilberforce and just a few men and women took a stand to end English involvement in the transatlantic slave trade from 1787-1807. From beginning to end, the author crafts a narrative that presents facts in a fascinating, truly memorable way, serving as the perfect companion volume to the powerful motion picture Amazing Grace. If you're interested in learning more about the life of William Wilberforce, then this book is for you!
   Grade: A



5. I've read several books on William Wilberforce and watched the movie as well. His life not only intrigues me, but inspires me! This book makes for good reading and will give you a detailed look at the life of William Wilberforce, a man who worked hard to end slavery in the British Empire.
   
   While the movie tends to downplay Wilberforce's Christian faith, Metaxas clearly documents his conversion to Christianity as the catalyst that led him on his quest to end slavery. As he became a changed man, he could no longer ignore the sufferings of the slaves.
   The author also does a fine job in portraying the suffering Wilberforce endured for the sake of this cause and the danger the fight for abolition put him in.
   
   The story of William Wilberforce is one that must be remembered throughout history...and this book makes his story come alive.
   This a must read for everyone interested in making changes in their sphere of influence.

5 comments about Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus.

1. The first page tells it: if you like that, read on.
   He sets the stage by describing 3 parts of his psyche: the one who wants to love and be loved; the one who rages over mistreatment; and the detached, cool observer. These 3 interplay in the most vibrant revelation of a musician's inner life I've seen, and I've made a living with a guitar. Passionate, vulnerable alternating with macho, and confused alternating with crystal clarity, Mingus puts out his experience like an abstract painter might. it reminded me a bit of the biography of Malcom X and "Manchild in the Promised Land." This is nothing like the simple factual account by Miles Davis in his autobio. Beautiful, ugly, utterly personal, it put me both inside of Mingus and outside of society. It's one of the most touching books ever for this reader.



2. Those looking for anything like a conventional musical bio should go to "Mingus, a Critical Biography" by Brian Priestley; "Underdog" isn't that at all; it's an artifact of Mingus' peculiar world-view at a particularly hard time in his life.
   
   
   Was he mentally ill? Well, Mingus, long noted for fits of depression (after finding his first substantial success in the music industry, he nevertheless worked for the post office for a while) and a volcanic temper, channeled it for art: he was probably the first musician ever to release an album with liner notes from his psychoanalyst, and in "Underdog", he recounts checking himself into Bellvue Hospital, in an ill-considered search for "some rest". That, too, yielded him a song, "Hellview of Bellvue/Lock 'em Up", an offer of a lobotomy, and raised the interesting question: if a half-black jazz musician in 1960's America believed that people were out to steal from him and oppress him, was he acutely paranoid, just observant, or both?
   
   Sexually escapist, and scatological? Well, yes, but before feminism, or politcal correctness, and not without pay-back: the man who bragged of trying to bury his misery in [...] and dope never finds them to be a satisfactory release, and after all the orgies, writes a tune called "Half-Mast Inhibition". . .
   
   So, listen to the music first. See the short b&w documentary. If you want bio information or critical analysis, go to the Priestly book. Then put on "Black Saint", "Mingus Am Uh", or "Blues and Roots", and read this.



3. I was looking for a book on his music. This book belongs in Fantasy. It is a play by play of Mr. Mingus' sex life. I have no desire to research him any further.



4. Genius genius genius, with thriving spellbound ingeniousness, billowed with an ego that would knock the head of anyone who was within eighthundred of his forehead. If you are going to read this book please be prepared to pull your pants off and get wet like a tigress inexorably, repeatedly, being stabbed in the belly by a machette. genius genius genius.......



5. To start, this book is not bad enough to turn a reader away from the whole genre. That statement is ridiculous. Charles Mingus is not a writer, the mission of this autobiography is to let the reader know what jazz's roots were. Parts of this biography are on the disturbing side.
   
   In a postive side, the book has a meaning. It stands for all the great jazz players who were brought down by drugs and prostitution. It shows how even Charles Mingus, possible the greatest jazz bass player to ever play, was victim to this. Racism stood in the way of his success. Jazz listeners assume that because a player is currently a hero or jazz giant today, they did not have a wealthy life. Because of this, they set out to earn money on the streets through drugs and sex.
   
   This book is not superbly written, but it allows people to realize what jazz has been through.

2 comments about Leading Between Two Worlds: Lessons from the First Mexican-Born Treasurer of the United States.

1. "The American Dream is the fundamental story of this country, and my life is a grateful reflection of its reality." This quote on the back cover of the paperback edition of the book sums up the heart of this true-life story.
   
   Rosario Marin, coming to America as an immigrant child via Mexico, had no expectations that her life would be any different than the path that her family, culture and fate had laid out for her. Yet the beauty of the American dream, and the heart of Rosario's true-life story, is that someone can come here, with nothing, not even speaking a word of English, and can find herself becoming an influential person in state and national politics within a matter of a few years.
   
   The wonder of the California dream imbedded within the larger American dream is that in the Golden State, one can rise to greatness even without family connections, a famous last name, money or influence. California, especially Los Angeles, where Marin spent the last of her childhood, is the one place where anything is possible, and even an immigrant who arrived without any particular dreams of greatness would find herself truly living out the best of the American dream. With the words Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! Rosario Marin ends the preface to this wonderful book.
   
   This book is truly inspirational and well worth reading.



2. Rosario's story was a well-written, easy read. I could feel the heart she put into it. She revealed a lot of sensitive, personal information without coming off as maudelin. Many of the stories within the story contained useful advice for any one, especially any woman, wanting to break into politics.

5 comments about Voodoo Queen: The Spirited Lives of Marie Laveau.

1. Another reviewer here has stated that the author should perhaps have written a historical fiction influenced by Leveau, like what Atwood did with Grace Marks in "Alias Grace".
   
   To be honset, I wouldn't have read the book then either. That's because I can't read this book without feeling... well... search inside and read a brief excerpt. The writing reads like a freshman comp paper. I can't take it seriously because the author's put so much fluff into it.
   
   Check it out for yourself, but read the excert before you go out and actually blow some scratch on this book. Who exactly is she qouting in that first chapter?
   
   Bah... if you're interested in Marie Leveau, a topic worthy of interest; then I recomend Long's investigation into the who Marie Leveau was. It too, has it's short-comings, but I assure you that it is more worth your time than this.



2. Great book , loved it, thought it was wonderful



3. Many people have fallen in love with the women who is known as Marie Laveau. Not much is truely known about her, but Martha Ward does an excellent job in giving it's readers an inside look at the "Spirited Life of Marie Laveau". This book is a must for anyone interested in the subject of New Orleans folklore.



4. Martha Ward deserves great kudos for this incredible work of love and devotion, Finally bringing the enigma of "Marie Laveau", BOTH of the Marie Laveau's to us in this day and age where she is so very much needed again to Bless her 21st Century Children now as a bona fide "Lwa"! Excellent!!! May the Good Mother Bless Martha Ward, And ALL of Us! So Be It!



5. I have always taken great interest in the history of my home town, New Orleans. I read whatever I can find about the corky characters that made this city so unique, and Marie Laveau has always been one of my favorites. Unfortunately, this book was a terrible disappointment.
   
   Much of the insights about Marie Laveau in this book are not new but drawn from other sources that Martha Ward, the author, often fails to acknowledge and what is actually new here contains considerable mistakes on nearly every other page or is blurred with unsubstantiated fiction. Ward also displays little familiarity with Voodoo practices and Catholicism. To make matters worse, Ward makes painfully racist statements such as the best hotels in town "held tasteful slave auctions in their carpeted lobbies" (p.80). In my view, there is nothing "tasteful" about a horrendous ordeal like that, at least not for the men, women, and children who ended up on the auction block. Sadly, Ward, a white woman from Oklahoma, identifies here with the perspective of the slave buyers who indeed must have considered fine hotels to be a more "tasteful" environment than the dingy slave pens filled with stench.
   
   The abundance of fiction and incorrect data makes me wonder whether Ward should have considered writing a historical novel instead, because her passion seems to be in the fiction not in caring about complex historical data. That way it would have been more honest and less confusing for the reader. As it is, Ward's book is both entertaining and an easy read, but should not be mistaken for a meticulously researched serious academic work despite the fact that it appeared in a scholarly press. Even major plots in this volume cannot be backed up historically. For more reliable sources on Marie Laveau see for instance Carolyn Long, Spiritual Merchants, and Ina Fandrich, The Mysterious Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveaux.

4 comments about A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr..

1. This set of Dr. King's sermons/speeches is a dream come true. To hear his powerful words coming from his own mouth is so inspirational. I'm really glad I purchased these. Arthur Dunklin, Ph.D.



2. It's hard to believe Martin Luther King was 39 when he died. His eloquence can be heard in his famous speeches but the fullness of who he was, his spiritual depth, can only be heard in his sermons. These CDs are inspiring and profoundly moving. He is one of the greatest American preachers of all time and the greatest in the twentieth century.



3. I have had A Knock at Midnight in book and cassette tape form for many years, and at least twice a year I listen to them. The sermons are timeless, and make clear that we were in the presence of greatness when Dr. King was alive. Listening to this CD truly is inspirational. I have given them as gifts for years, and always receive heartfelt thanks.



4. The sermon series is awesome!!! Each sermon has an introduction that gives the listener valuable tidbits about the sermon. You can feel the effect of MLK's powerful oration abilities. All of the sermons are still relevant today and anyone who has a pulse can benefit from listening to the set.

5 comments about World's Great Men of Color, Volume I: Asia and Africa, and Historical Figures Before Christ, Including Aesop, Hannibal, Cleopatra, Zenobia, Askia the Great, ... and Many Others (World's Great Men of Color).

1. This book is remarkable, and so enlightening.
   School books may or maynot cover certain historical
   figures. This is a good way to learn for yourself
   and check out the references and research on each
   person. I've passed this book on to my Grandchildren
   to learn and grow. Thank you.



2. Cleopatra was of the Ptolemaic dynasty, therefore she was of Greek descent. The family was in-bred, brother wed sister. She was Greek, certainly not Egyptian (black).



3. I have owned both of these books for over 15 years. I have lectured at Harvard University, MIT, Umass Amherst, Amherst College and other places citing references from J.A. Rogers exhaustive research. He was greatly ahead of his time and any one of his books are worth their weight in gold. I am a self-taught historian and have been lecturing for 16 years now and consider J.A. Rogers' easy to read,informative style the best ever. He tells his readers about many Africans and others of African descent that achieved great feats while many Europeans were still in savagery. He discusses the first recorded Dr. Imhotep. Hatshepsut (Queen ruler who has a temple that still stands). Makeda, Clitus (General with Alexander the Great), King Taharqa (mentioned in the Bible) and many other great figures. I have all 14 of his books and would not trade one for a bar of gold. His research vastly improved my confidence in the achievement of Africans the world over that have been hidden from general knowledge for lifetimes. If anyone doubts the works of J.A. Rogers I would debate them any place using his research and embarrass you with the research you bring.
   
   The great thing about his works are he just calmly states the facts without tearing any other race or civilization down. How many other works do that? Also with his vast research he could have berated many other races and civilizations, but chose not to waste his time and just stated the facts.
   
   We all greatly benefit still from what he dedicated his life to!



4. The revisnist history, appears to come from ppl like this new orleans critic who doesnt know much about history or its remaining artifacts... The old kingdom and predynasty clearly shows so-called African negro's as the rulers of Egypt not the fantasy semitci nonsense born of 17th/18th western racist... As far as Cleopatra, there were quite a few Cleopatra's through different dynasty periods... of course one would know this if they cared to research properly... Also, Hannibal was always described as being a Afrikan... regardless of in mulatto traits... Its funny how europeans when they can't take Afrikans out of the area which would give us high regard, they must somehow convince others they would should be seen as sub-human, stock, negro, primitive, simple minded, etc... This is clearly white male dogma, since these particular white males are obviously suffering from a inferiority complex, [...] envy, etc.. which activates some defense mechanism within them as they can only see themselves in a competition with other males outside of their circles... Of course this also reflects on what most women desire as well... But, thats too obvious to point out...
   
   
   Anyway, J.A. Rogers has done a excellent job of putting Afrikans back into the civilize arena where we belong... Of course any fool who would listen to the empty ramblings of angry insecure white males as being some say all authority of what is legit, needs a wake up call...
   
   
   Notice that racism over a 2,000+ period has been the perpetration of white males or indo-aryans who try to justify such uncivilized behavior through their socio-political opinions, their empty spiritual system (religion), and psuedo-science of survival of the fittest... I guess the latter makes sense for these groups who have genetically undergone a mutated change do to hardship of having to survive with limited resources in areas that did not produce enough edible vegetation... Which led to heavy consumption of eating animals and stealing from others... a habit the europeans are still practicing... as a badge of honor... p.i



5. Although this is old, it provides good insights about famous men of African Heritage

5 comments about Sojourner Truth: A Life, a Symbol.

1. This book is an excellent review and account of this great woman's life. Although it is rather disjointed in areas--there is a basic sense of the many challenges that Ms. Truth encountered. I found that it gave me a basic sense of her sojourn and it helped fill in the gaps left with other books. It was the basic information for an academic presentation I needed to prepare for one of my doctoral courses.



2. For some reason, most Americans know, or think they know, quite a bit about the Civil War. But somehow the decades before the great drama of the 1860's are little known to most of us. It's almost as if everything between the Revolutionary War and the American Civil War happened under a cloud or in some shadowed universe that sends out very few signals to modern Americans. In reality, the country went through a time of near-chaos as competing political and religious movements battled for the minds and hearts of the American public.
   
   Sojourner Truth, the subject of this biography, experienced a good bit of this social ferment, and the story of her life gives readers a good opportunity to get a grip on this very strange and fascinating period. The author starts with the odd fact that the name and face of Sojourner Truth became very well-known, yet the real story of her life was obscured by her status as a symbol of the Abolitionist movement. The real woman led a surpringly adventurous life, and she did it in the context of a society that supposedly kept slaves, women and rural poor people firmly in their pre-ordained place. The story of how a courageous girl named Katherine, born in slavery and poverty on a Dutch farm in rural New York state, became the free woman and independent thinker called Sojourner Truth, is worth reading for its own sake. But the book also sheds light on the wild side of American religious and intellectual life during her lifetime. While reading this book, I felt like I was really getting two books in one-I highly recommend this book!!



3. Painter's biography is excellent. She puts Truth in perspective with the challenges of her time. She sheds light on complicated relationships with noteable Abolishionists and with her own children. This book clearly presents the difficult life of one incredible woman who struggles to do her part to free all slaves, gain respect as a woman and be accepted as a human being.



4. I THINK THIS BOOK IS VERY EDUCATIONAL. I REALLY ENJOYED READING IT. I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TRUTH. PAINTER WAS A WONDERFUL WRITER. SHE DESCRIBED EVERYTHING TO THE MAX.



5. When I read a book, I want to get a lot out of it, as I enjoy the reading of it. On the second point: this book is engagingly written. The author questions her own motives and information as she constructs a biography of a difficult life to document. We see Painter confront the challenges of performing biography. I found it a compelling literary device. On the first point, the book mixes biography with history and feminist criticism. This interdisciplinary focus produces a highly inviting book. Among other topics, we find out about the details of slavery in the North, 19th century religious cults, and the ways in which feminists and abolitionists of the time exploited Truth for their own gain, as well as how this appropriation of "Truth" continues to the present. On this point, we learn much about contemporary feminism and culture and its need for heroes-especially African American female heroes.

5 comments about Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made.

1. This book not only offers the most incisive portrait of Jordan, the Bulls championship years, and the NBA of that era, but is also wonderful Halberstam, who tells the story with an epic sweep. Simply a beautiful work from cover to cover.



2. Nike turned Michael Jordan into a dream. Nike funneled in 1984 all of Nike's advertising resources in one player instead of in several teams. Nike made Michal Jordan a cultural icon and featured him as a star amidst other entertainment stars. And in the beginning Jordan didn't even like Nike sneakers. He preferred Adidas. Ultimately Nike paid Jordan in roughly 1 million dollars a year for five years. In 1984 no one realized that Nike was getting one of the great bargains of the time. Nike was a shoe company in great trouble. Michael Jordan saved Nike by his appeal to the youth. In the mean time basketball benefited from satellite reception that was just opening the world of cable television. Satellite reception facilitated cheap broadcasting. Bill Rasmussen obtained channel space on a communications satellite. His ESPN opened new broadcasting opportunities for basketball. In Playing for Keeps David Halberstam tells the tale of Michael Jordan in the broader cultural context. In this book Halberstam displays his usual journalistic skills. But somehow I missed the emotional involvement of his other books. The Summer of 49 and The Breaks of the Game learned me more about the relevance of sports.
   
   Luuk Oost



3. As someone very familiar with Michael Jordan's career I was startled by all the new bits of information crammed in this book. Its clear Halbertstam did his homework. He employed an exhaustive interview process that yields so many new anecdotes and perspectives of Michael Jordans career. I particulary enjoyed all the stories of Jordan showing flashes of greatness early on while being recruited by North Carolina. The book makes it clear that even at those early stages while no one could predict what was to come, those around Michael had never seen anything like him.
   
   Halbertstam also reveals the background story for many of those surrounding Jordan during his run with the Bulls. Namely Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Jerry Krause, Jerry Reinsdorf, and others. He delves into their lives, paints a picture of their character, and allows you to understand what motivated all these contrasting personalities along the way.
   
   It must be noted that the writing of David Halbertstam is just incredible. If you're a fan of Michael Jordan or just basketball this book is a must read. The subject could not be approached by a more accomplished author.



4. 
   I'm not a big Halberstam fan, and this book didn't change that opinion.
   
   The subtitular "world that he [Jordan] made" is never really explored in any depth, and this is a surface-skimming bio of Jordan with the addition of some mini-bios on major figures in his life (David Falk, Dean Smith, Phil Jackson, etc.).
   
   The research is limited and insight is scant as Halberstam leans heavily on material already published, pulling entire sections of the book (e.g., his thumbnail bio of Jackson) from the subject's own earlier book. He returns to quote the same two or three sports writers time and again (Sam Smith - Chicago Trib and Jordan biographer - OK, but Bob Ryan - Boston Globe - a dozen quotes???).
   
   "Playing for Keeps" is a fast-reading Jordan sketch, a 400 page magazine article, during which Halberstam defers to Jordan too frequently: no real examination of the gambling, glossed over recount of James Jordan's murder, no meaningful exploration of Jordan the global commercial icon.
   
   For my taste, this book is another disppointment from Halberstam.



5. Halberstam does it again. With a keen eye and a knack for pulling the reader in, David Halberstam is one of our great modern writers. Just when you thought you knew Jordan, "Playing for Keeps" shades new light (not all of it flattering) on our greatest modern basketball player.
   
   Well worth it.

2 comments about Being a Black Man: At the Corner of Progress and Peril.

1. Very interesting. Most of what I read I always knew but was unable to put in words.



2. Written by the staff of the Washington Post, this book is a compilation of a series of articles, augmented by some new material, on the issue of being a black man in America. The book offers a contemporary view on the issue and reveals how divided black men actually are on how they view themselves in the context of race. The articles are insightful, candid and highly personal, as they evolved from interviews with many black men from all walks of life and provide a birds-eye view into how black men in America currently define themselves and their lives. I was entranced by their stories.
   
   The writing is superlative, and the reader will find the introduction by Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, Edward P. Jones, quite poignant. The book also includes the results of a nationwide poll that empirically confirms what the articles declare anecdotally, that black men in contemporary America are divided on how they view themselves, each other, and their country. Those who are interested in social issues, as well as those simply interested in the human condition, will enjoy this well-written, insightful book.