One of the most introspective accounts I've ever read
read for fun, an avid reader, a writer, character-lover, twenty something, a student
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JUL
10
2008
I came across "Measure of a Man" when I was browsing through a small bookstore in Mystic, CT with my grandmother. My grandmother, who is an even more voracious reader than me, plucked the book off the shelf and told me that she was going to buy it for me because I just HAD to read it. "Okay," I laughed, thinking to myself that I would put it next in line after all the other books that I wanted to read. But my grandmother insisted that I read this book as soon as I got the chance. She said that after she read the book, she rented every Poitier movie she could get her hands on and that I would do the same. I knew a little bit about Sidney Poitier--I know how much impact "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" had on society, I knew he was a hugely influential actor and became the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, but I really only had a superficial knowledge of this man and his accomplishments. I mean, I knew when I saw that Poitier could drive Oprah into hysteria just by appearing on her show, that this man was something special, but I just had no idea what he had overcome, accomplished and just how thoughtful and eloquent he was about his life and achievements.
Poitier speaks about the values he's learned to revere, such as integrity and commitment. He also speaks about the virtue of simplicity, referring back to his childhood in the Bahamas in Cat Island. He speaks about what his beliefs about the universe are, and though he's not Christian, how Christian values have affected his belief system. He speaks about his racism, family and his career and what he has learned about the mistakes he's made, and how they have helped them grow into the person he is today. As a person much younger than Poitier (21 years to his 73 years at the time of publishing in 2000), I felt almost as if Poitier was talking to me as one of his grandchildren. But one of the magical things about this book is that Poitier can reach people of any age. He connected with my grandmother just as much as he connected with me, and is sure to connect with people of any age.
And my grandmother was right--now that I've finished this book, I'm going to try to get my hands on as many Sidney Poitier movies as possible.
The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography is recommended by rma288
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