3 comments about Sweetness: The Courage and Heart of Walter Payton.

1. Walter Payton was the model of what every player should be like, even in today's "me only" generation. Walter was a first class football player amd first class individual as well.

   He is what other players should strive to be like, Walter broke the mold and still stands as the premiere football player of all time. Walter can not and will never be replaced, he represented what all of us should be like no matter what color we are or where we came from or anything!

   A truly remarkable individual that went beyond being a great football player, Walter was a great person as well. If a person couldn't be inspired by what Walter Payton represented, they just couldn't be inspired with anything!

   I named my son after his son, and my family will never forget watching #34 on the field on Sunday's. Walter is my all time hero and inspiration, and always will be.




2. This is a terrific book, especially for parents who want to show their sports-mad kids a real role model. The photos are wonderful, and the text describes the whole man, not just the football player. And he was as good a man as he was player, and there wasn't ever a better player.

   Give this to a football-loving kid for Christmas, and try not to cry when you read it yourself.




3. "Sweetness: The Courage and Heart of Walter Payton" is a wonderful collection of quotes, stats, stories, and pictures illustrating the complete Payton. He was indeed one of the greatest running-backs of all time. What this book gives, that many don't, is a review of Walter's off-field perfomances. He was kind, caring, and loving to all. This book clearly shows that Walter was in all aspects.....a hero. This title is a must for all those who miss the headbands, the dives over the goal lines, the amazing runs, the jumping high fives, and a great man----SWEETNESS!

2 comments about Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families.

1. Robert Smalls (1839 - 1915) is a little known figure outside of South Carolina but he deserves to be known by everyone, especially by those who love great stories.
   
   I stumbled upon the story of Smalls's infamous escape as a slave during the American Civil War (May 1862) by accident. Several years later after thorough ongoing research has rewarded my diligence with finding this book by Billingsley.
   
   The author takes a sociological approach throughout making it for an interesting angle to consider the life and accomplishments of Smalls.
   
   There are several other fine books available about Robert Smalls - mostly out of print - so this edition is updated, accurate, fairly comprehensive and a rich source for understanding Smalls.
   
   Well-documented and carefully researched.



2. The book Yearning to Breathe Free is biographical novel which pertains to the life of Robert Smalls of South Carolina and his family. I enjoyed reading this book because it includes lots of factual information regarding to the over all purpose of Robert Smalls as being an influential person in history. I have read several other biographical novels about the lives of slaves, congressman and even statesmen. Those books failed to acknowledge evidence about the individuals life because they were mostly opinionated books about slavery and its importance. In Billingsley, Yearning to Breathe Free he includes numerators amounts of accounts of Smalls life which proves ideas stated about Smalls as being true and factual information. Additional to the factual information he includes a bibliography and index that reference all the sources required for him to right the biography on Robert Smalls of South Carolina. This will help readers like myself further my knowledge and understanding about Robert Smalls go don't be afraid to purchase it today on Amazon.

3 comments about McCone & Friends.

1. As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release, I hold Marcia Muller in the highest esteem. Her creation, Sharon McCone, revolutionized modern mystery fiction. McCone broke the old stereotypes. She became the first human private eye. She is also the oldest sister of all those women private eyes practicing today. MCCONE AND FRIENDS is a short story collection with an unusual twist. Ms. Muller provides unique perspectives on McCone by allowing her supporting charaters to tell some of the stories in this collection. Rae Kelleher, Mick Savage, Ted Smalley, and Hy Ripinsky all give their views of McCone. McCone, herself, tells three stories. MCCONE AND FRIENDS is a great book that any reader of mystery fiction should have in her collection.



2. I have a signed limited edition of this book and couldn't resist the urge to read it. If you are a fan of Marcia Muller, this is a must have book. The stories in this book are told by Sharon's friends, giving the reader an insight into her personality that you would not normally get. And lets face it, characters in a long running serious develop personalities of their own. This book gives you the opportunity to see Sharon from another perspective. The reader is given this rare opportunity in 8 stories that live up to Marcia Muller's excellent writing abilites. ENJOY!!



3. Sharon McCone is probably the best loved detective in the mystery genre. Readers have seen her career evolve from All Soul's Cooperative to her becoming an independent investigator with her own staff and career. She has got it all together but she didn't get there on her own.

   In this collection of short stories we see another side of Sharon through her office manager, lover, hacker nephew and co-investigator. They share with us their own thoughts about working with Sharon. They also move beyond talking about "the boss" and reveal something about themselves and how they go about solving a mystery with or without "the boss". Each one has their own distinctive voice that gives you a different perspective on how the team operates.

   Of course Sharon has her own story to tell. Sometimes she doesn't appreciate the "help" from an amateur sleuth such as her big brother but who can choose your relatives especially when they are "annoying" you about a case. You will be delighted in listening to these stories and sharing in the escapades of Sharon's loving team. A limited collection of short stories such as this is a great addition to your mystery library.

4 comments about In Search Of Buddy Bolden: First Man Of Jazz.

1. I'm astonished and heartened that this extraordinary book has been re-published. I would suppose that everyone who has heard Oliver, Armstrong, Bechet, Morton et al. has heard of Buddy Bolden, "the most powerful cornet player that ever was hoid, or ever was known" (Morton in his Library of Congress recordings). Unfortunately, he never was recorded, except, maybe, some say, for a paper disc, back around 1902 or 1905, right before they put him in the insane asylum. The big bang of jazz.
   What makes this book remarkable, though, aside from its subject, is how painstakingly the author has documented his search. And, I rush to add, entertainingly. I don't know of another book in which we hear every detail of archival and courthouse searching and enjoy every paragraph, as we do here. It all adds, in fact, to the fascination and pathos associated with this first figure of jazz music, and indeed with the passage of time and the loss of most things and most of us in it.



2. Donald M. Marquis not only brings us the real Buddy Bolden, the first "Jazzman", but also turn of the century New Orleans, a hotbed of musical innovation. Marquis' succesfully describes all the different cultural influences that all of the sudden converged into what we now call jazz. How New Orleans' multicultural make up made it possible for jazz to come of age, and finally how Buddy Bolden unknowingly began jazz, the first true american music. As a person living in New Orleans, and working just a few blocks from where Buddy Bolden was born and lived, it was specially refreshing to get acquainted with his story. I have been able to corroborate first hand with marquis' descriptions, as I frequently walk through First Street and in front of Buddy's home. This is a must read book for all those interested in early jazz.



3. When the first jazz writers in the late 1930s started asking older musicians about the origins of the music, the name "Buddy Bolden" kept comming up. Bolden was a New Orleans trumpeter and bandleader active in the 1890s and first decade of the 1900s who some contemporary and later musicians credit as having started jazz.

   Bolden became a figure of legend, with 4th hand stories about him being passed around, and his name has been used for fictional characters (most notably in writer Michael Ondaatje's well written but historically inaccurate novel "Coming Through Slaughter").

   Legends aside, Buddy Bolden was a real person. Writer and researcher Don Marquis find the real story of Bolden. This book is the result of long research, both in archives and interviewing and cross-checking accounts of surviving people who had know Bolden first hand. The book may be a bit dry in parts compared to a novel, but here you get the truth about Bolden, his life, his associates, and his music. Unlike his fictional counterpart, the real Bolden wasn't a barber and never heard the music he was helping form called "jazz" during his active life, but he did play an original loud and driving style of cornet that made New Orleans take notice, until he was hauled away to an insane asylum in 1907.

   If anyone wants to find out about Buddy Bolden, this is THE book.

   -- DCM "Froggy"




4. I'M TRYING TO LOCATE MY COUSIN BUDDY BOLDEN THE JAZZ MUSICIAN, THE BLUE MUSICIAN, ETC. AND HIS FAMILY. PLEASE E:MAIL ME AT SHERRY_A._BOLDEN@HUD.GOV. OR CALL ME ON 202-708-0614 EXT. 3336 OR MY HOME NUMBER AT 703-837-8282. I AM ONE OF THE YOUNGEST BOLDEN'S. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.

2 comments about The Preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Word that Moved America.

1. One can easily see why this book was awarded the Outstanding Book of 1995 by the Religious Speech Communication Assoc., it is so well written. The research appears exhaustive, the writer is is firm touch with his subject matter, having poured over sermon manuscripts and listened to tape after tape, and conducted interview upon interview.

   One is able to grasp the essence of King's preaching from this reading. Long suspecting that King comes out of the liberal element in the church, this confirmed that suspiscion. The theology and subsequent preaching is far from what my confession would maintain as Biblical. This is social gospel, theology not from heaven down, but earth up, trying to impose its agenda upon God, rather than letting His word and plan of salvation have its way.

   While one can easily relate to the race problems and frustrations with an American that would not listen to the pleas, but an America that responded violently, there remains no cause to make the precious Gospel a political one. Jesus had attempts to preach such freedom from political oppression, but in each and every instance, He maintained the gospel at the level it is intended, spiritual.

   King thus is out of sync with his namesake, Martin Luther, as well as the historic Christian church. The gospel is about the forgiveness of sins for the life everlasting. As the famous hymn sings: "What is the World to Me?"

   This book is vibrant with the complexities of the background and influences on King's theology and preaching. Enjoyed it, yet sad that the title "preacher" is applied to such a false teacher of God's Word. To apply humanity's agenda above and beyond God's is the height of sin and rebellion.




2. I love this book, but I was looking for the hard jacket, and could only find softcover.

5 comments about Seventh Child: A Family Memoir of Malcolm X.

1. 
   Malcolm X was more than just a prominent civil rights activist. Amongst many things, he was a family man, a charismatic Muslim preacher, a spokesman for the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist, and the founder of the Muslim Mosque Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. He was controversial, influential, and often times misunderstood.
   
   It is unfortunate that many people today regard him negatively, as a racist, an apostate, a criminal, an extremist, or all of the above. But who is this Malcolm X? What did this man stand for? What were his intentions? And what did he accomplish? In this book, Rodnell P. Collins, Malcolm X's own nephew, addresses these questions.
   
   But this book is not solely focused on Malcolm X. Although he is the central figure in this book, Collins also writes about Malcolm's internal and external family members, and explains the impact they had on him, and vise-versa. Collins tells us about Malcolm's family background, including a little bit about himself. Personally, I found the story of the Little family very fascinating. I think readers will be pleased with the information Collins provides, such as the revelation of Malcolm X's first American ancestor, who was kidnapped from Africa and sold as a slave to the Little family. You'll get somewhat of a brief history lesson on the slave trade in America, here.
   
   Writing from an eye-witness account, Collins touches base on many important subjects regarding Malcolm's life; family, religion, politics, ambitions, etc. Collins also explains why Malcolm X rejected his Christian religion and instead accepted the teachings of "prophet" Elijah Muhammad by joining the Nation of Islam. Other topics include; racism in America, corruption of the NOI, Malcolm's Assassination, Spike Lee's movie, and much more.
   
   In the last pages of the book, you will find a few never-before-published letters from Malcolm and his family, as well as some disturbing letters from Christian extremists of the KKK.
   
   Although an excellent book, there's only one minor flaw in my opinion. And that is the author's tendency to sometimes over-exalt his uncle. For instance, he praises Malcolm for being an intelligent and open-minded individual who saw through the fatuity of black Christians and their faulty beliefs, which prompted Malcolm's conversion to Elijah Muhammad's distorted Muslim sect. But what about Malcolm's own fatuous belief that Elijah Muhammad was divine? Even after Malcolm X was well informed about Elijah's corruption and contradictions, he still had faith in him. I understand where the author is coming from, but I still find it a bit hypocritical, albeit it's nothing too serious and it certainly won't diminish the importance of this book.
   
   This may not be the most elaborate book on Malcolm X, but it's certainly a good one. I highly recommend it.



2. This was an excellent book which offered more insight into Malcolm's political believes and his work whith other countries which are hardly ever written about. It also made clearer why Malcolm left the Nation of Islam. The book helped to reinforce my belief that Malcolm X was the most sincerest leader in the African American Struggle.



3. This book gave me a greater appreciation of Malcom X as a world leader and a human being. I really enjoyed reading this book during a visit to the Middle East. If you are really into Malcom X and want to know more about him and who he was, do yourself a favor and read this book.



4. This is clearly one of the better Malcolm X books as it actually tells us something new and firsthand unlike so many other such books that glutted the market in the early 1990s. A bonus is the revelation of the name of Malcolm's actual African ancestor that he wanted to know about through most of his adult life (this was discovered by a family researcher. "Malcolmites" have much to enjoy and learn from here-buy it!



5. I JUST STARTED READING THE BOOK LAST WEEK AND CAN NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. I AM A HISTORY MAJOR AND READING THIS BOOK WITH ALL THIS INFORMATION ABOUT MALCOLM AND HIS OWN FAMILY HISTORY IS WONDERFUL.

   MR. COLLINS DID A WONDERFUL JOB!...

5 comments about Making My Mark: The Story of a Man Who WouldnÆt Stay in His Place.

1. Marvin's book is very inspirational. He shows us that with hard work and determination you can conquer any obstacle. He grew up in a poor family a child of a truck driver and a domestic worker, but he managed to graduate from high school, college, graduate school and became a lawyer, city council president and a judge. He was faced with racial discrimination in his early years growing up in Atlanta. He discusses his involvement with the civil rights movement and how that shaped who he is today. He was one of the first black men to attend Emory Law School in the 1960's. My favorite quote in his book is "I believe that all children given appropriate guidance and instruction from their families, teachers and communities can achieve success." I believe he is a great example of that belief. I think this book is a great read for a young adult and anybody else who wants to be inspired by Marvin's success.



2. Marvin Arrington has crafted a lucid and accessible narrative that details his experiences growing up in Jim Crow Atlanta. In addition to describing his rise to the presidency of the Atlanta City Council, he offers many anecdotes from his childhood that give an idea of just how painful racism can be through the eyes of a young boy. Throughout, he encourages his readers to learn from his example of hard work, which is fortified by his experience growing up in public housing projects, attending segregated schools, and working a wide variety of jobs. Then, having integrated Emory Law School's full-time division along with his friend (current U.S. District Court Judge) Clarence Cooper in 1965, he carries forth the lessons of his youth to the legal profession. He would later partner with famed civil rights attorney Donald Hollowell to form Arrington & Hollowell, one of the top 10 black law firms in the nation. He is currently a Superior Court Judge in Fulton County, Georgia, having been elected in 2003.
   
   Arrington's book is both the story of one man's personal odyssey through hardship and success, as well as a short history of the city of Atlanta.
   Thanks to his involvement in politics, his book sheds light on other major figues in Atlanta life with whom he had frequent contact, such as Q.V. Williamson, Maynard Jackson, and Andrew Young. Thanks to his wealth of experience, Arrington also gives an impressive insight into the duplicitous nature of city politics, culminating in his loss to Bill Campbell in the 1997 Atlanta mayoral election. In October 2008, Campbell will be completing a stint in federal prison for tax evasion.
   
   The lessons that one can glean from his autobiography are just as relevant today as they were more than four decades ago. Arrington's recent collaboration with Bill Cosby in addressing the myriad problems plaguing urban communities has only helped to buttress his timely message. I agree with other reviewers that this book should be required reading for middle school and high school students thanks to its power and relevance.



3. I first met Marvin Arrington when I was a college senior and editing the Emory Wheel and he a second year law student, though I doubt he remembers that. We had many encounters after that and I had the opportunity to follow quite closely his legal and political career for many years. Yet as close as I felt I knew him, it was not until reading his memoir that I better understand the inner soul of this gentle and committed man. I thanked him for writing it, because as a son of the south and as a white man who had many friends who were Black Georgians, it wasn't until I heard or read the stories Maynard Jackson, Vernon Jordan,
   Andrew Young, and Marvin Arrington told in their personal memoirs that I felt I had understood my own time with them. Whether a reader knows him personally or not, I enthusiastically encourage people to read this well-told narrative of growing up in the Jim Crow and post-Jim Crow south. That Marvin has brought his unique and heartening experiences to the courtroom and has had children follow him into the law is an evolution that could have been expected, but nonetheless still very gratifying.



4. This book should be assigned reading for every fifteen year old. The story of Marvin Arrington is proof that poverty and apparent lack of oppuritunity can be overcome.
   
   Martin L. Fierman
   Madison, Ga



5. Judge Marvin S. Arrington has been fixture in Atlanta, GA legal and political circles for more than thirty years. I expected his autobiography to be another in a long line of inspiring tales about tough warriors in the AFrican American quest for dignity, respect and inclusion. The title should have been my clue that it is much more. It is a saga of how his extraordinary life mirrors that of his beloved and iconoclastic city. Just as Atlanta rose from its ashes to become an international hub that defies its southern roots, Arrington forged his path from obscurity to a place of honor on the right side of Atlanta history. From the early chapters, where he offers a riveting picture of his early life in the neighborhood fictionalized in Tom Wolfe's Atlanta-based novel, to the later ones, he builds on the theme of refusing to stay in the place unjustly assigned to him by his city, his circumstances and his culture. A virtual who's who in law and politics endorsed this book including Pres. Jimmy Carter, Sen. Sam Nunn, Mayor Shirley Franklin, Ambassador Andrew Young, and Gov. Douglas Wilder. Tom Wolfe also lent his name. This book has been added to my collection of African American biographies. It is written in a narrative style that makes it accessible to a wide range of audiences, informative to multiple disciplines and enjoyable for re-reading over time.

5 comments about Scam: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America.

1. Tired of reverse-racism? This is for you. Rev Peterson shows what I think most people already realize. At least those who are honest about the issues discussed. I grew up in a segregated society. Really thought race would be a non-issue by now. Could be,- except for the self-serving hate-mongers and whiners. Peterson is worth the read. I support his noble efforts on behalf of us all.



2. This book will offend certain groups of people. However, it is very powerful and speaks the truth which the white majority are afraid to speak for themselves. Jesse Lee Peterson has lots of guts to stand up to being threatened & bullied by those who he opposes.



3. Mr. Peterson is speaking about things that MANY blacks speak about. The name calling, why? I have NEVER seen him call someone a uncle tom. All the people in the review that name call, may fell insecure about the truth. If you don't like Rev Peterson, continue to hate white people and read Dr. Dyson's garbage. If you want to change your life, then take personal responsibility and raise your standards. Kill the anger, and you will move forward.
   It is a great book from a good example of a person who stands up for what he believes in.



4. .......Rev. Jesse must have a lot of courage. Just look at the kill-the-messenger posts in these reviews and the name-calling.
   
   I love this man.
   
   He's standing up for the people whilst other black "leaders" busy themselves helping the Democrats keep the people shackled up by welfare in "voter plantations" (aka ghettoes and inner cities).
   
   What a waste of human capital. The REAL black power will happen when blacks realize that moving their votes to the Republican Party will doom the Democrats' welfare agenda for them, and earn them what is truly needed: vouchers for school choice. Real education would be the best "reparations."
   
   A remarkable man with remarkable bravery carrying a remarkable message.



5. At great personal risk, Rev. Peterson speaks out against the current Black leadership in America. His analyses of the problems in the Black community offers such common sense that it is difficult to understand how anyone could not see the truth of what he says. However, the Black leadership, along with the liberal White elites, have a vested interest in not solving these problems. As long as problems exist, these individuals and groups will continue to rake in millions of dollars in contributions, and they will wield power over the Black vote. When Black Americans start looking to themselves for the solution to problems of poverty, drug abuse, out of wedlock childbirth, and violence they will no longer give their power and their money to the likes of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, or Louis Farrakhan. When Black Americans take on the responsibility themselves to rebuild their communities through hard work and a return to Christian values, they will free themselves from the chains of hate, victim-hood, and anger that the Black leadership so adeptly instills.
   
   I highly recommend that everyone concerned with helping the Black community and especially Blacks themselves, read this book. It will awaken everyone to how Black leaders promote racism while pretending to fight it. It describes in clear terms what happened that destroyed the family, and caused such chaos in the Black community. It offers the way back to stability, prosperity, strong families, and a healthy community.

5 comments about Song of Saigon: One Woman's Journey to Freedom.

1. Wow.......I wasn't expecting to like the book. Everything the other reviewers have said in a positive light are true. It's a very inspiring book. Lots of history and insights into what it was like to live in Vietnam and it was inspiring to read about how the author succeeded in so many ways. Many Christian books get kind of preachy. I think this fills the bill for Christians who want to read an inspiring Christian book, but it also is great for someone who doesn't want to read Christian literature. It's not preachy and it's a great story.



2. Not only a encouraging, uplifting story about the spiritual history of the Vu family, This book also delves into the life of those living in a war torn country (anywhere). Though I remember the news stories of the many people escaping Saigon in the chaotic days before the U.S. left Vietnam, I didn't know much about how the U.S. created a system (quite quickly) to feed, care for, organize and eventually assymilate so many people into the American sociaty. After reading this book I am interested to find out more about this project.



3. This biography/autobiography leads you first hand through three generations of a Vietnamese family. I learned so much about recent Vietnamese history and family culture. It is also an amazing story of God at work in Vietnam and America. Highly recommended.



4. I could not put this book down. It gives a touching account of what it was like growing up in war-torn conditions in Viet Nam, and having the faith to stay positive and make something of one's life. This entire family is to be praised as an example of those who rise from conditions unimaginable and keep a strong faith in God to become something their off-spring can be proud of in America. All the siblings of Anh have become successful and given something back to this country, including herself. I can testify to this as Phong Vu is my brother-in-law and I know we're all proud of him and his family.



5. I received this book in audiotape form. I expected a tale of harrowing bravery of Ahn and her family's escape from war-torn Vietnam, but was unprepared for it to be so spiritually uplifting at the same time. While I realized that many churches had sponsored Vietnamese into their communities I never thought much about how the families came to be in the U.S. or that they might have been raised Christian in Vietnam. This book was a history lesson and inspirational at the same time.

1 comments about Say It Loud!: My Memories of James Brown, Soul Brother No. 1.

1. I've been a James Brown fan for forty years, I started as one just out of my diapers, when my parents took me to see him in the Atlanta staduim in the 60's. I've read many book on the Godfather of soul and this one is truely the deepest and best one I read. I waited all my life to meet James Brown in person, and after reading this I think I have finally done it. I visisted Augusta, Georgia in September 2005 and so I was familiar with a lot of the area referenced in the book. James Brown was a man's man in every respect, he was a prophet, a leader and a man ahead of his time in music and as well as life. You will find out before he was a singer, he was truely the hardest working man period trying to pull himself up out of poverty. As an African American who dad died when I was young, James Brown became my father figure. Thousands of African Americans had that same experience too. So he was more than a singer in that respect too. When Mr. Brown wore superbad outfits, we wore super bad outfits, when he walked with his head up, we walked with our head up, when he stood up, we stood up and when he would fall, it felt like a close relative falling. Mr Brown touched all races, looking on you tube, there is a Japanese tribute band that tries to copy the master and give it out like he did. They try to match him note for note, grunt for grunt, attitude to attitude and song for song. That is why Mr. Brown could play Europe, Asia, South America, North America, Africa and the Middle East. Reading all the stops he made year after year was mind blowing and the book only listed a small sample of them. I never really grieved over him yet but as I was on the last few pages I cried. I cried for truely the complex gifted man he was who had fought so hard to make a better life for all the under dogs in life. He could have easily retired and took it easy but this man was on a mission, he was the living breathing robin hood of our lifetime. This book has some suprising voices in it, like his first wife Velma who gives us the real man. The fans have been waiting for some real good stuff on him and we now have it at last. Don Rhodes got really close to our Godfather and knew him well. This is a masterpiece and the James Brown book that will become the one future James Brown books will be compared too. Really this book should be used for a movie about the soul legend...Spike Lee read this one. Soul Brother number one will never be forgotten. Say it Loud, indeed.