openbookheartmind's review against another edition
4.0
Overall: very relevant to today, powerful.
This autobiography (put together using speeches, letters, and other writings) is a great opportunity to go more in depth with MLK Jr.’s experiences and thoughts. It was interesting to read the day-to-day journey of MLK Jr. and slow down a bit into his mindset and response to different criticisms and circumstances. I didn’t realize how much he also talked about the injustices of poverty. His observations on capitalism, American society, and, of course, race ring so true today. I found his faith in God and his humility inspiring.
This autobiography (put together using speeches, letters, and other writings) is a great opportunity to go more in depth with MLK Jr.’s experiences and thoughts. It was interesting to read the day-to-day journey of MLK Jr. and slow down a bit into his mindset and response to different criticisms and circumstances. I didn’t realize how much he also talked about the injustices of poverty. His observations on capitalism, American society, and, of course, race ring so true today. I found his faith in God and his humility inspiring.
professor_x's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fantastic read.
I was looking through my calendar one day when I realized that MLK Day was a couple of weeks away. I thought about it for a second and a sudden thought hit me – my knowledge of Mr. King as a person and his accomplishments were something I knew almost nothing about. I decided to change that.
Firstly, this isn’t your usual biography. Clayborne Carson was granted access to a trove of paperwork that included King’s sermons, publications in magazines, writings and speeches. Carson put these written works together to form a type of narrative. What the reader gets is insight directly from Martin Luther King Jr. on a slew of topics.
We learn about his years in college and learn about the books and people that inspired him to fully follow the philosophy of non-violent protest and revolution. He deeply believed that doing so would bring about much needed change that violent protest couldn’t achieve. Starting with the Montgomery Bus Boycott and every protest that bloomed afterwards we can see that the very act of kindness and love helped bring about a change in America.
Mr. King was an extremely intelligent man. Besides his studies, he was an extremely eloquent writer. To hear him speak was one thing; I think we’ve all have gotten shivers when listening to him read his “I Have A Dream” speech. But reading his words? An absolute treat.
On his reading and learning about different theologies:
I haven’t even mentioned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Holy cow.
The rest of his writings are amazing and will make you a better person, if you heed his words. I finished this book feeling the same way after finishing Malcolm X’s biography: filled with a new sense of urgency to help others. To be good to each other. To try and be a better person. To be more kind and generous. To combat hate with love. Things are better solved when the hands are not clenched in a fist but open for a handshake. Highly recommend!
I was looking through my calendar one day when I realized that MLK Day was a couple of weeks away. I thought about it for a second and a sudden thought hit me – my knowledge of Mr. King as a person and his accomplishments were something I knew almost nothing about. I decided to change that.
Firstly, this isn’t your usual biography. Clayborne Carson was granted access to a trove of paperwork that included King’s sermons, publications in magazines, writings and speeches. Carson put these written works together to form a type of narrative. What the reader gets is insight directly from Martin Luther King Jr. on a slew of topics.
We learn about his years in college and learn about the books and people that inspired him to fully follow the philosophy of non-violent protest and revolution. He deeply believed that doing so would bring about much needed change that violent protest couldn’t achieve. Starting with the Montgomery Bus Boycott and every protest that bloomed afterwards we can see that the very act of kindness and love helped bring about a change in America.
Mr. King was an extremely intelligent man. Besides his studies, he was an extremely eloquent writer. To hear him speak was one thing; I think we’ve all have gotten shivers when listening to him read his “I Have A Dream” speech. But reading his words? An absolute treat.
On his reading and learning about different theologies:
"But my intellectual odyssey on nonviolence did not end here. During my senior year in theological seminary, I engaged in the exciting reading of various theological theories. Having been raised in a rather strict fundamentalist tradition, I was occasionally shocked when my intellectual journey carried me through new and sometimes complex doctrinal lands, but the pilgrimage was always stimulating; it gave me a new appreciation for objective appraisal and critical analysis, and knocked me out of my dogmatic slumber."
I haven’t even mentioned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Holy cow.
The rest of his writings are amazing and will make you a better person, if you heed his words. I finished this book feeling the same way after finishing Malcolm X’s biography: filled with a new sense of urgency to help others. To be good to each other. To try and be a better person. To be more kind and generous. To combat hate with love. Things are better solved when the hands are not clenched in a fist but open for a handshake. Highly recommend!
veuxmourir's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly, I would rate this five stars for "Letter from Birmingham Jail" alone. However, I do feel that people should know that the title of this book is very misleading. The book isn't actually fully written by MLK; though some of the passages are his own writing, most of the book was written by a historian piercing together King's life with his autobiographical snippets. Due to this, the writing was at times awkward and generally lacked King's eloquence. Either way, this is about fucking MLK. Of course it's amazing.
cantrememberthedreamthatihad's review against another edition
4.0
The achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cannot be overstated. His assassination at the age of 39 prevented him from writing a real autobiography, so editor Clayborne Carson has assembled writings, speeches, and sermons by Dr. King to construct this book.
This book gives remarkable insight into King's thoughts about his childhood, about various civil rights campaigns in Montgomery, Atlanta, Selma, and others as well as his anti-war and anti-poverty stance. It reveals the thoughts of a truly brilliant and remarkable human being whose dedication to non-violence resistance is as inspiring and important today as it was in the 60's.
As this is a collection of writings and not an actual autobiography, the narrative suffers a bit at times, there isn't much on Dr. King's personal life, and there are repetitive portions, but again, Dr. King was never able to assemble an autobiography.
This is an important work for anyone who wants a greater insight into Dr. King's thought processes, morals, and dedication to combating racism, poverty, and violence.
This book gives remarkable insight into King's thoughts about his childhood, about various civil rights campaigns in Montgomery, Atlanta, Selma, and others as well as his anti-war and anti-poverty stance. It reveals the thoughts of a truly brilliant and remarkable human being whose dedication to non-violence resistance is as inspiring and important today as it was in the 60's.
As this is a collection of writings and not an actual autobiography, the narrative suffers a bit at times, there isn't much on Dr. King's personal life, and there are repetitive portions, but again, Dr. King was never able to assemble an autobiography.
This is an important work for anyone who wants a greater insight into Dr. King's thought processes, morals, and dedication to combating racism, poverty, and violence.
dingakaa's review against another edition
5.0
For better or worse, I had Malcom X's autobiography on the brain the entire time I read this. It provided a nice contrast, not only between the individuals as people, but stylistically, as writers. King was an academic and wrote, early in his life, as if he was going to defend a thesis. This transformed into a lyrical type of prose after he became a pastor; it is enchanting. As you read this book, you feel the lens of his current voice come into focus. This is all the more enhanced by the book's use of excerpts of his letters and speeches where you almost feel as if you are listening to him speak in real time. Style aside, his ideas are powerful and compelling. This man was a revolutionary and this book is required reading.
emilyks's review against another edition
4.5
I learned a lot reading this and only gave it a lower rating because I found the flow of the narrative a bit choppy at times.
melissam19's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I finished listening to The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Edited by Clayborne Carson. Original publication date 1998.
LeVar Burton does a superb job of narrating this audiobook.
I studied Civil Rights at length in undergrad. One of my professors was a man who marched with Dr. MLK Jr. during the 1960s.
Nothing I learned in college could teach me what I learned by listening to this audiobook.
It is comprised of many of MLKs speeches as well as a compilation of his writings.
This book is compiled his speeches and writings from the 1960s but it could have been written today.
This should be required reading. It definitely gave me pause and a book I will revisit and my review doesn't even do it a justice.
Edited by Clayborne Carson. Original publication date 1998.
LeVar Burton does a superb job of narrating this audiobook.
I studied Civil Rights at length in undergrad. One of my professors was a man who marched with Dr. MLK Jr. during the 1960s.
Nothing I learned in college could teach me what I learned by listening to this audiobook.
It is comprised of many of MLKs speeches as well as a compilation of his writings.
This book is compiled his speeches and writings from the 1960s but it could have been written today.
This should be required reading. It definitely gave me pause and a book I will revisit and my review doesn't even do it a justice.
aprilnc's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic audio book. Martin Luther King was a brilliant, courageous man. A life that never should have been taken from this earth before his time.
Highly recommend and should be a must read for everyone.
Highly recommend and should be a must read for everyone.