Races Books

Once the great champion Barbaro was able to run he would run against his buddies at the ranch. When and once he started to begin his training he wantedto win and when he became old enough to realize how strong his legs were and how deep his well of speed ws. The others bred to be chanps world be at his mercy.
On the day of his first race everybody wanted to see what this colt had in his well of speed. He won by 10 lengths. Time went on and on the day of the race of the Piminto Race, all the horses lilned up in the starting gate and once the bell rang out came Barbaro and then bam! The horrible misstep riuned his moment of glory, he was fighting for his life!
He was sent to the vetrinary clinic he would have to have 36 screws, 3 plates and alot of faith. After many weeks of recovery have pasted but doctors found a deep abcess in his right foot. On January 29th, the owners told the doctors to let him to release him to the green pastures beside the still waters.

BARBARO is a true GENTLEMAN-CHAMPION. The way he won all of his races,
with all that integrity & class, was a wonder to behold.

Get this book, you will love it. The ONLY complaint I have is: NOT
enough pictures of BARBARO were included. I could easily have wanted
at least dozens more. Maybe my words here, will inspire some one to make
my wishes come true. ***GO***BARBARO !!!***

As a Barbaro lover, I enjoyed this book. It's simple, great for children, and talks about the best of this fabulous horse and his tremenous courage.

I absolutely loved this book....loved seeing a "baby" picture of Barbaro too! I really felt like I was right there with Barbaro as he was growing up! I'm sure I will re-read this book many times.

This book touched me in a special way! I smiled, laughed, and cried as I read it. Ms Mickle's presentation of Barbaro's life, much of it from the horse's-eye-view, endeared me even more to Barbaro. I hope his full brothers are being nurtured and brought along in identical fashion. Great reading! NOTE: The Preakness Stakes is 1 3/16 miles long; it was not the longest race he was being asked to complete at the time. The Kentucky Derby was longer--at 1 1/4 miles (1/16th of a mile further than the Preakness). Long live the memory and legacy of Barbaro! My compliments and respect go out to those who helped make him a champion.

Blood of Angels is one of the best suspense novels I have read in quite some time. Set in Nashville it features Thomas Dennehy, a lead prosecutor who is known for his closing arguments and who has sent more than one criminal to death row. His new case, for which he plans to go for the maximum penalty, is against Moses Bol, a Sudanese immigrant accused of raping and murdering a white woman in a gritty part of town. As the case is contemplated a bombshell drops. An anti-death penalty professor claims he has incontrovertible proof that an executed convict that Dennehy put on death row, Wilson Owens, was innocent of the crime for which he was put to death. This throws the prosecutor's office into disarray, as well as the case against Bol, as an activist preacher claims Bol is innocent. In the meantime Dennehy thinks he's being stalked by someone, and acts directed at him get increasingly more frightening. He is soon visited, yet again, by his past, in a harrowing sequence of events.

This novel is definitely an intricate, well thought out work of suspense. The characters in this novel are very well drawn and Dennehy's relationship and interaction with them gives the novel a very personal touch.

Two thumbs up for this one.

The start was a bit misleading ( I thought I'd stumbled upon an anti-death penalty rant disguised as a novel ), but was pleasantly surprised to find myself in the middle of a fantastic thriller.

I recommend readers go through the bargain hardcover book section of their local bookstores and experiment with new authors on the cheap. That's how I found Reed Arvin and now I plan on reading all of his books.

Thomas Dennehy, Assistant District Attorney of Davidson County Tennessee, has his hands full in Blood of Angels.

The case of one Wilson Owens has come back to haunt the DA's office as new evidence has come to light that the State of Tennessee may have executed the wrong man two years ago.

Dennehy was the prosecutor in the case known at the Sunshine Grocery murders and has the singular notoriety of having convicted two men in separate trials and of separate crimes of killing the same woman. This in itself puts a tornadic twist into this book that would make it a brilliant story, but Arvin goes one-step further by hurling the racially charged murder of a local white-trash girl by a Sudanese immigrant into the mix.

Kwame Jamal Hale has come forward and delivered what may prove to be very damning evidence that he, not Owens, was the murderer at the Sunshine Grocery. His claim? He knows where the heretofore-undiscovered murder weapon can be found. Dennehy, his boss David Rayburn and soon-to-be retired fellow prosecutor Carl Becker, can only wait and watch as the circus rolls into downtown Nashville and the DA's office prepares to tender their resignations en toto, if it is proved that Wilson Owens was innocent and unlawfully executed.

Meanwhile the bond hearing of the suspected Sudanese murderer Moses Bol comes to court. The DA is dealt another blow when bail is set at $1.5 million and is paid by one Fiona Towns, a Presbyterian preacher of a dying central Nashville church that has less the dozen members.

These two stories together are not enough for Arvin. He tosses in the failing personal life of Dennehy, a cast of characters that make every page a thrill to turn and just enough action for you to gnaw your fingernails down to the cuticles. Dennehy has a wit and dark sense of humor that would be depressing if it were not written so well. Add his ex-wife, her wealthy doctor second husband, and a daughter that truly loves her daddy, and you have the full package in a legal thriller that you will be proud to recommend to every fellow fiction reader you know.

Armchair Interviews says: If you love legal thrillers, check this one out!

I loved "The Will" by Arvin and grabbed "Blood of Angels" as soon as it was released in hardcover. It is a book to own and I will read again one day. Great suspense, character developement and plot. This book has it all. It's one of those you can't put down once you start it.

As a former resident of Nashville and currently living in the city of Frankling (the hero's city) I was expecting to be somewhat familiar with the sites and locations. What I was not expecting was the absolutely riveting story - a police procedural of the first degree. I now know how residents of New York, DC, LA & Chicago feel when they read stories that take place in their city. The areas described are well-known and provide a reference point for the story.

This is the New South. Absent are evangelicals, the dominant Democrat party, close-knit generational families and a whites only landscape. Instead, Thomas Dehenny, the district attorney, is a driven, dedicated hard-drinking, divorced father who never attends church. One detects that the author (through Thomas) decries those who devote their lives to defending murderers and rapists. He asks, What about the victims? Who speaks for them?

In this case, there is a strong possiblity that the wrong man was executed. The crime involved two defendents - the shooter & the medic who actually killed the woman through negligance (he was on meth). At the same time, the city is rocked by the brutal murder of a Nationite woman by an African refugee. The struggle between low-class whites (The Nation) & the growing numbers of refugees and immigrants is real & depicted with accuracy. Into the fray steps Fiona Tonws, local Presbyterian minister/activist. Despite their positions, a romance breaks out between the two. The real villian is revealed midway through the book & he is as horrible and clever as they come. The ending was sheer perfection as was the entire story. I cannot say enough about this book! Buy it.

This book has to rank right up there with the best autobiographies of the last 100 years, next to Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, and others. Mamie Till and Benson were a perfect team and together her and Emmett's story is so moving because she has made it so real. They come off as such everyday people but then Emmett seemed so extraordinary for a boy of his time as well. The book is many things but one thing it is not is this: Mamie is not asking for your pity, your sympathy, or even your donations. She is simply telling her story. Yet, as she tells her story one cannot help but feel all of those emotions along with it. It is such an enjoyable read about the incredible bond between a mother in son that you will hardly dwell on the awful crime that was committed aganist this young man.

WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE DEATH OF EMMETT TILL IT WAS ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO EVEN THOUGH THE MURDER HAPPENED OVER FORTY YEARS AGO. I READ ABOUT IT IN AN ISSUE OF "JET" MAGAZINE. JUST WITH READING ONE ARTICLE I HAD TO GET THE FULL STORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. THATS WHEN I PURCHASED "DEATH OF INNOCENCE". THE BOOK IS A FIRST HAND LOOK AT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED FROM BEGINNING TO END. IT IS WRITTEN BY EMMETT'S MOTHER MAMIE TILL MOBLEY. SHE SHARES HER HEART FELT STORY. THIS BOOK WILL TUG AT YOUR EMOTIONS, BECAUSE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FEEL THE ANGER, SADNESS, FRUSTRATION AND MANY OTHER EMOTIONS SHE FELT WHILE GOING THROUGH SUCH A HORRIFIC EVENT . THIS IS A GREAT BOOK THAT I WOULD RECOMMENED TO ANYONE LOOKING TO GET MORE INFO ON THE EMMIT TILL MURDER AND THE CASE THAT FOLLOWED.

This is one of the saddest books I have ever read. The fact those two evil beasts got away with it is appalling. The fact they apparently did not bother repenting of the crime is even worse. Had they no remorse at all (one wonders the same of the jury and others involved with the csae, including the odious Sheriff Strider)? I wonder how it was for them on their deathbeds...did they suffer? One would hope they did...at the least, perhaps the spirit of Emmett Till came to them in their last hour of life and frightened the wits out of them the way even God's wrath on Judgment day did not appear to. I have never been to Mississippi and never shall, and am in the middle of writing a novel that concerns this tragic moment in the pitiful history of my people here in these United States of America.

Mamie Till Mobley is the mother of the Civil Rights Movement. I wish I had been able to give her a hug. This book should be required reading in every History class. I hope that the recent exhumation of Emmett's body will find evidence to bring some kind of justice to this most horrific tragedy.

Mother Mamie Till-Mobley will forever be remembered as a paragon of love, forgiveness, and indomitable strength. This moving memoir was told as only a mother could tell it with both tenderness and the maternal fervor that is so distinctly and universally "Mother." She paints for the reader a portrait of who Emmett was from the time of his birth up to his brutal death, and beyond. For the manner in which this 14-year-old boy was murdered so affected the consciousness of this nation that Emmett became a symbol of how hatred and racism in America not only doesn't exempt Black children, but demonstrates that they are so disposible as human beings that crimes against them go unpunished. The Emmett Till tragedy will forever serve as a shameful commentary on race relations in America, and how the sin of racism has left a permanent stain on the very flag that we say represents "liberty and justice for all."

Mother Mobley gives the reader delicious slices of her own backstory: her close relationship with her mother, her religious upbringing, and the demise of her first marriage (to Louis Till, Emmett's father), and subsequent marriage to Gene Mobley. The book draws you into the life of Mamie Till-Mobley and her family; the love and dedication shown to her by her own mother is almost tangible. The essence of who she was comes off the page. Throughout the pages you can sense her warmth, gentleness, and her strength. From the very beginning of the book, the reader gets to know Mamie as a woman of great strength and stoicism for early on her husband, Louis Till, was lynched while on a tour of duty in the U.S. Army. She goes on to raise her son alone for a season, teaching him responsibility and strict moral values. He turns out to be an obedient and responsible son who loves and respects his mother and grandmother.

The most moving passage was when Emmett's body is shipped back to Chicago. Mother Mobley along with members of the Black clergy, go to Union Station to retrieve her son's remains. She describes in detail the look of the ghastly box that held her 14-year-old baby; the awful stench that emanated from the box; and the emotion that she felt during this horrible juncture. You could feel the wrenching agony of this mother's soul when she describes her screams at the sight of the terrifying box that held her child. She, the funeral director, and her other relatives were ordered by Mississippi law officials not to open the box or there would be consequences. Naturally, this mother ignores this insane command vowing to pry the box open herself if need be. Once Emmett's body arrives at A.A. Raynor Funeral Parlour, Mother Mobley (against the strict admonition of law authorities)meticulously examines the body of her son. So grotesque were his remains, the funeral director suggested a closed casket service. However, Mother Mobley insists that her son's battered and monstrously bloated body be put on display for the world to see. She decribes how she started the examination of Emmett at his toes, and inch by inch she painstakingly worked her way up his thighs, middle, chest, ears one of which had been cut off, his pertruding tongue, and eventually to his enormously swollen head. She decribes his knees with reminisces of how they had been when he was an infant. She decribes her relief that his manhood hadn't been severed for castration was the all-too-familiar calling card of a lynch mob. She exercises grace and modesty when she examines his private parts, explaining how "Emmett would have a fit if he knew [she] was looking at him like this." She had such a connection to her son that even while examining his corpse, she respected his privacy as would any other mother of her adolescent son.

Mamie Till-Mobley's story takes the reader on a journey of love, tragedy, and forgiveness. This woman's faith is evident in the pages of this book. She relies on her faith and is able to forgive the vicious beasts who mutilated her boy. She forgives a country and a justice system that not only acquitted these killers, but reprehensibly subjected her to ridicule and various indignities during that farce they called a trial. And she forgives a president who shows cold indifference when she turns to him for help after having exhausted all legal channels trying to get justice for Emmett. Her strength knew no boundaries. In her later years she dedicated herself to mothering the children of others by first becoming a public school teacher, serving as a church mother in her local church, and establishing a drama group for children. She traveled the country speaking out against hatred and violence. Her healing came through the avenue of giving and not allowing this tragedy, painful as it was, to cause her to withhold her love. She never gave up the fight to get justice for her son; she was in her eighties when she departed this life in January 2003, and she fought for Emmett until the very end. She showed the tenacity and the depth of a mother's love--a love so great, only God's is greater. She was a remarkable woman--a remarkable mother. This was a remarkable story.

Just when I thought I had read everything about the space program, French and Burgess have done it again will a follow-on effort to their book "Into That Silent Sea."

I have no idea when they have the time to create such excellent work, but the latest book begins where the first one ended and includes much information I had never seen before, especially the chapters on the Apollo 1 pad fire and monumental Apollo 8 mission, it alone, a historic accomplishment rivaling the actual Moon landing.

Riddled with numerous never-before seen accounts (at least by me), the book is simply bulging with information such as Lola Morrow's dire premonition concerning the Apollo pad fire, and the raw emotional impact experienced by the crew of Apollo 8 upon seeing the first Earthrise observed by man.

I sincerly hope that Francis and Colin keep up the good work; maybe they could do a similar effort on underwater exploration? That would be such a contribution....

C. Newport, D.Sc.
Author of Lost Spacecraft: The Search for Liberty Bell 7

I own and have read most everything related to the Mercury through Apollo space program and this book shows new information that I hadn't seen in the other books published by many other astronauts and authors. Information was gathered from a myriad of sources and checked against other sources. The book greatly changed my opinion of a few astronauts and paints the entire NASA program in a more accurate light. The passing of time since the event depicted in the book has allowed the authors to see the "big picture" and step away being politically correct and instead be factual and accurate instead.

I just finished this wonderful historical and personal account of the race to the Moon, and feel privileged to know a little more about the brave men at the apex of mankind's tremendous achievement all those years ago. The authors have expertly captured the spirit of the times and given us the "warts and all" perspective on the personalities involved. For those who love history but are concerned that this book may be a "technical" account, there's no need to worry - it's exposition of events is clear and uncluttered, and clevery interwoven with the life stories of the people involved.

I strongly recommend this book as required reading to younger, high-school and college-age readers who may wonder today "How did we get there?". (Or sadly, even if we got there at all!). The answers are here, where we learn that despite our ever-present human failings, we CAN do great things when united to a common purpose. By the end of the book it will become obvious why and how we could reach the point where Armstrong and Aldrin could safely land on the Moon and return home - in fact it's almost anti-climactic!

Knowing more about the fallibilities of the astronauts has only deepened my respect for these remarkable and courageous men. As they grow old over a time when we haven't returned to the Moon, it's important to capture their stories for future generations, and French & Burgess have succeeded eminently in doing so.

My only niggle is that apparently the publishers balked at the idea of an index, which would have served as a guide for those who want to return to this book from time to time to "dip in" - as I'm sure I and many others shall do for years to come.

What authors French and Burgess have managed to accomplish with their book "In the Shadow of the Moon" is a sense of being there.

This book transcends a third-party recounting of events. French and Burgess have created an extraordinary interface between the reader and the people sharing their stories. "In the Shadow of the Moon" does an exquisite job of bringing us into the fold, allowing a rather personal access to these astronauts' lives and innermost thoughts: helping us to better understand an experience we will never have ourselves.

The authors' skillful marriage of informing and storytelling help to ensure that it is a book that will be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their interest level in space history. The authors did an excellent job of introducing background information on a mission, and then following it up with personal interpretation by someone who was there. The authors' thorough research is apparent, but it is woven so well with the narrative that it allows the reader to simply take it in, absorbing it effortlessly.

By writing this book, French and Burgess share with humanity that which few have experienced. But more than that, they help us all understand a little better the magnitude of our venture into space. The accomplishments of the few, holding meaning for us all.

There are and have been hundreds if not thousands of books about manned spaceflight over the years but only a select few have really been able to communicate the true story and feeling generated by one of the most fondly remembered era's in American history. A time most commonly remembered as being one of technological marvel. However the true story is one of the men & Women who supported and flew the missions. This book goes deeper into the "Golden era" or manned spaceflight and tells stories that have never been told all the while keeping the reader enthralled. It touches on subjects long since forgotten or ignored and brings them to the fore. With first hand interviews with the people involved the authors really touch on the human aspect. I was especially taken by surprise that they told the story the way it should be. Not just the American effort, but the Russians too as there story never really gets told. I have read many books on spaceflight and I can honestly say this is one of only a few books that have kept me addicted and wanting to come back for more. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed. Even if you are not interested in manned spaceflight buy this book as you will be by the end. It reminds us all why we were interested in spaceflight to begin with. For a long long time the Book A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin was the book to beat. This is no longer the case.

This book was recommended as a gift to a pre-med student. She was excited to receive this as it dove-tailed with a course she is currently taking.

This book is amazing! I love it and recommend it to my friends. The author formerly wrote for a New York magazine, and his stories cover decades. It is interesting to see how some diseases such as Lyme's first became known and how the tools available to the medical profession have both changed and some have remained the same. Read it, you will love it!

I was given this book by one of the epidemiologists that was featured in the book. He had great respect for Roueche and loves his articles. I think these stories a very well written and really hold your attention. They also give you a good history of diseases and conditions. Great book!

This "classic collection of award-winning medical investigative reporting", published in 1988, is an excellent book. Each of the 25 case studies originally appeared as an "Annals of medicine" piece in the New Yorker, and there's not a dud in the bunch.

Most of the cases happened in the 1950's or 1960's, when sophisticated, CSI-era analytical techniques were unavailable. Nonetheless, there is no sense that these stories are dated. Roueche is a natural storyteller and has the rare ability to present technical aspects in a way that is intelligible to the non-expert reader, at just the right level of detail.

It's like 25 "House" episodes, but without the gratuitous obnoxiousness, condescension to the reader, or the ridiculous constraint that only a limping, misanthropic painkiller addict can be right.

Berton Roueché wrote for the "New Yorker" magazine for almost half a century, and was winner of the 1950 Albert Lasker Medical Journalism Award. His many volumes on physicians and medical detectives, including this book, were collected from his articles in the "New Yorker."

"The Medical Detectives" volume II is great bedtime reading, because the good guys, i.e. physicians and epidemiologists always get their villain (whether it's a germ, poison gas, or a disgruntled boyfriend). Volume II's twenty-three case histories date from 1947 to 1984, before the days when Big Insurance dictated how long patients would stay in hospitals and what kind of treatment they would receive. Some of the doctors in this book actually made house calls! A couple of the cases really stayed with me, because the patients were kept in the hospital for weeks at a time just to track down a diagnosis. In one case, a man had the hiccups. In the other, a woman had a headache. Can you guess what would happen to these patients if they went to an emergency room, today?

Anyone who is interested in medical detection will be both engrossed and instructed by Roueché's careful, detailed true-life mysteries. The cases contained in this volume range from the man who hiccupped for 27 years through the deliberate poisoning of a family. One of my favorites from 1948 is called, "The Fog". This does not refer to John Carpenter's famous 1980 horror movie, but a true story that is in some ways even more frightening than anything Hollywood could produce. It takes place in Donora, Pennsylvania, a gritty mill town along the Monongahela River, which is infamous for its fogs: "They are greasy, gagging fogs, often intact even at high noon, and they sometimes last for two or three days."

The Donora `Death Fog' killed 20 people and left hundreds injured and gasping for breath. Roueché tells this story of America's worst air pollution disaster through the observations of eye-witnesses, one of them a physician. London usually comes to mind when Death comes stalking through a thick fog, but this story is every bit as atmospheric as one by A. Conan Doyle, and "The Fog's" detectives are real people.

This collection of true medical stories starts off a bit slowly, but you will end up wishing for Volume III.

When it comes to accepting people for merit and substance, children are wiser than adults. Their minds are free from corruption and therefore able to absorb truth and kindness without reservations. Thank goodness for this book! It will equip those who wish to enlighten others with a tool so long needed; TRUTH!!!

In short, the moral content of this book applies to all people regardless of their age or color.

I am a person of color who has encountered numerous degrading occurences; based upon the hue of my skin. My outlook has not been jaded, though my youth would have been better served by a book such as this one. It allows the fact that individuals can exert preferences in honest error; and that enlightment may alter their perceptions.
I am very impressed by the presentation of the material. In my opinion, this is information that all persons should obtain.

This easy-to-read, easy-to-understand book about color awareness is must class reading for teachers in the early grades to help children understand discrimination. The sensitive, unassuming tone of the book will appeal to children as they learn, through Mr. Browne's experience, the meaning of bias and how avoiding it can create wonderful relationships. As the book says "...the children see through the eyes of innocence."

I look forward to reading many more of Ms. Shaw's contributions.

I'm a retired kindergarten and first grade teacher from Ohio. How very fortunate this generation is to have "Mr. Browne's Roses" concerning color awareness. It is exactly what every school teacher and parent should read and use to help their children understand.

I loved the book. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened to the main character, "Sticky." It's not the kind of book you have to use a dictionary all the time. It's written in plain simple language.
The only draw back was the lines that were repeated. Other than that, it was an excelent story. I even got motivated to dig the old basketball out of the closet. Good show!

This is a great book. Everyone should read this book. And the movie is gonna be really good.

I liked his book because it was about basketball and I have played basketball for the last nine years. I felt like I understood the book because I know a lot about basketball. It also told of a story about a boy growing up in the foster carte system.
Sticky was the main character of this book. It starts out when he is 16 years old waiting for a chance to play a pick up game at the recreation center. All the guys from the neighborhood like to hang out there. He is the only white player on the court. The other players make fun of his name. It was a nickname his mother gave him so he likes it and gets angry because they wanted him to say his real name or change it.
The book flips back and forth from his rough childhood with his single mother, to his multiple foster parents, to current time. It took him through rough and good experiences with friends and foes.
He meets a girl from high school who he likes and they start dating. They want to go to the same college so Sticky has to try really hard to get a basketball scholarship.
He learned life lessons throughout the book. Most of his lessons were learned on the court at the recreation center. There were lots of fights, laughter, and yelling, homeless people, young and old people.
I give this book a 5 star rating and you should for sure buy Ball don't lie if you don't you'll be missing out.

I'm not usually a big book guy, but I knew I had to read my boy "Cali's" first book. We play ball together at the Prospect YMCA. So I went and bought a copy to show my support. Then I didn;t read it for about six months. Well I just finished it last night. I couldn't believe how good it was. This dude can really write. And I love the story. It's sad, but in the end you feel like the main character is going to be alright. Speaking of the main character. He's from the west coast which usually means he'd be soft, but this kid has got some heart. so get get a copy of this book and support my boy Cali. You'll be happy you did.

This book starts out really slow and boring because you are blinded by all of the basketball details. So you think "here's another boring sports book" and by chapter 3 it is already unraveling into a book you just can't put down. Sticky is a ghetto and rough-around-the-edges white guy that has grown up on the streets, moving from foster pad to foster pad, eventually making it to an area where he is daily playing ball with the regular crew down at Lincoln Rec. He knows that he has to have something special to get out of this life he doesn't want to be stuck with forever. It really does suck you in and has you going through every trial with Sticky from past to present making you feel as if it were you telling the story of Sticky's crazy and hectic life.

Sowell presents many ideas that could reduce racial tension and help all of us strive for the American dream. Craig Matteson's review gives an excellent summary so I refer you to that for details. The title is a great choice. I highly recommend this book for blacks, whites, and other races as well.

In his bestselling autobiography, "My Grandfather's Son," Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called hearing and speaking with leading conservative author Thomas Sowell "a landmark event." Justice Thomas later cited Sowell among a few who, "unhampered by party allegiances...could speak their minds with honesty and clarity. They were my kind of black men."

In "Black Rednecks and White Liberals," Sowell's sober, reasoned approach wrestles major pieces of Western cultural history from emotional revision and reinterpretation.

Anyone following conservative politics and philosophy since Ronald Reagan's election will recognize Sowell's underlying themes. He long opposed preserving "ghetto" or "gangsta rap" culture, which criticized studious, high-achieving blacks for "acting white." His first essay traces perceived black "cultural heritage" to a "redneck" culture rooted in Britain's working class, transplanted with the 18th century Southern settlers, extracted through education and migration after the Civil War, then given, in Sowell's words, "new lease on life" by liberals and academics after 1960.

Sowell also long opposed affirmative action, racial quotas, and busing. In "Black Education" he uses the histories of Washington, DC's Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and Howard University to divide traditional teaching (based on discipline, study, and hard work) from modern social experiment, multiculturalism, and what Sowell quotes one leader's calling a "superiority-inferiority complex" between mostly white teachers and their black students. Sowell sees the tragedy stemming from students needing the best available education regardless of race.

Sowell's essays siphon morality from causation, drawing lessons (as opposed to agendas or even reparation) from US history. In "The Real History of Slavery," and again in "History vs. Visions," he laments black history told only through acknowledged mistreatment of blacks by whites, challenging Alex Haley's powerful "Roots" mythology. He widens slavery and human exploitation's shame and history to South America, the Middle East ( frightening examples of Arab mistreatment of slaves) and among Africans. He cites Western Civilization and philosophy as catalysts to see and end slavery's evil; Western culture had been vilified for preserving the "peculiar institution" and not denouncing it strongly enough in Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Two essays, "Are Jews Generic?" and "Germans and History," isolate Nazi Germany's unspeakable Holocaust from Jewish and German interlocked histories. Sowell recalls their cultural contributions: Germans as punctual craftsmen relishing and using learning and technology, Jewish merchants and bankers creating wealth through long hours, hard work and convenient goods and services in new, untested areas. Both were discriminated against (as would other nationalities seen as economic "middlemen"), sometimes violently, by indigenous peoples Sowell saw as lacking their respective initiatives and work ethic. Sowell noted Adolf Hitler exploited this trend in his need to seize dictatorial power from Germany's need for restored price, and used it to win an election with devastating results none could expect in 1933.

Ultimately, this book's provocative title (I received more comment from its cover it than any book I carried publicly) and essays tell Western cultural history without evoking guilt, shame, or burden. "Black Rednecks and White Liberals" is history re-told as statistically as Sowell (also a leading economist) could tell it; a wake-up call from nightmares of past mistreatment. It licenses anyone reading it to transcend their past or its perceptions. Highly recommended for those interested in American history and culture.

With his usual impeccable research and clear writing, in the title presentation, Black Rednecks and White Liberals Thomas Sowell has shown that much of the self-defeating behavior of Black Americans came from neither the antebellum South, nor from ancestral Africa. Rather, they came from the behavior of English expatriates who relocated to the old South. From the Reverend Wright style of rant, to the word choice itself, we see reflected in American Blacks the lifestyles of the people who had lived in the Northern half of England, and who were considered unwelcome and uncouth even among their own countrymen.
There are other long essays, including works on Black education, slavery, and discrimination against Jews, but it is the first that generates "aha's" on almost every page

I was automatically attracted to this book by the title and was interested to see what was written. I'm not a big fan of Sowell but this was a very compelling read. Finally a book that explains "ghetto" culture and not just fingerpoints at it. Also, I love this book because it equates whites and blacks that live similar cultures. Too many conservative writings that focus on societal failures always point to the black community when the same ills exist in predominatly white locales.

I think this is a book that both whites and blacks should read.

A must read for everyone wishing to speak on the topic of race relations. As a history (80 pages of notes and references) Sowell successfully debunks many "politically correct" ideas on the origin of Black culture, animus against Jews, contribution of the German culture and more. I found the book engrossing and have returned to it many times for data. I almost totally agree with the other fine reviews of this book.

What a riveting story of an era that I, too, was born into but on the other side of the fence than Gene Cheek. It makes me so sad to realize that I had the same sentiment as all the "rogue" whites because I was also taught to dislike those that looked different. And in my town the only ones that were 'different" were the less fortunate blacks. I am sorry for my generation and my race that this burden was placed on the Gene Cheeks of the US. I couldn't put this book down until I had completed it. Thank you Gene for sharing your story and again I apologize to you and your family and am so thankful for your Grandma and Mama---people that everyone would love.

A sensitive and heartfelt memoir. I enjoyed reading the book. However, it is important to remember the Jim Crow South did not have a monopoly on racism. Racism is racism. I grew up in eastern NC, where my mother and father taught me to respect all people. I had an entirely different experience. When I took a job north of the Mason-Dixon line in the 90's, I could not believe the racism prevalent there. The difference I saw was the jokes and stereotypes and wink-winks were done behind closed doors. I was disgusted. Racism in the South during this era was ugly. But it was not restricted there, never has been.

Gene's book is absolutely the best book I have ever read. He speaks with such eloquent words that go straight to the heart. He writes in his "about the author" section that he has "lived an unremarkable life" - as you read the book you realize the opposite - he has lived an exceptionally remarkable life which he unfolds for the reader with great authenticity and care. It is a profoundly moving book that is written in an exceptional manner. All you can think of as you read it is "please don't let this be the first and last book you write." For those of us who can remember the days of the very segregated South, this book will resonate with you. For those of you who are not old enough to remember this book is a must read, as we must never forget our history.
We should all be grateful to Gene for giving us such a gift as he has - I know I am.

I am a native of Winston-Salem, NC where the accounts in this book took place. It was so exciting to ride through the neighborhoods where Gene and his family lived. Some of the houses are still standing; I think I saw the house he grew up in during one of my "history searches". I thought this book was enlightening, refreshing and a testament that not all people buy into "traditions" their family's try to hand down. There are many people like Gene's mother, grandmother and step-father who are more attentive to how you are as a human, than what color your skin is and I was fortunate enough to know them and become friends with many people who shared this mindset. I enjoyed reading the touching story of the love between a mother and son, and although I applaud his unselfishness and love of his brother, I can't help but think that he might have been a little less understanding in real life. But then again, I am only expressing how I would feel. The campus I work for (mentioned in the book as Winston Salem Teacher's College, now WSSU), is requiring all freshmen to read this book. I am happy that they are. It is, again, a wonderful, yet painful account and it is history that needs to be told.

I too was driving home from work when I had the good fortune to learn of Gene Cheek's boyhood experience while listening to NPR. In a world that continues to struggle with hatefulness, I encourage anyone and everyone to meet Grandma "Pearl" Anderson, Jesse Eugene Cheek, and the gracious, strikingly patient gentleman - Mr. Cornelius Tucker. The historical implications of this young man's socio-political recollection of pre-Civil Rights America encourages us all to embrace courage, love, and strength, instead of relenting to fear when confronted with difference. I've chosen to use this literary work in my Freshman English class; my students won't part with it. They have been captured by the emotion, the characters, and the voice of a boy who lost a portion of the child inside. Gene Cheek should be acknowledged for taking the risk to write and share this experience. There's hope, if this book is able to reach a readership willing to make a difference in the world.

Freedom summer is a story of 2 little boys one black one white who are friends during the desegregation movement. They really do not understand that skin color was supposed to make a difference in their friendship. An excellent book for the classroom showing that color doesn't matter.

An emotionally charged story for all readers, Freedom Summer is not a book to soon be forgotten. While its focus is on segregation, students of the current time can relate it to issues of bullying and prejudice. The painted pictures match the text and convey deep emotion through the use of color and texture. While the text is criticized for being overly contrived and romanticized in places, it often matches the message and mood of the pages. As a story for younger readers, it conveys a depth of emotion during a difficult time in history without overwhelming the reader with facts and information.

The story is told with a variety of colorful expressions and analogies. Illustrations are simply beautiful. The story was one that touched my heart and flooded me with memories of my own childhood, when this could have been my own town. I immediately shared the book with my own 9-year old granddaughter. Wonderful, powerful!!

This book won the Coretta Scott King award and the Ezra Jack Keats Book award. It is easy to understand why. Gorgeous illustrations belong in a museum; what appears to be oil or acrylic is rendered in a naturalistic, painterly style.

At the beginning of the book there is a historical note on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forms the basis for the action in the story. Two boys, one white and one black, are best friends in the deep South. They enjoy playing together in the summer in the river and on the fields. The black child's mother works as a domestic for the white child's family.

The summer of 1964 brings changes that some white people resent. The Act makes it illegal to bar blacks from businesses, public pools, and other places where they had been unable to go freely. Initially the boys were elated because that meant they could both swim in the public pool. But the pool is being filled in with asphalt when they arrive.

The level of hatred towards African Americans is palpable when reading Freedom Summer. It succeeds on all levels; a beautiful, educational, moving book. White attitudes are depicted honestly, but there are also open-minded whites who help the Civil Rights Act succeed. At the end of the story the two boys are entering a store together to buy ice pops. The reader is left rooting for them.

Have you ever felt bad because of how people treat you because of your color? Well if you have, you can make a connection with this book "Freedom Summer". "Freedom Summer" is about how two friends, no matter what people say, they continue being friends. That's how people treat one of them just because of his color black. If you want to know more about the book "Freedom Summer" just read it.