3 comments about Where the Ox Does Not Plow: A Mexican American Ballad.

1. This is the story of a boy and man who, against more odds than most of us will ever know, took charge of the life he would live. His father, already resigned to the year-in-year-out uncertainty and toil of the Texas cotton fields, once questioned his son's nascent thoughts of abandoning the fieldwork he knew for the uncertainty of education, music, and other such dreams. The father, intending to convince rather than ask, put a rhetorical question to his son, "Where can the ox go that he won't have to plow?" Manuel Peña knew what his father was saying but chose instead to take his father's question as a challenge, to take the tejano road less traveled ... and that made all the difference.
   In Where the Ox does not Plow, Peña recounts in compelling detail how he found his way to live and work in a world absent oxen, plows, and the oppressive yoke of poverty and fieldwork. Peña's style is detailed yet fluid. The reader often wonder's how he recalls so much, but it becomes clear that every event in this varied life is so full of such emotion and at-the-moment introspection that the writer could not help but have near perfect recall. And what is more, Peña's story is clearly iconic of this generation of tejanos everywhere; I know this because I continuously thought of life vignettes recounted other tejano friends of mine the whole time I was reading.
   Peña takes various literary tacks to keep his reader with him on his page-to-page journey. He deftly presents a yet-to-be-resolved global narrative, then switches gears to focus on a detail or two, finally getting back to settle the whole series of events for himself and for us. He makes occasional use of italics to let the reader know he is stepping away into some kind of mental activity like reminiscing, evaluating, disclosing, acknowledging, or just thinking in the present. He sometimes uses a realistic mix of Spanish and English, always with well crafted translations. And the book is divided into short chapters that are independent but at the same time chained in the sequential life story presented by the author. All these techniques help Peña make this more than an autobiography, i.e., what he himself calls an auto-ethnography.
   What most struck me in Peña's narrative was the ultra-high level of self-disclosure present throughout the book. It would be way too much honesty and directness for me to attempt if I were to try creating such a work, but Peña makes it work as an integral part of the auto-ethnography genre. In fact, it's what makes it more than just the story of one life. For example, after the extreme tension Peña unmercifully creates for his reader (and at one time for himself) in a discussion related to his marriage, he inserts in the last three lines of the book the most precipitous denouement I have ever experienced in a work of literature, saying of his wife: "Suppressing a choke and putting on my 'leather face,' as we would say in Spanish, I approached, took her hand in mine, and accompanied María into eternity." Real life is so not-romantic, but this is romance!
   My tests for a good book are simple: do I think about it between readings, and am I anxious to get back to it? Where the Ox does not Plow is off the chart in both respects. I guarantee that you will start to think more about yourself and your life because of what you learn about where the ox does and does not plow.



2. Where the Ox Does not Plow is a riveting tale of a young boy born to a Mexican family in Texas. He works the fields in the brutal sun and from there ends up becoming a prominent scholar and professor. The path of this boy is incredible, exciting, enlightening, painful and even more poignant because it is the true story of author Manuel Pena. Being relatively new to California, I learned a ton about the backs that have worked the fields here, and produced my food. I also have a newfound appreciation for migrants and Mexican culture. This is a must-read story of the cultural assimilation, cultural mixing, human experience, love and place. I highly recommend it!



3. Where the Ox Does Not Plow: A Mexican American Ballad is an autobiographical ethnography, collecting twenty-six episodes of award-winning author Manuel Pena's life journey from penniless migrant worker to successful academic and anthropologist. Pena reflects on problems and issues connected to the marginalized state of Mexicans and other Latinos in the United States. Vignettes of conflict between ethnicities, the difficulty of integrating into American society, family closeness, love, shock, and survival, Where the Ox Does Not Plow is a resoundingly authentic account of a rich and varied life, illustrated with a dozen black-and-white photographs.

4 comments about The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Second Edition.

1. I was perusing through my bookshelf today, and stumbled across a very old edition of this book, "The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr."
   Well I'd always noticed it here and there - but today I actually read it.
   
   It's fantastic. It's something else. He was a genius before his time - yet he managed to stand up, at the right time.
   
   Each excerpt makes you think. Very deep and moving.
   
   Powerful. I highly recommend this book.



2. This book is a small compilation of quotes from Dr. King's writings and speeches. It's never a bad idea to honor the civil rights leaders and martyrs by reading literature that would again remind us of their struggle.
   Through his words we will be reminded of how far we have come:
   "I can foresee the Negro vote becoming consistently the decisive vote in national elections." - chapter on Justice and Freedom
   Through his words we will be reminded of how far we haven't come:
   "...wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows." - chapter on Peace
   
   In one sitting, you could read this book in its entirety. As benefactors of his sacrifice, we should spare a few moments of our time to reflect on Dr. King and his enduring legacy.



3. When looking for some words of tribute to use at a church function, I recalled the copy of the book sitting amongst others in my home library. No better orator could have been selected than the revered civil rights leader. My presentation went off without and hitch and for that, I thank Dr. King.
   
   This collection is divided into ten sections, with notable commentary by Dr. King:
   
   1. The Community of Man
   2. Racism
   3. Civil Rights
   4. Justice and Freedom
   5. Faith and Religion
   6. Nonviolence
   7. Peace
   8. "I've Been to the Mountain Top" (excerpt)
   9. "I Have a Dream" (excerpt)
   10. Proclamation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by then-President Ronald Reagan
   
   The book begins with a foreward by King's widow, Coretta, and ends with a chronology and sources of the works printed.



4. After having read quite abit by and About King over the years, I would recommend this book to anyone, whether they were new to King's philosophies and ideas or a veteran of the movement he helped to create within this country and the world.

5 comments about Boogie Man: The Adventures of John Lee Hooker in the American Twentieth Century.

1. I found this book to be insightful and well produced from beginning to end. I found the anecdotal material from family, friends, and peers to be very entertaining and useful. The portrait that is portrayed of John Lee Hooker is
   personal and with admiration. There were key elements which led to a better understanding of the artist and his development.
   
   I was talking to someone at a blues festival whom confided that their favorite John Lee Hooker song was The Healer. This is pretty typical. It's the collective social memory that remembers the latest thing you've done, not the most significant and not the first. This book is chock full of important details in this artist's career and life. From his humble beginnings in Mississippi to Memphis to Ohio to Detroit and eventually to San Francisco.
   
   To ignore the mention of the author over the subject would be a gross oversight. Charles Shaar Murray is a gifted and insightful author. He makes this encyclopedic biopic a fast entertaining read. Murray's talent isn't in the gathering of information, anyone can do that, rather, it's his insightful and respectful
   portrait painting with words.



2. I am a fan of John Lee Hooker and his music. I will always remember seeing him in a live concert in San Diego. This small, slightly built man had a voice as deep as the ocean and a distinctive guitar style that was instantly recognizable. So, I eagerly picked up his biography, anticipating a great read. Although there is extensive biographical info presented here, there's too much jive to make it work. The author's style is distracting and in places it seriously derails the story. And I'm left with the overall impression that far too much of the book is filler, not solid story. And that's a shame. Hooker's story and life were compelling enough that no fluff is needed.



3. I have to confess I nearly put the book down for good after the first 50 or so pages. It read like a sociology paper! Boring. But once the writer started into Hookers life it picked up and became quite enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the interviews with friends and family. It did give me an insight into his life. And having met him years ago in a club, I can agree that he was an incredibly sociable and friendly man. Totally unique. There will never be another just like him.



4. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you are looking for a sleeping aid. The few parts that are about John Lee Hooker are good, but there is just too much bull that has little to do with the subject. Too wordy and too hard a read.



5. When someone does that other book, I trust their research will be more thorough. Murray goes on for a long paragraph about Hooker's birth year. A quick simple search of the 1920 Census, available years before this book was published, showed John Lee was seven then. Murray doesn't even give 1913 among the 4 years he listed. For our few pages about Hooker in Dedicated Dads: Stepfathers of Famous People (available amazon.com), our author found some interesting anecdotes on a CD liner--Murray missed them, too. And I agree that Murray went on and on and injected himself too much.

5 comments about Last Man Standing: The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt.

1. I wanted to know the real scoop for years on the Geronimo Pratt case. Although I'm not yet finished reading the book, it is very obvious that Mt. Pratt got screwed, like so many others caught up in the "good old USA" system. Obviously this one is a case of racial prejudice, but it could have just as easily been some other kind of prejudice. It is clear that the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" is just a nice theory that should be strictly adhered to but rarely is. The presumed guilt is clear from the get go on the part of the police. It continues on to the top with lies and deception on the part of the police to get a conviction at any cost, especially with regard to the truth. It's frightening and a relief to know it's not me. But next time it could be me, or anyone who gets targeted by individuals in a position of power, who have no integrity, and don't give a hoot about the constitution of the US.



2. This is certainly one of the best books I've ever read. Jack Olsen did an outstanding job of weaving together all the facts in a highly readable narrative of one of the most blatant chapters of injustice in 20th century legal history.
   
   I already had considerable knowledge of the case before I read this book. In the early 1990s, the case was being publicized again. I was a reporter for Wave Newspapers in Los Angeles and journeyed with a co-worker to the state prison at Tehachapi where Pratt was then being held and we interviewed him. I then wrote several stories about his situation.
   
   Pratt was imprisoned for 27 years for a crime he clearly did not commit. The prosecution was part of the FBI's notorious COINTELPRO operation-essentially a war against numerous dissenting groups in the 1960s including the Black Panther Party. As Olsen makes clear, in Pratt's case this also involved LAPD and the L.A. County District Attorney's office.
   
   Pratt was convicted of the December 1968 Santa Monica tennis-court murder of school teacher Caroline Olsen. There was considerable doubt about the credibility of key-witness Julius Butler, who had a previous falling out with Pratt, and was later proven to be an informant. (When I was a reporter, I actually contacted Butler. He yelled that he was "tired of this" and hung up on me.) Plus, numerous other Panthers could have confirmed he was at a meeting in Oakland the day of the murder but most wouldn't testify because of a severe split in the ranks.
   
   Appeal after appeal was turned down despite more and more evidence being discovered pointing to Pratt's innocence. In all probability the crime was committed by two low-level Panther members to obtain money for drugs.
   
   That ties in with the only complaint I would make about Olsen's book. He really glossed over the fact that the FBI and police campaign against the Panthers (which I am not defending) was not just because of their militant political rhetoric. They had a lot of criminal types within the group.
   
   Regardless, this is an extraordinary book about another era and the governmental abuses of that time. Johnnie Cochran redeemed himself in my eyes by getting Pratt released. That was after he was involved in a travesty of justice, himself, by getting O.J. Simpson off. But that's another story.



3. The courage and essential goodness of Geronimo Pratt, in spite of receiving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit, is truly inspiring. This is a wonderful book.



4. Geronimo Pratt had one of the most honorable and incredible lives I have ever heard of. This book documents his entire life, from is Morgan City childhood to his unjust incarceration for the murder of Caroline Olsen. I literally had trouble putting this book down. It is a great read for anyone interested in the judicial system, the FBI's COINTELPRO, the Black Panther Party, and racism in general. READ THIS BOOK!!!



5. This book should be mandatory reading for every black person when they turn 15 years old. To read what the gov't put this man through was utterly shocking. After you read this book read "The Judas Factor - The Plot to Kill Malcolm X." You'll be numb after reading these two books back to back.

No comments about Federico Villalba's Texas: A Mexican Pioneer's Life in the Big Bend.

5 comments about Why Black People Tend to Shout: Cold Facts and Wry Views from a Black Man's World.

1. As a white female teacher in a mostly black area, I often discover that the students are the worst stereotypers of each other. They call intelligent well-spoken kids "whitey," and often try not to see that there is value in education and knowledge. Ralph Wiley shows intellect, a gift of satire, and gets into their heads to vocalize what many feel but can't say. I teach his essays in English and encourage my students to use them in dramatic reading competitions, "freaking out" the middle class kids who also attend. My students and I admire his honesty, wit and in-your-face attitude. He not only "calls out" whites, but blacks who hold themselves down and who hold down others as well. As they remind me, he "keeps it real!"



2. Understandably defensive about his unfocused and rambling writing style, the late Ralph Wiley used his limited talents to lower the standard of discourse on race relations in America. Wiley's various conspiracy theories, which comprise the bulk of "Why Black People Tend To Shout," don't withstand scrutiny, and they offer no solutions. His book has value only as a sociological example of one African American male's mindset in the late 20th century. The most accurate review comes from a paraphrasing of Wiley's own words: "A very unoriginal human being, this [Ralph Wiley]. Poisoned by the deciders in his youth, he learned his hate, and also learned how to pass off his own inadequacies on other people. If he didn't get something, it was somebody else's fault, not his. [Ralph Wiley] didn't leave such thinking behind in the seventh grade, like most everybody else. He had hit upon a business."



3. I enjoyed this collection -- it was thought-provoking. I like Wiley's work a lot, and getting his take on topics unrelated to sports was a change. He's not compelled to find an answer for every problem, and he doesn't try to be fair to everyone all the time. Someone called Ralph Wiley "an authentic voice," and this collection justifies the description.



4. Ralph Wiley is a genius! This book had me laughing and inspired all at the same time. I wrote to Mr. Wiley and congratulated him on his straight talk. He responded to me in good time. I was even more impressed. His passing caught me by surprise. I purchased his second book, What Black People Should Do Now. It was also good.



5. As ordered. Prompt shipping

5 comments about From the Mississippi Delta: A Memoir.

1. Great! Book was received in perfect condition and in a timely manner. Thanks you!



2. Harrowing, at times bleak, but a superbly written memoir of a very special lady and the historical times she helped create.



3. Endesha's story, rich in its southern dialect is a remarkable story of triumph, and a testimony that affirms regardless of our past, our pain, our short-comings that within each of us is a tiny seed waiting to blossom. Her ability to surmount the many obstacles growing up in the Mississippi Delta (a black girl) in the 60's serves as a beacon of light for African Americans who are today experiencing the pitfalls of poverty and injustice. Endesha has shown us how a committed spirit can burst forward to claim all that the Almighty has in store for us. Dr. Lady, thank you for pioneering the way. Keep writing!



4. 'Inspirational' has become one of those watered-down adjectives like 'brilliant'. Though we know certain words might signal something monumental, perhaps our frequent usage of them has lost some of the grandeur in their meaning. We no longer arch our backs or allow a goose bump to rise. Behold, along comes a work like From the Mississippi Delta: A Memoir. Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland turns the term, 'inspirational' on its ear. What is most remarkable about 'Delta'? Is it the phenomenal story itself or is it Holland's gift for unrelenting and witty story-telling? Holland never abandons humor even at the crux of tragedy. Her pen is as brazen as it is impeccably descriptive. She writes with an immediacy to jar the reader's sense of time so that we relive her most defining moments with bated breath. From Emmett Till's death to Dr. Martin Luther King's visit, Holland's simplest daily encounters mark turning points in American history.

   Notably, 'Delta' celebrates the tenacious spirit of a true woman-child. Holland narrates from a clever perspective that never quite chooses between the wise narrator looking back and the rambunctious girl reaching forward. This devise is poignant. Arguably, young girls (in particular, young, black girls) are some of society's most disenfranchised members. When Holland employs that voice, the reader is humbled. One is reminded of Anne Frank's influence. When the worst aspects of humanity are articulated through the voice of a little girl, we see ourselves so clearly--vulnerable, restless, but especially hopeful. Thank you, Doc. Your struggle is instructional. Your literary prowess is an inspiration.




5. Aside from being a celebration of the human spirit, Ms. Holland's Memoir offers a fresh, interesting, and unique glimpse into the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. This focus alone, I believe, renders the book meritorious.

   Ms. Holland tells the civil rights story from the perspective of individuals born and raised in the muck and mire of Mississippi's lethal brand of white supremacy and racial hatred. Through her eyes, we get a close-up view of what had to be overcome; and, what was required of ordinary folk brave enough to get involved in a situation that could and DID, literally, cost them their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

   These unsung heroes deserve national attention and recognition if the story of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America is to be told in its entirety. But, if this isn't reason enough to add Ms. Holland's book to your 'must read' list, I believe the author's superior craftsmanship will certainly convince you her work is worthy of the acclaim she is sure to receive once her book gains a wider readership. And, above all, the Memoir is a magnificent read!

   Usually, I find it awkward and sometimes unnerving to read books written in a black, southern, vernacular. However, as in the case of Zora Neale Hurston, Endesha Ida Mae Holland writes with such a pure and authentic voice, I found myself falling effortlessly into her rhythm.

   I'm a voracious reader and the authors I most enjoy are great storytellers. My current favorite is Barbara Kingsolver, and my all time favorite is Zora Neale Hurston. Endesha Ida Mae Holland 'puts me in the mind of' both these writers.

   She also reminds me of Frank McCourt (Angela's Ashes & 'Tis). Like McCourt, Ms. Holland transports you back to her childhood and growing up years with such seamless ease, you find yourself sharing her heartbeat through every single experience she lives to tell about. Almost immediately, I found myself caring deeply about her; I grew to love her mother, her child, her neighbors, her friends; and, I found no strangers among those who populate her world.

   What an exquisite gift of storytelling she has! I certainly hope she plans to write more 'from the Mississippi Delta,' because her talent is as rich and fertile as her source.

   Obviously, I've become a devoted fan of Ms. Holland and her work ~ a designation I'm hoping you and I will soon share. Who knows, your reading experience with Ms. Holland may inspire you to join me in asking Oprah Winfrey to feature the author and her book on the Oprah Show, as well as making 'From The Mississippi Delta,' an Oprah Book Club selection.

   I was moved to make this appeal to Ms. Winfrey because I believe we all benefit from an increased national and international exposure to brave and talented women like Ms.Holland. These women are profoundly inspirational and deserving of our applause and recognition.

5 comments about Sweet Promised Land: 50Th Aniversary Edition (Basque).

1. One of the most poetic and moving stories I've ever read. Great portrayal of characters and of a people and life style probably gone forever.



2. "This was the way it was with him. In this first moment of homecoming, all the years in between meant nothing. The day he had left, he was a young man and his sisters were young and his brothers alive, and this was the next day, and he and his sisters were old, and all his brothers were dead, and the forty-seven years in between had not happened. He had left home one day, yesterday, and come home today, and the change was too much for him to bear."
   
   This was a moving story of a Nevada sheepherder returning to his home in the Pyrenees of France after 47 years.
   
   Easy to read and full of descriptive prose, Robert Laxalt combines in this story the poetry of place with the passion of lost family and friends.



3. This book, the story of a Basque immigrant seen through the eyes of his journalist and politician sons, would have been compelling reading when it was first penned in 1957.
   
   What makes it even more interesting fifty-five years later is the combination of the universal (the immigrant experience) with specific, the Basque sheepherder who came to Nevada in the early twentieth century and returned to his homeland for a visit mid-century. The world described here, at least in Nevada and I suspect, the Basque part of France, is rapidly fading.
   
   A luminous tribute to a father.



4. This is an absolutely outstanding book about the true story of an immigrant. It conveys the various emotions and experiences of one who left his native country for a new land. Anyone who's a first-generation immigrant or knows a family member that was will be especially able to relate with the people profiled in this book.

   As a aside, this book reminds me somewhat of the underlying theme in many of William Saroyan's books, namely his struggle with his dual identity - "am I an American or an Armenian".




5. Wonderful look at a Basque sheepherder's life in Nevada and his return to the family homeland after nearly 50 years away. Laxalt doesn't pile on the sentiment but makes this a clear-eyed, sharp look at a life that is unimaginable today, and sadly so.

5 comments about Broken Alliance: The Turbulent Times Between Blacks and Jews in America.

1. Kaufman's basic assumption is that the alliance between African-Americans and Jews was never as smooth as history makes it out to be. By exhaustively researching that alliance and presenting it through the points of view of six prominent leaders of the Civil Rights movement, Kaufman provides a unique overview of the racial issues of the previous century, but it is not without flaws. First, like many liberals, Kaufman is too broad-minded to take his own side in an argument. Thus, he goes into great detail in explaining away Black antisemitism, but never seems to realize that there is no Jewish equivalent. Black outrage over the lack of Jewish support for affirmative action is constantly brought up throughout the book, but the use of quotas to restrict Jewish admissions to Ivy League schools is mentioned only twice, creating the impression that Jews were opposed to affirmative action out of a desire to avoid competition, rather than out of fear of being shut out (again) of the professions. He routinely glosses over the records of many of the militant Black leaders who took over after Dr. King's assassination, making them seem simply outspoken or radical, rather than thuggish or criminal, as in the case of the Black Panthers, for example. Anti-semitic acts are routinely explained away as having been taken out of context (his history of the Oceanhill-Brownsville controversy provides a context for the reading of a virulently anti-semitic poem on WBAI that all-but excuses it). His coverage of the Crown Heights riots (in the updated version of the book) avoids mentioning critical facts about the murder of Yankel Rosenbaum and subsequent acquittal of Lemrick Nelson which cast the Black community in a poor light (the jury actually partied with Nelson after the acquittal). The final chapter of the book is a discussion of the importance of the alliance, but it is written on the presumption that political conservatives dislike both Blacks and Jews and are relishing the fight, which is stated explicitly, and which diminishes the value of the book as a historical record. In the end, it's simply an attempt to get Jews to keep giving money to Democrats and Blacks to continue to vote for them so that they can defeat those evil conservatives. Given the rise of anti-semitism since 9/11, the history in this book is even more critical to understanding the schisms in American culture, but Kaufman's bias reduces its value, taking what could have been the definitive history of a critical alliance in the Civil Right movement and reducing it to a partisan appeal.



2. This book takes a good look at some social problems in America. It was written in 1988, but I have the updated edition from 1995.
   
   Blacks and Jews are minorities that cooperated during the civil rights struggles of the early 1960s. And there is still some cooperation on that issue, as various states continue to discriminate against minority voters.
   
   We see some of the cooperation and also some of the problems as this book as the experiences of six different people are examined in detail.
   
   Paul Parks, a Black who joined the civil rights movement in the 1960s, in chosen as an example of one who valued a Black-Jewish alliance. In April 1945, he was one of the soldiers who liberated the concentration camp at Dachau. But in 1967, he noted that there were complaints by some Blacks about Jewish landlords in the ghettos. Parks wanted to distinguish between the slumlords and those Whites who were actively helping the Blacks, given that without White support, Black causes would be hurt. But we see how many of the more politically involved Blacks thought of the Jews not as another minority but as part of the White majority.
   
   Next, we see Jack Greenberg and Esther Brown, who filed a landmark suit against segregated schools (Brown versus the Board of Education). These were Jews who saw the issue "not as a Negro cause but as a human cause." Still, there were problems when some Blacks decided to boycott a class that Greenberg taught at Harvard on "Race and the Law" to protest the fact that the instructor was not Black.
   
   After that, there is the story of Rhody McCoy, a Black who became the head of the Ocean Hills-Brownsville school district in New York City. Right away, there was a problem with a teacher strike. McCoy kept the schools open by hiring sustitute teachers, but this soured relations with the strikers. The issue became bigger, bitter, and painful, and certainly reduced cooperation among Blacks and Jews in the city.
   
   The story Kaufman tells next is of Roz Ebstein and her family. Hers was just one of many Jewish families in Chicago that supported the civil rights movement in the 1960s. But we discover the effects of blockbusting, as her neighborhood, rather than becoming integrated, simply became almost exclusively Black. Eventually, she and her family felt forced to move to a new neighborhood, a few miles away, in order to be in a better school district and to avoid harrassment from Blacks.
   
   There is an excellent section about Martin Peretz, who became the editor of The New Republic in 1974. Right away, we see one effect of Black-Jewish cooperation, namely that some Jews who learned more about Black culture and history decided they might as well learn about Jewish culture and history as well. Peretz, a liberal, couldn't stand Begin, a conservative Israeli Prime Minister. But Peretz made a point of supporting Israel's right to exist in the New Republic. Peretz, a stong supporter of civil rights, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the civil rights movement. But a turning point came in 1967, with the National Convention on New Politics. This group became dominated by radicals who tended to ignore problems of poverty, oppression, the war in Vietnam, racism, and discrimination and instead attacked Zionism. Peretz was more cautious about which groups he supported after that.
   
   The final chapter is about Donna Brazile, a well-known political campaign chairwoman. We see her introduction to issues that were separating Blacks and Jews: Jewish landlords, failure of some Jews to support affirmative action, and failure of some Blacks to support Israel. Plus, some specific problems, such as the firing of Andrew Young as UN ambassador and Black Presidential candidate Jesse Jackson meeting with terrorist leader Yasser Arafat. Through all this, Brazile kept her focus on trying to get as diverse and inclusive group of supporters as possible in her campaigns.
   
   I was struck by the mention of Alice Walker, who wrote "The Color Purple." Walker is well-known as a sensitive and thoughtful person. The book tells that when asked about Farrakhan, she condemned him as a bigot and an antisemite. But the book also tells of Walker's attitude about Israel, and this shocked me. I'm not asking that she favor some minority, whether it be Blacks, Jews, Pagans, or anyone else. But I am asking someone with her credentials to support human rights against aggressive and lying tyrants, thugs, and bullies. I feel that Walker should have found some way to oppose antizionism very strongly, and I certainly condemn her for not doing so.
   
   I think the issue of cooperation among minorities is important. There is a tendency for minorities, often in an effort to win favor with the majority, to show hostility to other minorities. That is not the true path.
   
   I recommend this book.



3. I highly recommend this book - particularly the section on "the last Jewish liberals" who tried to make integration, civil rights work for their family in a changing South Side Chicago neighborhood.

   It didn't work, they eventually fled the lowrer class, Black takeover and moved to the suburbs, only they stayed longer than the other Whites.

   The book works well because the author writes very personal stories that present the truth about what happened.




4. Both Jews and blacks have suffered greatly in various parts of the world. In the United States, there has been somewhat of alliance between the two groups. Brokedn Alliances deals with this alliance, like the NAACP having many Jewish lawyers and how Jews and Blacks came toghether for the civil rights movement. It also deals with how these groups have been losing contact due many factors like black anti-semitism and the importance of Israel to American Jews.

   Broken alliances is definetely something people should read if they want a better understanding of the history of race relations.




5. The Jews and African Americans share a history of suffering and bigotry unequaled in recent times. History suggests that they should be the closest of partners in dealing with these issues. However to read the news you would think that they were historical enemies. This has not always been true. The Alliance between Jews and African Americans was a powerful force for change over most of this century. Jonathan tells the story of that Alliance and how it fell apart.

   As a journalist Jonathan tells this unique story from the perspective of important individuals on both sides. He traces them and their changing perspectives through these significant historical changes. It is this personal perspective that makes Jonathan's stories so compelling.

5 comments about Truly Blessed.

1. This book is truly a blessing! Pendergrass gives the story of his life straight to you, no chaser. Not only did his bio clear up a lot of misconceptions (I always knew the brother wasn't gay!), but it gave much insight into what he learned growing up as the child of a single parent in Philly (what a blessing his mother was!); his struggles to gain respect as an artist; his love for his children and determination to give them what he didn't receive from his own father; and his phemonenal wife Karen (special woman indeed!).
   
   I especially appreciated his sharing his deeper feelings about the day-to-day struggle of being a paraplegic. I'm glad that he told about the times when he didn't feel like being 'brave' and 'noble' about his situation, the times when he felt depressed and even suicidal. He really broke it down about having to meticulously plan his day around his injury (and even those best-laid plans go awry!). People need to know the realities of paraplegics, not just the sugar-coated stories of moving on in spite of. It makes me so grateful to be able to get up in the morning and do the things we take for granted every day.
   
   I hope there will be a revision of this book sometime soon, for I am sure there is more to the story since its publication 10 years ago.



2. It gave me a better insight of this strong and determined man. From his home town of Philadelphia to the his ups and downs of living in one of the most richest and prestigous towns in southern California. I recommend the book to anyone who love autobiographies. (as told directly by the person and not someone else)



3. Ok lemme start that I didn't purchase it nor bought it nowhere at a bookstore or whatever. I just checked this out at a library and was pretty amazed about this story that Teddy P put out. It shows all the sides from the ups and down between the life and times of his career. I'm such a huge fan to his music and always will be. I just read a few parts of the book but didn't had time to read the rest. I may get it used off from Amazon or get it cheap at a used bookstore or so. Long story short, this is a book I must have if I wanna learn more from this man. For all you hardcore or diehard fans who are real to Teddy, must get this or else check it out at a local library. That's how I did it. Well congratulations to Teddy Pendergrass for putting out a a wonderful book and look forward for the 2nd memoir to come out. Y'know where he's heading to the new millenium now. Definitely a must.



4. ...just curious...maybe (hopefully) it's his wife's hand...what an INCREDIBLE woman she is...perhaps the most impressive person in his autobiography, aside from his mother. Just finished reading this book yesterday...after staring at the cover for a while (yeah...like it was gon MOVE or somethin'...or like he was gon actually BLINK!)...the cover alone can capture you --- especially if, like me, you are a true Teddy fan. I think I just recently evolved into one, however...it's like his music is f.g.f.o. (for grown folks only), and I just recently grew up...hey, what can I say? It took me til my thirties to really appreciate where this man is coming from.
   ...so of course I had to pick up the book...there was no me getting away from it, or it getting away from me. Admittedly, it's probably the best autobiography I've read in a while, written in straight forward language and sprinkled with humor. Some of what he shares is surprising, some of it not so surprising, but all of it is revealing, and I know it took a lot for him to share all that he did of himself, and I really appreciate that. I had just turned 13 the same month he had the car accident that left him a quadriplegic (sp?), and I remember well all the speculations and the news reports. Though I was young, I remember how much his accident really impacted me. I think in a way, reading this book, I grieved his loss all over again...(I was in such a sad mood all day yesterday...just couldn't seem to shake it)... after all, he is telling his own story here...no more speculations or rumors...just his words. I hurt that he --- or anyone --- would have to go through such a painful ordeal. As for anyone, my only hope and prayer is that he's grown through it, and has become, or is becoming, more of the person God wants him to be. I can only imagine, though, the limitations those who are physically challenged must face, and reading this book has given me a new appreciation for that, for which I'm thankful. I think there are so many things that we all take for granted day in and day out. Hopefully, we will open our eyes to see how Truly Blessed we all are, too...just as much as Teddy is.



5. ...I have been listening to Teddy Pendergrass since his days with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes (my father and I have copies of their 1975 LP "Wake Up Everybody" - he the LP, me the CD)and his earlier solo singles (among them, "Close the Door", "Only You" and "You Can't Hide from Yourself") are pure classics - just one example of the pure, raw, unadulterated soul music that was pumping out out of Gamble and Huff's PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL RECORDS headquartered in Philadelphia. When I heard about his near fatal car crash in early 1982 and the fact that he had no movement from the neck down, my heart sanked - will Teddy Pendergrass ever be able to share his rare amazing gift of singing again? Sad to say, his albums since then does not capture the rawness that his prior recordings did (the lone exception, his 1997 CD "You and I", my review of which you will see in AMAZON.COM's music section). Although his music was a treat to the ears for me, like so many of his fans, I had a lot of misconceptions of Teddy Pendergrass; to wit, his playboy life, lavish lifestyle and his children bore out of wedlock. However, I had the opportunity during Labor Day weekend in September, 1999 to visit The City of Brotherly Love and picked up this book. This book dispells all of the misconceptions and, in the process, shows the tender side of Teddy Pendergrass, the man and the human being - from his humble beginnings in North Philadelphia, his earlier, struggling days with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, his devotion to his mother, his wife, Karen, and, most remarkably, his three children to the car crash and his daily struggles as a quadraplegic. To my fellow Teddy Pendergrass fans: ignore the image, pick up this book and read it from cover to cover. You will NOT be disappointed.