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My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir (Hardcover)
by Clarence Thomas
| Category:
Biography, Leadership, Life, Motivation |
| Market price: ¥ 278.00
MSL price:
¥ 238.00
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Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
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 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Written in such a personal and down to earth style that this book provides a much-needed glimpse at the life of Justice Thomas, a remarkable man by all means. |
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Author: Clarence Thomas
Publisher: Harper
Pub. in: October, 2007
ISBN: 0060565551
Pages: 304
Measurements: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA01136
Other information: ISBN-13: 978-0060565558
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- Awards & Credential -
Best Books of 2007 on Amazon.com: Top 100 Customers' Favorite. |
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- MSL Picks -
Self-reliance is one of the themes of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' book, "My grandfather's son." Born into abject poverty, he was able to succeed because of hard work and, partly, because of the remembrance of his grandfather's many platitudes about self help, words that bore a swift kick in the pants to him.
At the age of 7, Thomas, along with his younger brother, went to live with their grandfather Myers Anderson, who ran a fuel oil business and delivered ice. Helping with the deliveries, at his grandfather's side, contributed to Thomas' self-reliant nature. "Daddy," as Thomas calls Myers, was too proud to work for another soul.
Thomas' early life is chronicled in down-to-earth fashion, transporting the reader as his companion through a journey marred, at times, by depression, poverty, alcohol and racism. The rather soulful telling culminates in a description of the Senate confirmation hearings, which Thomas calls a "high-tech lynching."
Justice Thomas treats Anita Hill rather kindly, following biblical principle. Her specific charges are too bizarre, though, not to be taken somewhat seriously, and, in all fairness to her, leaves me still wondering as to who was telling the truth. A self-pitying Thomas does not convincingly lay Hill's claims to rest, if that is even possible. Not being a serial harasser is his best defense. Certainly, both Thomas and Hill were innocent victims of white racism at the pillorying.
"Affirmative action" was treated pejoratively in the book, negating, for instance, what should have been a tremendous feeling of pride at having a law degree from Yale. Justice Thomas is his own man and proud of his black heritage. I sincerely admire him and recommend reading his book.
Because the Anita Hill fiasco was inclusive - a he said/she said - this book could have been an American Classic, as much so, as one of Thomas' favorite books, "The Fountainhead."
(From quoting Richard, USA)
Target readers:
Biography lovers, especially those who are interested in the current American affairs.
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Clarence Thomas is Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Born in Pinpoint, Georgia, he is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Yale Law School. He lives with his wife and great nephew in northern Virginia.
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From Publisher
Provocative, inspiring, and unflinchingly honest, My Grandfather's Son is the story of one of America's most remarkable and controversial leaders, Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, told in his own words.
Thomas was born in rural Georgia on June 23, 1948, into a life marked by poverty and hunger. His parents divorced when Thomas was still a baby, and his father moved north to Philadelphia, leaving his young mother to raise him and his brother and sister on the ten dollars a week she earned as a maid. At age seven, Thomas and his six-year-old brother were sent to live with his mother's father, Myers Anderson, and her stepmother in their Savannah home. It was a move that would forever change Thomas's life.
His grandfather, whom he called "Daddy," was a black man with a strict work ethic, trying to raise a family in the years of Jim Crow. Thomas witnessed his grandparents' steadfastness despite injustices, their hopefulness despite bigotry, and their deep love for their country. His own quiet ambition would propel him to Holy Cross and Yale Law School, and eventually - despite a bitter, highly contested public confirmation - to the highest court in the land. In this candid and deeply moving memoir, a quintessential American tale of hardship and grit, Clarence Thomas recounts his astonishing journey for the first time, and pays homage to the man who made it possible.
Intimately and eloquently, Thomas speaks out, revealing the pieces of his life he holds dear, detailing the suffering and injustices he has overcome, including the acrimonious and polarizing Senate hearing involving a former aide, Anita Hill, and the depression and despair it created in his own life and the lives of those closest to him. My Grandfather's Son is the story of a determined man whose faith, courage, and perseverance inspired him to rise up against all odds and achieve his dreams.
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| View all 12 comments |
Gregory Adams (MSL quote), USA
<2008-01-18 00:00>
Thomas' autobiography is as fascinating, inspiring and as well written as Booker T. Washington's "Up From Slavery." Like Washington, Thomas rose from poverty to a position of leadership via the dual virtues of hard work, and education.
As a child, Thomas moves from rural poverty, to urban poverty, then into the modest home of his very hardworking grandfather. His minimally literate grandparents pushed him to get a first rate education, and taught him the value of hard work.
After graduating from Yale Law School, which had begun an affirmative action program, he found that nobody wanted to hire him. Being a Yale Man meant something different when the man was black.
Fellow Yalie John Danforth finally hired Thomas, and became his lifelong friend. In one government job after another, Thomas took on enormous responsibilities, for mean pay. He was still paying off student loans when he chaired the EEOC.
The rigors of the confirmation battle are covered in wrenching detail, including the Anita Hill fiasco. Thomas complains that if a black man dares to think for himself, and come to conclusions other than those of the "liberal" Democrats, it isn't tolerated. For his independence, Shelby Steele called Thomas "the freest black man in America", in National Review. (Oct 5, 2007)
Throughout the book, Thomas describes not only his victories, but his personal failures and shortcomings in stark honesty. He describes himself as one more human being dealing with his problems step by uncertain step.
I wouldn't have been able to put the book down, except that I had work to do, and I could hear Thomas' grandfather urging me to get up and get to it. |
Jerry (MSL quote), USA
<2008-01-18 00:00>
Justice Thomas talks openly and candidly about his life as a young boy and through the Anita Hill debacle.
If you like Clarence Thomas, you'll love the book.
If you don't like Clarence Thomas, there is even more reason to read the book. It is intimate and revealing as to why he is the person that he is today. The book lays bare the bad side of Mr. Thomas (such as his over indulgence in alcohol, etc.) as well as the good.You may still dislike him after reading the book but, at least, you'll know why.
Read the book, if for no other reason than to find out where the "high tech lynching" came from. |
Atul (MSL quote), USA
<2008-01-18 00:00>
To the guy who posted Anita Hill's NY Times Op-Ed in whole - do you at least have the shame to read to book? You obviously haven't yet.
Self serving? You preceded that charge with the point that he practically cannot be removed from office. Self serving how?
Anita Hill cannot get professional accomplishment, even with you and the MSM trying to role out the red carpet for her. She managed to leave Oklahoma for a job at Brandeis, but who doubts she'd be a dean somewhere if she wasn't as much an empty suit as she's made herself out to be?
And for the record, Harry Reid... Clarence Thomas is smarter than you will ever be. And has more integrity. Land deals anyone? |
Alex (MSL quote), USA
<2008-01-18 00:00>
Never before have I read such an emotional, inspiring and eye-opening account of not only the author's life, but the ugly interworkings of the dominant leftist politics and the elite media in America over the last half century, especially when race was involved. I came away with a new respect for this man, completely understanding and relating to his core ethics and beliefs, which were rooted in family, hard work and self-reliance, not partisan influences. I came away angered at the treatment he received for daring use these ethics and beliefs to speak the truth in the face of a left-wing and media establishment more interested in their own theories, routinely taking the black voice for granted, ruthlessly attacking with inherently racist methods when one spoke against their group-think with simple facts. I came away inspired by the successes he has acheived, despite all of the adversity he faced, both personal and political, and I appreciated his deep honesty and openess on issues of self-imposed adversity, such as his flirtations with black radicalism, alcoholism and the problems in his first marriage.
I'd highly recommend this book for anyone, whether you agree with his politics or not, just to see where he is coming from, and the hits he took along the way. The man is one of the most genuine public figures out there right now, and this book drives that home. |
View all 12 comments |
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