politalX Politics Store - Oprah's Book Club Selection #56 - The Measure of a Man: a Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)
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List Price: £8.99
Our Price: £8.99
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.43028092
EAN: 9780061357909
ISBN: 0061357901
Label: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: 2007-02-01
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Studio: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
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Editorial Reviews:
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Sidney Poitier wrote The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography because he "felt called to write about certain values, such as integrity and commitment, faith and forgiveness, about the virtues of simplicity, about the difference between 'amusing ourselves to death' and finding meaningful pleasures--even joy". Yet Poitier's book does not speak from on high; its tone is conversational and endearingly self-critical: Poitier begins the first chapter by recounting an evening spent channel-surfing and wondering, as most of us do at one time or another, "What am I doing with my time?" The spiritual reflections in The Measure of a Man are non-sectarian; Poitier's faith is clearly influenced by his experience in Christian churches, but is not, strictly, Christian. Though idiosyncratic, his faith is disciplined and rigorous, and is informed by leaders as diverse as Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Poitier's love--for himself, his family and the world--infuses his recollections of his early life on Cat Island in the Bahamas, and his memories of his stage and film career (including his Oscar-winning role in Lilies of the Field). Poitier has been rich and poor; he has been popular and despised; and his extremely varied experiences have made him a wise man, as he demonstrates with statements like this one: "[W]hat we do is stay within the context of what's practical, what's real, what dreams can be fashioned into reality, what values can send us to bed comfortably and make us courageous enough to face our end with character."
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: calm determination
Comment: those today who claim they have a tough start should try considering this. The man is enigmatic, his scruples and tough gentleness are inspiring. The read was so extraordinary, the life and determination so extraordinary, I had to get the CD's to hear the story again from the mans own lips. The mans patience with all that life threw at him inspires me to put my own shoulder just a little harder to the wheel to get on and move forward, and to do so with grace.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Miracles of Life
Comment: In an eloquent retelling of his life so far, Mr. Poitier shares his joys, losses, passions and difficulties. In my recalling of his movies, I can now appreciate his depth as an actor but I've also come to realize that he is a compassionate and thoughtful man. While watching his films you can see how his humanity carries over from his every day life into his work. Mr. Poitier writes of how effective acting involves "being in the moment" where listening and responding to others honestly and openly is of utmost importance in being real . That sentence and way of living resounded in me and inspires me to be genuine in all of my own encounters. It also reminded of a book I hold in high regard called "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work" written by Ariel and Shya Kane. The Kanes' book set me on my own path of living in the moment, where life can be lived day in and day out with joy, ease and purpose.
Mr. Poitier writes, "Almost invariably, the calibrations by which we measure ourselves move inward. It often takes a near death experience to make us realize how simple life is, how few the essentials really are. We love, we work; we raise our families." In this day and age it does not require a near death experience to realize how miraculous life is. With insightful books such as these anyone can live a life of his or her own choosing. Go ahead: Make it awesome!
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A book to live by
Comment: I bought this book after skimming through the review in the economist and througout the book i was not disappointed. I would recommend this book for anyone who would like to get in touch with their true self spiritually but not neccessarily from a religious perspective. It deals with everyday situation and seemingly makes a great actor an ordinary person trying to make ends meet for his family. He deals with rejection, success, motivaition, love, passion break ups and many more themes in life one might assume only happens to "ordinary people" and not hollywood actors. I really enjoyed this book and sometimes i wish it were a moral bible only to find out Poitier is just human like me and the formula he conjured for his life may not always work for mine. The book is entertaining, emotional, encouraging and above all very warm to read.
I hope this review is helpful.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fairly pleasant read
Comment: Poitier's book makes fair reading for fans and non-fans alike. I came to it having only seen two of his films, The Blackboard Jungle and In The Heat Of The Night and found it a moderately entertaining read.
There are a few things to be aware of: the issue of race permeates the entire book and barely a page goes by without Poitier referring to it. This gets a little tiresome but very much sums up what Sidney Poitier is. It's actually difficult to view him in any other sort of light. Also, the narrative dissolves into a non-chronological account of events to make way for the author's philosophical ponderings. He's an intelligent man but no great philosopher; a lot of what he expounds is second hand. I'm not knocking him, I'm just saying if it's philosophy you're after you may be better off looking elsewhere, getting the ideas from the horse's mouth, as it were. For me what worked best were the chapters describing his primitive upbringing in the Caribbean, which is fascinating stuff (no running water, no cookers, no electricity etc).
Not a book to stop Hollywood in its tracks or win the Pullitzer prize, but decent enough.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Spiritually uplifting memoir
Comment: In this memoir, the respected actor Sidney Poitier who broke down many barriers in his life reflects on his life and career from the perspective of integrity. He asks whether he has upheld personal values and this introspection and reflection forms "The Measure of A Man." He measures himself in different roles, not just his public life as an actor but in his private life as a husband and father. Ultimately, he assesses himself as a man.
Poitier credits his upbringing on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for infusing in him his moral values. Poitier offers a wonderful description of his childhood there:
"In the kind of place where I grew up. 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."
It was a quiet, simple life that allowed him to develop his character. His character informed the positive roles he would play as an actor.
Poitier explores many important themes in THE MEASURE OF A MAN, including the importance of commitment, humility and forgiveness. He also points out the difficulties he went through in keeping artistic integrity. The final portrayal is of a man both with limits and possibilities.
His humility comes through this memoir and he makes it clear the intent of his autobiography: "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 the 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."
Poitier offers many insights through this reflective look at his life and career. I also enjoyed reading NEXUS: A NEO NOVEL, which is a spiritual novel about people trying to overcome pain. Their journey brings them to a spiritual retreat where they realize their connection to the Nexus.
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