( 2 reviews )
-
( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jun 25 2007
Was sent to a cousin in prison who thought highly of this book. He must like it. Glad I could find on Amazon. Thanks
-
( 13 of 14 found this review helpful ) Posted: Mar 30 2006
If this is your introduction to Cleaver buy Soul on Ice first. If you have read Soul on Ice then this is a good time to buy this book. This is a collection of writings that expands Cleaver's life. When reading this you must keep it in the frame of reference of the time in which it was written. There are better written books on the black Muslim movement like James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, what that book lacks is the insider's perspective. There are more gut twisting books on jail like Henry James Abbott's The Belly of the Beast, what this book lacks is a man's desire for a spiritual change. What Cleaver's writing has is what those other two novels are lacking: an insider's perspective and a deisre for spiritual and political change. This book is worth reading just for Cleaver's viewpoint. The writings are varied and extensive from the humorus to the dead serious. This book is a probing look at the life of one of the great American revolutionaries.
