Rating: 
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read
Review: No matter how much Malcolm X evolved throughout his life, one fact remains consistent: he stood firm to his convictions. Whether as a hustler, anti-white Muslim, or as in his final evolution, a Muslim who acknowledged that all men contain flaws and that no race holds an amount of guilt than another. That is the beauty of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. He always told what he felt to be true but was willing to change when he realized his conviction proved wrong.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest of All Time
Review: Everyone is not a fan of Malcolm X, but you don't have to be to enjoy this book. From beginning to end, its a thrilling page turner that takes you through a whole spectrum of emotions. After reading this novel, you yet and still may not agree with the practices and beliefs of Malcolm X, but you WILL understand them.
Rating:
Summary: Malcolm X, a child of the Harlem Renaissance
Review: This is a racist, offensive book. However, if you can read through the seething and tangential rants, there is a wonderful story to be found. While officially labeled an autobiography, the book was actually co-written by Alex Haley (author of Roots) under the supervision of Malcolm X. While it is a non-fiction biography, it truly reads like a novel. Most chapters end on a suspenseful note, which makes it hard to put down. This book covers Malcolm's life, from birth to death to the impact his life has had on the world since his assassination. With a foreword written by his daughter, and commentary by Alex Haley at the end, the book goes into depth about his death and the conspiracy that surrounds it. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an open mind. There are many times where Malcolm X viciously rants for pages about white America, but the book shows him transform into a more understanding person, and a civil rights leader comparable to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rating:
Summary: excellent book and story of his life
Review: Considered one of the only men at his time to be able to start a riot and also stop one, Malcolm X was a man of charisma, integrity, and wits. The autobiography is very well written, taking you back to his childhood, where the roots of his journey began. Personally, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him with all of the trials he faced-but of course, all these experiences made him stronger, but he didn't put his strengths to good use until a bit later in his life. I think this a book for anyone and everyone to read; one shouldn't leave high school, or at least college, without having read this book. His character is truly inspiring no matter what race or religion you are.
Rating:
Summary: moving portrayal
Review: Malcom X could have done much in the way of helping the Muslim American community if his life had not been so sadly, prematurely, and abruptly cut short. You might not agree with everything in this book, but one has to respect his original and sharp analyses of American society.
Rating:
Summary: Malcolm has no choice but to please
Review: The Autobiography of Malcolm X is the second most powerful book I have ever read. It holds the ability to be life changing and enlightens the white man and modern Afro-American to an extent never before reached. First, the story of Malcolm's early life then his post-black-Muslim views described by then man himself changed my views of the great Malcolm X. Malcolm's life during the time he was blindly following Elijah Muhammad changed how I saw my own life and how I could possibly improve the lives of those around me as well as my own.
Malcolm X's thrilling youth excites you and pulls you in, readying you for his fast paced high-life to come. His life is a strange one that tightly fits the mold of every teenager caught under the pressure of school and parents: a big life in the big city. Dangerous actions and a more dangerous way of life give a glimpse of his future of high profile and risky living. Every thing he lived through fits well into forming the person he becomes, the person few people know of.
The second part of this fast moving novel is as intriguing as the first, if not more so. As a Black Muslim, Malcolm gained a negative reputation in the world of social integration. To see Malcolm X as the extremist and then, after his trip to Mecca, as the true integrationist he was born to be touches you and makes you see that good things come from long, hard work. The only flaw of this book, one which could not be prevented, is in its shortness and rapid ending. Once it is over, through, you are hungry for more, and yet, there is none.
A heart wrenching story and a tragic end, what more could a person want? Being pulled along with author Alex Haley through Malcolm's life is no less than a treat, if not much more.
Rating: 
Summary: The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Review: The Autobiography of Malcolm X is not a book I would have gravitated to on my own. I had never before read a book on African American leadership and to say the least, I did not have high hopes for this book. However, after getting past the first few chapters, it became a learning experience; I never thought I could learn as much as I did through this autobiography. I knew about Martian Luther King and his teachings, but nothing of the extraordinary life of Malcolm X. His life amazed me and opened me up to a new area of study which I plan to pursue in the near future.
This book stresses a need for "brotherhood" amongst all men willing to be unprejudiced in all of their actions and words regardless of the situation. "I believe in the brotherhood of man, all men, but I don't believe in brotherhood with anybody who doesn't want brotherhood with me." (Malcolm X, speech December 12, 1964 NY). This was the primary belief of Malcolm X during his time of preaching. Malcolm X believed in total equality among those willing to share it with a black man or woman and those very same principals are evident in many other aspects of his life such as his belief in violence. He explained this conviction in a speech given in New York, "We are non-violent with people who are non-violent with us." His ideas and goals were portrayed in an excellent way in this book and were very clearly stated.
I liked this book because it portrayed a different view on the topic of the growing African American population in America. Anyone on the verge of reading or not reading this book should not even give a second thought to it. The brilliance and teachings of Mr. Malcolm X are right up there with the more commonly known Mr. Martin Luther King. My only set back with this book is the fact that it has a fairly dry beginning, if you can get past that, then the rest is absolutely remarkable.
Rating:
Summary: essential
Review: This book should be on everyone's 'already read' list. It is definitely one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read. Malcolm X come across as a racist on a deep level in this book, and I can completely understand that. I am white, the way I take what he writes about is how you can apply his ideas to any minority. Anyone who has ever felt like a minority in any way or has been opressed in any way can benefit from Malcolm X's teachings. You must think metaphorically of the whites as the oppressors and the blacks as the being being put down. Whether you're a woman in a traditionally male dominated workplace, a gay person in a redneck society, an immigrant trying to make your life work amongst people who view you as someone trying to take advantage of welfare, whatever . . .it can all be applied metaphorically to what he's say. I can feel Malcolm's intense anger and hurt in his words cos I have felt the same way. I can understand what it is to loathe like he does. But underneath that surface of hate, I believe, is love and the wanting for everyone to recognize our differences. When he made his pilgrimage to Mecca and saw that white people were not all devils, it was a major turning point. I believe had Malcolm not been assasinated, he would have made even more progress intellectually. Islam gave him the initial inspiration, but he was well on his way of finding that everything that he needed was inside himself, and not in other things, whether it be God or faith or whatever. He was an incredible person.
Rating:
Summary: A sign of the the times
Review: This was a good look into the mind of Malcolm X. What he said really reflected the times of how blacks were treated in America. Even as a white guy, I thought he was making many blanket statements about whites, but then I had to keep reminding myself, "These were different times, put it into context." If he said these things today about whites, then I would say he was just making excuses, but there definitely was institutionalized racism against blacks at that time. Some people say these problems against blacks still exist. I disagree to a certain extent. I think most problems blacks face today are to their own making-high crime, unwed motherhood, rap, etc... True, there are whites (and blacks too) that are personally prejudice against people not of their kin. Malcolm X had a point back then about how the whites made it hard for blacks to get ahead, but such an excuse doesn't work today. Look at the many preferential treatments offered to blacks and Hispanics. As well, why is Malcolm X any better than Booker T. Washington, someone who spoke in much higher regards about black American than did Malcolm X? I do think Malcolm X's message about standing up for your rights can be applied to any group: gays, atheists (such as I am) and even whites(?). For example, Malcolm X had persuasive arguments against racist whites, which I use against predjudice theists who tell me, "You stupid atheists! There are no atheists in fox holes. This is 'one nation under god'." However, I do think Malcolm X would have been more successful than to write off all whites as bigots. There were whites that were against the way blacks were treated, but what could they do about it? They could have lost their jobs or even their lives possibly, by standing up for black rights. I mean, wouldn't you call me a bigot for making negative blanket statements about non-whites? Same thing goes both ways. It is ironic that Malcolm X thought the 'white man is the devil' yet it was black racists that gunned him down! Read this and a book by Larry Elder called 'Ten Things You Can't Say In America'
Rating:
Summary: Malcolm X
Review: Alex Haley's huge respect for Malcolm X led him to wanting to write a book about Malcolm X's life. He asked Malcolm to tell his life story and after careful thought he decided it was okay as long as Haley got permission from Elijah Muhammad. Alex Haley went to Elijah Muhammad and Elijah told him that Allah approves of the book. After getting Muhammad's permission Alex Haley and Malcolm X wrote The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X tells the story of Malcolm X's life from his perspective. The book is written in first person so the reader is having the story told to them from Malcolm X. This is effective because Malcolm is telling his story and how he feels on certain topics like racism in America in his own words as if he was talking to you.
The book takes you from when he lived in Lansing, Michigan to when he got in trouble with the law to his days as a preacher under Elijah Muhammad. He grew up in Lansing with his parents and at a young age his father was killed and his mother had to raise her seven children. He began stealing from neighbors and picking fights with kids, until he was taken away to a white foster family. He grew up living a life of crime until finally he was sent to jail. While in jail he transformed from an uneducated black man who could not read or write to a student of Elijah Muhammad's teaching of Allah and capable of reading and writing very effectively. He left jail with a vast vocabulary and ready to promote the Muslim religion.
This book tells the story of a black man living in a racist America and changing his life by finding 'Allah' as his savior. But his end was predicted by his family history. 'I would die a violent death, it runs in the family. My father and most of his brothers died by violence-my father because of what he believed in.' With past history of violence against his family because they believes differed from whites, he still choose to preach his believes of the Muslim religion until he was gunned down.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X tells the courageous story of an uneducated boy living in a city of racism and living without a father for most of his life. He found a new self by following the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and became a well-educated powerful speaker and spread his views of the black man in America and how the white man brought them down. This is a great book to read to better understand the background and the views of Malcolm X
|
