He comes across as a really belligerent person. On one page, he' s in a shouting match with a VP in his organization, and on the next, he is referring to a copy editor's "idiotic questions."

I also thought it was weird he never once mentioned the name of his first wife; married 9 years and mother of his two children. She's just "my wife." Also, I didn't bookmark it, but I was floored in a passing remark he makes about this wife "insisting" on resuming her career after the children were born. The nerve.

So how was it as a memoir? In the preface, he promises that he will not try to "tell an exhaustive story." But I did feel at the beginning that we were getting every little nook and cranny of remembrance he could come up with, which often felt like paths that led nowhere. I picked up this book because I thought it would be interesting to read about the life and intellectual development of a Black conservative thinker. Sowell started out as a Marxist. How did his thinking evolve? How did he come to be at odds with with Marxism and with the other Black "leaders" (he always puts that in quotes) of his time? There wasn't much narrative arc to answer that question. The book read more like an overgrown curriculum vitae. ( )

This is a book for people who already have read some of Sowell's other books, although I suppose it could stand alone. I read it for the first time about ten years ago and a recent reading of Conquests and Cultures made me pick it up again. I'm glad I did. There is much about this man to admire and while his memoir contains no scenes of high drama, thwarted ambition, or shocking revelations, it gives one a glimpse into the formation of Sowell's assumptions. It's revealing of Sowell's own arguments that this book never comes up on any lists of great African American autobiographies, when surely it deserves a wider audience for what it reveals about the life of a black academic during the 60s and 70s. ( )

Terrific book, great stories, very entertaining ( )

Sowell is a terrific writer. He has had quite the life. I recommend this book to everyone! Sowell is a no excuse, get it done type of individual. A great and inspiring read. ( )

I have over the years read a number of articles Dr Sowell has written, but never one of his books. It has been one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time. Dr Sowell definitely 'walks the talk'. The book is not only superbly written but gives a very personal insight into the person and his character.
Not withstanding what he went through in his life, the author does not blame society for his shortcomings but rises above them. Dr Sowell has achieved his goals (which have been nothing short of amazing) not because of quotas but because he earned them. The narrative takes us from his birth to his present position as a senior fellow in the Hoover Institute. He places value on hard work, integrity and facts. I am looking forward to reading more of his books. ( )