5 comments about Twice As Good: Condoleezza Rice and Her Path to Power.

1. This really helped me to understand our Secretary of State. The book also provided a good review of what was happening in Birmingham during the 60's.



2. This is an interesting look at Rice, her work and her life. But it leaves a lot of unanswered questions. I didn't feel as if I knew her any better after reading the book than I did before.
   
   At times she seems cold and uncaring. At other times, she seems warm and interesting. But I guess that could be said for all of us.
   
   This is a book worth reading. But don't expect to understand the subject. Perhaps she won't let anyone understand her. But this author certainly did not.



3. This is the first time I have ever reviewed a book. I felt compelled to
   compliment Mr. Mabry on the thorough research he so painstakingly did for
   this book. The book is easy to read and it keeps the reader interested in
   the subject without getting bogged down in minutiae.



4. The author describes the life and times of Dr. Condoleezza Rice with
   both personal stories and historical events. Many of the childhood
   personal stories and recitations are quite moving. For instance, the Secretary's assimilation into Stanford University was discussed . The historic contention between the State and Defense Departments was highlighted. This inter-agency competition may limit the Secretary's
   options-particularly during times of war. A strength of the work highlights
   areas where the organizational design of the cabinet itself could be
   reconfigured or enhanced to benefit future presidencies.
   
   Several great crises presented early in the current Administration.
   For instance, Hurricane Katrina left thousands homeless in the USA.
   The Asian Tsunami left thousands dead with billions of dollars in
   property claims.
   
   The aftermath of terrorist attacks in New York City cost many lives and displaced people and businesses . Sunni insurgents destroyed the Golden Dome of the Askariya Mosque- one of the holiest places of Sh'ia Islam. The Hezbollah kidnapped an Israeli soldier and the Hamas prevailed in open elections to become a voting majority.
   
   Add to this the current Iraqi difficulties in coordinating internal security with an iterative withdrawal of the United States at some future time. The current fear centers around control of Baghdad when the United States leaves or withdraws to a position outside of the daily skirmishes between the Sunni, Sh'ia and protagonists outside of Iraq.
   
   The peacekeeping forces (whether American, Iraqi, United Nations or a
   combination of the above) in Iraq must manage historic contentions between warring factions while hoping that the conflict does not spill over into neighboring countries like Turkey or Iran. There have been significant border clashes between the Turks and the Kurds, as well as Iranian involvement in the conflict.
   
   The challenges ahead deal with the role of the United States in the region,
   as well as the transitioning of the American peacekeeping forces to
   Iraqi security forces and possibly United Nations forces for the long term.
   The long term vision involves the mix of security forces.
   
   Preferably, these forces will be Iraqi with a permanent contingent of United Nations forces concurrent with an iterative phasing out of U.S.A. involvement over a rational time horizon. The work could deal in more detail with the future role of the United States in Iraq and the Secretary's current work to re-shape that role.
   
   To obtain a verifiable ceasefire, the Sunni, Sh'ia, Kurds and mixed
   communities must come to believe that they could lead a better life in
   a loosely knit governance with a fair economic resource-sharing
   arrangement. Right now, these parties have not internalized this goal.
   And so, they are jockeying to gain the upper hand.
   
   This process will continue until the Iraqi security apparatus develops with some assistance (preferably) from the United Nations Peacekeeping forces.
   If the country ever gets to the point of a verifiable ceasefire, the next
   step is to deal with governance and the return of thousands of professional
   persons who fled the country for their lives and careers. These people
   need to return in order to reconstitute the country from the present
   disorder and destruction.
   
   All of these events rose and continue to rise in unison to present the Secretary with an unparalleled series of challenges not seen in recent years. The work discusses the Secretary's career in government and
   academia with carefully chosen events which provide a unique profile
   into the experiential domain over the previous decades of service.
   
   The author combines the Secretary's personal dynamic with the job
   of Secretary of State. In these times, the job of Secretary of State
   requires a facilitative persona with considerable practical and academic
   acumen. Dr. Condoleezza Rice is such a person.
   
   The book is highly recommended for students of government, politics,
   journalism and academe everywhere. Events are happening so quickly
   in the Middle East that a sequel to this book could be contemplated .



5. 
   Mabry brings some interesting information to his reader of one of the most despicable, incompetent, false and ruthless atavists ever to occupy the planet earth, moreover public office.
   
   Rice's scheming adoration for saying and doing whatever it took/takes to get on the top dais of a given colosseum, in her continually pathetic and aforementioned ruthless attempt to be the cynosure-at-all-times is beyond legend. Just one glance of her souless and vengeful countenance is all it should take of any observant soul to realize the monster who lies within............ This book delicately refers to same, but, alas, not enough to adequately educate its reader.
   
   Tragically, Rice's plan has worked to her proverbial Joesph Goebbels success and whether it's directing national/internation policy that gives new meaning to the word ignorant and imperious and, as a consequence manifesting the death of thousands and the ruination of a pragmatically imperfect (read : managable) world for the future, suppressing the truth - lying outright before the public or, eternally looking beyond embarassing in the face of various world politicos, starting with her speech impediment and then her eternal practice of obsfucation by using several thousand words to answer a simple yes or no question................, this poster child of an affirmative action poseur dilettante is a study, be it by Marcus Mabry of what "worst case scenario" truly is.

5 comments about Longing to Tell: Black Women Talk About Sexuality and Intimacy.

1. i've always been attracted to black women. This rare book contains the personal narratives of twenty black women, young and old, of diverse backgrounds, and of diverse temperaments. This book has opened the door for me in understanding black women more intimately.
   
   Unforetunately i have noted one negative characteristic in all stories given in this book. All the women in this book share the same affliction. It is a consistent theme throughout this book. And that theme is that black women are PERPETUALLY DISCONTENT. They are NEVER satisfied with anything, or anyplace, or anybody. They're always ON THE MOVE. Black women are always moving from one city to another, from one boyfriend to another, from one job to another, from one apartment to another, from one religion to another. It never ends.
   
   Black women only "settle down" when they end up having a baby. When they become a single mom then they are forced by the circumstances to "stay put". This is always the period when they express regrets about leaving such and such a job, or such and such a boyfriend.
   
   i can personally testify to black women's impetuosity. i've had seven girlfriends in my dry life. And i'm proud to say they were ALL black. But guess what? They all left me one after another. i was a man in a long chain of men that they were "moving" through. i was deeply hurt everytime. Yet i'm still seeking another Nubian Queen to be with.
   
   None the less, i would call this a LANDMARK book and would whole-heartedly recommend it to everyone who loves black women as much as i do.



2. 20 stories by 20 black women, 2 of them separated, 2 of them married, which leaves 16 single black women. of those 16 single black women, the number of them who have children...math is tiring, i don't want to do the work. so without pleading a problematic here, let's just say 'it is what it is'. still, might conclusions, for some folk, be reached, there are no good black men as husband material, and marriage isn't all that important for black folk? such conclusions remain a vicious circle. hopefully, her, rose's, book proves a starting point, an inspiration and a calling for and a telling of more stories.



3. I was interested in reading this book because I am a latino male who's been involved with African American women since I can remember. I watned to read this book to inform mysself about how it was like to be an African American woman in America. I've discovered that they are very strong and have gone through alot in their lives from the stories of the many women in this book. I had read this book about a two or three years ago and it was very informative, but I know that there is still much to learn.



4. When I say "Hard", I mean this book is so strong! This book took me a while to read because I had to take breaks in between each woman's story...I could identify with more than one woman's story (I'm sure a lot of people will be able to) and that's what makes this book worth every page...I recommend it to anyone who feels as though the struggles they deal with are only theirs...



5. Tricia Rose turns academic research into a literary masterpiece. She interviewed 20 African American females with various ethnic backgrounds, broad range of age, and socioeconomic upbringing. Rose organized the real life commentaries on sex, intimacy, relationships, and race into a narrative that will carry you through a broad range of emotions. The women speak truth to situations that happen in every day life but are considered taboo in the African American community. 
   Rose starts the book with a discussion about the negative stereotypes in regards to sex and intimacy that are portrayed about the African American female in the media. The purpose of the book was developed as an attempt to answer the question, "how has the history of race, class, and gender inequality in this country affected the way that black women talk about their sexual lives?" Rose answered this question and much more. Longing to Tell is a mirror image of African American female sexuality in contemporary society as well as an oral history that serves as a vibrant presentation for everyday readers and scholars alike. 
   The stories are captured and categorized into three different areas: Through the Fire; Guarded Heart; and Always Something Left to Love. The women, whose names and locations have been changed to protect their anonymity, openly discuss their sexual history; how they learned about sex, masturbation, orgasms, and experience of first menstruation, virginity, pregnancy, and motherhood; sexual abuse, rape, sexism, sexual fantasy and sexual orientation. Some of the tales in the book are horrendous such as incest, rape, domestic abuse and sexual harassment but while knocked down these women were not knocked out. Many tell about the love from friends, family and at times even the smiles of strangers brought them back from the depths of despair. The stories are all different and engaging as their experiences were dynamic while thought provoking. Does your definition of sexuality characterize how you live life? 
   Longing To Tell is an extraordinary account on how African American women survive despite the incredible odds against them. As an adjunct professor of African American Studies, I highly recommend this book as a study into the mind of black women. As an avid reader, I strongly encourage you to read this book as a motivational guide on finding your way out of the struggle. African American women are the cornerstones of modern society and this book proves that!
   Reviewed by M. Bruner for Loose Leaves Book Review

1 comments about Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in Aviation and Space History.

1. This book looks at a little-remembered group of black men who, with their abilities and initiatives and creativity, became a valuable working unit of the military. The photographs are great. Written very well, with empathy and understanding, from the author's meetings with relatives and friends of these fliers.

No comments about Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits.

5 comments about Succeeding Against The Odds.

1. After reading Earl G. Graves's bitter autobiography, I fully expected John H. Johnson's manuscript for success to be riddled with distain. I was pleasantly surprised however to find that Johnson; through such works as, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, and How to Win Friends..., by Dale Carnegie, made a fortune turning social negatives into profitable and professional positives. Having met eight U. S. Presidents along the way, Johnson's autobiography is a refreshing treatise on determination. It should be noted that much of Johnson's success came about before integration, when the African American community lived by the, "it takes a village," mentality. The nurturing he was provided during the early years provided for a favorable turn of events ultimately guiding him; not without the requisite obstacles, toward a life of success. John H. Johnson's, `Succeeding Against the Odds,' is a testament to the spoils of desire, determination, delayed gratification and a strong belief in ones self. Bravo Mr. Johnson, well done! I issue this glowing review however with a caveat; there are a few grammatical errors; thus, my conservative rating, nevertheless, this was a fun read.



2. I bought this Book way back in 1992.I always Admired Mr.John H.Johnson for all that He overcame&also for providing Ebony&Jet into my early childhood all the to the present. what He overcame&what He Accomplsihed is truly incredible. He created magazines that spoke&gave Black America a Fair shake at the Newsstand&also showed our world in a up-lifting light. John H.Johnson is a true Pioneer who trail-blazed so much for the better.RIP&this is a Must have Book.



3. This book uplifted the self esteem of me and many other African Americans. It was the story of a black man raised in rural Arkansas who had a dream. He figured out at an early age that African Americans wanted to know about what was happening in their community. There where only so many if any stories about us in Life Magazine. And if they did publish something about us it was negative. Why couldn't African Americans have a magazine of their own? One that told stories, positive stories about our lives, our heroes, and our history. This book gave me hope to know that even a lower middle class, African American boy from the Bronx like myself could grow up and strive for greatness amongst our people and the rest of society. John H. Johnson's publications are over 50 years old now and are still giving us stories that uplift our minds, bodies and spirits. Reading this book is not only a joy and a honor but it should be required reading for all African Americans and focal point of reading for all others.



4. In his book, Johnson states "There is an advantage in every disadvantage, and a gift in every problem" and "I believe that the greater the handicap the greater the triumph." By this he means to say that disadvantage creates opportunities and forces one to do more with less. He believed that disadvantages were "...challenges to be overcome and not facts to be accepted." A disadvantage provides a challenge that, with the proper motivation and mindset, forces one to try a little harder and work a little smarter.

   Two distinct disadvantages that Johnson cites are early in his life: 1) Arkansas City (his birthplace) did not provide a high school education for African Americans, and 2) The economic depression stemming from the Great Depression. These two disadvantages, when taken together, provided a sort of "critical mass" that propelled Johnson on the trajectory that is his story -- his move to Chicago and subsequent business endeavors.

   The fact that the disadvantages cited above were realized so early in life is worth note. There is a scientific discipline known as "Chaos Theory" that, among other precepts, states that the time evolution of a series of interrelated complex events is extremely sensitive to the system's initial condition. The analogy that may be drawn to Johnson's life is this: had he not moved to Chicago due to his ambition and his Mother's tremendous sacrifices for her son's education, it would have become increasingly difficult for Johnson to have succeeded to the extent he did, as chronicled in his autobiography.

   This statement is supported by the many references he makes in the book about the seemingly random events that led to his success as a businessman; Johnson states, "I'm scared someone with pinch me and wake me up." Thus, it seems that the many disadvantages the author faced throughout life, most notably (in his words) early in life, created an advantage, which led him to great wealth and notoriety.




5. I could definitely related to Mr.Johnson's story. It is inspiring, insightful, and truly a guide to those of us on the often obstacle laden road to success.

   Never allow your personal feelings or emotions to close the doors of oppourtunities. Where the is a will there truly is a way. His story is remarkable and his book enables you to understand that yours is too.

   Think and Grow Rich...

5 comments about Ethical Ambition: Living a Life of Meaning and Worth.

1. In "Ethical Ambition," influential law professor and New York Times best selling author ("Faces at the Bottom of the Well"), Derrick Bell, addresses a paradox of success, "How can you achieve your goals without compromising who you are?" Based on observations and his life's experience, Bell believes that our nation's leaders, with few exceptions, are committed to getting ahead regardless of the cost to others. He understands that balancing an individual dreams and needs without compromising one's self is tough work, and requires an ongoing assessment of who you are, what you believe, value, and desire.
   
   Bell fully explores the six areas he feels are most important for ethical functioning: passion, courage, faith, relationships, inspiration, and humility. He highlights the benefits of "making honorable choices; it lifts the spirit and relieves the pain of loss as we seek new routes, which though uncertain, may prove the shortest and most fulfilling routes to our goals."
   
   While the book is very readable and has many gems, the book gets off track in the latter chapters when Bell espouses on his beliefs relating to same-sex marriage and abortion. This detracts significantly from the overall work. So much so, I tossed and turned on whether to rate this 3 or 4 stars. These issues are better left addressed by a expert, such as a theologian, rather than a lawyer.
   
   Bell shows through his example and the examples of many others that one can choose ethics over advancement and never regret the choice. "Ethical Ambition" adds another log to the fire that the ethical path can prove to be a more effective and fulfilling route to success - even when the ethical way leads to loss rather than gain, and animosity rather than acclaim.



2. "Why do lawyers carry their certifications on their car dashboards? So they can park in handicapped spaces---it's proof of moral disability."
   Sounds like lawyer-slamming doesn't it? But that line was picked up from a legal website where such jokes are collected, either to say, "yes, we've heard them all" or perhaps as a form of dark humor designed to remind members of the bar that their principles are under constant scrutiny.
   
   Unfortunately, many of those designated to interpret the law, are the first and most proficient manipulators of it. As Lord Acton famously put it, "Power tends to corrupt." And it does not require a despot to accomplish this, only a well-trained intellect seduced by scheme or greed. We want---no, demand---that attorneys, doctors, clergymen, and scientists be above all those rather pedestrian pursuits involving materialism, i.e. to function beyond the pale of human shortcoming.
   
   We elevate them to temporary deityhood only to discover that they are, like ourselves, somewhat special but ultimately flawed. Even Olympus was populated by a motley lot.
   
   In "Ethical Ambition" respected legal scholar and civil rights activist Derrick Bell attempts to identify for members of his profession, as well as for the rest of us, what is involved in personal and professional ethics. This is no easy task because a) ethics can be a good deal like art, highly subjective, and b) it is an intangible force similar to gravity. The definitions turn into descriptions of what it is not.
   
   Professor Bell constructs his argument by breaking the matter down into six manageable portions. In Part 1 he examines whether the passion for both integrity and success can coexist within the individual. In Part 2 he discusses courage, "... a daily decision to wake up and try to do the right thing, no matter how big the reward or how great the fear." Such choices must, he warns, be tempered with the ability to evaluate the risks involved against what may, or may not be accomplished. Confrontation for its own thrill is ludicrous.
   
   In a society strangled by consumerism, me-ism and torqued definitions of personal achievement, it is comforting to learn (Chapter 3) that we do not have to depend totally on traditional religion to nudge us down the ethical highway; that, indeed, ethics is a measure of both a true, highly evolved individual, as well as, the civilization from which he/she springs. Morality may be at least a little "easier" for those like Bell who are proud, professed Christians. But, as he notes there are "many ethical people who want nothing to do with organized religion, but (who) view life as a gift with an obligation to uplift the lives of those around them . . ." Certainly, this provides us with a broader base from which altruism can spring.
   
   In the fourth section, Dr. Bell takes on the dynamics of personal relationship. "Just as the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, shared intimacy demands constant effort." And, "it is no exaggeration to say that an intimate committed relationship is the crucible of ethical action . . . " Even when money is not the foremost goal in one's life, there remains the need for balance because there is a point where virtue can become just as overpowering and obsessive as the search for success.
   
   Part 5 focuses on the kind of people who can inspire future generations, even when it costs them everything for which they have worked. His personal favorites run the gamut from the famous (Martin Luther King, Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois and the poignant Paul Robeson) to the lesser known, Dr. Jeffrey Wingard, the former tobacco executive whose testimony undermined the industry's claim that smoking did not cause fatal illnesses, and University of Tennessee Professor Linda Bensel-Myers, who has incurred threats from ribald sports fans for exposing a college system that permits good athletes who are bad scholars to coast through exams and courses.
   
   Lastly, the author deals with what may be the most difficult virtue of all: humility. Learning to accept that even the purest of intentions may not bestow the innate ability to make appropriate choices in every instance, can take the better part of a lifetime.
   
   Do not expect this to be an "entertaining" book---at least not in the way we regard novels or movies as entertainment. Neither is it light reading to be done with only 50% attention. It requires focus and mindfulness to derive its intended message and perhaps, effect a shift in personal perspective.
   
   That is not to suggest that it is dry, statistical reading. Bell sprinkles it with delightful anecdotes from his own experiences and from the lives of well-known friends---Bill Cosby, Thurgood Marshall, Alice Walker and the like.
   
   He also provides a simple, carry-it-with-you-at-all-times definition of ethics: the choosing of "right" over "easy." Following through will be the demanding part.



3. I read this for a graduate class and so far it is the best book we have read. The author writes in an entertaining way and also has many important messages.



4. Professor Bell shares with us deep personal insight into how people struggle to reconcile their ambition with their ethics. He relates his triumphs, and his failures. Most importantly, he teaches us how to think about how much more we will enjoy our life if we put our ethics first, and then shape our ambitions around those ethics. As a young attorney only 6 years out of law school, I appreciated the life time of wisdom in this book -- it was just what I needed. Highly recommended, but an excellent gift for a law student or young attorney.



5. i read this book feeling jaded about social justice. i finished the book feeling that many of the frustrations i had were put into words by prof. bell, which was very heartening.
   what i appreciate about this book is that it does't make social justice work glamorous and glitzy, getting at the real and often serious sacrifices that people have to make. his decisions were not easy, yet amazingly, good things sometimes happen to good people.
   while definitely he is a man who has sacrificed much to the struggle, there were points in the book where i felt the limitations of his standpoint (as a male and as an academic elite) came through. still, i am glad that messages like this exist, as they help people who are also struggling to deal with privilege and systemic change.
   i think the key to getting the most out of this book, however, is not to take it as a prescription, but more as thoughts to meditate on as one makes decisions about one's career/life and what "success" really means. some interesting things to think about, especially as a person from a younger generation are: how do we as younger people try to create change after the era of protests, sit-ins, etc. when inequalities are a lot more subtle and more embedded? we can contrast our experiences with prof. bell's, remembering still that we all have to find our own paths.
   this book also tackles the issue of faith, which i also appreciated, because so much of the Left today automatically eschews religion, thinking it's a tool of the conservative Right. however, this book therefore might not be for everyone.

3 comments about Thelonious Monk: His Life and Music.

1. This is a very well written concise biography of Monk that is comprehensive enough to foster an understanding of his influences and the music and cultural scene in which he emerged. It is thoroughly researched and doesn't bog down in trivial detail the way many iconographic bios do. About one third of the book consists of a comprhensive discography which is notable for it's objectivity in reviewing all of Monk's recordings. This would be very helpful to anyone looking to begin or expand their Monk collection. The musicians that played with Monk in various sessions are all covered and the circumstances surrounding most of the recordings are adequately described.
   All in all I think this is a wonderful reference for the jazz lover and a good overview of the life and work of one of the all-time great jazz musicians.



2. Only about a third of this volume is alloted for Monk's life--which is not bad; the rest is about the various recordings he made.

   You get enough to wet your appetite. Makes you want to look for something more indepth, etc. Worth buying, though, as it is written by a genuine fan of Monk and the whole jazz scene. I don't regret getting it.




3. This book is really good...especially if you own or plan to collect Monks music.The first part gives a brief(100 pages)bio(more expanded in gourse's "straight no chaser")a decent overveiw.The second part explains more or less "the Monk sound"his style in understandable terms(terms are also explained.) The third part is the best...monk on disk(and vinyl) and all sessions and personnel(all confirmed) in chronological order.Very excellent if you are obsessed like i am about this kind of stuff. It covers all this extremely well with much commentary.In depth even. If you got Monk on record this is a great reference.The focus on the music is its strong point.

5 comments about Best Intentions: The Education and Killing of Edmund Perry.

1. Your readers must have read a different book and may have confused the facts. Det. Van Houten was not "off duty" at the time of this incident and he was not a witness to a crime in progress, but was the victim of a attempted robbery by the Perry brothers. Det. Van Houten did not kill Edmund Perry. Edmund Perry killed himself when he went out looking for a victim,and unfortunately for him, chose the wrong one. You can take the kid out of the "hood" but you cant take the "hood" out of the kid. Perry chose the wrong path and he paid for it with his life.



2. Edmund Perry, a seventeen year old student at Exeter Academy, was shot unfairly by a police officer. This officer thought that Eddie was mugging a woman so he immediatly shot him. Eddie lived in Harlem, but attended school in New Hampshire at Exeter Academy. He was living two completely differnt lives, black ghetto with his family friends and a prestigious bording school with his teachers and friends. It was very unlikely for a black boy to go to a prep school at this time, but Edmund was a very smart boy. He attended Harlem primary school then had four years of private school and soon would be going to Stanford University in the fall. This couldn't happen for him. How could someone who worked so hard in life and got far, have their life cut off so short? How is this fair? Robert Sam Anson, the author of "Best Intentions" did a fabulous job getting the facts from Edmund's family and friends, because this is a true story.



3. This was just a really really good book



4. Great things were expected of young Edmund Evans Perry, a gifted black teenager raised in Harlem and schooled at Philips Exeter Academy, one of the nation's most prestigious preparatory schools. At seventeen, he had already received four years of top-notch schooling, explored the world (Perry spent a year in Spain), and was accepted to Stanford University, where he planned to go for college starting in the fall of 1985. However, that summer Perry was dead, shot by a policeman on the streets of New York City, allegedly while involved in a mugging. What went wrong? The author spends most of the book trying to answer that question (we learn the basic story in the first couple chapters), and he does a remarkable job of doing just that. Robert Sam Anson interviewed the people who knew Perry, the people who made him what he was, both in Harlem and at Exeter, and over the course of the book, we learn just what happened to Edmund Perry. What you learn may surprise you, and it is sure to inspire many questions in all who happen upon its pages.



5. Best Intentions by Robert Sam Anson is an engaging and sensitive invistigation into why Edmund Perry, a black Exeter student who received a scholarship to Stanford, died in a dubious encounter with a police man. Anson traces Perry's stories from his years attending primary school in Harlem to his unsteady times at Exeter, a high class boarding school. Anson then crafts the Perry's story into a comprehensive and clear examination of race and education in America and the challenges that face black students. For those interested in education, race, or sociology, I would recommend this piece. It certainly isn't a cover-to-cover read, but it stimulates quite well.

No comments about The Reconstruction Justice of Salmon P. Chase: In Re Turner and Texas v. White.

2 comments about Autobiography of W.E.B. Dubois: A Soliloquy on Viewing My Life from the Last Decade of Its First Century.

1. I really wanted to like this book...I really did. And it's not really that bad. DuBois grants us a very revealing look at his young life, along with his education and intellectual development. His early observations and analysis of life are insightful and thought provoking. Still his writing lacks pace and fails to flow in any way other than tediously. Despite being regarded by many as one of the great men of the 20th century, his memoirs grant little to convey that greatness and leaves the reader unfulfilled at truly grasping his many accomplishments. However, DuBois' revelations regarding the N.A.A.C.P. are very interesting, and one of the better parts of the book. If you have plenty of time to spare (it's over 400 pages long) you may attain more from it than this reviewer did.



2. This book should be read by everyone who is interested in civil rights. Dubois was the pioneer of the civil rights movement and anything he had to say deserves to be read. This book is just as important as the Autobiographies of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. After reading this book I realized what bravery was all about. Dubois didn't have the luxury of a "movement" behind him, he stood alone. He spoke his mind to whomever he felt was hindering the progress of blacks in America. Not only did he stand alone and speak his mind but he did it in a time when a black man would be lynched simply for looking at a white person the wrong way. This book is written with the same poetic style as most of his other work and continues the story of his battle against oppression where "Souls of Black Folk", and "Darkwater" leave off. You will definately benefit by taking the time to read the almost century long journey of one of the greatest thinkers and writers the world has ever seen.