5 comments about The Life of Olaudah Equiano.

1. In the later parts of 1700s some opposition of slavery was developed due to horrendous accounts given by merchants and slaves, like Equiano. That was the first time in history when opposition of slavery grew. And this is one of them.
   
   This book gives account of the life of a slave. Before he gets kidnapped, he gives some accounts of slavery back in Africa, which is a lot different than the ones in Americas or England.
   
   Many people who have read this book said it's either BORING or VERY INTERESTING. I think this book is interesting, though, but I can't consider it as a favorite book of mine. It has hard to read; lots of big words. There's also a lot of switch-back-and-forths between where events take place and I couldn't really keep it up. Maybe because I was reading too fast or maybe because I wasn't following too well.
   
   This book is like a life of a slave. BUT NOT the kind of slave that you would expect. It has no similarities compared to Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. It's totally a different account. So if you expect to read a horrific story about slavery in Americas, don't choose this one. This book will give you a pretty good idea of how Africans were treated. (A lot of times this story takes place on a ship.)



2. The item was fine, but why did it have to be packed in such a big box. It did not fit in the mail box so it had to be picked up at the post office. Smaller packaging please, otherwise, everything was fine.



3. As an American who has grown up hearing and learning about slavery and the slave trade in the US, and mainly in the 19th century, I appreciated the insight Equiano's book gives into the institution from other parts of the world, and in particular how racism evolved within an institution that had been taken for granted for centuries and had not been particularly racist.

   It is not the narrative of a victim. Not only does Equiano purchase his freedom halfway through the book, but also you can tell from the incidents he describes and from reading between the lines that he was a strong, even pugnacious person who didn't take any guff from people he did not respect. He was pragmatic, ambitious, and a fighter. While he accepted the social hierarchies of the time, including slavery itself until the latter part of his life, he shows no humility (except in terms of his spiritual condition). When he proposes to another person that he work for him as a servant, you get the feeling that he has just given that person an honor.

   Equiano's autobiography is important for many other reasons. It is very much a book of its time, the late 18th century, when spiritual autobiographies were important both to the writers and the readers. (Make sure that when you buy an edition of this book you do not buy an edition that has been abridged, as the account of Equiano's religious/spiritual development is what has been cut, making hamburger of what remains). He has wonderful, sometimes acid, comments, to make on the churches he observes at the time. For example, here's his comment on a church service run by the Rev. George Whitfield, at which people are crowding out into the yard and standing on ladders to see into the church: "When I got into the church I saw this pious man exhorting the people with the greatest fervor and earnestness, and sweating as much as ever I did while in slavery....I thought it strange I had never seen divines exert themselves in this manner before; and was no longer at a loss to account for the thin congregations they preached to."

   Equiano's autobiography is also a tale of his adventures: he served on board battle and merchant ships much of the time and saw action during the French and Indian war. He was also part of Phipps' search for a passge to India through the north pole, where their ship was frozen in ice just as Shackleford's was two centuries later.

   And finally, Equiano's life and story become entwined with the British abolition movement. His book was intended to serve the movement, raising revulsion by demonstrating the cruel and unethical practices that rose from slavery and appealing to logic and the reader's sense of shame. He is one of the earliest writers to point out a psychological blindess in slave holders, the denial and the double vision they had to develop in order to justify themselves. The very existence of the book, written by a literate, very bright, and comfortably wealthy former slave put the lie to the racist arguments that Africans were best suited to slavery. And in one part of the book that is reminiscent of Mary Wollestonecraft, he speaks passionately that the ignorance and helplessness that was so striking in so many slaves had nothing to do with nature, and everything to do with social conditioning.




4. It is hard to rate a book like this...

   You must read it if you're even considering it and once you've read it, you should pass it on to someone else. Life dishes us a lot. Life dishes out some people more hardship than others and sometimes we get the opportunity to give ourselves and those we love a chance at a better life. Not only does this book tell a wonderful story of a man who found strength most of us never realize we possess, but in doing so - has proven the power of language, written and spoken. The world can be full of possobilities in even the most impossible situations - to say nothing of the horror we inflict upon each other...but that's another story.




5. This book has less to do with slavery and more to do with the quest for middle-class status in England. For comparison, one should also read "ROBINSON CRUSOE" by Daniel Defoe and "PAMELA" by Samuel Richardson.

2 comments about The Oxford Frederick Douglass Reader.

1. PETER TEIMAN FRANKLIN here,
   Fascinating introduction, much better than it's competitors.Great read.
   PETER TEIMAN FRANKLIN,
   Sweden



2. This was a wonderfully edited version of some of the best writing Douglass ever wrote. The introduction is excellent and the intros to the excerpts of some of his letters and editorials are very informative. One of the best Frederick Douglass books I have ever read.

5 comments about Gather Together in My Name.

1. What an inspiration that Maya Angelou is to the world. Her story shows there is hope for everyone in any circumstance to overcome and make a difference to this world. If you don't know her story, this is a must read!! You'll love it.



2. Maya Angelou continues her life story in Gather Together In My Name. She candidly describes her experiences being a young mother, experimenting with the temptations life presents, and her mistakes. Through it all the reader grows from her experience alongside her. Another page turning examination of the experience of life written with boldness, beauty, and simplicity.



3. GATHER TOGETHER IN MY NAME is a difficult book to read. Oh, not because of Angelou's syntax, vocabulary or sentence structure. On the contrary, she writes in a clear, direct style that, if anything, may be a little too unembellished for some readers' pleasure. Now and then, to convey an effect more distinctly to the reader, her words suggest the patois of the speaker whom she is quoting. But no, the difficulty does not lie in the words, but rather in the message. It is painful to experience, even vicariously, the feelings of entrapment, abandonment, and repeated failure that Angelou presents to us. It is frustrating to see her heading from one failed endeavor to another, from one jilting to another, from one desperate attempt "to find her niche" to another.
   
   How could anyone be so naive? How could anyone be so gullible? How could anyone be such a victim? The reader must remind himself, however, that, at the time of her life depicted in this book, Angelou is not the accomplished writer and poet of her later years. She is a confused, culturally lost teenager with a child and has experienced little besides rejection for her entire young life. She is very much an innocent girl with a growing resentment of the world around her but with a trusting optimism and an over-developed faith in her own worth, all of which combine to make her quite vulnerable to those who would prey upon her.
   
   She is the product of a failed marriage and was sent by her father to be raised by his mother in Stamps, Arkansas in the 1940's, a location and era in which being Black was not a positive attribute. Though GATHER TOGETHER deals with her later teenage years, we do get a few glimpses of the segregated society into which she had been born. After having sampled the bitter workaday world of menial jobs in California, she returns to her Southern childhood home without the necessary subservience required of a Black and insults the supercilious clerks in a store in the white part of town, after which she must be hurriedly sent back to California to avoid the inevitable vengeance of the "white boys." The effect of growing up in this kind of hostile, demeaning environment must be kept in mind if the reader is to have any hope at understanding the formative influences that produced the attitudes that we witness in the Angelou of this book.
   
   One quite understandable result of her upbringing is that the young Angelou (though not yet known by that name) has no social relationship whatsoever with Caucasian society. To say that she distrusts that society is not quite accurate, for the word "distrust" suggests that she has examined the society and found it deceitful. However, at this point in her life, she has not even examined it. Black and White society and culture are so different, so mutually exclusive, that they exist on different worlds or in different dimensions, and "never the twain shall meet." Because, perhaps, of her total alienation from Caucasian society and culture, the young Angelou seems to trust Blacks uncritically, even though other Blacks are the consistent source of her painful lessons in life--used by one while his girlfriend is elsewhere, maneuvered into prostitution by another, her baby stolen by a third--Angelou still clings to Black society. But, then, what other option had she?
   
   I worry somewhat that younger readers who cannot relate to the legally segregated United States that endured into the 1960s will not find this personal history very believable. I worry also that those who have not lived in the South (even in the 21st century!) or near a ghetto will find the cultural stigma and limitations of being Black extreme and unrealistic. There are those readers who, not understanding the very real social, cultural, economic, and even legal shackles that bound Blacks long after the physical shackles of slavery were shed, will feel that Angelou is, at the very least, exaggerating the conditions which she had to endure and will place more blame upon her for bringing about her own tribulations than is warranted. However, those readers are the very ones who should take the book to heart, for it may help them comprehend just a little bit more of America's dark underbelly than white, middle-class America normally sees. They will find the message difficult and bitter to assimilate, yet it is a part of our country's history and needs to be learned.



4. There were times as I was reading this book that I cringed and thought to myself "How could she be so stupid." But I had to remind myself of her tender age in this story. She did a lot of things at a young age that many of us may never do in our entire lifetime. Prostitution, Pimping and drugs. This book had so much purpose and that's why I call it "One of the best book that I read all year". It's written like a novel so it doesn't come off preachy or like a self help book. Maya Angelou tells a portion of her story. She uncovers layers of clothing and bares the naked truth of her young adulthood. To me this is not just a story of a black woman and a black womans struggles; this is a story about hard knocks and people of all races and nationalities experience them. "Rita" felt like she had to make her own way, she felt like she needed all of the answers at once. No one was going to take care of her and son. And at the same time, while she felt the burdens of independence, she also felt the emptieness and lonlieness that we all feel some time or another just because we are human. "Rita" made a lot of poor decisions, but that's not the reason that we know her today. We don't know her because she was once a madam on the West Coast, or a prostitute in Stockton, or a cook in Oakland. We know her because she found God's plan for her life and stuck with it.



5. I always as a little girl looked up to Maya Angelou, I always thought she was wonderful. But I didn't know why she was such a wonderful person. Now I understand why. So what if she was a prositute , she had a good reason . She was in love and young. You only live once.I look at life differently now since I read the book. It showed me just because somebody does something it doesn't make them a bad person but they have a reason.

5 comments about Gal: A True Life.

1. another book that i read a few months ago. some parts were a little too graphic for me, but i got through it. the strength of gal was unbelievable. i enjoyed this book.



2. I so enjoyed this book and was rooting all the way through for Ruthie aka Gal. Many things about her reminded me of myself (I AM A SURVIVOR of sexual abuse) and, like Gal, I persevered. However, it was only by my Savior's grace that I was able to do so. It was interesting to read Gal's story in her own dialect (like "The Color Purple"). I could "feel" the beatings. I could "see" the house and garden after her return and renovations. I could "smell" the marijuana she smoked as her way of coping with her circumstances as well as the liquor on Daddy's breath. I couldn't put this book down and read it within a few days. I highly recommend it. A++



3. This true life story was sooo hard to read!!! But so well written. She takes you along side her in the journey. It hurt me to know a little girl or any child was sooo abused. However, there is a God, and he made this horrific story into a best selling novel. Yeah, I hope for real-time revenge for the heroine...but we know our God never slumbers nor sleeps.



4. Gal, was a tear droper, for a grandfather to beat his children and granddaughter like that its a hurting thing.But then to beat his wife to death " WHERE IS THE LOVE? I can believe how a father and grandfather can do these kids like this. Goodreading



5. I read this book a couple of years ago. I cried and laughed a little. I can't believe she went through all that heart ache and pain. I was really disappointed when her aunts(who she was raised with as sisters) didn't give her at least a third of her grandfathers ( who she called papa) insurance policy. She was the one who was there for him when he was sick. HE DIDN'T EVEN PUT HER NAME IN HIS WILL!!! I was sooo happy when she found happiness. This is a must read.

5 comments about Barack Obama: This Improbable Quest.

1. Mr. Wilson many times starts with an interesting analysis that most of the time seems to lead to conclusions like: Obama is a genius, brilliant, selfless public servant and he wants to "...restore faith in Government and hope." And yet the author had the nerve to put on the inside flap of his book the following: "Amid all the hype, this book provides the first in-depth look at the controversies surrounding Obama's run for the presidency...". That is an audacious and false claim. I thought the piece on Tony Rezko read like a whitewash. Obama refuses to release the final settlement statement for the house. What is he covering up?
   But John Wilson did clear up a false impression I had about the "madrassa myth" that I keep hearing about in talking media. I thought that meant that Obama really had nothing to do with Islamic schools that it was something the right-wing smear groups made up. But I had been ignorant of the details. It turns out, according to the author's research: "Obama did often attend Friday prayers in the local mosque." ... Obama was officially registered as a Muslim and went to Koranic studies but at the same time he went to Catholic school. I should listen more closely! This is a qualified "myth" to the say the least. This, of course, does not prove that Obama is a secret anything - Muslim or Catholic. If he is anything different deep down from what he appears -- probably only Barack knows.
   I wanted to see the author skillfully cast a favorable light on Obama's association with Bill Ayers. I was disappointed I could not find the dangerous Bill Ayers in the book. If you don't want to buy this book and take the time to read it and can't accept my word that it is hype, just look at the eight photographs in the middle of the book. You might start to wonder if secret Obama campaign money has not flowed to the author?
   I would have awarded three stars if title had been something like: "Why I'd love to see Obama as President".



2. This blatantly positive profile of presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama presents the man, his positions and specific responses to the criticisms against him. Extensive direct quotes from the candidate himself plus 30 pages of footnotes buttress the book's powerful, if partisan, presentation. John K. Wilson, a former student of Obama's, omits some important things, however, it is only fair to note that some hot campaign topics (such as Reverend Wright) emerged after the book's publication. Wilson also makes a few odd comments (for instance, drawing a link between low black unemployment and the high incarceration rate under Bill Clinton). Still, he sets forth a compelling case for Obama and provides observations about the Senator's formative years, accomplishments and policies. He offers some good insights, for example, he discusses the role cynicism plays in politics and the role of white guilt. While Wilson sometimes gets carried away with his support of the candidate, he notes that both the far right and the far left have attacked Obama, so he must be doing something correctly. getAbstract recommends this to voters who want the story (albeit somewhat sunny) behind the candidate and to Obama supporters seeking more information about their presidential hopeful.



3. I am 68 years old and I have never been as excited about any politician since John F. Kennedy. This man has integrity . I really enjoyed reading this book. John K. Wilson kept my interest and curiosity.



4. How the University Works: Higher Education and the Low-Wage Nation (Cultural Front)
   I know John Wilson, and he's written a powerful, relevant, moving book--one that he demonstrated a great deal of perspicacity in conceiving.
   
   That other reviewer is a political operative who has taken a pseudonym for the purpose of giving all Obama-related books a "one-star" rating and unjustified negative review!



5. "This Improbable Quest" is an appropriate title for this ill-fated book. The author has attempted to portray Barack Obama as a man with a vision, but has instead ultimately revealed all of Obama's vulnerabilities and weaknesses...ironically through the use of his own words. It is a shame that books like this exist. They are marketed at individuals too weak to see through the layers of hype...and they often eat the bait without even realizing it. This book has no relevance in today's world. As such, in a few months, absolutely no one will be the least bit interested in it.

5 comments about Dr. Dre: The Biography.

1. This book is a chronicle of Andre Young's life, better known as Dr. Dre. It is a book written to inform and tell a story, rather than just re-count the life of a hip-hop legend. I recommend this book to anyone who looks beyond the music to the motives and the characteristics that make a Producer create music the way they do, or where they get their inspiration from. The book follows Dr. Dre through his life, beginning with a little background about his troubled life through high school, and ending with the current status of his record label, Aftermath Records. It gives a glimpse into the very personal life of this amazing producer, which is rare for any producer in music as to the nature of their work is in the studio for most of their days. It talks about his affiliations with record labels, the hardships he faced with the women, labels, friends, enemies, and death of his younger brother. This book is a must read for any Dr. Dre fan and is a must for any aspiring producer or current producer who looks beyond the music.



2. DR. DRE is the life story of the rise of a prolific hip hop producer and his struggles to succeed in the ever changing music industry. Ro attempts to share with readers Andre Young aka Dr. Dre's life from birth until now.
   
   Born on February 18, 1965 to teenage parents, Dr. Dre's life was not an easy one living in California. However, his mom and stepfather provided a safe environment, but could not truly motivate Dr. Dre with his education. They purchased him his first mixer and found music was his motivation. From his early days as a DJ until his becoming a Grammy awarding winning producer, Dr. Dre has had to deal with change in the industry standards and even the violence he rapped about as part of NWA. He also dealt with tragedies such as the death of his brother Tyrell. Included in this biography are bits and pieces of a more personal Dr. Dre including his numerous children and the change his marriage made in how he viewed music. Impressive was the ability to chronicle how Dr. Dre rapped about life in the streets when he wasn't from the streets in the sense of being a gang banger or dealer, as well as how the hip hop changed from gangster rap to lyrics of excess and a lot less shocking in its nature.
   
   Ro's biography of Dr. Dre seems inclusive, but at times stiff and jagged in its delivery. The life story seems to be based on information already reported in different mediums with little coming from Dr. Dre or others involved in his life. I would have liked to have seen a smoother flow of the biography where it didn't seem years overlapped and clarity of when some things took place. Although some readers will appreciate the dissection of the lyrics, I was more interested in learning something new about this producer who has produced the likes of hip hop legends and some of the new generation of hip hop. Even though I learned Dr. Dre had to deal with a lot of malcontent in the music industry, I wanted a more personal read about the man and what truly made him successful. This is a good showcase of the history of hip hop.
   
   Reviewed by Cashana Seals
   of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers



3. First of all I'd like to say i love this book and that i have followed dre's career since the days of NWA.. I know a lot about his career but this book focused on his personal life before music and behind the scenes while he was making hits. It goes into his creative process for making hits and what his session players do. When a new character is introduced, that person gets the spotlight put on them with a little mini biography as well.. Warren G(dre's little step brother) plays a part here as well. This book also goes into detail about why Rakim and King Tee's albums were shelved.. The only problem i had with the book was a few facts were twisted as well as quotes. For example, Suge Knight's exact quote on stage at the 1995 Source Awards was misquoted and Daz's part in the making of DOGGYSTYLE wasn't included.. I wouldn't take a star away from the book for those reasons.. I recommend this book to any dre fan or music fan.. You will definately look at him different after reading this. For better or worse.



4. this Book is a Good Chop on Dr.Dre's career as the Best Producer in Rap Music History period. Dr.Dre has often been a Mysterious and often a quite figure despite all the controversy that has often been associated with him,but make no mistakes about it, Dr.Dre is as close to a forrest Gump figure in Rap Music history as you can get. He started out with World class Wreckin crew,but His first real claim to fame was with NWA. NWA were the Sex Pistols of Rap Music and any other Musical figure that was considered a Outlaw Bad Boy type. NWA changed the whole landscape of Rap Music forever with there debut Album 'Straight outta compton". there impact and effect is still felt on Rap Music to this day. Dre's Beats and trademark Synth Grooves with the Low string vibes are part of his formula along with catchy past Hooks and grooves of yesteryear that have made him the Quincy Jones of Rap Music. and as a talent scout He is the Man who Put Snoop Dogg and Eminem truly on the Map with his touch. Ronin Ro does a really good job at chopping and creating a Book that flows really well. Dr.Dre is One of the Most Important Musical Figures over the past 25 years. also add in the fact that He was part of Ruthless Records which was Owned by the Late Eazy E,and then Dre Help Form Death Row Records and then his own Aftermath Records. either as a Artist,producer, CEO and conceptionalist Dr.Dre has had a strong hand in creating so much that has taken Rap Music to the next level and that makes the Man a Trail-Blazer of his time this Book covers his personal losses,his drama with Ruthless,Death Row and Sug Knight also his battles within the Politics of the Music Industry and being a Black Man. a Good read.



5. Ronin Ro is probably perferct for hip-hop journalism since his style of writing seems to borrow the sampling technique found in most rap music. If you've followed Dre's press career, no matter how sparse, you'll quickly realize that most, if not all the quotes in this book, are "samples" from other magazines. Like an expert hip-hop producer, Ro chops up all the press and then brilliantly re-arranges it all into a coherent and remarkably seamless story. While a lot of biographies do this, they don't pull it off to the extent that Ro does.
   
   I am grateful that this book brings all of those previously disparate pieces under the same roof. Having the puzzle finally put together reveals a man who really had to fight uphill to become the Producer that he is today. In a lot of ways, according to this book, Dre's rise to fame seem destined, but destiny sometimes seems to have taken the rockiest road.
   
   If you haven't followed Dre's career closely, or if you simply don't remember the reportage of Dre over the years, than this book will feel fresh or, at the least, a re-fresher on the years spanning the life of hip hop's most noted producer. And in someways that's the danger of this book: because it pulls so heavily from pre-existing interviews, there's nothing really new to be presented here. But that's hardly the fault of the author, since Dre, being press shy, probably will never give a biographer any new material to work with. And maybe all that there is to say about Dre's past has been said before, and the most we can expect than is a creative narrative and Re-mix of those words.

5 comments about The African-American Century : How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country.

1. The publication is a fine read for a person of any race and most ages (10 & above). However, I feel that the last sections of the book place excessive emphasis on contemporary cultural "pop" figures, i.e., persons in show business and sports. Too many black notables in the sciences and fine arts are ignored.

   As a previous reviewer noted, perhaps a future edition will be more balanced and will give the American Negro proper credit for invaluable contributions to our culture and society.




2. I found "The African American Century" to be informative and at times entertaining. Most of the time, real proud. I am planning on giving out copies as prizes for our African American History program at church. However, at times, I found some of the information and dates to be inaccurate. Despite that, it is a great book to give to schools and children, and it is highly recommended by me.



3. Even though this book gives brief biographical sketches of significant African Americans, I still give it five stars for the following reasons:

   1) It is a very neatly organized resource for notable African-Americans, that can give quick and accurate information about these people and their times. I like that each page clearly shows the decade during which that person made major accomplishments. For each person profiled, there is at least one photo, and a provocative, "boxed" quote.

   2) This kind of book is desperately needed by most of America's schoolteachers. Many are not well-informed about the achievements of African-Americans, and here they get a quick, clear, and stimulating profile of many who made major contributions. Further, Professors Gates and West provide a bibliography that leads the reader to at least one significant in-depth work about each person profiled, so those who want to know more are "pointed in the right direction."

   3) While there are some sports and entertainment figures, I don't think there is any bias in that direction. With personages like Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, and Hank Aaron, you MUST include them in a work like this because they really transcended sports, and became larger-than-life symbols of social issues.

   4) Professors Cornel West and Henry Gates Jr. write in a very clear manner, and don't candy-coat their subject manner. They point out the contradictions in many of these peoples' lives, mention their social critics, and demonstrate that meaningful lives are seldom neat and tidy ones. To professors Gates and West, I say "Thanks, fellas, for not coming across like the stereotypical "stuffy Harvard scholars!"

   Finally, if you know of a school teacher who is well-intended about teaching more about African American history, but maybe can benefit from an attractively presented and easily accessible resource book, think of this as a thoughtful gift to that person. Next time February (Black History Month) rolls around, they will have lots of suggestions for class projects and pupil reports.




4. What would the 20th century in America look like without the contributions of its African-American citizens? Henry Gates and Cornel West take up that very question in chronicling how African-Americans shaped the culture of the United States. The authors profile African-Americans from each decade of the 20th century and show how their accomplishments have impacted upon the country.

   Overall the authors have produced a good book for coffee table discussions and stimulating conversations about African American contributions. Its weakness lies in the fact that most of these persons are already known, it leans heavily towards those in the field of entertainment and many of the essays are unclear as to what the person contributed beyond being the first Black in their field.

   Another element missing is the lack of information regarding what was going on in the person's particular decade that enabled them to achieve against the odds. The African American Century falls short in giving you a full comprehensive look at what Blacks achieved throughout the decades. You are left with individual biographical portraits of those who "made it". I recommend the book as a referance guide for those unaquainted with the persons profiled. Perhaps the authors will come up with another volume that is more comprehensive of the achievements of African Americans in fields other than entertainment and sports.




5. The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country by Cornel West and Henry Louis, Jr. Gates is an A+ reference book of Black historical figures who have contributed to and have transformed the life of the Black American in the making of America over the past 100 years. Decade by decade the authors give memorable history "sessions" about some of the greatest achievements made by these Americans in shaping a Democratic society, despite issues of racism, bigotry and the mere struggle to survive. I would recommend this book to anybody as an addition to your collection in your family library because in a true light, it embraces a positive understanding and influences made by even the most controversial figures or role models throughout the 20th century. I bought this book as a gift, but I'm glad I kept it for myself!

5 comments about Chicken Soup for the African American Woman's Soul (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. The stories are inspiring and uplifting for Women, Men and Children of all colors And Especially so for African Americans. Beautiful!



2. This "serving" of the Chicken Soup for the soul shows the vision, way of thinking and feelings of AfroAmerican women, which have had a so great role in the shaping of the recent history of the USA. I've missed more stories from the "old days", more stories told from grandmothers to their grandchildren and I think the book would be richer with them. Also, it doens't show the sad face of the racism many of those women have suffered and even if it's extremely hard and sad, it's not less true and it must be told in order to avoid such facts being repeated.



3. Well, this second helping of Chicken Soup for the Afrian-American Soul is for women and everyone who loves them. When you need something to feel good fast, gulp down one of the tasty short stories, seasoned just right. When you want to lift someone up, treat them to this unforgetable treat that they will gobble up. Get ot as a gift for yourself or someone else-- a gift that will keep on giving because of the memorable and inspirational feel-good stories packed inside a beautifully bound cover.



4. I'm really enjoying this book. I'm formerly an avid reader who recently has been so busy that spending time reading and finishing a good, thick book has been quite a challenge. I like this book because while I'm commuting or waiting in the doctor's office or whatever I can choose at random any of these short, stories and get a quick "pick me up" a little lift in my spirits that gets me through my day in a better frame of mind.
   I definitely reccommend it!



5. I have enjoyed reading about the joys, the struggles, the good and the bad of this wonderful culture. Women have many roles, moms, daughters, sisters, aunts, wives, friends. I have enjoyed reading about all of these roles from personal experiences and veiws of the writers. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys good reading and want to know more about the phenomenal black woman.

3 comments about Heroes of the Negro Leagues (with free DVD: Only the Ball Was White).

1. I purchased this book for a young boy age 13 and I also have one myself. This book and DVD is an excellent, fun history lesson for a child or pre-teen to reference at his or her leasure. It's an easy read and a great reference for people of all ages who want to know more about the Negro Baseball Leagues! A must have!



2. This book preserves an important aspect in the history of baseball and in African American history, and it does so in a riveting way. A sincere and fascinating tribute -- and a handsome one, to boot.



3. If you have any interest in baseball, you'll definitely want to have this book! Created by very talented men, this is a book to keep.

2 comments about Laughing Mad: The Black Comic Persona in Post-Soul America.

1. Bambi Haggins traces how black comedy has evolved from performances for "the folks" to an integral part of the American experience. Her exhaustive research shows how pioneers Dick Gregory, Bill Cosby, Flip Wilson and Richard Pryor set the stage for later breakouts by Chris Rock and Eddie Murphy; Dave Chappelle gets his own, fascinating chapter. She also discusses the difficult issues of race and gender, plotting a trajectory from Moms Mabley to Whoopi Goldberg. A reader of any race will come away with a new understanding of comedy in "post-soul America."



2. Before the modern Civil Rights era, black comedians primarily performed for black audiences, and white comedians performed for whites. But over the last 45 years - the "Post-Soul" era -black comedians have moved into the mainstream culture, and this book explores this integration process by examining the comic televisual and cinematic personae of Dick Gregory, Bill Cosby, Flip Wilson, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg and Dave Chappelle. The chapter on Goldberg, which explores her persona through the lens of gender and crossover, also touches briefly upon the careers of Moms Mabley, Pearl Bailey and Wanda Sykes.
   
   Black comedians are in an untenable position. Unlike white performers, who can play a buffoon without fear of being criticized for perpetuating minstrelsy, black performers "represent" so every joke, every career choice, even personal relationships are scrutinized by both supporters and detractors and usually found wanting: too black or not black enough, Keepin' It Real or not. As Chris Rock stated in a New York Times interview, "... journalists start analyzing it and talking to me like I'm Kwesi Mfume. I don't need that gig. All I care about is being funny."
   
   And a problem arises when attempting to mainstream material developed for black audiences, material which is often self deprecating and which, when removed from the privacy and security of the black enclave and put on display for the entertainment of whites, can be received and enjoyed in a racist way, or criticized as "airing dirty laundry." When discussing why he terminated his show, Dave Chappelle's summed up to Oprah as discomfort over "the white guy laughing" a little too loudly at, rather than with, humorous aspects of black culture.
   
   Such struggles are at the heart of this study; in fact, the author says the question which inspired it arose at the late show of "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" when she contemplated some frat boys in the audience and wondered " I know what I'm laughing at, but what are you laughing at?"
   
   As the author states, "Comedy is a powerful discoursive tool" and this study provides many thought provoking insights and raises even more questions. The book is written primarily for academics, and lay readers might find the jargon challenging at times but I still recommend it to them. It prompted me to make several trips to the video store in order to view some unfamiliar material but more importantly, to view some familiar material again in a new light. Recommended for anyone interested in media, African American or American Studies.