Rating: 
Summary: An "A" for Effort
Review: Although I don't believe that Mr. Ross's work was as historical or sociological in nature as I (and others) might have liked, I have to give him credit for tackling such a huge assignment. It is the ONLY existing work of its kind out there. Despite the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of Black Greeks, Mr. Ross is the only one to have attempted this. As for the accusation of a bias toward A Phi A and AKA, I think most of us who belong to these organizations (if we are honest) must admit that it would be extremely difficult to write a book like this without showing something of a bias toward your affiliation so please move past the pictures on the cover! And for those of you who dislike the AKA slant, I suggest you reread the portion on how Delta Sigma Theta was formed. It doesn't exactly portray AKA in the most positive, forward-thinking light. I don't think the book is new information for those of us who are already Greek, but it would be a gold mine for people interested in joining one of our organizations or even for non-Greek parents wanting to know more about the organizations their college-age children are interested in. Many times the only information available seems to center around hazing and the alleged divisiveness that comes from belonging to one of the Divine Nine. Thank you, Mr. Ross, for finally portraying us in a positive light!
Rating:
Summary: Someone interested in greek life
Review: I have just read Mr. Lawrence Ross book. There was a lot of information that I didn't know. I am seriously interested in a sorority not to be named. What disturbed me about the book was that only A Phi A and AKA were on the cover of the book and also that more information was given about the two organizations than any other. No disrespect intented but there are nine fraternities and sororities. I did enjoy reading this book and it reaffirmed why I want to become a member of a certain sorority. Thank you very much Mr. Ross for providing this information.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: The book is a great read for those who would like more information on all of the BGLO's. I would recommend that everyone read it. However, I would like to respond to Karen M. Muldrow's response. Mr. Ross is correct. Rosa Parks is an Honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Rating: 
Summary: Good idea, but some errors
Review: This book is a good brief review of BGLO, but I found several errors. Dr. David Satcher, who was President of Meharry and currently the U.S. Surgeon General was placed on the prominent members of Kappa Alpha Psi list. Dr. Satcher was not a Kappa, he pledged Omega Psi Phi Fratewrnity, Inc. at Morehouse College, Psi Chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Authenticity
Review: I wanted to read the book not for its historical perspective but for its accuracy. I am pretty well versed about the history of African-American fraternities and sororities and the wonderful contributions that we have made in America and around the world. However, I am more concerned with the accuracy of this publication. As an esteemed member of Delta Sigma Theta, for the record, Mr. Ross, Rosa Parks, the mother of the Civil Rights Movement is a DELTA!
Rating:
Summary: Authenticity
Review: I wanted to read the book not for its historical perspective, I am pretty well versed in that area even before I became a member of Delta Sigma Theta. Just for the record, Mr. Ross, Rosa Parks, the mother of the Civil Rights Movement is a DELTA!
Rating: 
Summary: Disapointment
Review: As a high school Black Studies teacher, I was hoping to use this book in class. Unfortunately, the historical element of black greeks is sorely lacking. This seems to be a rather self serving account with far too much represention of the author's sister sorority.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing new
Review: From the title of the book, one thinks that they are going to view something different about African-American Fraternities & Sororities. WRONG! I found the book to review things that can be found in other books. The one excellent thing about the book is the interviews with members of these organizations and how they became involved in them. I found the book to be biased particually with the later two sororities. This book is great for those that have no background about African-American Fraternities & Sororities.
Rating:
Summary: Good but problematic...
Review: Let me first state that this book is an excellent reference for those intersted in African-American fraternities. However, it does have a few shortcomings. The book is primarily a summary of the history of each of the nine NPHC organziations. This is fine but where is the historical analysis? Without this, all we get is a "basic" history which tells us little about the evolving context that continuously shapes these organizations. Second, this book does not do justice to the huge "shake-up" that has occured surrounding the monumental changes in how NPHC organizations create new members. This issue is at the very core of "fraternal idenity" and what it means to be a member of an African-American fraternity/sorority in today's society. So how come it isn't discussed more? This is akin to ignoring the presence of an elephant that is sitting in your living room!Lastly, despite being a history book, Mr. Ross falls slightly short in his examination of the early years of surrounding the history of black "Greeks." First, how does Mr. Ross justify including on his list of famous Alpha men a person (Frederick Douglass) who was dead more than ten years before Alpha Phi Alpha was founded? Second (and more importantly), how can you even BEGIN to talk about African-American greek-letter organziations without mentioning (or discussing) the role that Prince Hall freemasonry played in shaping the African-American fraternal movement of the early twentieth century? All in all this is a good book but a truly thorough analysis of these 9 organizations has yet to be written...
Rating:
Summary: Good- but nothing new.
Review: It was a great idea for someone to finally gather the histories of the "Divine Nine" and present them publicly together- and Mr. Ross does a pretty good job of it. It's well-written, but has it's drawbacks as well. Anyone who has done research on the fraternities and sororities will find that there is little (if any) NEW information here, it just kinda relays what most of us already knew. The things I was looking for more information on (honorary members, pledging, protocol and etiquette for aspirants, fees etc.) were mentioned with little exposition, or were just recapped in the vague terms that the frats and sorors use. I suspect that much of the ommissions might have been mandated by the national organizations, but it would've been nice if he could have attempted to provide more specifuc info. The photos didn't all have dates, which made it hard to place them in a historical context. It was evident that the author TRIED to give equal time and effore to all nine organizations, but I think he was only somewhat successful. Still, there are nice brief histories, basic contact info, and capsulated bios presented nicely and neatly- but don't look to this book if you're looking for answers to any pressing questions. It is a nice addition to any Black library; I met the author at a book signing and am glad to have his book in my collection.
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