African-American Books

I've always wondered about the day-to-day lives of musicians, especially about those who are not regular members of a band. I now know that these musicians are called "sidemen." Fred Wesley is an extraordinary trombone player and a candid writer. I didn't know James Brown was such a jerk to work for. You can listen to (and watch) some of the performances Fred talks about on utube.

I am a 57 year old Washington, DC trombonist with many years of "chittlin circuit" experience. Reading Fred Wesley's account of his life as a sideman really hit home with me. So far, I have purchased (at last count) twelve copies of this fascinating book and distributed them to fellow musician friends who I know would also appreciate it. This really feels good and also therapeutic that our story is being told and documented. Older musicians always used to talk about paying dues. Well it seems that we never stop paying them, and Fred really spells it out in a clear, brutally honest, and what I find to be a very humorous and entertaining fashion. I would highly recommend this book to musicians young and old and to anyone else interested in learning what it is really like for the majority of us in this bizarre and crazy business.

Lincoln Ross
[...]

Fred wesley's book takes you on a Journey of the Music industry that you seldom every get on the whole un-cut real. this Man is responsible for some of the Baddest Jams known to the Human Ear Drum. He is a Multi Talented Instrumentalist, Producer&Arranger. He Grew up Down south&dealt with so much,but that was just the start upon entering the Army, then His Exposure to the Music Business under the Controls of Ike Turner. back when Ike&Tina Turner were together. then Fred going over to James Brown's camp which alone makes this Book a Must have. He doesn't pull no punches about JB's Camp&How He ran&did things. then fast forward to George Clinton and the Whole P-Funk Mob&operation. you move on to Count Basie. this Book deals with Inflated Ego, Sex,Drugs,Music, Race, Politics of the Industry&so many other details that you just can't even imagine sometimes that go on behind the curtains. very detailed&a Must read.

"Hit Me, Fred" by Fred Wesley is one of the most honest and engaging autobiographies I have read. Honest in that Fred gives us uncolored insight into to the world of the music industry with all of the inflated egos, false hype, drug abuse, and intense politicizing. Also honest in his love and appreciation for his mentors, his unabiding affection for his fellow sidemen through out his career and his sense of awe when the James Brown band or Parliment or the Count Basie band were playing at their best. "Hit Me Fred" is engaging for all of the reasons above with the addition of Fred being a gifted story teller in general. This book is a must read for funk enthusiasts and aspiring musicians.

Fred Wesley is "THE MAN". Here is a musical funk legend who has really paid his dues. He was the glue that kept the Funk going strong despite of James's legendary self-righteous super-ego and his harsh tyranny ways that interferred with the creative freedom and progressive potential of the most talented musicians that God has ever put on earth. James invented Funk which I will give him the credit he rightfully and respectfully deserves, but he definitely didn't do it on his own (thanks to the talented musicians of Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Alfred 'Pee Wee" Ellis, St Clair Pinckney, Waymon Reed, Richard 'Kush' Griffin, Jimmy Nolen, Al 'Country' Kellum, Clyde Stubblefield, John 'Jabo' Starks, Melvin Parker, Fillyau Clayton, Bootsy and Phelp Collins, Bernard Odum, Sweet Charles Sherrell, Johnny Griggs; the talented singers of Marva Whitney, Vicki Anderson, and the late great Lyn Collins; last but definitely not the least, I can't forget Bobby Byrd because if not for him, James life would have taking a bleaker turn since Byrd and his family not only helped James get out of prison and on parole, but got James into his gospel group which James would later become the frontman of and, with his ambition and talent, would take the group further than they had ever imagine. There are other James Brown musicians names that I can't remember but had a major influential impact on builting the structural foundation on the sound we now know as 'Funk'. This book honestly puts everything on the table with his experiences as a professional musician as well as how shady the music industry really is.

This was ordered for a friend. I finally let her know I was reading and looking through it before she would receive it. It is just beautiful. These are remarkable women we could all look up to. The photographs are wonderful.

I was fortunate enough to see this art exhibit in a museum and bought the guide after I saw the exhibit. I used this book often when I taught history to special education students. I bought the newer edition to donate to my college sorority house hoping that some of the current women would be inspired by the stories of some of these women.

I order two books (I Dream a World) and received only one book I am still waiting for the second book to arrive. I have sent several emails to find out where the book is and I have not gotten anywhere. Will you please send me my book.

I am willing to sign for the book when it arrive. If I don't receive my book I will not feel safe odering from you anymore. If don't receive my book in the next to weeks I will be pursuing a refund.

The first book was a christmas gift for my niece and the second one was for me. I like the book that why I place a second order.

I was blessed to recieve this book in 1990 as a gift from a dear friend. Throughout the years this book has been a form of encouragement in my daily life through various things. Once my daughter turned ten we sat down together and read through I DREAM A WORLD, She was captivated. I have now passed this book on to my daughter and she proudly displays it in her room with trophies, clay art, pictures, and souviners.

I was given this book when I was a freshman in architecture college. When I saw Ms Sklarek, I immediately wrote the publisher and got her addres and wrote her a letter. To my surprise she wrote back to me and her later inspired me to continue studying architecture. Now...17 years and three degrees later I came across her name again during a conversation and I decided to contact her again and again, she sent me her business card. Since our architectural firm has a committee that procures speakers, I plan to invite her to my firm to give a presentation on Women in Architecture. So, I said all that to say...not only should we find our mentors, but we should also communicate with them whenever we can.

Great Book by an author who was born into the game and has the unique abilty to show blacks involvement with Wallstreet since day one.

You never know where you're going unless you know where you came from! I just started the book, and I wish my finance professors had incorporated this into the otherwise impeccable curriculum at Clark Atlanta. Very interesting read. Every person on wall street should read it, it's not only black history but AMERICAN history.

I found the information in this book very informative and surprising that black participation in finance went back as far as it did. Stories of black stockbrokers and mutual fund salesmen in the 1950's to the investment bankers of today, records the slow but meaningful progress made on the Street in the last few decades. Hopefully, the progress will continue....

This book was an impulse buy for me, I have always had little interest in Wall Street but my son works in the securities industry so I thought I would read this for some background. I am very glad I did because I did not realize how deep African American history in the financial world is. I enjoyed the stories of people like Philip Jenkins and John Patterson, early pioneers who deserve greater recognition for their contributions. I think that this book is an important contribution of both African American and Wall Street history and does a good job of illuminating aspects about the history of finance that went unrecognized for far too long.

This book fills in the missing pages of Wall Street's History. It documents how African-Americans overcame racism and other barriers to become successful in the financial securities industry. This should be part of every business school's curriculum.

I brought this item as a gift for someone who was dealing with fibroids. Prior to ordering the book on line, I had the pleasure to review the book as well. It is an excellent and informative book, which is well written. I recommend this book for any women who is dealing with fibroids.

Thank you.

the best book on the market for women of color who suffer from fibroids.when i was thinking of surgery monique's book helped me make the final choice.I am so glad I bought it.I will recommend it to all those who are going through the same thing.

This book is WONDERFUL. It is easy to read and the humor is great too! It gives you more information then you can image. It prepares you with questions to ask your doctor; what foods to avoid, how to share what you are going through with your mate and much, much more. More importantly, she praises God! A book to have in your library. An EXCELLENT Reference tool. I have recommended this book to four women within the last two months and told at least twenty or so about it. Ladies, we must not keep this to ourselves... SHARE it with others.

I found Monique Brown's book more informative than any I read of its kind. So much so, I recommended it to a number of women and even purchased it as a gift for some of my friends.
Many of them wished they would have known about the book prior to undergoing a hysterectomy or a myomectomy.

I found the case studies inspiring and the resources quite helpful for my research. The diagrams were awesome as they helped me to picture what fibroids actually look like in and on the uterus. Furthermore, the natural healing information has been extremely helpful in providing alternatives to surgery. Overall, I especially liked that it was an easy warm read and not cold and clinical.

First, let me say that, "It's A Sistah Thing," by Monique R. Brown, is one well written and well researched book on fibroids. Ms. Brown's credits include: senior editor of Black Enterprise Magazine, an adjunct professor at Long Island University, and President and Founder of Professional Women of Color.

The author, Monique Brown, had fibroids and has herself faced the horrible specter of hysterectomy. She was one of the lucky ones and got a myomectomy. She reports that her myomectomy improved her sex life.

The main thrust of the book is to advance alternative approaches to fibroids; however, she does take the op to sound many important alarms. She is delicately raising the hysterectomy/race connection. She notes UAE is new with few studies done and then adds Dr. Scott Goodwin's remark, pg. 203, "If you embolize and block the blood supply to the nerves going into the uterus, those nerves may very well be damaged. And if you were feeling something in your uterus that was pleasurable, you may no longer feel that after embolization."

And Monique is pretty straightforward about hysterectomy and sex. On page 204 she quotes Herbert A. Goldfarb as saying that 40% of women indicate a reduced sexual response after a hysterectomy and then goes on to briefly explain why. But what made me buy the book?

One short sentence found on pg. 201, "There's also a theory that the vagus nerve, a nerve that shoots from the cervix to the brain stem, is a pathway for orgasmic sensations." Readers, that is not common knowledge. Ms. Brown has done her homework.
Let her share what she has learned with you!

This book was needed quick for a college class - thanks for making it easily accessible without having to leave the house to search for it.

This was a very interesting story, I enjoyed this book better than Their Eyes Were Watching God, and that says alot. The story of John Buddy is a turnpager and you will not be disappointed. The best I've read in a long time.

I loved this story. The story is so true to life for many women who are with men, who don't seem to be able to get it together, unless there is a woman making it happen.

The husband is a great orator, but isn't the kind of man he should be. His wife is his long suffering mate. I just love Zora's use of black dialet. It is so beautiful.

When I read the following excerpt, it felt like something hit me in the head. I was moved beyond words. It goes something like this: "Ah done been in sorrows kitchen, and ah done licked out all the pots; ah done died in grief and been buried in de bitter waters. Ah done rose from the dead lak Lazarus. Nothing can touch mah soul no mo!"

I highly recomment it.

I got an excellent book from this person. thank you so much. great doing business with you.

I always thought of Toni Morrison as the leader, the queen, and the matriarch of black women's fiction, but the more I read of Zora Neale Hurston, the more I feel that everyone else must have taken their cues from her!

Her writing is enchanting and thought provoking, her use of "black" language is absolutely delightful. The story and the characters are interesting in and of themselves. What makes this work really shine is the language, and the heritage and history that it preserves. She takes care to write the way that people speak, resulting a unorthodox spelling and usage that at first I had to say out loud in order to properly understand. (My grandmother didn't have to do that, though, and for that reason alone, she loved Zora Hurston.) Ms. Hurston also uses words, idioms and phrases that are unique to black america, and that my generation would likely have lost -- the news of the "Black Dispatch," "Old Hannah" rising, "hittin' a straight lick with a crooked stick." Some of the sayings I remember my Grandmother using, and some I remember using as a child. I found all of them interesting and beautiful, and I am grateful to Ms. Hurston for finding them valuable enough to put down.

Author Nick Kotz brings out the personalities of the heavy hitters of the 1960's, especially President Lyndon Johnson and civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. The book begins with the assassination of President Kennedy as Lyndon Johnson is then thrust into the presidency. Determined to carry out Kennedy's programs Johnson achieves initial success with his Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Equal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The author does a wonderful job characterizing Johnson's ability to give others the "Johnson treatment" in convincing them to go along with his programs. He has to deal with, not only conservative Democratic politicians determined to keep segregation permanent, but with diverse personalities such as Bobby Kennedy who felt Johnson was trying to "take over" too fast following his brother's assassination, F.B.I. Director J. Edgar Hoover who kept voluminous files on those he may need to blackmail at some time in the future, and Martin Luther King, Jr. who wanted to achieve equal rights through nonviolence. King realized, however, that he needed to wake up the country by having them see the physical violence his marchers were subjected to in the South. Vietnam put the kibosh on Johnson's Great Society program and War on Poverty to such an extent that he chose not to run for a second term in that horrendous year of 1968 which saw both Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated, the Vietnam was spiraled out of control, cities continued to burn in rioting as they had in 1967, and Richard Nixon went on to become the next president. Whether you lived through these years or not they were historic times and this book is required reading for those wanting to learn about this period in history.

A few more pieces to the civil rights movement,very well written. there was new stuff here along with insight and some behind the story things I really liked. You should enjoy this one.

Before reading this book my interest in the Civil Rights Era was probably at best a 4 on a scale of 1-10. After reading a few pages, I was instantly hooked. "Judgment Days" is easily one of the best-written books I've read in the last year (possibly only surpassed by "John Adams"). Nick Kotz does a wonderful job at making history read like a novel and despite the fact that someone completely unfamiliar with American history would still possess some basic knowledge of the subject matter: most Civil Rights legislation is passed, Vietnam is a quagmire, MLK is shot - I found myself unable to put this book down. Upon reading this book, I have a new-found respect for LBJ, view MLK in a different light, and my disdain for J. Edgar Hoover is even greater. This book should be a mandatory read for most US History and Civics classes. The struggle of the Civil Rights Era is only a generation removed for most of America's youth - yet is viewed as distant history. What MLK and others endured to ensure that the American Dream is possible for anyone provided that they want it, is eye opening (to say the least). The author does a great job of revealing how in the "land of the free" you were only truly free as long as your skin wasn't black. Nick Kotz deserves the Pulitzer for this book and it's also an excellent tie in to "The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate" by Robert A. Caro.

No need to be interested in Civil Rights to enjoy this book. If you aren't hooked after the first chapter, no need to continue.

Though Kotz is writing about oft-covered material, this book comes across as a fresh and vital examination of the relationship of two of the most important figures of the previous century. He spends a lot of time going over well known facts but also highlights the personalities of these two men. The portraits that emerge are quite interesting. MLK comes across as a man committed to change and--despite minor flaws--as the hero he was.

More surprising is Kotz take on LBJ, who comes across as equally committed to change and righting wrongs. Kotz argues that LBJ always displayed a commitment to improving the lot of the poor. Though he does not explain LBJ's early votes against civil rights, he argues that his eventual support of major civil rights legislation had its roots in his desire to help the disadvantaged, like those he grew up with in the Hill Country of Texas.

While stressing that both men were brilliant leaders, Kotz does not shy away from their flaws--of which LBJ had many. Most interesting is his take that both hoped to accomplish significantly more in the realm of abolishing poverty when their efforts were cut short--LBJ's by the morass of Vietnam and MLK's by a bullet. Ultimately this was a great read and should serve to hold those readers over who are eagerly awaiting the years-away release of Robert Caro's next LBJ volume.

This is one of my favorite Baldwin novels. Only someonle with Baldwin's background could so poignantly express who Arthur was and how he felt about his music. An excellent piece and a must read!

This book is the best book I have ever read in my life. Its emotionally naked grappling with what race and violence has done to our country is painfully acute and brutally honest. Every American should read this.

From the moment I read the first page, I have loved this novel. I have read it several times and each time the characters come to life and I find myself caring about them. Hall has to deal with so many issues--least of all, is Ruth the woman he truly loves or should he be with the evangelist? Arthur-the gay gospel singer who sometimes would just as well have a drink or a man than sing the gospel, but who sang it so well when he chose to. Then there are the complex lives of their friends and parents that seem so real and yet so tragic. Baldwin created a masterpiece!

Probably one of the more underappreciated novels in American literature. It is unfair to charecterize Baldwin as merely a social critic of the civil rights era. He stands alongside Dickens as one of the great writers of any era, with the ability to articualte an understanding of human nature that trancends any era and stands second to none.

This novel is a testament in a way, the testament of a man who has lived long and well, too much even and too hard, in the world. A testimony too. Every single event in this novel about a black man who became a gospel singer and then a blues singer is the crystalisation of the whole history of Afro-Americans in the USA, the whole history of each character that is living the event through, the whole past and future of a present that is both crooked and promising. That is the very dilemma of this book, a dilemma that we feel and sense everywhere, on every page. Each moment in the life of these characters is the condensation of the cosmic, historical and human past of the individual and the sublimation of all possible wishes, desires, potentialities that this individual has developed in his situation and with his heritage. The novel may appear as very pessimistic because one cannot evade their heritage. But it is tremendously optimistic because one can always choose to realize their dreams, even if the situation around limits the possibilities and the chances to succeed. The aim of life is not to succeed, but it is not to fail, hence to move forward a few steps, and that one can always do it, even if it entails a lot of suffering and a lot of pain. Baldwin is also very optimistic about the world, about human beings, about Afro-Americans because he believes and tries to demonstrate that this forward progress of the pilgrims we are is fuelled by the happiness one gets from life, and that happiness comes from one's effort to accept what may provide happiness, no matter what that is, and the first thing to accept is love, no matter what form it may take. Yet there is a limit for Afro-Americans, a limit and a contradiction : they have great difficulties thinking in other terms than racial terms. They have been the victims as a « race » of deportation, slavery, discrimination, in a word a holocaust, and they cannot differenciate between the whites who are responsible for that fate, those who have made a direct profit out of it, even if many others have been able to enjoy some improved conditions thanks to the exploitation of black slaves, and the whites who have no responsibility in this historical process. How can we put on the same level, in the same boat the slave owners, the slave traffickers on one side, and the serfs that could only survive between famines, and the workers who were exploited too in the factories, and still are ? How can we put in the same bag the pharmaceutical firms that let Africans die because they don't want generic drugs to be produced and the workers of these pharmaceutical firms who are exploited just the same, even if in another way : the research and the patents the bosses want the poor to pay at the highest price, and in this very case most of these firms are American in the world, have been produced by workers who should be considered as the owners of their work and are, too often, paid a pittance when compared with the riches their bosses get out of this work. That's James Baldwin's dilemma. He hardly can discriminate between the white corn and the white chaff, and the white chaff is the workers, those who create the riches of the white corn. Some chapters become extremely poignant when this issue is brought up here and there and when Black Arthur cannot accept to love and be loved by white Guy, just because Guy is white and considered by principle as an accomplice of what the lords of the white « race » have done in history. And one of James Baldwin's concluding thoughts is : « To undo the horror, we repeat it ». And not to repeat the horror of the killing of a black man by some whites (like Peanut for instance), Baldwin makes his Arthur die in London, in a pub where he is the only black man, and by falling in a state of amazed drunkness on the stairs leading to the restrooms in the basement, at a moment when love had been slightly roughened by life into a distance that could have been avoided if love had not gone through a storm in what appears like nothing but a glass of water, the glass of water of everyday life.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Umph .. Umph .. Umph .. Daniela and Caleb's love story was really good. Both had a fierce attraction to one another that escalated into a sizzling passion. Everyone around them could see it, except for them.

Buy and enjoy bcz a Maureen Smith novel is ALWAYS worth the money!

This is my second novel by this author and I can tell you she just gets better. A legal Affair is for true romantics. Daniela and Caleb's chemistry sizzles on the page and will have you wishing you had a crack at the sexy Caleb yourself. More than a man's man, Caleb has everything a woman could ever wish for. Daniela was a great heroine who was smart, sexy and knew how to hook her target with supreme ease. This author is one to watch.

Being in college right now, the prospect of finding a gorgeous teacher to fawn over and fall in love with is like the biggest fantasy popping around in my head. This is the second book that I devoured by Mrs. SMith and again was not disappointed. I believe this was her first stab at contemporary romance, rather than her usual romantic suspense and I'll be damned if she didn't blow us out of the water with this one as well. Ex lawyer turned rebel law professor Caleb Thorne is knocked off his feet when beautiful Daniella Roarke walks into his class late on the first day. From there, the book takes the most delicious turns. From a fight with sweets, to stolen kisses in a stoage closet, you'll be hooked. I hope my school gets a Caleb Thorne. he he he

In the first installment of Maureen Smith's Harlequin "Affair" series, one of the biggest cases in Roake Investigations history lands in their laps. Daniela Roake goes undercover as a law student in hopes of obtaining information from Caleb Thorne, her law professor, regarding his father's past indiscretions. However, after one look at Caleb, and knowing she would have to get even closer to him in order to complete her assignment, Daniela was a goner. Caleb, on the other hand never knew what hit him, one minute he was lecturing at a leisurely pace and the next he was staring into the face of his soul mate. After her first day jitters, Daniela gets into the swing of things, but is unprepared for the feelings Caleb evokes when they eventually find themselves alone. Unable to maintain his composure whenever Daniela is near, Caleb is willing to jeopardize his career to be with her. Daniela, torn between feelings of the heart and bound by duty, is having a hard time keeping her cover under wraps.

In Smith's first contemporary romance readers are rewarded with an awe-inspiring story about finding the perfect mate. Daniela and Caleb's relationship was an ignited fuse, burning fast, and finally triggering an ultimate explosion. Although, readers will not find the suspense, espionage and mayhem in Smith's previous novels, A LEGAL AFFAIR has enough twists and turns to keep you glued to its pages. I highly recommend this novel as well as book two, A Guilty Affair, and its follow-up, A Risky Affair slated for release March 2008.

Reviewed by Pamela Bolden
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

I truly loved this book!This is my first maureen smith novel and now i am a huge fan!!Its well written and enticing.Caleb is most defnitley my kind of man.Ive read alot and i do mean ALOT of romance novels and this one stands out from the rest!

If you love things Jamaican, but have not savored this book, you have cheated yourself. Just as Faulkner showed his love and respect for the people of his South in his writings, the same feeling comes through in Anthony Winkler's portrayals of the people both common and not in Jamaica. In their own language, they tell their own tale in their own words, Jamaican patois, Labrish. Winkler's ear for speech makes me feel I am back a yaard in JA listening over a wall. The Lunatic himself is a Zen master conversing with a bush not burning. The tale is humorous like Faulkner's Snopes' stories, but the characters reveal their humanity and dignity, or lack therof, without being patronized. Their struggles reflect the grand drama of Life, an existential comedy. And it is uproariously funny, Mon!

i was recommended this book by an outside source. The language was a little difficult for me, but fear not, if you aren't familiar with patois, then you can still read this book without too much effort. A very good story, but, unfortunately, it loses most if not all of its energy in the second half of the book. Also, if I read the phrase pum-pum one more time, i will lose my mind. try the duppy if you are new to mr. winkler's work.

I had never heard of Anthony C. Winkler before receiving information from Akashic Books that they were republishing his 1980s comic novel, The Lunatic. But I've seen interesting titles from the house before, so asked for a review copy - and I'm delighted that I did.

The story concerns a Aloysius, a Jamaican madman who claims a thousand names, who talks to trees, bushes, and rocks and lives alone in the open forests. He eventually meets a German tourist who sees the world through the lens of a camera and sex. They improbably become lovers, eventually add a third - a butcher - and go through a series of experiences and situations, culminating in the robbery of a rich man's house.

I've seen references to Winkler as Jamaica's Mark Twain. His humor manages to be both earthy - the running comments about sex and how it dominates life are funny in a way I find little sexual humor to be - and cerebral at the same time. But the humor isn't something to be enjoyed for its own sake. Winkler uses smiles and laughs as tools to further both the story and the ideas behind it. He deftly starts blending the worlds of the sane and the mad until they mingle, and suddenly he shows how much of modern society really is crazy, and how basic decency is too often viewed as a type of insanity. But that quality really is redemptive.

Winkler's use of symbolism is smooth and deep. The thousand names theme, for example, brings an association with the Hindi concept of the thousand names of God, each of which describe an aspect of the deity. The list of words - Aloysius Gossamer Longshoreman Technocracy Predominate Involuted ... and so on - actually read like a list of attributes of life and of people. They were all names he heard, sneaking outside a classroom because he had a desire to learn something. Aloysius isn't a deity, yet he seems to walk with God. Instead of seeing the change in him, we see the changes he works, just by his presence, in all around him. He calls forth mercy, a connection to the world, and true love.

Winkler is also a master of language. The book's pacing is smart - fast but not driven - and his use of dialect leaves the characters, and eventually the narration, ringing in your mind. Well, at least mine.

I'd strongly recommend this book for a pleasure read that lets something more substantial sneak up on you.

This book presents typically serious issues such as racism, morals, and social inequalities in a comedic way. The main character nonchalantly converses with trees, bushes, even a rock. Under the guise of a slapstick comedy novel, Winkler is presenting a social commentary that is very relevant. I laughed out loud throughout the book, but at the same time, I felt that I was given a new point of view on many issues. This is a truly unique book, with the language making the reading a little more challenging, but a lot more fun. I've never been to Jamaica, but I lived in Hawaii, and the language is a bit similar. It's great to see a slang language in print. A great read, and definitely worth the time!

This is undoubtedly the funniest book I have ever read. 10 years ago in my college dorm through peals of laughter, which had everyone thinking I had gone mad - as mad as Aloysius - I read this tale in 24 hours. Since then I have reread the book several times and given copies as gifts for a variety of occasions. Each time, the response of belly ripping laughter has been the same.

This is a true depiction of the quintessential Jamaican rural mad man. Those of us who grew up in rural Jamaica know an Aloysius. The theme might seem like a simple silly Jamaican comedy, but the writing style is eloquent and easy. Tony does not skip a beat.

I have two criticisms; the first is that we end on an anti-climax as if the writer ran out of ideas or he became tired of writing. Therefore I felt that the tale ended too abruptly. Then again, this feeling could also be due to my desire to have this story go on and on. My second criticism is that I sensed a touch of Condescension by the narattor to ordinary poor country folk. In the Jamaican context, the church going old woman who slept with the mad man would hardly have done such a thing. But then again this is fiction. I guees the problem for me is that when fiction mimics real life so closely, one wants consistency throughout. Nevertheless, I give this five stars - and more - every time I read it.

Also recommended: Slip Stream, by Rachel Manley, Orange Laughter, by Leone Ross, Mine Boy by Peter Abrahams.

Great book. Insightful writing.

I purchased this book for my American Religious Diversity class and found that it gives you a clear timeline of the Civil Rights Movement and how Martin viewed it as the American dream and how Malcolm viewed it as a nightmare. The book's chapters follow the Civil Rights Movement chronologically by date and discuss Martin's and Malcolm's personal lives, religious obligations, beliefs, priorities, and virtually every other aspect in enough detail to give you a clear picture of the time. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil Rights Movement.

Dr. Cone really points out the differences between Dr King and Malcolm X like no one else. But more importantly he sees so many simalaities. For erxample Malcom X encouraged blacks to go to Christian churches and get involved in social isues. Further, Dr Cone points out that Malcolm X wanted to go to Law School!!.

Also it is interesting that Dr. King refused to debate their respective postions.

Every time I am in Harlem at Lennox Ave and 125th St. I reflect on Dr Cone's masterpiece.

Have all children and adults read this book.

Darrell Pone,MD
Old Westbury, NY

Dr James Cone's MARTIN AND MALCOLM AND AMERICA: A DREAM OR A NIGHTMARE is one of the best books I've encountered.

Cone discusses the rhetorical strategies of Martin Luther King, Jr, and Malcolm X as they applied to their particular audiences: King to the South and Malcolm X to the North. Cone argues that Martin King's strategy of non-violent protest, while effective in the extremely segregated and anti-integrationist South, was not effective in the North (particularly in cities like Chicago and Detroit) because the discourse and policy of "integration" was already superficially accepted by Northeners. The "liberal" North found King's rhetoric to be more or less agreeable even as the structures of discrimination continued to subject black people to a brutal double-standard. Thus Malcolm X's policy of Black Nationalism (separatist rather than integrationist) that allowed for violence epitomized by the slogan "by any means necessary" was more successful in the North because it more effectively confronted personal and systematic racism. Long story short: two different rhetors with different rhetorics because of different situations, different audiences, with different immediate goals. Interestingly, near the close of both men's lives--Malcolm X killed in 1965 and Martin King in 1968--Malcolm began to sound a little more like Martin; and Martin began to speak even more forcefully, not unlike Malcolm had been known to do previously.

I had the great luxury of hearing Dr Cone present a lecture based on the book back in 1992. Twelve years later, my assesment of the book remains constant: Outstanding.

This book is one of the best books I've read concerning MLK Jr. and Malcolm X in a comparative manner. From beginning to end it is written in a fashion that keeps you intrigued. I won't provide a summary because that has already been done but the detail of these mens lives is remarkable. I definitely feel that you can not go wrong with purchasing this book because you will not be disappointed.