Sidney Poitier Books

I have had this book over 10 years and it is wonderful. It introduced me to mythology and hooked me from the beginning. I remember spending much time studying the pictures which are bright and detailed. Beyond being entertaining, the stories helped to prepare me for the frequent references to greek mythology in all types of art.

Our daughter received this book when she was about three, we started reading it to her one night, and for the next five years at least we continued reading and re-reading through it every night. Talk about an early start on the great Greek Myths! To this day I'm sure Athena's owl is still flapping and hooting about in her brain. Really, this was the best possible way for our kids to discover and imbibe these great god and goddess, hero and heroine legends. Each tale is told in a straightforward page or two with one or two unpretentious but memorable color illustrations. That treatment worked well because the stories themselves are so plainly marvelous. Our son liked them too for quite a while, but then moved on to the D'Aulaire book of the Norse myths, and ultimately he was attracted more to non-fiction than to fiction. I hope my own writing is influenced by the years we spent with the D'Aulaires. Take Me With You When You Go

When I was only a few years old, the first book my father ever read to me from and that I in turn read from was D'aulaires Book of Greek Myths, and that has proven to be the spark that kindled my fascination with human societies. My single greatest passion is the chronology of human history, which was stirred in me at a very young age by this book, without which I cannot even imagine the difference in my life. I never would have read the Iliad and the Odyssey, which spurred me into the Aeneid, which in turn created a desire to learn more of factual Greece and Rome (respectively), which then broadened my interests towards the civilations of Mesopotamian antiquity, eventually encompassing the whole world. I am now an undergraduate student of anthropology at one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country, and my life would never have been the same without the advent of this book.

I really like the way this book is written because each story blends easily into the next. The pictures really help the younger ones to follow along and it makes the myths more enjoyable to read. I bought this to read to my young daughter and she really enjoyed it.

I bought this for my godsons (5 and 7) based on my own fond memories of this work. I remembered the wonderful drawings and the vividly told stories from Greek Mythology and was happy to have passed this along to another generation. Some of the stories require a bit of editing when used as bedtime storytelling ("Why did he marry his sister?"). I plan on getting the Norse Myths collection for Christmas this year.

For months, I've wanted to share some of my experiences with my granddaughters specifically and my grandchildren in general . . . but where to start, how much to share, which topics are taboo, how to share without influencing or preaching, etc.??? THANK YOU Mr. Poitier! I've only finished half the book, but already I know that I want all of my grandchildren to read it! In fact, I want everyone to read it.
I was struck by Mr. P's loving, honest and forgiving thoughts about life. I was warmed because he has struggled with many of the same notions most dreamers ponder: GOD? Relationships, hardships, money, self-discipline, determination, respect . . .
I'm sure I'll have more to type after I've finished the entire book, but before life happens, I wanted to say thanks and advise everyone, this is the book to read and share!

As a grandmother, I wish I could write as such for my grandchildren.
Sincere, family history to be cherished by all of his children and grandchildren.

Life Beyond Measure is a series of letters to Poitier's great-granddaughter, to be read as she matures from infancy to young womanhood. As such, it is not a straight biographical narrative, rather a compendium of grandfatherly advice intermixed with real life examples from Poitier's marvelous and challenging life.

It seems some of the events are skimmed over - he mentions finding the love of his life in his second wife, but fails to detail the divorce from his first wife and the suffering involved in that. He treats everyone very resepctfully, obviously retaining a good relationship with the first wife, but I think a few lessons detailing that type of event would have been beneficial to his intended audience.

The writing style is fluent and easy to read - it moves best when Poitier is relating tales from his youth on Cat Island or Nassau, or his individual struggles against unemployment or racism. It bogs down some near the end when he begins to wax philospohically on the great mysteries of the universe, and I am not certain all the background information he throws in on society and science was that useful, but still he manages to convey his basic point that mankind needs to be a good steward of this planet and of each other.

All in all, an enjoyable read with a lot of valuable advice couched in warm and accessible prose.

This book was purchased for my 83 year old Mother as a gift for Mother's Day. She usually sticks to cookbooks, or psychology self-help type books, but I knew she always admired Sidney Poitier as an actor, and as a human being, so I thought she might enjoy this book. Turns out I was right! Even though she can only read a few pages each night due to vision problems, she has already told me how much she is enjoying reading this book. It is extremely well written, with a true human interest style that is holding her interest. Bravo, Mr. Poitier! (I'm going to borrow it from her when she's finished!)

What loving letters these are! The chapters about his youth are the most interesting & delightful; those in which he philosophizes about religion are a little less clear, but very heartfelt & humanitarian. I wish we all could have such a large family network. Poitier's writing is truly elegant and articulate -- I think I'd read the phone book if he'd written it!

If you are interested in this story, please do yourself a favor and get the audio book. He is "reading" it himself. I put reading in quotes because he is so engaging that you feel like you are old friends swapping stories. This is the most intimate biography I have ever been exposed to because he draws you into each and every story. You can hear the pain or joy in his voice. You will not be disappointed with this one.

The book on CD was one of the greatest gifts I have ever given myself. I have been a fan of Sidney Poitier for years, but never knew his background. He is truly a man of integrity and I really loved hearing him read his story. I purchased it for a friend and I am sure she will enjoy it too.

Bought this for my father. Found out as he opened it that he had read it, but he said he wanted to listen to it anyway. Lo and behold, would you believe in the next few days he was looking for excuses to go for errands to listen to Poitier in his car? I have rarely made such a perfect gift purchase for my dad. I have listened to it as well and plan on buying it for myself. POitier's voice is simply amazing to listen to.

Those who came of age after Poitier had receded from the spotlight (such as me) would do well to read Goudsouzian's thoughtful and well researched book. It was a fascinating trip to discover an icon who has been ignored in today's times despite deserving many more accolades than he has been given. What is most compelling about the book, though, is the author's skill in placing his subject in historical context, without which the story would be incomplete. I agree with the previous reviewer -- let's hope Oprah's spotlight on Poitier reflects some light on Goudsouzian as well.

Always suspicious of autobiographies, I picked up a copy of "Man, Actor, Icon" for a historian's take on this legend of the Silver Screen. And this book certainly does not disappoint. I strongly and sincerely recommend Dr. Goudsouzian's book for people who truly aspire to understand Sidney Poitier's place in history.

This work provides its readers with an eloquent and even-handed record of the life and times of its subject. Goudsouzian's work effectively sketches Poitier's place in a broader historical context - a history of African Americans, of film, of race, of tolerance and of America as a whole. I applaud the author for so eloquently piecing together the life and times of such a notoriously private individual. To see the movies is one thing. To read the autobiography is another. But to actually appreciate what this man has meant, what he endured and the legacy that he has created, one needs an accurate idea of the historical settings and prevailing attitudes that put Poitier's actions and accomplishments in the proper context. Goudsouzian delivers on all counts.

Many thanks to Oprah for bringing much-deserved attention to one of America's more unheralded icons. To really appreciate the man behind the screen, "The Measure of a Man" is a wonderful start. But to truly grasp how such an influential figure was rejected, lauded, embraced, used and again overlooked - all in a single lifetime - this book will provide you with all you need to form your own opinion of the measure of this man, this Sidney Poitier.

Poitier's biography is one of bitter sweet humorous at times and seriously moraled at others. His life story rivals that of his films. His dirt poor up bringing with feelings of embarassment, pride, and humility to his success story and subsequent feelings of energeticness, ....pride...and yes humility is one that is under-rated and underappreciated. It just the kind of story that the world needs now.

"This Life," Sidney Poitier's first autobiography, makes it clear that Poitier, the much-honored, Oscar-winning, world-famous movie star, has had quite a life. He was born, premature and tiny, not expected to live, in Miami, last of seven living children of Reginald and Evelyn Poitier, dirt-poor Bahamian tomato farmers. Spent his young years on little Cat Island, in the Bahamas. Thrown into the ocean at ten months again and again "like a sack of garbage," because Cat Island children had to swim. Swimming underwater, down a dark and terrifying drainage ditch-- in which the tide should have killed him-- at five because he wanted to. Trying voodoo at nine to catch the attention of a certain eleven year old girl.

Then at eleven, unprepared, to Nassau, where he sees his first movies, and flirts with life on the wrong side of the law. On to Miami, where racism shocks him, and he learns to drive cars by smashing them up in parking lots. To New York at sixteen, where he overdoses on Broadway, elevators, the subway, hot dogs, and malted milk, and washes dishes for a living. His first winter is so cold -- he never heard of winter-- that he joins the army underage to get warm. Gets out by acting crazy.

Auditions for his first acting job because The American Negro Theatre's notice was next to a dishwashing job in "The Amsterdam News," N.Y.'s black newspaper. He didn't know what an actor was, but it sounded like a better job to him. Hooted off the stage because of his inability to read, and his thick West Indian accent. In pride and rage, he breaks the accent by buying a radio and singing along-- "If it said, 'This is WOR bringing you the news,' then I would say 'This is WOR bringing you the news.'" He was taught to read by an elderly Jewish waiter-- to whom he sends his thanks here-- on breaks from dishwashing. Then the long struggle up, so few jobs for black actors then.

At last, harnessing the anger caused by his upbringing in "The Defiant Ones," "In The Heat of the Night," "Blackboard Jungle,""To Sir With Love," "Lilies of the Field," and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." Bulldozing his way to that Oscar, and opening up a path for the black actors who followed: he never has forgotten his concern for his people: it informs "This Life." And succeeding in making a happy family life for himself, too.

Poitier's biography is one of bitter sweet humorous at times and
seriously moraled at others. His life story rivals that of his films. His dirt poor up bringing with feelings of embarassment, pride, and humility to his success story and subsequent feelings of energeticness, ....pride...and yes humility is one that is under-rated and underappreciated. It just the kind of story that the world needs now.

Brilliantly written novel! But than nothing less could be expected from Sidney Poitier. Also for all of you that are learning English as a second language it is an example of modern American English at its best. This is as good as it gets!

I bought this book in the hopes that it would be interesting enough to keep my attention...boy way I right! Once I started, I couldn't put it down! Mr. Poitier writes so eloquently that you feel as though you are experiencing and seeing everything first-hand.

I first encountered Poitier on screen in the film, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, which my father insisted I watch with him along with many other classic films. Though I later couldn't recall many particulars about that movie, the memory of an urbane Black man exuding integrity and elegance stuck with me. I later had the pleasure of watching many of his other movies of which my favorite is, Lilies of the Field. So when I saw this book's spine while browsing in a used bookstore, it was a quick decision to buy it.

Poitier refers to this book as a "spiritual autobiography" where he records his ruminations on life in contrast to an earlier autobiography which was simply a "book about my life". As I read, I imagined I heard Poitier's pleasing voice speaking to me in the many colloquial expressions that characterize the style of the book: "You see?", "Listen to me...", "You hear?". But Poitier combines this casualness with touching eloquence: "Well, I'm no scientist, and certainly I don't have Carl Sagan's technical understanding of the universe and our position within it. I simply believe that there's a very organic, immeasurable consciousness of which we're a part. I believe that this consciousness is a force so powerful that I'm incapable of comprehending its power through the puny instrument of my human mind. And yet I believe that this consciousness is so unimaginably calibrated in its sensitivity that not one leaf falls in the deepest of forests on the darkest of nights unnoticed." Sorry, Carl Sagan, but I'm with Sidney Poitier when it comes to appreciating how intimately connected we humans are with the universe.

Included in the book is a delightful description of meeting Katherine Hepburn for the first time as they were preparing to film, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?: "When I arrived at her door and that door opened, she looked at me and didn't say a word and didn't crack a smile. But that was her M.O. After the longest while, she said, `Hello, Mr. Poitier,' and I said, `Hello, Miss Hepburn,' and the conversation began. I could tell that I was being sized up every time I spoke, every response I made. I could imagine a plus and a minus column, notations in her mind." Scenes such as this spoke to me as a member of a relatively small ethnic minority in the United States - Asian America. I found myself contemplating the possibility of an Asian-American Sidney Poitier to charismatically and with integrity shift Hollywood portrayals beyond demeaning stereotypes.

I'm glad I found the book (or the book found me) as I find myself referring to it as an example of not giving in to bitterness, the importance of integrity, the truth about the interconnectedness of all things, and that at least for some members of the Hollywood community, spirituality does exist.

My husband(age 71)took this book with us to Hawaii. He couldn't put it down, which says a lot because he doesn't read very much. Reading usually puts him to sleep. But not this book! He found it totally engaging.

I grew up in the South and, when I was in high school in the early sixties, Mr. Poitier's two blockbusters, "Raison in the Sun" and "Lilies of the Field" came out. There was something about him, even then, that caught my attention. Who WAS this man? It always seemed he was a "thinker" - a "seeker" - a bit restless with himself.

I recently picked up The Measure of a Man and my curiosity made me read it. Who IS this man - I wanted at last to find out.

The book begins in Cat Island, the Bahamas where he was born and lived during his early years. As Mr. Poitier describes his youth, it is reflective and feels like an intimate fireside conversation with a friend talking about a loved one departed. There is gratitude and respect - a certain remorse for doing some "kid things" that are so hurtful to those you truly love - and a reexamination of some of the "truths" he was taught.

Then the autobiography goes from there onto other stages in his life where he interacts with the realities and the illusions of life and comes to a sense of who he is and what is important. I guess I expected more of a "success story" about someone who is obviously very accomplished. What I got instead was a very touching and poignant sharing of a personal journey of a man making his way through life - no better and no worse than anyone else - immune from neither happiness nor disappointment - but glad to be alive.

Because so much of Mr. Poitier's autobiography had to do with things both good and challenging that just showed up in his life, it reminded me of another book by Ariel & Shya Kane called Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. In Being Here, the Kanes talk about things that have happened in their lives in a very light way that demonstrates how they and we can experience life more fully and more deeply - by just "being there" for what's happening when it's happening.

I really enjoyed reading both of these books and recommend them

Coretta Scott King's Line of books of famous black profiles is traditionally written for the audience of adolescents, yet benefitial to older teens and adults as an introduction. Sidney Poitier's biography is no exception. The book opens with the humble man's modest beginnings as a West Indian export. His bittersweet struggle to curve his accent by immitating radio disc jockeys provides the drama that movies are made of. While the sibling-type rivalry between he and Harry Belfonte are bypassed in this forum, this reader encourages further reading on the actor. In light of scarse availablity of 1970's Poitier biographies, this l980's work becomes even more important in preserving a wonderful "Journey"(reference to the out of print Poitier biography "Long Journey").