What is the most inspirational book you ever read?
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playa2
Posts: 34922 Alba Posts: 15 Joined: 5/15/2003 Member: #407 |
12/26/2007 9:36 AM
I read a book that opened my eyes called "Before The Mayflower" by Lerone Bennett .
The True History of Black America from 1619-1964 Here's an comment from another person that read the book. http://www.amazon.com/Before-Mayflower-History-America-Revised/dp/0140178228 By Ann Pawlyk "Annreads" (Worcaster, NY United States) I strongly disagree with the reviewer who said this book should be read by all Black Americans. Yes they should read it, but Black Americans aren't the only ones. White Americans, probably Whites in all parts of the world, need to read it even more. The unjust treatment Whites have been accorded and continue to accord to Blacks should be known and understood by every White. I am White and have not felt prejudice against Blacks. I try to convince people, that blacks are people too! Most whites still do not believe this, even today. They frequently will accept a single Black or a Black couple. They do not as easily accept Blacks as a whole group. By A another Customer Before the Mayflower is a book as a historian is something that I have used to get my students to have a more clear understanding of African-Americans in America. The writing of Mr. Bennett is easy and very thought provoking. In reading this book you will come to know things and see Black Americans in a light as you never have before! [Edited by - playa2 on 26-12-2007 09:40]
JAMES DOLAN on Isiah : He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team.
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Silverfuel
Posts: 31750 Alba Posts: 3 Joined: 6/27/2002 Member: #268 USA |
12/26/2007 1:20 PM
Inspirational books for me generally are biographies of great men. My two favorite biographies which were pretty inspiring were: Titan (John D. Rockefeller) and The House of Morgan (obviously about J.P Morgan). The most inspiring biography for me had to be Alexander Hamilton's biography written by Ron Chernow.
Recently my favorite recommendation has been "Confessions of an economic hitman" http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Economic-Hit-Man-Currents/dp/1576753018 Amazon.com John Perkins started and stopped writing Confessions of an Economic Hit Man four times over 20 years. He says he was threatened and bribed in an effort to kill the project, but after 9/11 he finally decided to go through with this expose of his former professional life. Perkins, a former chief economist at Boston strategic-consulting firm Chas. T. Main, says he was an "economic hit man" for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business. "Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars," Perkins writes. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an extraordinary and gripping tale of intrigue and dark machinations. Think John Le Carré, except it's a true story. Perkins writes that his economic projections cooked the books Enron-style to convince foreign governments to accept billions of dollars of loans from the World Bank and other institutions to build dams, airports, electric grids, and other infrastructure he knew they couldn't afford. The loans were given on condition that construction and engineering contracts went to U.S. companies. Often, the money would simply be transferred from one bank account in Washington, D.C., to another one in New York or San Francisco. The deals were smoothed over with bribes for foreign officials, but it was the taxpayers in the foreign countries who had to pay back the loans. When their governments couldn't do so, as was often the case, the U.S. or its henchmen at the World Bank or International Monetary Fund would step in and essentially place the country in trusteeship, dictating everything from its spending budget to security agreements and even its United Nations votes. It was, Perkins writes, a clever way for the U.S. to expand its "empire" at the expense of Third World citizens. While at times he seems a little overly focused on conspiracies, perhaps that's not surprising considering the life he's led. --Alex Roslin A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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What is the most inspirational book you ever read?