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The vignettes of the people and places that made an impression on Thomas Sowell at various stages of his life range from the poor and the powerless to the mighty and the wealthy, from a home for homeless boys to the White House, as well as ranging across the United States and around the world. It also includes Sowell's startling discovery of his own origins during his teenage years.
If the child is father to the man, this memoir shows the characteristics that have become familiar in the public figure known as Thomas Sowell already present in an obscure little boy born in poverty in the Jim Crow South during the Great Depression and growing up in Harlem. His marching to his own drummer, his disregard of what others say or think, even his battles with editors who attempt to change what he has written, are all there in childhood.
More than a story of the life of Sowell himself, this is also a story of the people who gave him their help, their support, and their loyalty, as well as those who demonized him and knifed him in the back. It is a story not just of one life, but of life in general, with all its exhilaration and pain.
Preface
1. Carolina in the Morning
2. In Old New York
3. A Four-Leaf Clover
4. Halls of Montezuma
5. Halls of Ivy
6. Drifting Along
7. Cayuga's Waters
8. Movin' On
9. California, Here I Come
10. Arrivederci
11. September Song
12. Memories
Anonymous
Posted September 21, 2004
Before I read 'Personal Odyssey', I had read many of Sowell's works, including 'Knowledge and Decisions'. However, reading his autobiography connected all of the dots. Not only was the book a fascinating read about the life of an intellectual, but additionally I gained a better understanding of why Sowell's mind works the way it does. The reader will note the many experiences in Sowell's life that led him to realize much of the way the world works, with all of its its backward notions, is due to the fallacies spewed by the left and others. So, I encourage any fan of Sowell to read his life, or, for that matter, any liberal who thinks that much of the minority state can be attributed to the 'injustice' of 'society' or 'whites'. Sowell is the perfect example of a person who thought for himself and actually checked the facts before buying into the victimhood hype.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 17, 2011
This is a page turning look at a remarkable man.
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Posted September 25, 2010
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Overview
This is the gritty story of one man's lifelong education in the school of hard knocks, as his journey took him from Harlem to the Marines, the Ivy League, and a career as a controversial writer, teacher, and economist in government and private industry. It is also the story of the dramatically changing times in which this personal odyssey took place.
The vignettes of the people and places that made an impression on Thomas Sowell at various stages of his life range from the poor and the powerless to the mighty and the wealthy, from a home for homeless boys to the White House, as well as ranging across the United States and around the world. It also ...