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The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)


 
 : The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)

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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.43028092
EAN: 9780061357909
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 0061357901
Label: HarperSanFrancisco
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: February 01, 2007
Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco
Release Date: January 26, 2007
Studio: HarperSanFrancisco

Features:
  • ISBN13: 9780061357909
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
"I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I’ve suddenly come up with the answers to all life’s questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I’ve done at measuring up to the values I myself have set."
--Sidney Poitier

In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measure -- as a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.

Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. "In the kind of place where I grew up," recalls Poitier, "what’s coming at you is the sound of the sea and the smell of the wind and momma’s voice and the voice of your dad and the craziness of your brothers and sisters … and that’s it." Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.

Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates to who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.

Here is Poitier’s own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limits – his own and the world’s. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating:  out of 5 stars


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - A Good Actor, A Disappointing Book
There already are 270 reviews of this book so I'll keep mine short and sweet (or not so sweet). Sidney Poitier's memoir will disappoint those who read it seeking a work of autobiography about a pathbreaking movie star. Poitier already wrote his autobiography, so here he seeks to express himself on a number of philosophical ideas. The book, of course, has its fair share of autobiographical reminiscences, but these are used mainly as the springboard for the actor-author's excuse to share his thoughts ... Read More



Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - A book for a better understanding of life.
It is peculiar how a book can make you value your life so much more than you did the week before. I grew up under circumstances that made me mad at the people close to me. While reading The Measure of a Man, I reflected how Poitier used his hardships to ignite his spark. It might sound cliché, but Poitier played the cards he was dealt to live an admirable life. Poitier taps into his life's conditions and uses spiritual knowledge to model ways of defeating the status quo odds.

... Read More



Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - A Fine Man - The Measure of a Man.
Apart from being the first African American to win the Oscar, and the much acclaimed "To Sir, With Love", my immediate association with Sidney Poitier was that my Mom is a great fan and that one line from one movie of his (A Warm December, 1973) has stuck in my head since I was 16 or 17....!!!!! Here's a link to a brief synopsis of the movie, but - be warned, in case you plan to watch it, this review may contain spoilers....
[...]

The book was not really an autobiography...if it was....it ... Read More



Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - The journey of the actor and the inner man
The title comes from the lesson of Poitier's father that "the measure of a man is how he takes care of his family." Although we follow Poitier's professional success throughout the book, he adds to the definition his view on the growth of the inner man.

He is a believer in an almighty force and defines himself as a Catholic, but this book is not spiritual in the religous sense. We learn how Poitier confronts the outer and inner man in his personal and professional life. Initially, his style ... Read More



Rating: 1 out of 5 stars - Zzzzzzzzz
I stopped reading less than half-way through. I get it,Mr. Poitier,you were a victim of racism! There was little else this book had to offer and I got bored silly once I realized it was going nowhere other than racial issues. How in the world does Oprah pick her book selections? This is the second time I've been thoroughly disappointed by one of hers. From now on, if it says "Oprah's Book Club" on it, it's going to alert me to select something else. Like at least one of the other reviewers, I was totally put ... Read More



 




 

 

 



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