 |
![The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography [Oprah's Book Club] - Picture 1 of 1](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/NCIAAOSwh~Rf~k~c/s-l500.jpg)
More Than Just A Good Read Book Review By James Myers www.myspace.com/jameswmyers http://www.morebeautifulwoman.com/more_than_a_good_read THE MEASURE OF A MAN A spiritual autobiography By Sidney Poitier Published by Harper Collins Publishers ISBN 978-0-06-135790-9 243 Pages www.harpercollins.com OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB “Anguish and pain and resentment and rage are very human forces. They can be found in the breasts of most human beings at one time or another. On very rare occasions there comes a Gandhi, and occasionally there comes a Martin Luther King, Jr., and occasionally there comes a guy like Paul Robeson or a guy like Nelson Mandela. When these people come along, their anger, their rage, their resentment, their frustration—these feelings ultimately mature by a will of their own discipline into a positive energy that can be used to fuel their positive, healthy excursions in life. “It wasn’t imaginary circumstances or vicarious experiences that engendered harsh emotions in the men I’ve named. It was real situations, for them and for the people around them. But they had some manna, some mechanism, some strength, some discipline, some vision that allowed them to convert that anger into fuel. Anger is negative energy—a destructive force—but they converted it into fuel, into positive energy. Their transformed anger fueled them in positive ways; in each case that is exactly what happened.” Rating: (Four Stars) Sidney Poitier was the first black actor to win the Academy Award for best actor for his outstanding performances in Lilies of the Field in 1963. His landmark films include Blackboard Jungle, A Raisin in the Sun, The Defiant Ones, A Patch of Blue, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and To Sir, With Love. He is the winner of a number of awards and accolades that include the Life Achievement Award, for an outstanding career and humanitarian accomplishment, the Screen Actor’s Guild’s highest honor. He has previously written a factual autobiography about his life, This Life. So what is this book about? This book is different. It is not a simple factual recounting of his life. It is much more difficult than that. It is an exploration, an internal study and self examination of his own thoughts. It is a spiritual, metaphysical study of the development of his own thought processes as he matures as a man and an actor. Mr. Poitier explores the elements of his own character and personal values to determine his own measure as a man. In this book, he more than measures up. Poitier takes us from the childhood he had in the Bahamas, where he credits his parents with giving him a very definite sense of right, wrong and self-worth, to his aging adulthood, where he reflects on the past. We see him mature into young adulthood and acting, where he makes a conscious decision to only take meaningful roles with forceful and powerful characters that have something positive and lasting to say about the human condition. He takes a very hard look at his own performances and his life. It is an uncompromising self-examination where he has paid a price for his artistic integrity, but what we the readers are left with is a portrait of man that has sought truth and balance in life in the face of his and our own limitations. What finally emerges is his triumph of spirit, turning negative aspects of his life into inspirational positives for all of us to learn from. It is his unwavering sense of dignity aRead full review
Praiseworthy spiritual guide to responsible manhood! Gripping experiences and examples; natural, strong, compelling language that holds attention. The read-by-author presentation is superb!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I loved the fact that this was a true story and one I could picture easily in my mind as I read it. Sidney has always been a hero of mine, as far a movie star goes!. Such an excellent actor! In my mind I will always picture him as a very classy gentleman, and while I've only ever seen a few of his movies, would love to see every one of his! He may not have been a perfect human, but then, who is? He certainly had it rough and I admire him for not giving up! I am a 76 y/o RN and on a limited income, but am doing just fine, thanks to my own Mom's teachings! God bless you, Sidney!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
A package for generations.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Awesome read. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
