Denzel Washington Books

This book is fantastic - I couldn't put it down! I have been a big fan of Tony since he was the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because of his presence on the football field. This book is an honest and inspiring account of Tony's life and the trials and successes he has encountered. Thank you Tony for a great read.

Loved the book, many lessons to be learned, a little too much football at times but if you can look by that it is a quick and enjoyable read

Quiet Strength was a very enlightening story of Tony Dungy's career. Even through very harsh times, he seemed to discover the positive aspects of the situation. He always believed that god always had a reason for everything, and that every downward slump always meant that certain things would get better in the future.
Tony Dungy started his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler. He was originally drafted as a defensive back (he played quarterback in college). After realizing that the NFL did not give as much opportunities as he expected, the head coach of the Steelers (Coach Noll) gave him the opportunity to be the defensive backs coach. This was the turning point of his career.
From this point on Tony Dungy went to coach for the multiple other teams, until landing his head-coaching job at Tampa. When he took this position, he took in all the information from all of his former colleagues and coaches to help mold his team into a winning organization. He also realized that god played a major role in his success. He also took his fathers knowledge into consideration when he was creating a game plan for his team.
Tony Dungy believes that his second season with the Buccaneers was his most successful season as a head coach for the National Football League. He believes this because that season, he felt the greatest bond between everybody on the team. He thought that because they started the season with tremendous success. They were winning games as a "team", not just as players.
Once Tony Dungy moved on from the Buccaneers he continued to have great success with the Indianapolis Colts. They were even able to win Tony Dungy his first Super Bowl. But throughout Tony Dungy's life he will continue to live life with god in consideration.

This book was well written and a good read. I love reading good books on leadership and success. Sports and Life always a good parallel.

The autobiography, "Quiet Strength," of Tony Dungy is appropriately subtitled "The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life." Dungy recounts his life from its beginnings to the present as the Coach of the world champion Indianapolis Colts. A man of proactive faith, Dungy has been able to climb many mountains, from being one of the first black quarterbacks in NCAA college football to one of the first black head coaches in the National Football League.

"Quiet Strength" details key formative relationships, those that helped him to become what he is today. They include his mother, The Most Athletic Dungy, who supported in him in a number of sports; his father who taught him what was most important - not the accolades and memories of success, but the way you respond when opportunities are denied; his high school assistant principal, Mr. Rockquemore, who took a great interest in him and Dungy claims things would have been different if he had not; and his first pro coach, Chuck Noll, who taught him how to win in the NFL and how to maintain family-career balance.

Dungy always viewed his work in football as a means to do something more as a servant of God. When he was fired as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the firing itself was not the cause of shock, but rather, the thought that God was allowing this great experiment of using him as a head coach in the NFL to end. He wondered, what's next? How will God use him, whether in the NFL or not.

I am grateful that Dungy went on from Tampa to win the Super Bowl as coach of Indianapolis. More than becoming the first African-American to win a Super Bowl, this extraordinary achievement provided an excellent platform from which to tell this great story.

Dungy's story is inspirational, challenging, and encouraging - reminding us about what really is important in a world driven by the love of material success. He shows that one can live their Christian faith in the workplace and succeed - even in the demanding fish bowl atmosphere of the NFL. He is a living testimony of one man's faith in God.

"Do you your best and let God do the rest."

This book is filled with short inspiring stories of individuals who exhibit strength of character and, because of it, had a profoundly positive impact on the character development of another human being. If you like reading short, inspiring, biographical stories, as I do, this book is for you.

One of the patterns that emerges is the power of mentors and developing people. It's made me consider increasing my own mentoring. The book's stories also support the universal human needs for recognition, belonging and personal growth(needs that are necessary to thrive) that I wrote about in Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Creativity, and Productivity.

In "A Hand to Guide Me," American film star and legend, Denzel Washington, sets out shine a light on the 100 year old Boy's & Girl's Clubs of America, an organization of 3,700 serving more than 4.4 million children in all 50 states. Washington's eventual success can be traced directly to the Boys Club in his home town, Mt. Vernon, New York. It was there, by necessity, that he learned purpose, consequences, and how to be a man.

"A Hand to Guide Me" is a collection of short stories by ordinary people from ordinary beginnings, accomplishing extraordinary things. Six dozen people from diverse backgrounds share their memories about role models, mentors and positive influences in their lives. Some are household names like coach John Wooden, director John Singleton, author Toni Morrison, General Wesley Clark and former President Jimmy Carter. Many are alumni of Girls and Boys Clubs of America, while others have taken on leadership roles in these clubs. And some were asked to contribute because there was something to learn from their voice. These are very readable stories ranging in length from two to four pages.

All of the contributors have outgrown a hardship or two to reach a significant level of success and can draw a line from their success to some rock solid foundational experience - sometimes it is a parent, a coach, a neighbor or the inspiration derived from a tragic event.

Washington's resonant message is that we are all extraordinary in our own way but we don't go it alone. There are people on whose shoulders we stand and we, in turn, can provide a shoulder for others.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America are the center of everything for many kids today, providing a shoulder for millions of kids and making a vital contribution to the future of our society. They are a breeding ground for hope, purpose, and direction - where many have learned strength, confidence, and the freedom to dream...to think big.

That's Denzel Washington (not Eric Clapton) teaming his prodigious talents with those of blues legend B.B. King in this powerful retelling of the classic American legend. This is another treasure from Rabbit Ear productions: a beautifully illustrated book that can be read on its own, or with the included cassette. Go for the cassette first: You'll be treated to Denzel Washington's warm, rich, folksy, awe-struck, conversational narration.

"So y'all listen up, `cause I'm gonna tell you the guaranteed, gold plated, ninety-nine-point-nice percent truth about John Henry."

Then, enjoy the inimitable riffs of B.B. King, as he and his guitar (presumably "Lucille") sing out with the pure, clear, authenticity of the blues: "My name is John Henry. I'm a born natural man. I was born one morning with a hammer in my hand . . . " This is collector material.

John Henry's triumph defends the dignity and perseverance of human labor against the encroaching machine. In its own small way, with a low-tech assist from the aural majesty of Washington and King, this volume preserves and extends the pleasures of the written page.

John Henry is one of the best Rabbit Ears titles - which is saying a lot. BB King is wonderful; Denzel Washington is wonderful. I'm not writing this for me - but if my 8 year old goes to sleep to it every (I mean, make sure you rewind that tape) night, then it is a wonderful book

This is a really fun video for any age. Denzel Washington's Caribbean accent and UB 40's funky music are real treats, and the cartoons are cool. This video even managed to capture our oh-so-cool and very hard to please seventh-graders! I heard plenty of "yah mahn's" around the halls in school afterwards. Enjoy this video of the clever teeny-weeny spider who tricks both the longest and the strongest animal in the jungle!

I admire Denzel Washington very much as an actor, so I decided to read this book. After I have finished reading it, I was not disappointed with him as a man. This book is an accurate, though modest, description of Washington's life up-to-date (1994-1996). It tells about his childhood, youth, and his family background. Then, the author goes into tracing Washington's life according to the films, he has been making at the time. This book does not have a lot of good pictures and it is not about a "Hollywood Hunk", "the most handsome man", etc. Instead, it talks about a real man, who is very good at acting as well as at living his life of a Hollywood star. If you like Washigton as an actor and as a personality (granted, he is also an undisputedly and exremely charming man), then you should read this book and see how he became what he is now.

This is one of those series that is so well done you can't imagaine EVERYONE not knowing about it! Have you always been a bit out of the loop or intimidated about Shakespear? Or are you good with it but don't know how to show/share that love with your family and students. This series will do it!! It's good for ALL ages, my middle school students found it fun and informative yet... really young (4ish) children could learn from it too. Save your self the upgrade and buy it in hardback, this will be one that you keep for generations and get the "WHOLE" series, each one is just as good as the other!

An interesting construct for a multi-author book, but the contributions are safe and lacking in personal connections with the reader. I mean, Muhammad Ali (whom, interestingly enough, influenced me as a teen) chose Nelson Mandela and it sounded like the relationship was mostly an admiration from afar rather than any personal connection between the two men. By far the best contribution is that of Mr. Washington himself, who allows himself many more pages than others in describing the relationship with the Boys and Girls Club and the mentor who helped to mold his life. The thing about mentors is that often the relationship is informal and the influence isn't realized until many years later. Some people just make you a better person by being themselves. I think if the contributors to this book had focused on that part of it, this book would hit the inspirational mark that it seeks.

Enlightening as I am often interested in who and what motivated people. It is good to know that most people are encouraged by "regular" people. This can may you reflect on who had a positive impact on your journey. Kind words and act can move people to move mountains. This book is filled with inspiring accounts; I think it is a great motivational tool for people who think they are not affecting change with their words of wisdom and those who do not believe that where they are now does not have to be their ultimate destination.

This book highlights celebrities. Yet, they all started where 95% of us started. It shows that many of us are capable and DO make something of ourselves when inspiration, hard work and perseverance rule, in any degree. For each of these celebrities there are probably thousands of people that have guided and are guiding hands to others just through faithfulness to the basic, mundane, and simple tasks of life. You are probably one of those people. It's just that Mr. Washington didn't or could include you in a volume that would be the world's heaviest book.

Thank you Mr. Denzel Washington for sharing with us regular people what regular people CAN become. I hope this book inspires more such books and other media that affirms and confirms regular people in this day of celebrity worship.

Denzel Washington uses his star power to assemble personal recollections from assorted successful folks (primarily alumnae of the Boys and Girls Clubs Organizations) about the people who shaped THEIR lives as youngsters.

Some of the stories are more interesting and inspiring than others, and I couldn't help but wonder if this volume couldn't have benefitted from more cohesive editing. But the bottom line is that these are positive and uplifting pages that remind us "if you want to change history, start by changing the life of a child."

In "A Hand to Guide Me," American film star and legend, Denzel Washington, sets out shine a light on the 100 year old Boy's & Girl's Clubs of America, an organization of 3,700 serving more than 4.4 million children in all 50 states. Washington's eventual success can be traced directly to the Boys Club in his home town, Mt. Vernon, New York. It was there, by necessity, that he learned purpose, consequences, and how to be a man.

"A Hand to Guide Me" is a collection of short stories by ordinary people from ordinary beginnings, accomplishing extraordinary things. Six dozen people from diverse backgrounds share their memories about role models, mentors and positive influences in their lives. Some are household names like coach John Wooden, director John Singleton, author Toni Morrison, General Wesley Clark and former President Jimmy Carter. Many are alumni of Girls and Boys Clubs of America, while others have taken on leadership roles in these clubs. And some were asked to contribute because there was something to learn from their voice. These are very readable stories ranging in length from two to four pages.

All of the contributors have outgrown a hardship or two to reach a significant level of success and can draw a line from their success to some rock solid foundational experience - sometimes it is a parent, a coach, a neighbor or the inspiration derived from a tragic event.

Washington's resonant message is that we are all extraordinary in our own way but we don't go it alone. There are people on whose shoulders we stand and we, in turn, can provide a shoulder for others.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America are the center of everything for many kids today, providing a shoulder for millions of kids and making a vital contribution to the future of our society. They are a breeding ground for hope, purpose, and direction - where many have learned strength, confidence, and the freedom to dream...to think big.

I picked this young adult bio up at the library to quickly find out more about this impressive superstar and was not disappointed. Puts Washington's life and career in cultural perspective with a smooth narrative style, photos and several useful bibliographies. The author did make one glaring error: In discussing the 1967 film IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT she claims it co-starred Carroll O'Connor. Not only was it Rod Steiger (O'Connor starred in the subsequent TV series) but Steiger won the Academy Award for his performance. Not a big deal but it explaisn my rating of 4 stars instead of five. Still, a great read!

I actually got a chance to hear Dr. Farrakhan give this lecture live, right after the Million Man March. This is one of my favorites, since it is shorter than most of his lectures, it is concise, and he covers some classic topics - including Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad.

Love him or hate him, there's no denying Dr. Farrakhan's charismatic presence and wide-spread influence.

A must read! Wil Haygood's book, In Black and White, The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr. not only captures the mesmerizing and oftentimes daunting physical movement of the man- Sammy- in the seemingly separate worlds of black and white but unapologetically captivates the reader with Sammy's human quest for love and approval.

The author skillfully provides the reader with a historical landscape to navigate the multidimensional aspects of the making of "Sammy" from his vaudeville childhood days to the inscription on the headstone of his final resting place--
Sammy Davis Jr. "The Entertainer" He Did It All...and indeed he did.

After reading the book, I can't wait to see Sammy "in living color" thanks to Denzel Washington's insight to purchase the screen rights.

Written by Deleso Alford Washington, J.D., LL.M.

Maybe the definitive biography of Sammy Davis Jr. can never be written. Or maybe it simply hasn't been done. This book is a mixed bag.

The book filters the story of Sammy Davis Jr. through race, everything is either black or white. As a result, you do get some interesting concepts, that Davis did not want to "be" black, as if all blacks (or for that matter, all whites) had something in common.

You do get extensive thoughts about his love for blonde women, and his affairs with Kim Novak is given a prominent amount of space.

You also have a wonderful portrait of Will Mastin, a man who is ignored in every other book about Davis.

But other things are glossed over, his drug and alcohol abuse, his Rat Pack days, even his marriage to May Britt.

Oh, do not expect anything about his music in here, absolutely nothing about any of his records.

This book does not reflect the spirit of the life of Sammy Davis, Jr. I'm afraid that it relects the spirit of the life that the author, Wil Haygood, unfortunately must have led.

I am very familiar with the details of Sam's life, I have heard it in his own words. Sam was a very pragmatic optimist who imagined the world in a very color-blind way. This is where Mr. Haygood leads the un-informed reader very far away from Sam's actual beliefs.

Sam didn't want to be white, he wanted to be the best. That is what he constantly strived for. Sam stood up to racism so many times, in so many ways. How many times was his nose broken in race baited fights from his hitch in the Army ? Sam experienced the ignorance of racism many, many times, from many different people. But for every racist he had to battle, he also saw many more people who he loved, trusted & repected, and who he knew felt the same way towards him.

Almost all of the material in this book is 'lifted' from the books co-written by Sam and Jane & Burt Boyar. These works are the true story. These people were there when these events happened, they witnessed them first hand. Not only has Mr. Haygood taken what actually transpired and twisted it to fit his agenda, he berates the people who daily lived through these experiences with Sam.

Wil Haywood, staff writer for the Washington Post, won the 2004 Hurston-Wright Legacy Award in Nonfiction, plus a host of other awards for In Black And White: The Life Of Sammy Davis Jr., so it's only fitting his impressive and entertaining biography of the life of Sammy Davis Jr. be reprinted in paperback to reach new generations of audiences with his award-winning life of one of America's most popular and versatile performers and entertainers of the 20th Century.

This is well written, thorough, entertaining, and really a superb history lesson. Great Job Mr. Haygood.