Rating: 
Summary: one of my favorites
Review: This has to be one of my favorite books. Malcolm X starts off talking about his earlier life. He talks about his involvement in the swing/big band scene, how he knew famous musicians (like Billie Holiday for one), and how he eventually became a hustler and criminal. He then talks about prison, though he talks about it in a positive light. He says to him prison was like a college, being he spent his countless days reading, and educating himself. This is also where he found Islam. After prison he talks about how he became who he was. He constantly praises Elijah Muhummad, and he sometimes goes off on interesting rants about the white establishment. He then talks about how he became dissatisfied with the Nation of Islam, and why he left. This book is filled with suprises on every page. Malcolm also talks about Muhummad Ali, which is very interesting. Malcolm, in a sense, prophesised his own death. From the very beginning of the book he says "I know I will die a violent death". All in all, this is one of the most influential pieces of literature of the 20th century. It is crucial that when you read this you take into account the situtation of african americans at the time, also. I have heard countless times people say Malcolm was a racist, or full of hate. Whatever you think of him, or his ideals, you cannot argue his thoughts weren't justified.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of collaboration.
Review: The reader never knows where Malcolm X ends and Alex Haley, the gifted writer to whom Malcolm told his story, begins. Obviously Malcolm X was one of the most gifted public speakers in history but much of the cohesive elegance of his autobiography must be attributed to Alex Haley. Like Boswell did with Dr. Johnson, Haley recorded not only the narrative of his subject's life, but the tone, the subtle characteristics which are the marks of a great figure. Or perhaps Malcolm should be given most of the credit. Either way, it is a fascinating aspect of this landmark work: a great but controversial man who at first distrusts the very man who is to record his life, but grows to trust him, and open up to him in ways he didn't expect. And, at the same time, a writer who approaches with caution a man many believe to be dangerous and sinister, who always maintains an objective distance, but nevertheless grows attached to his subject and takes extra pains to make the narrative glow. Had Alex Haley been a member of the Nation of Islam, and this had been some sort of official biography (though Malcolm, of course, was severed from the group so its writing would need to have taken place earlier) I doubt there would be the same friction, the nervous interaction between Malcolm and the man taking notes, that we have here. Also, if Haley hadn't grown to admire Malcolm on certain levels the story of his life would have been all about cold facts. Instead, we have an absolutely stunning account of Malcolm's childhood. We can trust most of the facts, and if Malcolm imagined certain things about his father's death, or omitted a few details here and there, we must let that go-- the value is in a great man telling a riveting story. And we are right there with Malcolm when he is a pimp, a hustler, a hoodlum on the streets of Boston and New York-- Detroit Red. No novel could be so gripping. Yet far from being sensationalized trash with dirty details, there is a maturity of moral purpose underlying the story. It's not the tired rags-to-riches tale, nor the "I was lost, now I'm found" testimony. In many ways it's just one black man's story of survival, as so many African-Americans have struggled just to live. And it's a genuine spiritual struggle. When Malcolm goes to prison he breaks everything in his life down to the basics and builds his values up again. This leads him to Islam, but even there the leaders of the Black Islam movement let him down. So he keeps searching. That he was a flawed man is no problem to the reader, and that his anger often boiled over is anything but a problem. Finish this and see what timid times we live in compared to the times in which such an amazing autobiography was published.
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.
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