My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir

For what it’s worth, I think the life of every American would be enriched by reading this book, regardless if they are a Democrat, Republican, or an Independent (like me). There is so much to be gained in this book—more than I ever expected to receive. I am embarrassed to admit that I didn't know about Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill until watching the Brett Kavanaugh hearings and hearing about "Clarence Thomas this" and "Anita Hill that," which, in turn, led me in curiosity to Youtube to watch what I could find of the Clarence Thomas hearings. I was a little girl when this all happened, so I had never so much as heard anyone talk about this case before. So when I saw Mr. Thomas give his speech for the first time, I was stunned. I got goosebumps when he called it a "high-tech lynching." He spoke with such heartfelt confidence and authority—I believed him. And then I watched Anita Hill. I instantly had compassion on her—relating with her in knowing how dirty men can be and how degrading and invasive it is to be talked to like that—and the belief I had in Clarence Thomas was quickly diminishing. That's why I read this book. I approached it knowing that no one (except Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill) will ever know exactly what happened, but the choice we, the people, have is to decide for ourselves what we believe the truth is. And nothing is more telling of the truth than the visible character of what a person is in their innermost core. That's why I wanted to get to know the character of this man, and judge this incident according to his character. Not that I think my judgment counts for anything—it certainly does not—the only judgment that really counts is God's, and only eternity will show who was telling the truth. Having previously known nothing about Clarence Thomas, I was so taken aback by his background. Not only did his poverty-stricken childhood surprise me, but what shocked me even more was his slow yet dramatic transformation from his politically radical and rebellious days in college to becoming the respectable Associate Justice of the Supreme Court that he is today. It caused a pause in me and allowed me to separate the Anita Hill case from the rest of his life. His journey from childhood to adulthood, and the way he conquered unfathomable obstacles, is inspiring, to say the least. For what he accomplished, what he overcame, what battles in his soul he had victory over, what he became—left me in silence. I haven’t faced a fraction of what this man has faced, so I don’t know if I will ever fully grasp the weightiness of his accomplishments, I just know that I respect him and admire his will to continue on, and I am proud to call him an American. As much as I have grown to respect Mr. Thomas after reading his book, I will admit that I didn’t quite feel that way half way through the book. He was very open about his struggles, about his alcohol abuse, about how he turned his back on God, and about how he left his wife and son, even though he swore he would never do to his son what his father did to him. It was in the midst of these trials going on in his personal life that Anita Hill claimed he sexually harassed her at work, and I found myself thinking (and telling my friends), “As much as his life was falling apart at that time, what would have stopped him from sexually harassing her!?” And then the further I read on in the book, the more I was troubled by my quickness to judge him, and I realized just how cynical I (and even other people in our society), have become of men, in general, today. Granted, it isn’t hard to be untrusting of men today, especially when it comes to sexual harassment—it is so commonplace and is something most women expect to deal with regularly, that it is too easy to think of all men, “of course he talks dirty to women.” But then that made me realize how many men, who are actually innocent of these charges, must get generalized and clumped in with all the guilty men. That’s not right, nor fair. And what will that do to our society if we keep running down the good men over and over again? This got me thinking of just how awful it would be if everyone was condemning you for sexual harassment, and you really were completely innocent. Could that be what Mr. Thomas was going through? Could it be that as much as his life may have been falling apart at that time, he still owned enough integrity and dignity to never stoop as low as sexually harassing a woman? The more I thought about it, the more I respected Mr. Thomas for not trying to paint himself in a good light in his book. I came to really appreciate his transparency of telling it as it is—telling us, complete strangers, about his alcohol abuse and divorce—knowing it would paint him in a bad light and stir up doubt in the mind of his readers. Well, I did see him in a bad light, and it definitely did stir up doubt in my mind about him, but it was upon further reading that I started to see a more complete picture of this man’s character—of his authenticity, truthfulness, and honesty, and of the redeeming power of forgiveness and grace in his life by the way he ended up becoming a good father to his son and a good husband to his second wife, as well as becoming sober and restoring his relationship with God. I felt ashamed that I was so quick to judge him, and it definitely caused me to keep a check on my cynicism of men (and careful to always keep my heart soft), realizing that the right and fair thing to do toward an accused man who says he is innocent, is to grant him the dignity, as a fellow human being, of the benefit of the doubt and to treat him as innocent until proven guilty. I also came to realize that even though it may seem justifiable for women to be cynical of men, it could really end up harming women in the long run. Cynicism can lead to resentment and hard bitterness, and bitterness can lead to outright hatred, and hatred is a dark and unhealthy place to be—it will sap all the good things in life out of you—the joy, the love, and the hope. So what does that mean for all the women who have been sexually abused by men? They matter, and my heart aches for them. Their innocence deserves continuous protection and justice. But being cynical or bitter or hateful toward men, or even unjustly condemning innocent men, will not help these hurting women, because what they need to find is something altogether different than that. They need to be made whole again and cherished, to be brought back to a place of honor and abiding value. That is how the Lord see’s them, and that is how we should always see them—doing all that we can to help them get to that place of restoration. Or what of the guilty men who were rightly and justly condemned then punished for the crimes and sins of sexual harassment or sexual abuse? I hope women’s desire is not for them to rot in jail, because they need help, as well. There is something dark, deranged, and dysfunctional within them that needs cleansing and restoring. They, too, need to be made whole. What really drove all of this home for me was an eerily similar circumstance that Mr. Thomas recounted in the following paragraph on pages 269-270 where he referenced the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" and made a correlation between Tom Robinson (who, although innocent, was condemned of rape simply because he was black), and himself: "I, too, took it for granted that nothing I could say, however eloquent or sincere, was capable of overcoming the evil assumptions in which my accusers had put their trust. I had lived my whole life knowing that Tom's fate might be mine. As a child I had been warned by Daddy that I could be picked up off the streets of Savannah and hauled off to jail or the chain gang for no reason other than that I was black...their point was the fear they instilled in southern blacks, a fear that had helped to keep segregation alive. My generation had sought to replace that fear with a rage that proved over time to be intoxicating, empowering, justifiable—and ultimately self-destructive. Yet we never forgot what it felt like to live in fear of the power of the mob. The mob I now faced carried no ropes or guns. Its weapons were smooth-tongued lies spoken into microphones and printed on the front pages of America's newspapers. It no longer sought to break the bodies of its victims. Instead it devastated their reputations and drained away their hope. But it was a mob all the same, and its purpose—to keep the black man in his place—was unchanged. Strip away the fancy talk and you were left with the same old story. You can't trust black men around women. This one may be a big-city judge with a law degree from Yale, but when you get right down to it, he's just like the rest of them. They all do that sort of thing whenever they get the chance, and no woman would ever lie about it. What does it matter that Anita Hill's story doesn't add up? Something must have happened. Case Closed." This left me speechless and caused me to put the book down and really think this through. Until I read this book, it never even occurred to me that Mr. Thomas would have lived his life with extreme caution in his treatment of women because of the damning stigma against black men. If ANYONE was careful to not be sexually inappropriate towards women (or even so much as APPEAR as being sexually inappropriate), especially in a prominent and public position as Chairman of the EEOC where all eyes are on you and your enemies are watching for one wrong move to take you down, it would have been Mr. Thomas. This brought flooding back to my mind writings from some of my favorite authors—Frederick Douglas, Carter G. Woodson, and Martin Luther King Jr., and we know all too well from them that over the centuries there have been untold thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of unjust accusations and condemning cases against black men—cases purposely made about sexual misconduct because it's a sure-fire win—simply because they were black and easy to exploit. But it just never occurred to me that this is exactly what Mr. Thomas has had to deal with his whole life. It broke my heart all over again to think of the injustices black men, who were innocent of the accusations brought against them, have had to face for centuries because of racism. They matter. And Mr. Thomas matters. Not only did Mr. Thomas have the stigma against men to deal with, but he also had the stigma against African-Americans working against him. My generation probably would have used the weapon of sexism against Mr. Thomas, but, nevertheless, in his time he had the bitter weapon of racism (as well as sexism) trying to beat him down. If anyone had a reason to be cynical, bitter, or hateful towards others, it was Mr. Thomas. And, yet, many times in his book he talked about how he found in his own life the crucial need to fight against the rage to hate others that was warring within him, and he encouraged his readers to also fight that rage warring within them. He did fight the rage—not the people—so if anyone had the victory, it was Mr. Thomas. It was this paragraph toward the end of the book that really solidified his viewpoint in life, one which I think we all would gain from if we truly took it to heart (on page 279): "Perhaps the fires through which I had passed would have a purifying effect on me, just as a blast furnace burns the impurities out of steel. I already knew that they had brought me closer to God, and I asked Him, as I had so many times before, to help me resist the temptation to hate those who had harmed me." Could there be any better thought to close this book with? To pray that we resist the temptation to hate those who harm us—wow, how desperately we need this today. That goes deeper than him telling us something cliché like “don’t hate.” In the wisdom of his age and experiences, he encourages us to fight the hate while it is still in its seed form, before it grows and takes over our life, because by fighting the temptation to hate, no matter how many times a day we must do it, will ensure that we never hate another human being. What other type of world would we want to live in, other than one like that? I have, indeed, learned a lot from this book—and I will forever be grateful to Mr. Thomas for writing it and bringing me through that journey and having a hand in teaching me these important lessons. I’ve decided what I believe of Mr. Thomas, and now it is up to you, the reader, to read this book and decide for yourself what you believe the truth is.

I found myself walking through the fields around Pinpoint, GA, listening to whispered conversation in the segregated library, witnessing the tumbling of barriers at the EEOC and ultimately its triumphant transformation. I felt the pain and the joy. To hear Clarence Thomas' story is to see his humility, some self-deprecation, and the steel that ultimately took him to heights he neither dreamed of nor wished for. I closed the book with deepest respect, and love for the man.

I was inspired to read this book after viewing the documentary about Clarence Thomas. After learning that his father converted to Catholicism in the 1940's, I thought how awesome it would be to hear THAT story! But short of that, I highly recommend "My Grandfather's Son." God Bless Clarence Thomas.

If you look at the "star" rating, you can see how good this book is. I'm not aware of any book that has 97% four and five star ratings. This book is a joy to read to learn about this extraordinary man. Where he came from: No father in his life; A Squalid, meager upbringing. He shouldn't have been successful. But he is and this is his story.

This was a wonderful, heartfelt autobiography. Helps you understand Justice Thomas’ upbringing and where his morals and ideas come from. I loved it and appreciate him all the more after reading his story.

The transparency, humility and candor which which Judge Thomas tells his story are telling of the man himself. This story is the American Dream told from the perspective of someone, that, by any stretch of the imagination, should have climbed no higher than the priesthood in the deep south. Judge Thomas has solidly placed himself on my list of true American Heroes.

Justice Thomas is a Great American hero. So we'll written, of course. So glad he wrote this book for us. What a gift. Cherish it forever.

Inspiring to see what this man has accomplished

Highly recommend this book. It gives insight into an extraordinary life. Very inspirational story about overcoming adversity.

All good

For what it’s worth, I think the life of every American would be enriched by reading this book, regardless if they are a Democrat, Republican, or an Independent (like me). There is so much to be gained in this book—more than I ever expected to receive. I am embarrassed to admit that I didn't know about Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill until watching the Brett Kavanaugh hearings and hearing about "Clarence Thomas this" and "Anita Hill that," which, in turn, led me in curiosity to Youtube to watch what I could find of the Clarence Thomas hearings. I was a little girl when this all happened, so I had never so much as heard anyone talk about this case before. So when I saw Mr. Thomas give his speech for the first time, I was stunned. I got goosebumps when he called it a "high-tech lynching." He spoke with such heartfelt confidence and authority—I believed him. And then I watched Anita Hill. I instantly had compassion on her—relating with her in knowing how dirty men can be and how degrading and invasive it is to be talked to like that—and the belief I had in Clarence Thomas was quickly diminishing. That's why I read this book. I approached it knowing that no one (except Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill) will ever know exactly what happened, but the choice we, the people, have is to decide for ourselves what we believe the truth is. And nothing is more telling of the truth than the visible character of what a person is in their innermost core. That's why I wanted to get to know the character of this man, and judge this incident according to his character. Not that I think my judgment counts for anything—it certainly does not—the only judgment that really counts is God's, and only eternity will show who was telling the truth. Having previously known nothing about Clarence Thomas, I was so taken aback by his background. Not only did his poverty-stricken childhood surprise me, but what shocked me even more was his slow yet dramatic transformation from his politically radical and rebellious days in college to becoming the respectable Associate Justice of the Supreme Court that he is today. It caused a pause in me and allowed me to separate the Anita Hill case from the rest of his life. His journey from childhood to adulthood, and the way he conquered unfathomable obstacles, is inspiring, to say the least. For what he accomplished, what he overcame, what battles in his soul he had victory over, what he became—left me in silence. I haven’t faced a fraction of what this man has faced, so I don’t know if I will ever fully grasp the weightiness of his accomplishments, I just know that I respect him and admire his will to continue on, and I am proud to call him an American. As much as I have grown to respect Mr. Thomas after reading his book, I will admit that I didn’t quite feel that way half way through the book. He was very open about his struggles, about his alcohol abuse, about how he turned his back on God, and about how he left his wife and son, even though he swore he would never do to his son what his father did to him. It was in the midst of these trials going on in his personal life that Anita Hill claimed he sexually harassed her at work, and I found myself thinking (and telling my friends), “As much as his life was falling apart at that time, what would have stopped him from sexually harassing her!?” And then the further I read on in the book, the more I was troubled by my quickness to judge him, and I realized just how cynical I (and even other people in our society), have become of men, in general, today. Granted, it isn’t hard to be untrusting of men today, especially when it comes to sexual harassment—it is so commonplace and is something most women expect to deal with regularly, that it is too easy to think of all men, “of course he talks dirty to women.” But then that made me realize how many men, who are actually innocent of these charges, must get generalized and clumped in with all the guilty men. That’s not right, nor fair. And what will that do to our society if we keep running down the good men over and over again? This got me thinking of just how awful it would be if everyone was condemning you for sexual harassment, and you really were completely innocent. Could that be what Mr. Thomas was going through? Could it be that as much as his life may have been falling apart at that time, he still owned enough integrity and dignity to never stoop as low as sexually harassing a woman? The more I thought about it, the more I respected Mr. Thomas for not trying to paint himself in a good light in his book. I came to really appreciate his transparency of telling it as it is—telling us, complete strangers, about his alcohol abuse and divorce—knowing it would paint him in a bad light and stir up doubt in the mind of his readers. Well, I did see him in a bad light, and it definitely did stir up doubt in my mind about him, but it was upon further reading that I started to see a more complete picture of this man’s character—of his authenticity, truthfulness, and honesty, and of the redeeming power of forgiveness and grace in his life by the way he ended up becoming a good father to his son and a good husband to his second wife, as well as becoming sober and restoring his relationship with God. I felt ashamed that I was so quick to judge him, and it definitely caused me to keep a check on my cynicism of men (and careful to always keep my heart soft), realizing that the right and fair thing to do toward an accused man who says he is innocent, is to grant him the dignity, as a fellow human being, of the benefit of the doubt and to treat him as innocent until proven guilty. I also came to realize that even though it may seem justifiable for women to be cynical of men, it could really end up harming women in the long run. Cynicism can lead to resentment and hard bitterness, and bitterness can lead to outright hatred, and hatred is a dark and unhealthy place to be—it will sap all the good things in life out of you—the joy, the love, and the hope. So what does that mean for all the women who have been sexually abused by men? They matter, and my heart aches for them. Their innocence deserves continuous protection and justice. But being cynical or bitter or hateful toward men, or even unjustly condemning innocent men, will not help these hurting women, because what they need to find is something altogether different than that. They need to be made whole again and cherished, to be brought back to a place of honor and abiding value. That is how the Lord see’s them, and that is how we should always see them—doing all that we can to help them get to that place of restoration. Or what of the guilty men who were rightly and justly condemned then punished for the crimes and sins of sexual harassment or sexual abuse? I hope women’s desire is not for them to rot in jail, because they need help, as well. There is something dark, deranged, and dysfunctional within them that needs cleansing and restoring. They, too, need to be made whole. What really drove all of this home for me was an eerily similar circumstance that Mr. Thomas recounted in the following paragraph on pages 269-270 where he referenced the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" and made a correlation between Tom Robinson (who, although innocent, was condemned of rape simply because he was black), and himself: "I, too, took it for granted that nothing I could say, however eloquent or sincere, was capable of overcoming the evil assumptions in which my accusers had put their trust. I had lived my whole life knowing that Tom's fate might be mine. As a child I had been warned by Daddy that I could be picked up off the streets of Savannah and hauled off to jail or the chain gang for no reason other than that I was black...their point was the fear they instilled in southern blacks, a fear that had helped to keep segregation alive. My generation had sought to replace that fear with a rage that proved over time to be intoxicating, empowering, justifiable—and ultimately self-destructive. Yet we never forgot what it felt like to live in fear of the power of the mob. The mob I now faced carried no ropes or guns. Its weapons were smooth-tongued lies spoken into microphones and printed on the front pages of America's newspapers. It no longer sought to break the bodies of its victims. Instead it devastated their reputations and drained away their hope. But it was a mob all the same, and its purpose—to keep the black man in his place—was unchanged. Strip away the fancy talk and you were left with the same old story. You can't trust black men around women. This one may be a big-city judge with a law degree from Yale, but when you get right down to it, he's just like the rest of them. They all do that sort of thing whenever they get the chance, and no woman would ever lie about it. What does it matter that Anita Hill's story doesn't add up? Something must have happened. Case Closed." This left me speechless and caused me to put the book down and really think this through. Until I read this book, it never even occurred to me that Mr. Thomas would have lived his life with extreme caution in his treatment of women because of the damning stigma against black men. If ANYONE was careful to not be sexually inappropriate towards women (or even so much as APPEAR as being sexually inappropriate), especially in a prominent and public position as Chairman of the EEOC where all eyes are on you and your enemies are watching for one wrong move to take you down, it would have been Mr. Thomas. This brought flooding back to my mind writings from some of my favorite authors—Frederick Douglas, Carter G. Woodson, and Martin Luther King Jr., and we know all too well from them that over the centuries there have been untold thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of unjust accusations and condemning cases against black men—cases purposely made about sexual misconduct because it's a sure-fire win—simply because they were black and easy to exploit. But it just never occurred to me that this is exactly what Mr. Thomas has had to deal with his whole life. It broke my heart all over again to think of the injustices black men, who were innocent of the accusations brought against them, have had to face for centuries because of racism. They matter. And Mr. Thomas matters. Not only did Mr. Thomas have the stigma against men to deal with, but he also had the stigma against African-Americans working against him. My generation probably would have used the weapon of sexism against Mr. Thomas, but, nevertheless, in his time he had the bitter weapon of racism (as well as sexism) trying to beat him down. If anyone had a reason to be cynical, bitter, or hateful towards others, it was Mr. Thomas. And, yet, many times in his book he talked about how he found in his own life the crucial need to fight against the rage to hate others that was warring within him, and he encouraged his readers to also fight that rage warring within them. He did fight the rage—not the people—so if anyone had the victory, it was Mr. Thomas. It was this paragraph toward the end of the book that really solidified his viewpoint in life, one which I think we all would gain from if we truly took it to heart (on page 279): "Perhaps the fires through which I had passed would have a purifying effect on me, just as a blast furnace burns the impurities out of steel. I already knew that they had brought me closer to God, and I asked Him, as I had so many times before, to help me resist the temptation to hate those who had harmed me." Could there be any better thought to close this book with? To pray that we resist the temptation to hate those who harm us—wow, how desperately we need this today. That goes deeper than him telling us something cliché like “don’t hate.” In the wisdom of his age and experiences, he encourages us to fight the hate while it is still in its seed form, before it grows and takes over our life, because by fighting the temptation to hate, no matter how many times a day we must do it, will ensure that we never hate another human being. What other type of world would we want to live in, other than one like that? I have, indeed, learned a lot from this book—and I will forever be grateful to Mr. Thomas for writing it and bringing me through that journey and having a hand in teaching me these important lessons. I’ve decided what I believe of Mr. Thomas, and now it is up to you, the reader, to read this book and decide for yourself what you believe the truth is.

I found myself walking through the fields around Pinpoint, GA, listening to whispered conversation in the segregated library, witnessing the tumbling of barriers at the EEOC and ultimately its triumphant transformation. I felt the pain and the joy. To hear Clarence Thomas' story is to see his humility, some self-deprecation, and the steel that ultimately took him to heights he neither dreamed of nor wished for. I closed the book with deepest respect, and love for the man.

I was inspired to read this book after viewing the documentary about Clarence Thomas. After learning that his father converted to Catholicism in the 1940's, I thought how awesome it would be to hear THAT story! But short of that, I highly recommend "My Grandfather's Son." God Bless Clarence Thomas.

If you look at the "star" rating, you can see how good this book is. I'm not aware of any book that has 97% four and five star ratings. This book is a joy to read to learn about this extraordinary man. Where he came from: No father in his life; A Squalid, meager upbringing. He shouldn't have been successful. But he is and this is his story.

This was a wonderful, heartfelt autobiography. Helps you understand Justice Thomas’ upbringing and where his morals and ideas come from. I loved it and appreciate him all the more after reading his story.

The transparency, humility and candor which which Judge Thomas tells his story are telling of the man himself. This story is the American Dream told from the perspective of someone, that, by any stretch of the imagination, should have climbed no higher than the priesthood in the deep south. Judge Thomas has solidly placed himself on my list of true American Heroes.

Justice Thomas is a Great American hero. So we'll written, of course. So glad he wrote this book for us. What a gift. Cherish it forever.

Inspiring to see what this man has accomplished

Highly recommend this book. It gives insight into an extraordinary life. Very inspirational story about overcoming adversity.

All good

I definitely recommend this book. You learn what has shaped this great jurist. You also get a behind the scenes look at the confirmation process.

He grew up with dirt floors and an outhouse. He is the greatest constitutional gem in our nations Court

Needless to say, Clarence Thomas's daring to tell his story in his own words has the left-wing tied in knots. Thomas, who has been ruthlessly assaulted for his refusal to follow the dictates of coventional left-wing thinking about what is "good" for blacks, tells not only the story of his formative years here, but of his personal thoughts during what he so accurately described as the "high-tech lynching" of his confirmation hearings. Justice Thomas tells us where he came from, Pinpoint, Georgia in the heart of the segregated South and how his upbringing formed the views he holds today. Thomas and his brother were raised by their grandfather, the man they called "Daddy". Daddy was a remarkable man in his own right. With perhaps three months total schooling, Daddy operated several small businesses, believed in total self-reliance, doing good, his religion, his family and his community. The violence of the white community, while never visited upon the Thomas family, was never far away and Thomas became aware of the potential early in life through Daddy's warnings. Daddy and his wife scrimped to send Thomas to a Catholic school, where Thomas did well, but as children do, became aware of the contradictions in life. Originally feeling a calling to the priesthood, Thomas dropped out of the seminary and became something of a young radical. As the culture wars of the 60s raged, Thomas describes himself as becoming acutely aware of his blackness. It is surprising to read of his journey through the radicalism of the era when he perceived blacks as the eternal victims of racism to his more enlightened views where he recognized that blacks held the keys to their own future. The future Justice Thomas had, in fact, adopted the philosophy of Daddy, though it took him some time to realize it. There was nothing in Thomas's career that would have predicted his future appointment to the Supreme Court. In fact, Thomas's life seems a bit like Everyman's journey. Finding a job by happenstance, a marriage that never felt right, drinking too much, not enough money.The portrait Thomas paints of himself is not that of a wunderkind, not even that of a striver, but of a man who is dedicated to performing at the highest level he is capable of, while at the same time being filled with doubts about himself and his beliefs. It is one of the most touching self-descriptions I have read in a long, long time. Thomas more or less falls into the political life and far more through chance than design becomes head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Here we see the ideological opposition to Thomas hardening. He doesn't believe in the welfare state policies towards blacks advocated by the left-wing and they cannot tolerate that. Thomas is candid about the racist opposition he faced when first nominated to the D.C. Court of Appeals. It wasn't the old-fashioned racism, but rather the modern kind: no black was permitted to deviate from the thinking proscribed for them by white left-wingers. The chapters covering his EEOC career, his time on the DCCA bench and the nomination battle for the Supreme Court are, in a single word, riveting. The hypocrisy of Senators Biden, Metzenbaum, Kennedy and others smells to high heaven. The setting up of Anita Hill with her false story of "harassment" and its refutation is told in painful detail. Thomas does a superb job of describing the left-wing's debasement of the judiciary. I will engage in an argument of whether Thomas is "qualified" for the Supreme Court or not. Over the years, it is apparent that those nominated for the Supreme Court runs the gamut from those who became fine jurists to those who were nothing more than political hacks and remained so. The real story of Clarence Thomas is that of a black boy from segregated Georgia who rose to become an Associate Justice of the United States of America. As Justice Thomas himself has said "only in America". This is a truly worthwhile book and should be given to every young person to show them what the ordinary person can acheive. Jerry

So, what do you think of Clarence Thomas? If I were to put that question to people in my circle (in which there are many lawyers), I would most likely be answered with a puzzled expression. Isn’t it obvious what we’re supposed to think about Clarence Thomas? He’s a far-right ideologue, just waiting to overrule Roe v. Wade and eager to deprive the American public of many other constitutional liberties. He never asks questions at oral argument, which is a sure sign that he’s really not smart enough to be on the Supreme Court. And, of course, he’s a juvenile and repulsive sexual harasser, who regaled poor Anita Hill with talk of “Long Dong Silver” and pubic hairs on coke cans, in addition to being hot to get into her pants. I never believed any of this. I was unconvinced by Hill’s rather implausible charges, and what I’ve learned since convinces me they were outright fabrications. I never cared for judges who view oral argument as an opportunity to show how smart they are by interrupting lawyers with what they think are zingers before counsel can get his basic argument out of his mouth. (In the arguments by teleconference necessitated by Covid-19, in which a structured opportunity for each justice to ask questions has replaced the anarchic interrogation by interruption that normally prevails, Justice Thomas has asked plenty of questions that have been pertinent and penetrating.) And being a lawyer myself, with an interest in constitutional law, I’ve actually read some of Justice Thomas’ opinions. I find them to be direct, persuasive and well written. And in the ultimate test of their sagacity, Justice Thomas’ views often track closely with mine! I have thus always had a rather positive view of Justice Thomas. But it is only after reading “My Grandfather’s Son” that I realize that he is a genuinely great man. The account of his journey from poverty in the segregated South to the nation’s highest court is inspiring and is something of which only the most extraordinary individual would be capable. Some will be surprised to learn that in his student days Justice Thomas was an angry black man. His description of the process by which he came to believe that his people – blacks – were being harmed by liberal nostrums, and that a conservative self-reliance would serve them far better, is bracing. His intimate self-disclosures about his weaknesses and the psychological struggles he overcame in the course of his remarkable rise is very moving. And Justice Thomas’ humility, humanity and love of people of all races, shines through on every page. I am at an age where my friends’ children, and my own stepchildren, have completed their educations. But for anyone who knows a promising young person, whom one suspects is held back by too much self-doubt and a fearful reluctance to face challenges, I cannot think of a more meaningful graduation gift than a copy of “My Grandfather’s Son.” I think it has life-changing potential. As for us oldsters, even we can learn life lessons from it, as a bonus to the enjoyment and satisfaction that reading it will bring.

I remember watching his confirmation hearings was a teen. I learned about his background, beliefs etc. He was very forthcoming about his beliefs and mistakes. Were are all human. This is a good man, doing his best. Surely there are things where we d disagree, but that doesn't take away from that respect at all. Well written. Though Id say the 2nd half seems different in tone. Maybe a break in writing? Very good though

If you have seen the PBS documentary, "Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words", you can't help but come to respect the man if you didn't before. Reading "My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir" is a more in depth documentary-like journey, and it is well worth the trip. Justice Thomas covers his very young life coming out of abject poverty, ultimately 'succumbing' to the great influence of his grandfather much later in life. That journey from a radical hateful young man to a very conservative and loving man is a tale we all can learn from. And more of us should! It is a travesty the likes of Clarence Thomas are not held up as great men and great Americans. He dared to think for himself, and because his thinking is contrary to what a good liberal "should" think, he is labelled an "Uncle Tom" - and worse. The only list of "most influential" or "greatest" black Americans Justice Thomas will be included on is when the list includes the word "conservative". Otherwise, he is excluded. The makers of those other lists, and those that agree with them, should be embarrassed! Justice Thomas' grandfather was a great man, and he raised a great son in Clarence Thomas. If only more people would think for themselves and do for themselves as these two great men have. "Old man can't is dead. I helped bury him" --Myers Anderson

I read a lot of books with the sole purpose of learning something. I don't read much fiction and while I am described by some as rigid, I do enjoy a good story. I very much appreciate someone who can deliver information in a manner that is both engaging and enlightening. Clarence Thomas does all of that splendidly. I bought the book in an audio format and I am delighted that Justice Thomas personally read the book for the audio. There is much wisdom in this book, so I will also buy the printed version so that I can go back to some of my favorite passages. Justice Thomas lived a hard life that he is clearly grateful for. His family situation was less than ideal, but his family turned what most today would use as an excuse for failure into a reason for success. I was raised by my grandparents for long periods of time as a child, so I feel that I can relate to some of his situation, but my grandparents were more like Santa Claus than Clarence's grandfather. I loved my grandparents, but listening to Thomas made me actually yearn for discipline that I didn't receive. Clarence's grandfather clarified later in life why he was so strict and his reasoning reveals even further the depth of his character - a character that is missing in so many people today. This is a book that is clearly written by Thomas out of love and respect for his grandparents, with his grandfather (Daddy) dominating the relationship. The love and deep respect that Thomas has for this man is not cloaked or discounted. He makes no bones about once fearing the man who he has come to view as the greatest man he ever knew. I relate well to a relationship that seemed hard at the time but was peeled like an onion as Thomas matured and his life experiences accumulated. I will read this book many times in the future, despite owning an extensive library that has numerous volumes that I have yet to read and that is constantly expanding. This man is a decent man who clearly doesn't pander to anyone. He wrote this book to memorialize his life and he wrote it from his heart and his perspective. This book will anger many who read it, as Thomas walks step by step through what can only be described as a reluctant shift to the "conservative camp". I can relate to Thomas being true to his heart and being surprised to discover the company he was keeping. His journey from being an angry black to his current "position" is revealing in that he has always remained true to himself, despite his misgivings and despite who he alienated. Thomas did wrestle with alcohol and the fact that he admits it makes him all the more human. I found so much of his honesty refreshing, enlightening and encouraging. This is a man who has walked among us and made hard choices that ultimately took him to the highest court of the land. I found his financial challenges insightful, as he struggled with the traditional values of our grandparents of avoiding debt at all costs while achieving the "status" of a Yale law degree. His reflection on his core values has caused me to reflect on my own life. He reminded me that materialism and monetary gain are empty goals that can be extremely seductive, but still void of any intrinsic value. I also have to comment that it is extremely apparent that many of the negative reviews have been written by people who have not read any of the book, while other negative reviews seem to be cut and paste copies of one person's attack on the book. I will share with those whose lame attempt is so transparent that when I read your attacks I had to smile. I am certain that Justice Thomas would not waste a moment of his time nor lose a minute of sleep over your attacks. "Old Man Can't" is dead; play the hand that you were dealt and do your best every day at everything you do. Bravo Justice Thomas. I am inspired to take the time to read your briefs - a first for me. I also pray that you write more, as I think you have a great deal to offer those who are open to your message.

American life has produced some remarkable stories, that could happen in other places; but rarely with the speed and unique characteristics of a nation founded simultaneously on individual hard work, communal sacrifice, and a decentralized religious faith. Supreme Court Associate Justice, Clarence Thomas, is one of these stories, and he has provided a great resource for years to come by telling his story, which is as much about his character development as it is about his public career. In fact, what really makes this book unique is that Justice Thomas uses his career development as a background to how his character developed in the midst of the last half of the 20th century in America, especially as an independent black man in the gradually desegregating nation. The highlight of this book is Justice Thomas' story of his early years (the first 100 pages or so of this 250+ page book), around Savannah, Georgia. Born into rural poverty, endemic to the Gullah/Geechee people that were in slavery just a few generations before, Thomas as a boy, felt early the disruptions that would come to much of black America in years to come by not having a father and being forced to move into a more urban, welfare type of poverty that strangled men far more than the rural, coastal poverty which he was born to. His life savior was his grandfather, always referred to as "Daddy" by Thomas, who knew the narrow margins in life that Thomas and his brother had to succeed, and undertook a strict and uncompromising approach to raising these two boys. To some degree, Thomas, who is arguably been one of the most powerful black men in American history, still lives in the shadow of his poor, but proud independent businessman grandfather. Given the special privilege to study and move in circles far beyond his means, due to the kindness of the church and his academic ability, Thomas began a gradual process of moving away emotionally and philosophically as much as physically, from the lessons his grandfather taught him. Thomas became like so many of his generation: angry at the white man, angry at the government for the Vietnam War, angry at the academic establishment, and in many ways, he had all the ingredients to become just one more liberal radical, were it not for the continual imprint of "Daddy" on his life. His meteoric rise in the Federal government in the Reagan and Bush administrations certainly showed a good intellect and hard worker, willing to put the effort into fighting any phony attempt, from the right and especially the left, in hindering black Americans from rising above. But it was not until Thomas returned to the first principles of his life: family, faith, and hope, that his determined self effort finally meant anything to him. Justice Thomas has said in interviews that he intends for his memoir to give hope to others. The hope he offers is one of joy in life based on first principles of hard work, self-reliance, responsibility for your own life, faith and family. He has developed no real expectation in hope from the government, other than as a place to give justice. His confirmation to the Supreme Court, remembered for the Anita Hill testimony, remains a he said/ she said event, but what Thomas adds here is his emotional reaction to a liberal establishment that opposed him for what he stood for, more than what he might have done. This book would be of great value to young minority men, or just young men of any type, those looking for real hope in the American story, and those interested in a personal and discrete telling of a black man rising above political and legal American government in the aftermath of the Civil Rights era.

Fantastic story of achieving the American Dream and surviving a liberal lynch mob

This book gave me a great insight into Justice Thomas and the obstacles he overcame to get where he is today. His persistence and unwavering belief in America is refreshing.

Excellent

I bought this book after reading The Enigma of Clarence Thomas. I recall watching his nomination hearings when he was appointed to the Supreme Court, and being appalled at President's Bush's cynicism, the accusations of sexual misconduct, and Thomas's response. I also thought his qualifications for the office minimal, at best. Thomas's years of the Court have confirmed my bias that he should not be there. The Enigma of Clarence Thomas did not alter my views substantially, but humanized Thomas and articulated a modicum of intellectual consistency in his views. Surprising to me is that Justice Thomas appears to hold as a core view one of the foundational principles of Critical Race Theory, that is, he believes in the permanence of racism. Where this view leads Thomas, however, is vastly different than where it leads CR theorists. As the longest serving member of the Court at present, and soon the longest serving in history, Thomas's unusual views deserve more scrutiny than I have given them during the past decades. So, I bought this autobiography. My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir is eminently readable and entertaining. Thomas looks frankly and, it seems, honestly, at some of his early failures and prejudices against family members in authority. His own absent father left scars that will not heal, and the pain is clear in the narrative. This book is a tribute to the grandfather whom he credits as the most important influence on his life, and with whom he was never close. After years of resistance to his grandfather's rules and restrictions, he came to understand and cherish the values instilled by the man who raised him. He struggled to communicate these feelings to his grandfather, however. The book does a good job of describing this struggle. This is a heartwarming personal tale about (grand)fathers and sons, a universal theme. It is also a book that offers significant insight into the thought processes of perhaps the most conservative member of a very conservative Supreme Court. I recommend it, especially to those who, like me, disagree with Thomas's political commitments.

In this work, Justice Thomas bares his soul as to the man behind the robes, warts and all. Many critics have accused him of "whining" but I would disagree vehemently. By making it clear how much he personally felt the pain of the various incidents in his life, none so much as the vetting for the Supreme Court in the Senate, he becomes a "real person" and less a political persona. Many in his place would likely have glossed over the "getting there" and simply waxed philosophical about how noble the system is that allowed him to achieve his current position. Rather, Justice Thomas points out the surprising personal vitrol that he experienced, from both black and white liberals, as a "conservative" black man. His condemnation of modern liberalism and its impact on the African-American family and community is enlightening. It had to be, and no doubt continues to be, a lonely life as a black, conservative living in the liberal bastion that is our nation's capital. His unwillingess to become a token in any sense, coupled with a deep-rooted intellectual development into a social conservative (in the true sense of the word) provides an interesting read. His long-time relationship with John Danforth, and the insight into this well known political figure, was heartwarming and offered some hope that there may still be "honest" men and women among our elected Congress. All in all, Justice Thomas bares his soul as to the struggles of a young, southern, black man who was able to take advantage of his gifted intelligence, achieving a notable academic and professional career. The shadow of "quotas" that he acknowledges clouded his college and law school achievement are an unfortunate aspect of a society that mislabelled his successes. Justice Thomas was intellectually more than a match for both Holy Cross and Yale Law School. The personal doubts and societal stereotyping that he fought for years are illustrated graphically in his poignant illustrations of the financial, social, religious, marital, philosophical and emotional roller coaster ride of his life's story. This is a very real, non-politically correct memoir of a man fighting stereotype, personal doubt and slander for much of his adult life. He does not cry about it. He does not blame anyone for it. Rather, he points out how he has, with the help of a loving spouse and son as well as numerous close friends who have always believed in him and stuck by him, matured past these low points in his life. He simply seeks to identify himself as a man, a father, a husband, a Christian... and his grandfather's son. He has persevered. Any person (but I would argue that men will be better able to understand it) who has struggled with obstacles and has come out the other end a better person, remaining committed to the values and important people of his life will find this a refreshing, emotionally charged story. It may also provide insight into the judicial mind of this good man and outstanding jurist.

I really did not know much of Justice Thomas other than the brief misleading bios in the national media. Reading the book as white suburbanite is an education of what the Blacks of the south had to overcome. Abandoned by his father and mother, Thomas was raised under a highly structured and strict grandfather he called Daddy. As I read the book I found that the future Justice was given a background of being a poor black boy with nothing, a young man who was raised a discipled Catholic in parochial school, and a growing radical in seminary, Holy Cross, Harvard and Yale with associates with the Black Panathers and other radical left groups. His education was one of diversity and sterotyped as a young Black man. He saw the hypocrisy of the liberals and the things he would have to overcome to be successful. Through the book he wants to make a difference within his community in George. He saw law school as a means of having the skills to do so. Religious life for him did not seem to be the answer for a young black man. Mr. Thomas learned from his Daddy that hard work, honesty, and self-sacrifice were the behaviors that would help him to succeed in a changing world. His struggles are real from being that young boy to being the only Black on the Supreme Court. I read that conservatives and liberals have a different world view of the rising blacks in this nation. Conservatives need to learn to relate to the life of the black man. The Liberals basically use rising blacks to satisfy their own agenda. Thomas's evolution from a radical black man to a conservative is not in stages but rooted in his grandfather's life desire to be dependent upon no one. I would recomend this book for anyone who really wants to understand the real heart and soul of one of the most powerful men in the American judicial system. You will come from the book with a greater appreciation for the man and see the lies that the liberal press has put on this accomplished man. You will find that he had to do the same searches that every man must do to rise in this country. His path was harder because he is a dark skined Black with African features. Even his lighter men in his race were against boys and men like Thomas. This man is an accomplished American that had a harder path to success. His life view is amazing considering the path he had to take. A great American, I think he has been disserviced by the whole political spectrum. But that disservice was magnified by the liberal media and politicians that reject their paradigm. They just cannot accept a Black man who adopts a conservative outlook on life, the law, and politics.

I owned this book several months before I finally decided to read it. I thought that, as a Supreme Court justice, Clarence Thomas would be very intellectual and his memoir might be slow reading. Quite the opposite was true! This memoir is not only inspirational but very approachable--I couldn't put it down and read until late to finish it--even though I knew the "ending." Clarence Thomas describes the poverty and hardships of his early life very honestly without a trace of self-pity. In fact he credits his grandfather's harsh discipline with honing in him the fortitude and integrity he would need to call upon later in life. Thomas is so honest in acknowledging his mistakes as well as the financial woes that seemed to follow him up until he became a D.C. circuit judge. His life was not easy but he continued to draw on an inner strength based on his faith as a Christian. I should not have been surprised at the cruelty and deviousness of the liberal senators on his confirmation committee--after all, didn't we see a repeat of this behavior during the Cavanaugh hearings? Joe Biden comes off as dishonest and nasty (no surprise there either). It was incredibly gratifying at the end of the book to read about the enthusiastic support Clarence Thomas received from ordinary Americans who voiced their respect for his courage and their outrage at the horrible way Thomas and his family were treated during the hearings. As I finished this memoir I felt real gratitude that a man with such integrity and such love of his country (despite the ill-treatment he had endured as a black man) sits on the Supreme Court.

A note to Americans who think that they had a difficult childhood: do just have a look at this moving autobiography of a (literally) dirt-poor black boy who grew up to become an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Clarence Thomas had a very difficult and yet grandly formative childhood. His father deserted his mother, and finally Clarence and his siblings were raised by their grandfather, who was a hard-working, self-reliant man who expected the same from his grand-children and who brooked no nonsense. The result was that Clarence spent his childhood working his tail off; much later, as an adult, he remarked jokingly to his grandfather, "You know, slavery was abolished some while ago," only to get the reply, "Not in my house." Whew! You thought your Daddy was tough on you? Another thing that becomes obvious is the importance of the Catholic church in Thomas's life. He initially thought he was cut out to be a priest, but finally abandoned that path and went to Yale Law School. After graduating, Thomas learned a hard lesson: his Yale Law degree was worth a whole lot less than his white classmates' Yale Law degrees, probably because the hiring companies smelled "affirmative action" and assumed that Clarence Thomas was simply a token. Much taken aback by the amount of time & money he had put into Yale Law School, Thomas took a price sticker from a candy bar which read "15 cents" and pasted it on his Yale Law degree, where I believe it still remains. This is a unique and valuable American saga. You can read how Thomas initially threw Thomas Sowell into the trash, but went back a year or two later to take another look, when he realized that his self-reliant grandfather ("the greatest man I ever knew") and Thomas Sowell had a whole lot in common. For people who believe that a conservative black is some sort of impossible contradiction, this book is necessary reading. The tale of his confirmation hearings, when Thomas suffered an attempted lynching at the hands of the liberal elite, is only for those with strong stomachs. Read it and weep; read it and rejoice. A thought from Balzac, for your contemplation: "This poor young man suffered from bitter poverty, a kind of crucible from which great talents come forth pure and incorruptible as diamonds which can be submitted to all blows and never break. In the strong fire of their released passions, they acquire an unalterable honesty, and learn the habit of the struggles which await genius, by means of the constant work with which they have surrounded their deceived appetites."

I don't generally read autobiographies of contemporary figures, but after watching his interview on 60 Minutes last month, I was compelled to read Justice Clarence Thomas' autobiography, My Grandfather's Son. And I'm glad that I did, because it's one of the best books I've read in quite awhile. Clarence Thomas's story is one that should be an inspiration to all Americans regardless of race, religion, or gender. Here is a man, a black man, who was born in the poorest part of Georgia in an era when Jim Crow still reigned supreme. He was born into a single-parent family -- his father having abandoned his mother early on -- and lived for a time in some of the most excruciating, heart-wrenching, conditions of poverty conceivable in modern America. And yet he succeeded. He excelled in high school, graduated college, and graduated from one of the most prominent law schools in the country. Eventually he went on to a well-regarded career in the government and then found himself standing next to the President of the United States on a summer day in 1991 being nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States. That should have been a day to make all Americans proud, instead it was the beginning of one of the most despicable Supreme Court nomination processes in history. I felt that way about the Thomas hearings when I was watching them as a law student back in 1991, but, after reading the story of Thomas' life before those days, it makes the outrage of what happened to him back them all the more palpable. But the Anita Hill fiasco only comprises 20 pages out of a nearly 300 page book, and it is hardly the most compelling part of the story of Justice Thomas' life. Thomas tells a story of his rebellion against the one person who had taught him the most, his grandfather, his flirtation with black radicalism in the 1960s, an unsuccessful marriage, and even struggles with obvious depression and alcoholism. And he doesn't hold anything back when he's talking about the depths to which he'd sunk before realizing that the key to turning things around was returning to the values he'd learned as child. It's a story that should be compelling regardless of your political affiliation, and regardless of what you think of Clarence Thomas as a Supreme Court Justice. It's the story of a man who overcame desperate poverty and racism to achieve something that only 105 Americans before him had done. And it's a story worth reading.

This is an interesting read for those who support Clarence Thomas and what he stands for. Provides great insight and candor about the inner workings of government and how it can negatively or positively impact a person's reputation. Kudos to Clarence Thomas for standing up for himself!

Very well written, would highly recommend as a must read for everyone. Mr. Thomas is an amazing man who has persevered thru so many of life's hardships and injustices to become the man he is. He was taught well, learned well and is a role model for all of us as to what you can achieve if you put your heart, mind, strength and soul into it with the help of God. Thank you Mr. Thomas, for your love of God, your perseverance, your honesty, your truth, and your willingness to share your life with us. Your grandparents have to be so proud of you.

This is a first class memoir - brutally honest, full of surprises, and often inspirational. In the words of the grandfather who raised Thomas, "Old Man Can't is dead - I helped bury him." Clarence Thomas encountered racial prejudice in the schools that he attended, and eventually reacted with angry rebelliousness. After participating in a disorderly riot in Harvard Square, however, he concluded that this type of activity was a dead end. Railing against injustice was unproductive, getting back to his studies would enable him to accomplish far more. The deciding factor in which way his life was going to go, it seems, was the work ethic and social attitudes ("play the hand that you have been dealt") that had been drummed into him as a boy. After graduating from Yale Law School, Thomas found his employment opportunities somewhat limited. Nevertheless, he succeeded in landing a series of interesting jobs and proving that he could handle them. Life was not always easy for him, however, and he went through periods of financial hardship and a painful breakup of his first marriage. He also developed a drinking problem, which he eventually overcame - on the advice of a trusted associate - after savoring the last two cans of beer in his refrigerator while taking a hot bath. "I haven't had a drink since." It was not something that Thomas had foreseen at the beginning, far from it, but in due course he found himself nominated by President George Bush (41) for the United States Supreme Court. The battle against his nomination, led by liberals who did not consider him a proper representative of his own race, represents the climax of the book. Thomas was eventually confirmed, as is well known, despite the worst that his opponents would throw up against him. Whatever one's view about the outcome, the story is touching and well told. My only quibble is that this book says nothing about what Justice Thomas has done on the Supreme Court since he reached it 18 years ago. It would be interesting to read about that subject, but probably someone else should write the book.

I just read "The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin (A book I recommend) which details the lives of the Supreme Court Justices. I was particularly intrigued with the section about Clarence Thomas. Being that I was only 4 years old when Justice Thomas got nominated to the SCOTUS, I don't remember the difficult time he had to go through in order to get confirmed by the Senate. All I knew about Justice Thomas is that people seem to love him or hate him. But I was determined to learn more about him since I liked what I read about him in "The Nine." This book gave me insight into the life of Clarence Thomas like I had not known before. He was born in Pin Point, GA, a "town" that barely shows up on Google maps. His father was never in his life and mother couldn't afford to raise both him and his brother so she dropped them off at their Grandparents house one day and so begins the journey of Justice Thomas. Thomas' Grandfather worked hard to send him to Catholic school throughout his secondary education career. The first half of the book chronicles the different schools Thomas went to and how he had to overcome discrimination in the segregated Deep South. Second half of the book is about Justice Thomas' struggles after graduating law school, trying to make ends meet as he was married with a child making a menial salary while paying off student loans he accumulated. The last 2-3 chapters, Thomas tells his side of the "Anita Hill" scandal and what he and his family went through personally. It was a scandal that nearly derailed his Supreme Court nomination (as if he hadn't run into a stonewall before that). Overall, while reading "My Grandfather's Son", I believe I got an in-depth never before seen account of Justice Thomas' life and career. I admire his courage and ability to overcome all obstacles he has faced. It is a terrific book that I highly recommend.

I really love this book. Justice Thomas did not have an easy life and I am happy for his success. The book has taught me a lot about my mother, father and their parents who were illiterate but never accepted welfare. Their solution to any problem was found in hard work and the Bible, although, they could not read and write. I am the first person in my family to graduate from college and graduate school. I know that Justice Thomas grandfather is proud of him even though, he is not with us. I believe every person in the eighth grade should read his book just as To Kill A Mockingbird is required reading. Justice Thomas has laid out a framework for life despite the many trials and tribulations that one may be confronted with. Thank you Justice Thomas. Well done thy good and faithful servant in the name of the Holy Spirit!

There's an old adage about divorce lawyers that says that there are three sides to every story - his side, her side and the truth. If you are interested in his side of the life and experiences of Clarence Thomas and the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas debate then read MY GRANDFATHER'S SON. If you want Anita Hill's side she has written and given many interviews about her side. If you want the truth I would strongly recommend SUPREME DISCOMFORT - THE DIVIDED SOUL OF CLARENCE THOMAS by Devin Merida and Michael A. Fletcher. I would also recommend STRANGE JUSTICE by Jane Mayer and Jill Abramson. Thomas reveals much of his soul in this book especially in the emotionally charged sections about his grandfather, his relationship with his parents and his family. His relationship with his grandfather is heartwarming. But that was the extent of what I can say positive about the book. Giving credit where credit is due, there is no doubt that book wise, Clarence Thomas is a very smart man. However, the book reveals his apparent total inability to deal with his personal finances. He reveals that during most of his career he was financially strapped, to the point that he didn't have bus fair or lunch money. He didn't pay off his student loans until he got to the Supreme Court!! But he did manage to buy a new Corvette when he was appointed to the Court of Appeals. Thomas goes to great pains and ruminations over how he did not want to go to the Supreme Court and how shocked he was when he heard rumors of his possible appointment on the death of Justice Marshall. When he went from the EEOC to the Court of Appeals the Washington rumor mill immediately speculated as to his possible ascension to the Supreme Court. Thomas's great white father, Senator Danforth had been pushing his name for some time. But yet, according to Thomas, the talk of his possible appointment was a total shock when Thurgood Marshall died. If Thomas didn't want to job, as he goes to such pains to explain, then why didn't he do with William T. Sherman did in 1865 saying "If nominated I will not accept - if elected I will not serve." That would have nipped his nomination in the bud. But Thomas didn't do that. Fortunately for Thomas by the time of this crises in his life, he had ditched his black wife, who he admits that he should not never married and about whom he related very little and was married to the every loyal and Caucasian Virginia. He spends several paragraphs talking about the marvelous, wonderful, and other adjuectives which he provides ad nausea regarding the stability she brought to his life. He fails to mention the financial assets she brought to the marriage. I seems if he Thomas finally found himself - the real Clarence Thomas - when he married a white woman, probably because it was as close as he would ever get to attaining his true subconscious dream of being white. Frankly, there were parts of this book that I could barely stomach. Clarence Thomas's memoirs are the most self justifying piece of propoganda that I have ever read and clearly reveals his level of internal conflict. In times of crises, Thomas seems to bury his head in the sand - he did not listen to Anita Hill's testimony - he didn't read news papers - for the most part in times of crises, he just doesn't want to know what others are saying. Which also makes it clear to me that he will never read any of the reviews of his book. I was also curious how Thomas avoided the Viet Nam draft. He was ripe for the pickings in the late 1960's but he never mentions it - like many other aspects of his life. Thomas spends page after page of how he was mistreated because of his race and color. As an African American I wanted to shout out loud and clear - GET OVER IT - you've reached the top. Painful memories of past discrimination are on virtually every page of the book. They seemingly haunt Thomas like Morely's Ghost. It's unusual for a Supreme Court Justice to make the type of personal revelations that Thomas makes in this book. The rational for this publication is never made clear. Perhaps it was just one of those cathartic experssions that would have been better of left for historians. But Thomas's choice of going public allows the world to see the real Clarence Thomas and to that extent it is beneficial. The sad part is the the United States Supreme Court will be saddled with a man like Thomas for generations to come. If in his life experience thus far he has not found his true racial identity, it is clear that he will never find it.

I knew who Clarence Thomas is, but like most Americans I had never heard of him before his Supreme Court confirmation hearing, and frankly I haven't heard much about him in the 27 years since he was confirmed. I knew he is considered a conservative on the court but other than that I really didn't know much about him. Recently while listening to talk radio I heard the host talking about Justice Thomas and mentioned that his book "My Grandfather's Son" is a great book that according to them everyone should read. Having just finished "The Memoirs of U. S. Grant" I was in the market for a new book so I gave it a shot. Outstanding is the only word that I can use to describe "My Grandfather's Son". Justice Thomas holds nothing back, he lays out his entire life for the reader. It is an amazing story. His path to the SCOTUS is remarkable in that his life up until his appointment by George H. W. Bush was more or less ordinary. Justice Thomas was an ordinary man with ordinary problems, like living pay check to pay check, cars breaking down at the worst time, relationship issues, and poverty. His story and his journey to the SCOTUS is extraordinary. The book is easily accessible and reads like a good novel with lots of great characters and compelling drama. After reading "My Grandfather's Son" I have to agree with the radio host. Everyone should read this book.

Clarence Thomas tells his own story his own way. This is a fascinating read. I have recommended it to my high school classes.

With all the accusations of "white privilege" , "white guilt", "white supremacy" , "systematic racism" being bantered about nowadays, I decided to make a book list based on progressive and conservative perspectives. On book on my list was this one. I thought Thomas was very forthright regarding his personal successes and failures. What I was most interested in was learning about his intellect. For example Thomas determines that his Yale Law School diploma is worth a 15 cent shopping stamp and he never hangs it in his office; it's in a box in his basement. He alludes to the fact that somehow racial preference was a factor in he getting into Yale. It would have been nice to know where he actually stood academically at graduation. His own admission that had only one year or so on a Federal bench was honest and telling and that he knew that he could do the job as a Supreme Court justice was revealing. I also find it interesting that Tomas admits at nearly the end of his book that he is a prideful man. It was obvious throughout the book. I consider myself to be center-right. I thought that when Sonia Maria Sotomayor made that "wise Latina" statement at her confirmation hearings that she was blowing smoke. Little did I realize that she had served nearly 15 years on Federal benches. I guess the point I'm making is that while Clarence Thomas, through extraordinarily, hard work, became a lawyer, argued 40 or so cases before the Missouri Supreme Court, ran the EEOC for nearly a decade, I would argue that Thomas had thin resume to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. Robert Bork would have been more qualified. Again, not taking anything away from Clarence Thomas's personal and professional accomplishments.

It's basically Clarence Thomas reading his book telling his story & showing historical family photos. I found it very interesting & I learned a lot about the man that I wasn't aware of... He actually used to be a liberal...when he started realizing who was really oppressing the black community his thinking changed & that's when he needed to be taken down. I think everyone should watch this & the movie by Larry Elder called Uncle Tom...it was excellent. I think the more information you have from all sources the easier it is to get to the truth...instead of listening to the talking heads trying to divide us.

I am an African American woman who, like many people of color, had a perception of who we thought Clarence Thomas was based on what we I knew of him through the media and I was not particularly a fan. But recently, I happened upon an interview with Clarence Thomas on a cable channel when he was a guest of Duquense University. It was a fascinating Q & A from a sizeable audience and more fascinating to hear directly from Clarence Thomas, a man known to be one of few words. In listening to Mr. Thomas, I gained a whole new perspective and, quite honestly, a level of tremendous respect for him. During this interview, Mr. Thomas was asked about his memoir "My Grandfather's Son" and based on what I had heard during this interview, I wanted to immediately read the book. I appreciate having the chance to read this story and thank Mr. Thomas for writing it. He allowed me to see through his eyes, the story of a Black man in America. He made me better understand the difficult and sometimes unbearable struggle of Clarence Thomas........and many, many other Black men in America, regardless of their knowledge, intelligence, passion and natural attributes, all many time relegated to a level of non- existence. I was saddened by Clarence Thomas's story and the family issues that he struggled with, especially regarding his Grandfather. I gained so much respect for him as a person who dealt with an incredibly disrespecful and ugly battle waged against him on all levels, especially the humiliation he endured before Senate committees as part of his confirmation process and over again, and much more vicious, when Anita Hill came out with her story....just at confirmation time. You may not believe what Clarence Thomas believes, but I think this memoir tells a story of strength, endurance and a fight to be respected in a country that still, on many levels, thinks of Black people as "less than". This memoir tell a story that everyone should read.

This is a very interesting book that finally gives some insight into how one of the most controversial members of the Supreme Court sees himself. Justice Thomas' life story is indeed a complex, and remarkable one. And so, it turns out, is his character. While some reviewers have accused Thomas of self-serving autobiographical revisionsim, I disagree. There's no doubt that Thomas interprets his early life according to his experience and current views . . . but who doesn't? I think Thomas portrays himself fairly . . . he gives fair exposure to his faults and mistakes (even if there is a little bit of gloss on them). I see this book as Thomas' reconciliation of where he is with where he came from. The way he does that is through his grandfather, who apparently is from neither Pinpoint nor Washington, D.C. but taught Thomas how to get from the one to the other. It is interesting that Thomas, who portrays himself as extremely private throughout this book, seems to have gone on something of a media blitz lately, but that can in part be attributed to his desire to clear his (and therefore his grandfather's) name. The more interesting question (not answered) is why it hasn't happened earlier (since he seems to imply that he reached the conclusions of this book by the time he was nominated to the Court). Wherever you come down on judicial philosophy or Justice Thomas personally, this is an important book. It is one man's explanation of the position that so many in this country apparently find so confusing and even dishonest: how a man can be both conservative and black and favor limits on the use of the Constitution as a means to racial equality (as opposed to racial justice). It is a reconciliation of three values of the Black South: spirituality, self reliance, and the love of one's own people. I happen to come down on Justice Thomas' side, but, even if I didn't, I would still recommend this book.

I enjoy reading about people, the well known types, and the folks who are just good folks who had their struggles they over came to live a great life and how they got there. This book does that for me, Judge Thomas is not a quitter. He had more than his share of difficult life experiences to reflect on when making decisions on the highest court in our country. If there is something I don’t like about the book, and it has nothing to do with content, it is the difficulty of reading the darn thing. The printing is to close to the center of the book, the margins are to small. You have to fold the book backwards to read it in good light conditions. Well written, very hard to see what you’re reading. Jack in Missouri USA

There are two ways to by Justice Thomas' book - either in hard copy or in audio. I would recommend the audio. First, this is an unabridged version so the entire book is read by the author.

This short work was well-written, suffused with the sadness, resolved anger, integrity, and spiritual awakening of a complex man, built on an engrossing plot - all the more so because the facts of this life are public record. I was gratified to finally learn what truly happened during this man’s disgraceful Senate confirmation hearing; it also throws light on subsequent hearings - even though it was written more than a decade before the last two confirmation hearings.

My Grandfather's Son is a great book, though, I will let you know that I am a boring person who loves to read about the law. Obviously the book has been copy-edited, but Justice Thomas' personality does shine through from the rough draft. Note to publishers: people do not care about typos and internal consistency as you would like to believe. Try not to edit. The story starts in the South, with Justice Thomas having a deprived upbringing. He talks about what it was like to grow up black in the USA in those days. Justice Thomas is a Republican, so his views are refreshing, in that if I wanted to learn what Democrats think, I would read the newspaper. Justice Thomas talks about his days as an angry young man, attending Yale Law School, and the Catholic faith that he finally recovered. Then there is the slow and steady rise to the top. Working for the Department of Education, then judge, and then very quickly being nominated to the Supreme Court of the US. If there is one thing that I took from this book, is that Justice Thomas deserves to sit on the Supreme Court, not because he is black (all things considered I think that is a good enough reason) but because he has earned it. Meaning the merit argument.

I have so many books so that I have yet to read and this one was sitting in my shelf for a while and I’m really glad I picked it up and read it. It was very motivational. Justice Thomas worked so hard for so long to help people. Then he was put through the circus that was the confirmation hearing. He is a role model for standing up for his beliefs and integrity.

From a childhood of poverty and racism, to the Supreme Court Justice Thomas writes about his life and the trials he faced and overcame. I found this memoir to be engaging and informative. It's a good read which I could barely put down. Now I understand what has gone into the making of this man. I recommend it highly.

Self-reliance is one of the themes of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' book, "My grandfather's son." Born into abject poverty, he was able to succeed because of hard work and, partly, because of the remembrance of his grandfather's many platitudes about self help, words that bore a swift kick in the pants to him. At the age of 7, Thomas, along with his younger brother, went to live with their grandfather Myers Anderson, who ran a fuel oil business and delivered ice. Helping with the deliveries, at his grandfather's side, contributed to Thomas' self-reliant nature. "Daddy," as Thomas calls Myers, was too proud to work for another soul. Thomas' early life is chronicled in down-to-earth fashion, transporting the reader as his companion through a journey marred, at times, by depression, poverty, alcohol and racism. The rather soulful telling culminates in a description of the Senate confirmation hearings, which Thomas calls a "high-tech lynching." Justice Thomas treats Anita Hill rather kindly, following biblical principle. Her specific charges are too bizarre, though, not to be taken somewhat seriously, and, in all fairness to her, leaves me still wondering as to who was telling the truth. A self-pitying Thomas does not convincingly lay Hill's claims to rest, if that is even possible. Not being a serial harasser is his best defense. Certainly, both Thomas and Hill were innocent victims of white racism at the pillorying. "Affirmative action" was treated pejoratively in the book, negating, for instance, what should have been a tremendous feeling of pride at having a law degree from Yale. Justice Thomas is his own man and proud of his black heritage. I sincerely admire him and recommend reading his book. Because the Anita Hill fiasco was inclusive - a he said/she said -- this book could have been an American Classic, as much so, as one of Thomas' favorite books, "The Fountainhead."

One of the best books I've read in awhile! Justice Thomas opens up to make his personal trials accessible to all. Must read!

Such a moving story. It should be read by every American. The amazing life of Clarence Thomas, a poor boy that became a Supreme Court Justice of the United States. He was so determined and inspiring. My only regret is that Amazon didn't offer the book in Kindle format. That is how I buy all my books, but i had heard such positive feedback from others, I ordered it in paperback. My eyes do much better with my Kindle, especially with nighttime reading. I hope in the future you will offer it in Kindle books.

Prior to reading Thomas' memoir I knew very little about the man other than what was said in the media. I have always been skeptical of biographical hearsay so it was refreshing to hear from the man himself. After reading his work, I found it to be riveting, eye-opening, inspiring and emotionally moving. I was surprised yet appreciative of the degree to which he made himself emotionally bare. There are countless lessons to learn from Thomas' life. After being ambivalent about Thomas I've come to reconsider him as an admirable American role model. The book is an homage to his grandfather who raised him and taught him the values and that have directed his life. In an age when anyone with a pulse can get a PhD, Thomas' uneducated grandfather is a reminder of the profound wisdom ordinary people possess but often gets dismissed. You learn of Thomas' path from literal 'dirt' poverty to black radical to Supreme Court judge. Interestingly he explains how his admiration of the self-help philosophy of the Black Muslims helped formed the basis for his conservative philosophy. He addresses the allegations that have been made against him throughout the years. He talks about his performance as head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee, his qualifications for serving on the Supreme Court, and of course, Anita Hill. He makes convincing refutations of the allegations. For example, he interestingly states he was considered for the bench BEFORE Thurgood Marshall retired. Thomas' story is an illustration of what happens to anyone who tries to live according to his principles especially if he goes against whatever is culturally fashionable. The price is painfully high often with little to no payoff, but Thomas' fortitude is an inspiration to all those who believe in a higher power, and that right is right and wrong is wrong.

He overcame immense obstacles to arrive at where he is today!

amazing autobiography from an amazing man. Clarence Thomas deserves much more credit than he receives.

He tells his story straight up, all the hard details. From 9 years old when his grandfather became his true father having been abandoned to now a Justice of our highest court . If you want to learn what it's like to be black and nominated by a Republican president, read the book. He literally went through hell, hated by both sides. It's educational on the tragedy of confirmation process to the courts; I recommend this book . You as I will get to know the man who now serves on our Supreme Court. Now I know he is a great judge who will not be a judicial activist. I won't always agree but sill one of our nations better men.

There are many reasons to read this book about a remarkable black American who rose from a truly disadvantaged background, but I had put off reading it until I saw the disgraceful smear of Brett Kavanagh by corrupt Leftist politicians. Having been slandered myself, I am sensitive about such things. After reading Thomas's book, I was struck by the fact that the attacks on Kavanagh were nothing but a replay of the tactics used against Thomas. Both cases followed the same pattern: 1) Hearings are concluded, but then...2) Woman sends letter with accusation to committee. 3) Accuser requests anonymity, but...4) Accuser is identified anyway. 6) Accuser claims to have passed a polygraph. 5) All witnesses offered as corroboration by accuser deny her allegations. 6) Someone on committee leaks accuser's letter to media. 7) Nominee and his family suffer terribly. 8) Nominee makes stirring denial and attacks the way the process has become a circus. 9) Nominee is confirmed by close vote. It is obvious that the politicians and hack lawyers who planned the Kavanagh smear were following a plan established during the Thomas smear.

Chief Justice Thomas has written a powerful autobiography that has the potential to motivate and change lives in a positive direction. Young people today need to read this book. They will get the message that if Clarence Thomas can overcome the difficulties in his life to attain all that he has, then he/she can also achieve great things by following his advice and example. Written with great humility, gratitude, and candor, Justice Thomas lays bare his shortcomings, and his fears but through all the hardships and attacks, he was able to persevere and rise beyond all expectations. Using the lessons learned from his Grandfather who raised him and whom he called Daddy, he learned to remain true to his beliefs despite the attacks aimed at him for going his own way. His story forcefully disputes the idea that all Blacks must think the same way. His life is a testament to individualism, hard work, and personal responsibility. His recounting of the confirmation hearings where he was unmercifully attacked by partisan politicians who cared more about their own power than about the truth, showcases the lack of integrity that many politicians have. What was done to Clarence Thomas was a disgrace-an outrage to the confirmation process. It shows clearly that those involved in maligning his character and trying to destroy him have no scruples and no sense of decency. His final appearance before the panel, will become legend and a turning point in America's perception of what it takes to be authentic. Better than anything Hollywood could produce, his final words to the panel, will serve as a beacon of courage, truth and inner fortitude. This book would be a great gift to any high school or college student.

Thomas' autobiography is as fascinating, inspiring and as well written as Booker T. Washington's "Up From Slavery." Like Washington, Thomas rose from poverty to a position of leadership via the dual virtues of hard work, and education. As a child, Thomas moves from rural poverty, to urban poverty, then into the modest home of his very hardworking grandfather. His minimally literate grandparents pushed him to get a first rate education, and taught him the value of hard work. After graduating from Yale Law School, which had begun an affirmative action program, he found that nobody wanted to hire him. Being a Yale Man meant something different when the man was black. Fellow Yalie John Danforth finally hired Thomas, and became his lifelong friend. In one government job after another, Thomas took on enormous responsibilities, for mean pay. He was still paying off student loans when he chaired the EEOC. The rigors of the confirmation battle are covered in wrenching detail, including the Anita Hill fiasco. Thomas complains that if a black man dares to think for himself, and come to conclusions other than those of the "liberal" Democrats, it isn't tolerated. For his independence, Shelby Steele called Thomas "the freest black man in America", in National Review. (Oct 5, 2007) Throughout the book, Thomas describes not only his victories, but his personal failures and shortcomings in stark honesty. He describes himself as one more human being dealing with his problems step by uncertain step. I wouldn't have been able to put the book down, except that I had work to do, and I could hear Thomas' grandfather urging me to get up and get to it.

This book is a must read!! Justice Thomas provides great insight into the lessons he learned while growing up. Every black child should be given a copy of this book. It teaches how black children do have a chance at life if only they don't have "an attitude", study hard in school, and be willing to work hard. Doing that will spell success for any black child in America. Contrary to today's white liberal narrative that "the deck is stacked against them", black children can be anything they want to be. Just do like Justice Thomas did and they will go far in life.

Judge Thomas writes about his difficult but always hopeful and persistent drive through his life to live up to his principles. These principles were constantly being challenged and no more so than when he was being considered for the post of a Judge of the Supreme Court. Judge Thomas, it seems to me, was opening his diary with all his feelings about the good and the bad in his life providing a powerful and dramatic testimony to his rise from a poor Southern black man to a position as one of the nine judges on the highest court in the land. Judge Thomas' adherence to his principles through a constant barrage on them and himself is not only admirable but difficult at times to read because there are so many particular instances of slights and condension by some people with whom he had to deal on a daily basis. His faith was a great help to him at times of crisis in his life, and he had some loyal friends too who believed in him throughout his public life. It was very informative to learn about how the confirmation process worked and probably always works; where winning is more important than anything else and smearing an individual, in this case Judge Thomas, is not given a moment's thought. It is the game itself that becomes more important than truth. While we can see Judge Thomas' integrity at every turn, we also, alarmingly, see the lengths to which those who did not want to see him on the Court because of his Conservative views, would go to deny him. It is also a portrait of those people, and therefore, a very valuable lesson about Washington politics.

It was an honor to read this book. Justice Thomas is a brilliant man who has the unusual ability to write and speak without entangling himself in legal jargon. There is such clarity and honesty, with deep intelligence shining throughout this book as he debunks the liberal rhetoric about the Welfare State; about how destructive it is to the integrity of those who are caught in the web of social welfare handouts, and the victimization of "the Poor," by the very people who purport to be "helping" them. This man should be President, except he is placed to do so much more for our nation by returning the Judiciary to its proper role in our government, requiring the Executive and Legislative Branches to take on their own, Constitutionally appointed roles.

The book is wonderful! It offers an insight into actual history of a Black family in the 50s which is great for anyone unfamiliar with that time in our country's history. It relates the struggles of one family yet it is the same struggle that many other families or individuals have gone through. But in addition, it shows how one can rise above circumstances or plow through them and goes to show that one's past does not have to determine one's future. This book is easy reading and hard to put down as it keeps your interest up through the entire story. I had purchased the book for myself, read it, and because it was so good, I ordered a second book to mail to a family member. Unfortunately, a post office along the way damaged the packaging and sent it to a package recovery office in Atlanta and my family member will likely never see it again.

What is your impression of Clarence Thomas? A right wing sexual harasser? A traiter to his race after benefiting from racial quotas? An intellectual lightweight and an "embarrassment" to the Supreme Court? The author of "poorly written" opinions? A Scalia lapdog? An "angry" man, full of "rage"? All of that is what the liberal media and black "leaders" want you to believe. As this long awaited memoir demonstrates to any open minded person, none of it is true. Thomas is highly intelligent, hard working, and well liked by his colleagues (all justices attended his C-Span book party except Stevens). But most of all he is a decent, modest and thoughtful guy who has learned life's lessons well during his rise from abject poverty to the top of his profession, from a 60's radical to an appreciation of his grandfather's conservative, self-reliant values. Thomas' prose is of a high order, it flows smoothly and is never preachy or repetitive--he just relates his experiences and the conclusions he drew from them. He is not shy about admitting his shortcomings and mistakes and I came away convinced of his honesty. Yes, he was very angry about his Senate confirmation, and so will you when you understand the perfidy of the judiciary committee Democrats and Anita Hill. If your looking for an exposition of his originalist judicial philosophy, you will be disappointed as it is only briefly discussed, with the narrative ending after being sworn in to the Supreme Court. But I'm not sure I've read its equal as an uplifting tale of persistence and hard work.

Condition excelly

Fascinating book. Brings to real life some of the many struggles of black Americans through the mid-to-late 20th century and also how important early family life with a father figure affected his future. It’s was eye opening to read about Justice Thomas’s personal family hardships and his battle with alcohol, as well as his transformation from a left wing liberal to a true constitutionalist . I got some amazing life changing quotes from the book.

My Grandfather's Son is more than a memoir. It is one of the finest autobiographies ever penned. Moreover, how ironic it is that a man we associate with dispassionate objective reasoning could produce one of the most emotionally moving books imaginable. I was deeply moved by his narrative throughout. I once knew a man like the author's grandfather, Myers, and he too cast a shadow far greater than his physical size. Thomas's tale is infinitely believable as he failed to fully appreciate the one he called "Daddy" until after he passed. The lessons granddad taught are ones which should be internalized by children today and I'd recommend reading aloud to them passages from the early chapters as a means for inspiration. Myers was a master of the art of self-sufficiency and gave Clarence the mental fortitude to persevere in the face of incredible odds. Thomas's life is far more compelling than Barack Obama's and his last three chapters--"Approaching the Bench," "Invitation to a Lynching," and "Going to Meet the Man"--flow as if they were embedded in a movie. The sham of his last Senate confirmation, as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, was horrifying both in retrospect and while it occurred. The leftist activist groups and their Congressional minions tried to subject him to a "high-tech lynching" but he stood up to their menace. In my opinion, Clarence Thomas is a hero of the highest order and may be remembered as one of the finest justices in history. As of right now, My Grandfather's Son is the best book I've read in 2008.

The writing is somewhat ho-hum and tends toward the cliché at times, but given that it appears Justice Thomas did not use a ghostwriter, and given that he wrote this book while busy with another, rather more important, job, I am willing to overlook it. The prose is readable, and I found the story more than interesting enough to keep me turning pages. While Justice Thomas delves deeply into his relationship with his grandfather and his brother and exposes the emotions underlying his rocky relationship with liberals after his conservative "coming out," he also succumbs to that ubiquitous autobiographical failure of skimming over intimate relationships (both with his first wife and his current wife). For a devout and personally conservative man, his "we just grew apart"-style platitudes don't cut it. That being said, it is very good for a political book (and no bones about it, this is a political book). He is refreshingly honest about his feelings toward the Reagan administration--admiration toward President Reagan, broad agreement with the administration's policies, and frequent frustration toward various White House staffers. My Grandfathers' Son is at its best when the gloves come off during the retelling of Justice Thomas's experience with the senate confirmation process. He is still bitter about the experience, and it is easy to see why considering the unfairly harsh treatment he received (which he accurately describes as a "high-tech lynching").

A very honest autobiography at points ut there is much left unsaid that left me a bit disappointed. Mostly about his relationship with his first wife and how that impacted him after the divorce. However I did feel like I had a much better understanding of his trials, how he felt with things, and how he persevered

Very informative book about one of the most brilliant legal minds our country has dad to serve on the Supreme Court. I hope he lives a long and healthy life as supreme court justice

I didn't know much of anything about Justice Clarence Thomas' background and had no idea how hard his childhood and days as a student had been. Also fascinating to read of the struggle he went through to be confirmed to the Supreme Court - I have a great deal of admiration for him, given his tenacity in the face of such adversity. An illuminating and inspiring book, which managed to sustain my interest from start to finish.

As I've just finished reading Mr. Thomas' book, I'll write a quick few words about it. I found it an interesting read. Moreso in the beginning than towards the end. Although, the latter end of the book deals with Mr. Thomas' time as a public servant and his appointment to the Supreme Court. The book ends with Mr. Thomas beginning his tenure as a Supreme Court Judge. I would like to know more about Myers, Mr. Thomas' brother. In the beginning of the book there are some ominous statements with regard to Myers. I don't recall if they were ever explained in the book. Of course, I could have missed that part as I had a break of a week or two in between reading it. Mr. Thomas also discusses why he thinks that "liberalism", for lack of a better term, has been extremely damaging to blacks in America. He has his reasons and they are pervasive throughout the book. I tend to agree with him. I enjoyed the book and feel that Mr. Thomas is a good addition to the Supreme court. I hope he continues to serve for few more decades at least. And yes, I do know the correct way to address a Supreme Court Justice is Justice Thomas. I think that Mr. Thomas and Mr. Anderson would agree that the title Mr. is quite honourific in and of itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It's a great read for anyone, no matter what your experiencinig in life, and all generations will enjoy it! I was in elementary school when the Clerance Thomas and Anita Hill hearing was going on, I vaguely remember details but this shed more light on the going on during this time. It's a must read!

This book is extremely well written. It reads very smoothly and crisply. It is easy to skim. I did not expect to like this book, because I am a liberal and he's a conservative, but I do like it. It's a great piece of history. Thomas's life is fascinating and inspiring. He is refreshingly open about his drinking problems. Curiously, though, he seems to have little or no insight into other people or his effect on them. Instead, other people seem like mere shadowy props in an isolating world where only he exists. I can see where he could easily offend others without being aware why, since he seems so completely inside himself. -------------- The first time I read the book I could not bring myself to read the parts about Anita Hill. I felt so sure that she was telling the truth and that he had somehow connived to discredit her, when she was the victim. I couldn't bear the thought of reading anything he would say about her. The second time through I allowed myself to be drawn in by his skillful writing and read the whole thing. I came out with a willingness to believe that she was lying for political reasons, just as he suggests. I do certainly come out with a strong sense that he is a man of principle and of sincere faith.

Excellent book about personal responsibility and not relying on “mistreatment” to do nothing in life or being a burden to society. True American Hero!

In today's world, where everybody is a victim, and screaming about racism, his is the voice of someone who has gone through the crucible and come out stronger. My appreciation for him has grown significantly as a result of reading this book. Highly recommend it.

I loved reading about where Clarence began life and how he pursued excellence in spite of all of the derogatory things said about him. It also sheds light on our current political situation.

The hero of this book is not Clarence Thomas. It is his grandfather who raised him and his brother from childhood. His mother was an illegitimate child, just as he was himself. The grandfather later married and, when his daughter, Justice Thomas' mother, was struggling to raise three children in the slums of Charleston, he took the boys in and raised them to be fiercely independent men. The grandfather and his wife had a neat and clean, though small, house and later he built a second house on family farm land outside the cty. He kept the boys working on that farm in the summer, much to their anger, to keep them away from other boys who were at risk of serious trouble in the streets of Charleston. Justice Thomas' early life was one of hard work and hard study under the nuns in Catholic school. His grandfather scraped up the school fees to keep his boys out of the evil atmosphere that dragged so many young black men into trouble. For years, Justice Thomas and his grandfather had a tense relationship as neither could express his feelings well and the grandson only realized years later what a debt he owed to this harsh but loving man. The confirmation story, and the alleged "anger" are near the end of the book. The rest is an inspiring story of love and discipline and a life that should impress anyone who reads it with the open mind. The book now goes to my daughter and it should be required reading for the pampered children of the middle class who have had few obstacles in their way thus far in life.

This book is a wonderful read and a very interesting perspective into one of the most successful people in American democracy.

Fabulous book. In this day and age, a refreshing story of success by doing the right things and not waiting for someone else to take care of you.

Fascinating life overcoming many social obstacles for a smart and savvy Black man. Thomas’ thoughts and perspectives growing up are enlightening to anyone, even a white man growing up during the same time.

If you love Justice Thomas, read this book. If you don't like him, read this book. God bless Justice Thomas for writing this book. May God continue to bless him and his family.

This book might have an unintended consequence of feeding stereo-typing. Justice Thomas endured what we might think is SOP for poor black men with the difference that he worked his way out of them. The book is a very honest treatment of his life, especially the confirmation hearings. For example, he logs that Anita Hill did in fact pass a lie detector test. He treats Ms. Hill a lot nicer than I would have treated her if I had lived through her accusations. What a great story. What many of us consider typical (and the research seems to reinforce)Justice Thomas survives. His abandonment by his biological father and his own stereo-typical mistakes are all chronicled. He admits his mistakes, learns from them, and moves on a giant of a man. I would like to spend a little time in the presence of this new hero of mine. I strongly recommend the book. I am not offering it for resale and I will share it with other people I care about before I set it on my own book shelf. The book has a nice flow, is an easy read, and is of the type that you always are looking to get back to it.

This book is, firstly, a distinctly American biography. Justice Thomas comes into the world with zero advantages and rises to great heights on his own intellect, integrity, and work ethic. Thomas's journey is America's. If we had an editor around here, such clichés would be stricken, but in this instance that would be a mistake. At the end of the 20th Century two Justices sat on the Supreme Court who had grown up without indoor plumbing. Thomas's youth is about as hard as can be imagined without actual chattel slavery. It is also a political tale. Thomas leaves the Catholic church and avoids the Republican party over tacit acceptance of racism and segregation. He and his family later look on in horror as the party of JFK becomes the bigots at his "high tech lynching." Thomas is consistently hurt by the people and polity who are there to help him, and when he speaks out, he's cast aside by white liberals for being uppity. It is also a tale of incredible strength and courage. Hats off to this great man for his forbearance and strength. I read Bork's "Tempting of America" last year. One realizes that we are chasing out any decent people from government service. No wonder only he crazies seem to be left -- how many decent people would or could put up with this?

I only bought this book because when I saw Justice Thomas on 60 Minutes I was impressed by his humility and humor. It seemed obvious he's a decent man and not the villain he has been made out to be in the New York Times. I thought it might be an interesting read. It turned out to be one of the most powerful autobiographies I have ever read. A must-read. Thomas is so painfully honest about his life, both his actions and his inner thoughts; at times it's actually uncomfortable to read. I think we're so accustomed to people selling themselves in this age of the image -- it's shocking to find someone so brutally forthcoming about his flaws and mistakes. I especially appreciated his honesty about his financial struggles. (He was paying off his school loans when he entered the Supreme Court!) It's unfortunate that his name will forever be linked to Anita Hill's but he certainly sets the record straight on that matter. It's frightening what has happened to America that such a decent and talented man should be so maligned simply for not walking in lockstep with the ideology of those in power. Thomas says that when he judges he calls them as he sees them. When he declared the orchestrated smear against him was nothing but a "high-tech lynching" he judged correctly. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed. It's a triumph.

i remember the BS stemming from justice thomas's nomination to his post. and no wonder he caught so much hell.... the man is a hard working, honest, conservative. AND to piss "the left" even more, HE's a BLACK MAN!!!!! see, justice thomas(like me), dont toe the liberal line as to how a black man, or woman or any other so-called minority in this country should "act". justice thomas doesnt believe in WELFARE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, REPARATIONS, DISTRIBUTING WEALTH, nor any of the other monstrous crap that has been perpetrated on these UNITED STATES since the mid 60's. he was taught, by his grandfather, that one makes their OWN way in a land filled with the opportunity this country USED to afford. yes i know of segregation, slavery, native americans, blah blah blah. NO america has NOT, been perfect. BUT I, sure as hell wouldnt want to have been born and raised in no other country on this planet than THE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! people, this book is and an excellent, i mean EXCELLENT read. if this book doesnt make one step back and reexam his or herself.... nothing will.

The tenacity of Judge Clarence Thomas and his choice to be an excellent student was his ticket to be among the finest of people in our country. If people worked have as hard as Clarence, what a great world this would be. He wrote with truth and the honesty of his youth. He persevered with a grandfather who was tough and truthful. Although deceased, his grandfather still is his strength. I wonder if Judge Thomas took a moment in time to talk to his grandfather, telling him how much he loved him and thanking him for his hard work and guidance. What surprised me is, that as a judge, he was still paying off his college expenses. Reading this book was a privilege for me. It gave me a peak into the life of a great American. It showed the depth of Judge Thomas' true feelings and yes, the blessing of being his grandfather's son.

This book is the 21st century version of President Grant's celebrated autobiography. Written in a plainspoken, straightforward tone, the book traces Justice Thomas' rise from a hardscrabble childhood in the Jim Crow South to the pinnacle of American public life. Justice Thomas doesn't spare the reader the difficult points in his life, and his message seems to be, "if I could do it, you can too." He comes across as someone who does not shy away from asking tough questions, and will not settle for empty slogans as answers. Regardless of what one thinks of his approach to judging, this is a riveting tale well told, and a hard book to put down -- it offers a window into the soul of a complicated and often misunderstood American. The book isn't just (or primarily) for law junkies; it's a fascinating glimpse into an American life before, during, and after the civil rights revolution of the 1960s, told from a fresh and unusual perspective. Contrary to what some of his critics seem to believe, Justice Thomas did not arrive in this country from outer space; he is very much a product of his place and time. The book ends with his arrival at the Supreme Court, after some electrifying chapters on his confirmation hearings. Presumably his written opinions pick up the tale from there on. This is an important and interesting book, and one I suspect will still be on library shelves (or their cyber-equivalents) a century from now.

Great story of perseverance and demonstrates that with education and drive, anything is possible in America!

This is a story of a man and his journey to the highest court in the land. In the telling of it, he is unabashed about his accomplishments without being self-aggrandizing, and he is honest in his portrayal of those who opposed him along the way. He identifies those in government who act exactly as we know many in government act; his portrayal of senators Biden and Metzenbaum is precisely like the reader knows these multifaceted (read "two faced") politicians are - and it makes delightful reading. He tells his side of the Anita Hill controversy with no punches about his feelings, but most effectively. His side is effective because he uses verifiable evidence supporting his claims (telephone logs of calls made to but mainly from her, the dubious backgrounds of those who support her story, and by pointing out that she claimed backing from reputable employees who served under Thomas who "evaporated" under scrutiny). I have not ever seen these points disputed, far less disproved. Surely, were there something there, these vicious critics of Thomas would not let them go unchallenged! This is an autobiography. Thomas does not discuss his SCOTUS activities nor any particular agenda in judicial matters. He seems to studiously avoid such matters. Instead, it is a fascinating story of a man making his way in the world, and working through the particular set of problems that God alloted him. He did well in meeting the challenge.

It's a great story told in a very in an eloquent conversational tone. I found myself laughing out loud at Justice Thomas poignant humor. Unfortunately the book condition was not as advertised. The edges of the pages had yellowed and all but one page of photographs had been torn out.

His southern, backcountry youth is very enlightening. I'm a northern country child that also explored fields, forests, farms and wetlands with my brother. I'm about a 3rd through the book, thank you so much for sharing your life.

What a great story and memoir! Powerful and inspiring. I bought it for my son to read. Too bad this story is being silenced by those who hate the black conservative voice.

This was a great overview of the career of Clarence Thomas. It gives a in depth view of the politics that are involved in the selection of a Supreme Court Justice. Dirty politics are shown through in this great book of how the Conservative and Liberals duel it out for control of the highest court.

I am not a huge reader but I could not put this book down. A must read.

This is a fascinating and worthwhile book, insightful into the life of an American man very unlike me. As I read his story, I found myself cheering for him, a highly intelligent and competent man who rose from the meanest of circumstances. He unflinching details his weaknesses and his struggles to find hope and a future in the midst of poverty and the continuing racial discrimination that has plagued our nation for far too long. His experience of the confirmation battle for Associate Justice is worth reading all by itself. How he endured the assault on him by fanatical political forces and their media allies is a testimony to friendship and faith, and to the resolve poured into him by his determined and proud "Daddy." As I read this part of the book, I took stock of my own attitudes about him and other black males at that time and since, realizing that some of the poison of the unsubstantiated charges used as deadly weapons by his opponents had stuck to me, prejudicing my view of him as a man and as a leader of our country. Ad hominem attacks in the interest of the "greater good" are immoral and reprehensible and have no place in our land.

I enjoyed the book. It is, in many ways, for better and for worse, a truly American story. Justice Thomas, born into relentless poverty and racism, overcomes all obstacles. The first part of the book that focuses on his early years under the watchful eye of his grandparents is particularily heartwarming. However, the second half of the book seems geared towards settling scores against the arrogant wealthy white liberals who tried to destroy him. I think he does a disservice to himself and his accomplishments to even address the likes of Joe Biden and Howard Metzenbaum. Further, no one but a rabid partisan believes the ridiculous fabrications of Anita Hill. Justice Thomas really shows his human frailties in this book. Further, he doesn't sugarcoat his failures as a man, husband and father. That takes a lot of courage. However, after what he's been through, I'm sure he fears little. After reading the book I find him very accessible. Like a guy you could play pick up basketball with or chat about sports over a beer at the corner bar.

My Grandfather’s Son is a truly moving tribute to American individualism. Thomas’ honesty shines through each chapter. His thoughts on his first marriage, drinking troubles, and missed time with his grandfather are especially poignant. By the end of the book, the reader is reminded that on earth there are no pure villains or heroes — only people who stick to their convictions or flounder.

Amazing life story of Clarence Thomas, a most honorable man that serves our country as a Supreme Court Justice. You may find this memoir hard to set down as there is so much heartfelt content and transparency and beauty in his writing. Highly recommend!

This book is so interesting and moving! It came not only from the brilliant mind of Clarence Thomas but straight from his heart. His style is easy and appealing, just like someone talking to you, and certainly in a very honest way. I bought it out of curiosity and I am so glad I did...Now I admire him more than ever because of what he went through and all the odds against him that did not deter him from accomplishing what, at times, seemed impossible. His credit to the sacrifices of his grandparents shows what kind of a human being he is. I believe discrimination has existed and will always exist among human beings. I am labeled "Hispanic" only because I was born in Cuba. "Hispanic" means those who speak Spanish even though Hispanics can be quite different from one another, in the way they look, in their idiosyncracies and yet, the label is in the minds of a lot of people. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone because it is really worth reading. Some times a book leaves you with " ah, well, it was okay, it was entertaining." This book stays with you forever!

Bought this book as a gift - couldn’t find a new copy in hardback. This book was listed as ‘very good condition’ but it looks new to me. Very satisfied with my purchase

Enough can't be said for the life this man lived, his values, his convictions and how he came from poverty to the highest court in the land. Don't miss this one. Highly recommend this!!!

Clarence Thomas gives us an unvarnished view of his painful and often difficult childhood. How does a child recover from abandonment of his father and the incompetence of his mother? This is not, unfortunately, an uncommon story. But Clarence and his brother had a strong set of grandparents to give them support and direction. Thomas gives full credit to this man who stepped into the shoes that his father should have worn. His grandparents sacrificed to send the boys to a catholic school so they could receive a real education. They took the boys out of the city in the summers so there would be no time to hang about the trashy hoodlum types. Thomas recognizes what makes a father is not just an accident of nature, but time and love. It was this love that enabled him to reach for the stars in his life and to overcome the unfair viciousness he encountered as an adult. He does not cover up his own shortcomings, but gives a complete picture of his personal growth.

I enjoyed reading this autobiography about Supreme Court Justice Thomas. He tells the story of his childhood, teenage years, college experiences, and what it was like for him to work for various law firms. He is very candid about the controversy that erupted when during the congressional approval hearings. Justice Clarence Thomas is known to be a quiet, conservative man, and in this autobiography he writes about many details about his life. This is a story about a man who was raised by a single mom and then by his grandparents in the US state of Georgia. As a child, money was very tight. However, he was able to complete a college education, become a lawyer, and a Supreme Court Justice.

Up close and personal. Highly recommend.

I found this story of Justice Clarence Thomas amazing. He was raised RIGHT! Read it and you will understand why. I admire him and I understand why he feels the way he does. He is a great man. Again, read this and you will understand why.

This book helped me to understand what blacks go through to become successful.

Excellent. I feel it is always instructive to read how a successful person matures and is successful. Amazing what he went through to get where he is today.

his grandfather was a amazing man who we all should aspire to emulate

This Supreme Court Justice never really knew his father, but what an amazing grandfather he had! There is probably is not a more encouraging book for grandparents raising grandchildren in the place of a delinquent parent available. A must read if you want to know the mind and heart of Justice Clarence Thomas.

An insightful biography from a titan in law. Justice Thomas’ road from humble beginnings to a seat on the highest Court in the land is inspirational.

I belong to audible.com and looked hard for this title through them or through the public library in unabridged audio format and could not find it and bought this through amazon.com -- it was super worth it, it was such a great book and being able to hear it in Clarence Thomas's own voice made the experience that much better. What an amazing story. One thing I learned new about Thomas, whom I've always thought was the best constitutionalist judge on the court (truer to the constitition than Scalia whom I consider second best), was that he was not converted to his ways by Thomas Sowell but rather only strengthened by Sowell because he was thinking along those ways long before he learned of Sowell. The only thing I did not learn was what is his current religious affiliation -- is it Catholic or did he stay with his wife's Methodist religion. I hope someday Thomas does a sequel about his time on the court -- perhaps it won't be published until he steps down from the court though which I hope is another 20 years or more.

My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas Clarence Thomas, in a rare - heck - never before read or heard exposition of his evolution from poor boy growing up in the south to his rise to the heights of American jurisprudence. Justice Thomas affords readers a chance to see what 'tough love' meant for he and his brother and how his grandfather, by doling out his particular brand of paternal support created a discipline and steely resolve within this highly motivated American icon. Supreme Court followers and plain old biography lovers alike will love this book - relationships with fellow associate justices are covered albeit briefly, however, the up and more often downs of the confirmation process are examined in depth. Fortunately, Anita Hill and her impact on Justice Thomas' confirmation are not the centerpiece of this memoir, though is analyzed with due accord. We see a man in full - his family struggles, educational achievements, professional rise and those who influenced him through his long public life. Once you pick it up, it remains extremely difficult to put down. Simply wonderful book that I highly recommend.

Great read. Fantastic insight into the supreme court justice and his life.

Well written. Worth the read. A complex man.

Clarence Thomas is and will be remembered as one of the most important historical figures of our time!

Justice Thomas brings the same directness to his account of his own life that he does to the opinions he writes on the Supreme Court. He is honest about himself and the challenges he has overcome, both personal and professonal. Although he has a lot of reason to be bitter about the treatment he received during his Supreme Court confirmation process, he is admirably restrained. The closest he comes to expressing genuine bitterness and anger (and even here it is controlled) is in his description of the not unexpected duplicity of Joe Biden. Even when talking about Anita Hill, he is more hurt and disappointed than angry. In all, this is a much more honorable and intelligent man than he is often given credit for, and a role model for every young person who feels that they are locked in at the bottom by life's circumstances.

Written from the heart, very thoughtfully. Incredible life, journey, and contributions to the country.

This book is excellent. Judge Clarence Thomas is an outstanding man. Very good book.

This book was so interesting. Learning about Justice Thomas, I appreciate him more than I already did. His climb from poverty and the conditions he lived in could have turned a lesser man to not excel, but live with pity and anger. He had to experience prejudice from childhood to adulthood, but, Praise the Lord, he conquered.

I bought the paperback as a gift, after listening to the audiobook. Listening to it in the author's own voice really adds to it. It is the only audiobook that I enjoy having chapters pop up at random on my iPod, after having already listened to them multiple times. It is a great story of the life experiences that shaped Thomas, starting in tiny Pinpoint, Georgia. Parts are inspiring, parts are heartbreaking. I was surprised to learn that he was a pretty hardcore liberal in his youth. There is a neat passage recounting debates with a fellow student in law school, who went on to be very well known himself. This fellow student helped Thomas realize the conservative movement is based on the same values his grandfather had instilled in him.

Who’d of thought an attorney would be a good author. Really well done & a page turner.

Good condition

Justice Thomas has long been a figure I admired, so I bought his autobiography as soon as it was available. I am glad I did! Justice Thomas' book is not the most well-written autobiography - but it is painfully honest. His upbringing was as rough as it was valuable. Surely, his simple recitation of hurdles, high-places, and deep hurts left many pictures that could be colored in. Reading his account of the appointment process was worth the effort. You and I may disagree about the wisdom of appointing Justice Thomas - but that is not what the US Senate did in the confirmation hearings. What the Senate did was reprehensible! We seem to have lost the ability to respect other people's life experiences and credit them with the same intentions we have - and by the way - if anyone reads Uncle Tom's Cabin, one will quickly see that being an Uncle Tom is quite an accomplishment!

Learned a lot about Clarence Thomas. Great story. Well written about a man who grew up poor and became a Supreme Court Justice.

This book is one of the best I have read in a long time. It's a page turner. I am amazed at the life Clarence Thomas has lived. This is a must read.

I bought this book for my son. He loves biographies. He told me this is one of his favorite books he has ever read. It was wonderfully written and very entertaining. He highly recommends it.

Judge Thomas is proof anything is possible if you believe in yourself.

Each time I placed my bookmark in this book, I could hardly wait to get back to it. I looked forward to begin reading where I left off, and when I finally got to the end, I was almost disappointed. Although I have always considered myself to be a supporter of Clarence Thomas, I really didn't know a lot about him except that he was conservative and appointed to the Supreme Court by George H. W. Bush. I remember watching the proceedings on TV which eventually led to his confirmation. I remember Anita Hill's cruel and false accusations and the lengths to which some politicians went to attempt to destroy his reputation and keep him from getting the appointment. I guess things really haven't changed much in Washington. As I read about Judge Thomas's struggles and the pain which he endured on his journey through life, which ultimately led to the Supreme Court, my admiration for this man increased. What a wonderful tribute to the man who raised him.......the man he called 'Daddy".

Inspiring and completely credible account of this remarkable man of humble beginnings. His integrity shines brightly through and those who maliciously maligned him for political gain are conclusively shamed. A lesson for today and for all time.

Absolutely loved reading this book!! Phenomenal

Great read. This book has taught me a lot about Honorable Thomas. If you really want to know the real person this is the book to read

I was not a fan of Clarence Thomas before I started this book, because I disagree with him on most issues, particularly those related to race. However, I was curious to discover how he had come to the conclusions that he has reached. I love to hear compelling arguments. Hearing why someone believes a certain thing allows me to respect their final conclusion even if I disagree with it. Thomas' book made me even less of a fan of his. Thomas is bereft of introspection. He is simply unable to see himself, his choices or his experiences in an objective light, and that causes him to make continuous false assertions and false conclusions throughout the book. For example, on page 95 he writes: "It turned out that blacks were responsible for almost 80 percent of violent crimes committed against blacks, and killed over 90 percent of black murder victims. This was a bitter pill to swallow. Until then I'd ignored the obvious implication of black-on-black crime rates. After I worked on that case, I knew better than to assume that whites were responsible for all the woes of blacks, and stopped throwing around the word `oppression' so carelessly." On its face this is an example of faulty reasoning. The white power structure of the United States has enslaved, segregated and systematically discriminated against blacks for hundreds of years. That created despair and hopelessness among blacks, which in turn expresses itself through violence. Against whom will blacks commit violent acts? The people nearest them. That's the reason that wealthy people flee the inner city and build gated communities. They believe that putting distance between themselves and the poor will protect them from crime. By and large, black people don't live, work or attend school near white people. They live near other black people, therefore the crimes they commit are mostly against other black people. The same logic applies to white people. The vast majority of the crimes that white people commit are against other white people. When a white teenager gets into a fight, chances are his opponent is another white kid. When a white husband beats his wife, chances are she's white. When white kid goes to school and shoots his classmates, chances are most of them are white. Most crimes are proximity driven. Violence touches the closest available victims. That's fairly simple logic, yet Thomas fails to make that connection, and his blindness is even more striking when you consider the words he uses to describe his own "oppressive" experiences as a black man in America. 1) On page 5, he describes his life in Pinpoint at "unforgiving." 2) On Page 6, he says the tenement flat he lived in was "the foulest kind of urban squalor." 3) On page 7, he says of his mother, "It was as though her job sapped all the hope out of her. She worked to stay alive and keep us alive, nothing more." 4) On page 8, he says, "never before had I known the nagging chronic hunger ...' 5) On page 35, other boys at his white high school shunned him on the basketball court. He writes, "I couldn't bear to know. Every step was agony." 6) Also on page 35, a student yells the N-word at him. He writes, "I felt as if my soul had been pierced." 7) On page 37, "I was stunned to learn that Richard Chisolm had dropped out, leaving me as the school's only black student." 8) On page 41, "I was the only black in the group, and when the management finally decided to throw someone out, they picked me." 9) Also on page 41, "I deserved the super-jock trophy traditionally given to the outstanding athlete. No trophy was given out that year ... I couldn't help thinking that I'd been passed over because I was black." 10) While he's waiting to hear his bar exam results he said, "my nerves were shot, in part, because one of the blacks in my bar-review course had warned me that Missouri had a `rule of two,' meaning that only two blacks were allowed to pass each year ... I found this warning impossible to ignore." 11) On page 269, he writes, "As a child I had been warned by Daddy that I could be picked up off the streets of Savannah and hauled off to jail or the chain gang for no reason other than I was black." 12) Also on page 269, "the fear (the police) instilled in southern blacks, a fear that had helped to keep segregation alive." 13) On page 47 he writes, "The more injustice I saw, the angrier I became, and the angrier I became, the more injustices I saw ..." 14) On page 51 he writes, "Racism had become the answer to all my questions, the trump card that won every argument." 15) On page 27, he writes that his grandfather rescued him by taking him in. "To stay there would have doomed me to a dismal life of ignorance, perhaps even of crime--a life lost before it started." It goes on and on. Thomas makes constant references to the injustices that he suffered as a result of his race, and the anger that boiled in him because of it. Yet, when he reads a statistic about black-on-black crime, he's incapable of imagining that most poor blacks felt just as oppressed and angry as he did, but they didn't have the intellect or the opportunities to escape as he did. Point 15 above reveals that could see that his life might have led to crime if he had stayed where he was, but he refuses to acknowledge the plight of the many kids who were stuck in those cruel environments. Throughout the book, Thomas seemed to judge his one life by one standard and the lives of all other blacks by a separate standard. This double standard and/or lack of self-awareness permeates virtually every major premise that he makes in this book. On page 63 he writes on the subject of being black in America, "Now I understood for the first time that we were expected to be full of rage. It was our role--but I didn't want to play it anymore. I'd already been doing it for too long, and it hadn't improved my life. I had better things to do than be angry." This statement is grossly inaccurate. The white establishment did not expect blacks to be full of rage any more than a cattle farmer expects his herd to be full of rage. There might be the occasional malcontent to deal with, but overall docility is the expectation. That's why the race riots and marches of the 1960s were so shocking to whites. Black people were resisting their fate. They were enraged and out making trouble. The white establishment fought back with fire hoses, police dogs, batons, guns and assassinations, trying to quell this uprising and put blacks back in their place. Docility was the expectation, not rage. In fact, Thomas himself makes the point about docility on page 31: "Blacks in Savannah rarely came into contact with whites, and when we did the encounters were brief and not too unpleasant, since our second-class status was so firmly accepted that no unpleasantness was needed to enforce it." On page 22, he writes, "No matter how curious you might be about the way white people lived, you didn't go where you didn't belong. That was a recipe for jail or worse." Second, Thomas' statement that he was going to stop being angry was inaccurate because he clearly didn't stop. He is an extremely angry, bitter man who, despite his many successes, feels that he has been wronged by the world. Even as he is climbed higher in the governmental and judicial ranks he still used extreme words to describe his state of mind. 1) While he's working for Monsanto, page 117, "My sense of hopelessness was intensified ..." 2) A jogger passes him and he writes, "I was humiliated..." 3) Page 136, during his divorce he felt "despair" and "anguish" 4) When he took the job at EEOC, he writes on page 143, "I was overwhelmed by a feeling of hopelessness." 5) Page 144, "I sat at my desk and wept." 6) Page 151, the sight of his name in the Washington Post, "sent me into something close to panic." 7) He and Virginia are buying a house, page 189, "after answering countless humiliating questions ..." 8) Page 190, when their loan was disapproved, "Virginia and I were so despondent ..." 9) During the Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Page 246, they were trying to kill me." If a Yale-educated, highly recruited career man like Thomas can feel these extremely negative emotions about his lot in life, then why is it so hard for him to understand the humiliation, hopelessness and despondency of millions of blacks who have are far less fortunate than he is? Another example of flawed reasoning is revealed in his position on racial preferences in hiring. Throughout the book Thomas maintains that racial preferences are bad, that blacks who are admitted based on their race are being set up for failure and that applications should be race neutral. But his own life provides counter-evidence to his position. On page 38 he writes, "I briefly fantasized about going to Georgia Tech or West Point ... yet hope soon succumbed to reality, since I also knew that it would be all but impossible for a black kid like me to get into either school, and I decided to stick to my religious studies." If a young man of Thomas' intellect is too intimidated to even apply to those schools that speaks volumes about the oppression that he has experienced in his life, which produced a hopelessness or deep pessimism about his prospects. If Thomas thought that way, what hope is there for other blacks of slightly lesser intelligence, who might have succeeded in college if only they'd had an opportunity? Ironically, Thomas was admitted to Yale based partly on his race. On page 74, he writes, "I thought of myself more as disadvantaged than black, and I asked Yale to take that fact into account when I applied, not thinking that there might be anything wrong with doing so. I simply took it for granted that Yale was giving me a break because I was poor (and especially since that poverty was in part due to racial discrimination) .... I had been told that minority students were admitted under the same standards as legacy students, and why couldn't Yale be willing to take the same chance on a poor black kid from Georgia who'd always managed to achieve against the odds ..." So when he personally needed racial preferences, he was a fan of them. However, the moment he didn't personally need racial preferences, he became an opponent of them. On page 75 he writes, "After graduating from Yale, I met a black alumnus of the University of Michigan Law School who told me that he'd made a point of not mentioning his race on his application. I wished with all my heart that I'd done the same." He doesn't need the preference any more, so now he opposes even the preference that he received to get into law school. His feelings about this issue are so irrational that he now hates Yale University for admitting him. On page 99 he writes, "As a symbol of my disillusionment, I peeled a 15-cent price sticker off of a package of cigars and stuck it on the frame of my law degree to remind myself of the mistake I'd made by going to Yale ... Instead of hanging it on the wall of my Supreme Court office, I stored it in the basement of my Virginia home--with the sticker still on the frame." But his hatred of racial preferences is not uniform. As he continued through his career, he became a fan of them whenever they might benefit himself or his friends. 1) On page 114, he describes his job at Monsanto: "My disillusion deepened when I noticed that Monsanto employed a number of talented blacks who should have been moving up the corporate ladder far more quickly. I went to the black manager in charge of affirmative-action compliance to complain about his complacent attitude toward these gifted young managers.". 2) On page 158, he contradicts the point above with a story about his arrival at the EEOC: "My predecessor had charged Sears with failing to hire ore promote enough blacks and women to the company's more lucrative commission-sales jobs. In fact though, there were no actual job applicants or employees alleging discrimination; the charges were based solely on the fact that these groups were numerically underrepresented relative to their presence in the population." This numerical argument is nearly identical to the one he made at Monsanto, but since Thomas will not personally benefit, he is now opposed to using numbers as evidence of discrimination. Thomas employed racial preferences in his personal decision-making: 1) On page 140 after he takes over at EEOC, "Gil Hardy called me up and asked me to `help a sister' who was leaving his firm. Her name was Anita Hill ... I agreed to interview her. Not only did I feel an obligation to help my fellow blacks, but I remembered how hard it had been for me to land a job after graduating from Yale, and I didn't want to treat her as badly as I was treated." 2) On page 181, "Besides, Virginia was white, and I had no inclination to date outside of my race." 3) On page 193 he writes, "After the election ... I drafted a memo to the new president-elect suggesting that he take a more positive approach on racial issues ... recommended that he consider appointing blacks to positions of responsibility other than the race-related ones they'd traditionally held." 4) Page 193, "As long as I was still at EEOC though I wanted to continue pushing for the appointments of minorities to senior positions." 5) On page 244, he wrote this slightly nonsensical and entirely contradictory passage: "I wanted to show that a predominantly minority and female agency could be run as professionally as any other--and that it could be done without the benefit of affirmative action or quotas. All that was necessary, I believed, was a concerted effort to give those who had been excluded an opportunity to do their best." Isn't that was preferences and affirmative action were all about? He also is opposed to the "white" government getting involved in the lives of black people, trying to fix the problems in black America. On page 106, he writes: "The problems faced by blacks in America would take quite some time to solve, and the responsibility for solving them would fall largely on black people." That's a constant theme. He doesn't believe that blacks should rely on white people to solve their problems. But throughout his life, Thomas been bailed out by a steady succession of white people and the white establishment. On page 57 he and several other students walk out of Holy Cross in protest of punishments handed down to black demonstrators. Immediately, he regrets walking out and is desperate to return. "Within a few hours my problem was solved. Art Martin and Ted Wells, the leaders of the BSU, persuaded the administration to let us return to campus ... I will forever be indebted to Art, Ted and the school administration for giving me a second chance." He's basically saying, "Thank you, white administrators. I stepped out of line on what I thought was a matter of principle, but that I instantly regretted. You graciously let me back in. I won't act up any more." Thomas is a self-admitted terrible money manager, but it didn't matter, because he always had white friends to bail him out. 1) Page 93, after failing to make money by selling his blood he writes, "Finally I called the attorney general to ask for help, and Alex Netchvolodoff, his administrative assistant, arranged for me to do some part time work in the St. Louis office." 2) On page 100, he writes that he borrowed "small sums from my colleagues to make ends meet." 3) On page 102 he has more money problems, and "once again the attorney general saved the day; I mentioned the problem to him and he referred me to the president of a local bank, a friendly small-town type who believed that character mattered as much as collateral. He took Jack Danforth's word for my character and agreed to lend me the money." 4) Page 102, "I started going out with them after work ... since I had so little money, one of them always picked up the tab." 5) He needed a job so on page 109 "once again I spoke to the attorney general, and he put me in touch with George Capps, a businessman friend from St. Louis, who suggested in turn that I approach Monsanto .... When the company offered me a job in early 1977, I accepted." 6) During his divorce, page 135, "I was so broke that I often had to borrow small sums of money from friends in order to take the bus to work." 7) Page 174, after his credit card is seized and destroyed at the car rental counter, "I had to beg him to let me rent a car so that I could get to my meeting." 8) Page 189, "I was up to my ears in debt and doubted whether I could pass the kind of credit check necessary to obtain a mortgage, but thanks to Virginia's income, our overall financial picture had improved considerably." 9) Page 190, he and Virginia are not approved for their loan, so "with the help of her parents and a persistent young man at the mortgage company our prayers were answered." 10) Page 276, "Senator Hatch had insisted on paying." 11) Page 283, "Virginia's parents picked up the enormous tab." Where would Thomas be without all of these white people to keep feeding him money and picking up the tab for him? He might be in the same boat as the blacks in the neighborhood where he grew up. And it's significant that the attorney general is a high ranking member of the white establishment. Thomas is convinced that blacks should not rely on the white establishment for solutions, but when he's in a bind, who does he call? He repeatedly criticizes blacks for what he calls a "knee-jerk" aversion to the Republican Party. On page 125, he writes, "That kind of all-us-black-folks-think-alike nonsense wasn't part of my upbringing, and I saw it as nothing more than another way to herd blacks into a political camp." Yet on page 179, he writes, "blacks didn't vote for Republicans ... as a result there was little interest within the administration in helping a constituency that wouldn't do anything in return to help the President ... One political consultant was honest enough to tell me straight out that since the President's reelection strategy didn't include the black vote, there was no role for me." So Thomas heard from the horse's mouth that the Republican party didn't court black people, yet he is still critical of black people who refuse to vote Republican. It seems totally rational that the Republican party doesn't waste time courting people who won't vote Republican, and it's equally rational that black people don't waste their votes on a party that's not interested in their issues. Why does Thomas criticize the logic of blacks, while praising (or at least accepting without challenge) the logic of the Republican party? These two passage illustrate the reason that most black Americans feel little or no connection with Thomas. He had the type of tough childhood that should make him understand the plight of black people, and use his position of power to improve their lives. But he doesn't. As a general rule, he scorns anything political that black people say or do, while he has immediate respect for anything political that white people say or do. Another example, on page 147, he writes, "One day I mentioned to a senior career staffer that I didn't understand why there was so little focus on the educational role of black colleges. He snapped back that they had no right to exist. His statement floored me, though in the next instant I realized that it was implicit in the position taken by the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, which were obsessed with the racial composition of while colleges to the virtual exclusion of all other considerations. At no time in our discussions with these groups did the education of black students take center stage. All they seemed to care about were the numbers." So a white man says that black colleges have no right to exist, and Thomas immediately aims his criticism at the NAACP. To understand how infuriating that is to black Americans, imagine that an extremely powerful Jewish-American leader was in a conversation with someone who said, "Israel had no right to exist," and he ignored that comment and instead criticized Jewish advocacy group. Black people do not like Clarence Thomas, because Clarence Thomas doesn't like black people. Further evidence of Thomas' lack of introspection is his disdain for "victim" status. He doesn't want the government to create special programs for blacks, that would make them "more dependent on the government. That would amount to a new kind of enslavement, one which ultimately relied on the generosity--and the ever-changing self-interest--of politicians and activists." (p. 56) But his position is very hypocritical, because he spends the bulk of the book portraying himself as a victim. Early in his life, he was a victim of racial injustice by whites. Later, he became a victim of angry blacks and liberal whites who resented his so-called "honesty". Plus he constantly describes himself as a reluctant character in his own life. Occasionally he says, "I really wanted to do (fill in the blank)" but more often he says, "I didn't want to do (fill in the blank) but so-and-so insisted that I give it a try." 1) He got married against his better judgment. Page 69, "I was still full of doubts, and a bolt of sharp, sickening pain shot through my body as we said our vows." 2) Page 75, he resented Yale, believing that the school had played a trick on him by considering his race in admissions. 3) He repeatedly brags that his father refused to take welfare and he told a Washington Post reporter that welfare had ruined his mother's ambition. But on page 76, when he needed financial aid at Yale, he was the recipient of a wealth-redistribution system that worked just like welfare. He writes, "In the end all Yale had to offer me was the tuition postponement option, a program in which the cost of student loans was spread across a class of students who repaid it as a group according to their means, with the greatest burden falling on those with the largest incomes. I didn't know what else to do so I signed on the dotted line." 4) Page 86, "I had grave reservations about working at a predominantly white institution, subject to the whims of white superiors 5) Page 96, he's going to argue his first case before the Missouri Supreme Court, and he writes, "Couldn't someone else argue this case?" 6) Page 119, Senator Danford invites him to join his staff. He writes, "I was interested so long as I wouldn't have to work on civil-rights issues or matters involving race ... (ultimately) I couldn't say no." 7) Page 137, he gets a call from the Office of Presidential Personnel asking him to become assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education. "I expected to say no .... I didn't care to work in a civil-rights post. I had no background in that area, and was sure that I'd been singled out solely because I was black .... I decided to give it a try." 8) Page 149, President Reagan is looking for a new head of the EEOC. Thomas writes, "Pen ended our conversation by asking what my answer would be if the president himself asked me to take the job. I hesitated, then reluctantly admitted that I'd have to say yes." 9) On becoming a Supreme Court Justice, page 210, "I knew I didn't want the job, but I also knew I'd need to come up with a better answer than that if I was going to say no to the president of the United States ... I tried to think of a way to convince President Bush to choose somebody else." I don't completely understand why he presents himself as such a passive figure in his own career. I believe it's probably to puff himself up, so that he can say, "They pursued ME. I didn't even want this job, but they were desperate to have ME." Regarding Anita Hill, I never had an opinion about her allegations, because I didn't follow Thomas' confirmation hearing very closely, and knew little of the charges. After reading Thomas's version of things, I still don't know if her allegations were true (because I still don't know exactly what they were), but I found Thomas' portrayal of his interactions with her to be somewhat unbelievable. Everything he says about her raises questions about his motives. As I mentioned earlier, he initially hired her at the behest of a friend because she was black and he felt an obligation to help a fellow black lawyer. 1) Page 156, I also had to do something about Anita Hill, who'd been pestering Anna Jenkins, my interim secretary, as had Gil. I reluctantly brought her aboard and the first thing she did was claim the largest office in my suite." Question: Why did he let her take the largest office? He was the boss, he could have rejected her request. 2) Page 171, just after his grandparents died, "In the midst of my grief, Anita Hill had been nagging me to write her a letter of recommendation, and the sooner I did it, the sooner she'd be out of my hair." Question: Why did he need her out of his hair? 3) Page 173 he sends Anita to a conference in Oklahoma and she gets a job on the faculty at the school. "much to my relief, Anita accepted Dean Kothe's offer." Question: Why would he feel relief? 4) Page 230, "Dave Kyllo, another EEOC staffer, had asked her if Anita Hill would say anything negative about me." Question: Thomas managed more than 800 employees at EEOC, why would a third party specifically suggest that Anita Hill would say something negative? 5) On page 241, on of Thomas' advisors warns him that the FBI wants to come talk to him. Thomas writes, "Had some disgruntled employee at EEOC come to the FBI at the last minute to lodge some complaint against me?" Question: Up to that point, the attacks against him had come from a wide array of sources, so why would he immediately assume that the FBI wanted to talk to him about the EEOC? 6) On page 243, the FBI asked if Thomas had wanted to date Anita Hill, and he says, "Goodness no!" He says the suggestion is "laughable." Question: Why would it be laughable? She was an attractive, intelligent young lady. On page 172, he writes, "Anita stormed into my office and accused me of favoring Allyson because I liked light-skinned women." And on page 229, he writes, "Of course, I had my share of romantic involvements between marriages, but there was nothing peculiar about that: I was a divorced man in his thirties." Given all of that, why would it seem "laughable" for someone to ask whether he was interested in Anita Hill? 7) When Hill testified before the Senate, Thomas refused to watch. Page 271, "Why would I have watched it?" Question: One would assume that he would watch it for the same reason that he read all of those cases to prepare for his confirmation. He would watch so that he could refute the "ridiculous" allegations against him. Overall, I found his comments about Anita Hill to be incomplete and confusing. It would have been more credible if he had described their working relationship in detail and shown us the full extent of their friendship. By describing her and the relationship in such limited ways, everything he says provokes more questions and make him seem guilty even if he isn't More evidence of Thomas' lack of introspection shows up in the frequency with which he contradicts himself: 1) When President Bush is thinking about nominating him for the Supreme Court, Thomas writes, "I tried to think of a way to convince the President to choose somebody else. The obvious reasons were my relative youth and inexperience--I'd just turned forty-three the week before and had been on the Court of Appeals only fifteen months ..." Yet, Thomas seems insulted then when the American Bar Association basically agrees with his own assessment that he's relatively young and inexperienced. Page 228 "The ABA's evaluation team announced that it considered me to be `qualified' for the Supreme Court. By withholding its highest ranking, `well qualified' the ABA opened the door for my liberal opponents to attack my competence." 2) Page 231, "I expected to be attacked as unqualified to sit on the Supreme Court. What this really meant, of course, was that I dared to hold views of which my opponents disapproved. Had I been a liberal, they would have overlooked my youth and comparative inexperience, not to mention the fact that I'd been admitted to Yale Law School in part because I was black." Yes, that's true, but if he'd been a liberal, conservative groups would have attacked him for these same reasons. 3) He routinely rails against people who expect him to adhere to stereotypes, or who advocate policies based on stereotypes, yet throughout the book makes broad, sweeping statements about "white liberals" and he even uses the phrase "left-wing zelots" a few times. 4) During the confirmation process he explains how his mother, who had always voted for Democrats became so disgusted with the attacks on her son that she vowed to never vote for another Democrat. He seems unaware of the reality that if he had been a liberal, then Republicans would have been attacking him during the confirmation process, and his mother would dislike Republicans. He uses her as an example to bash the Democratic party, when really, it's simply an example of a mother being loyal to her son. Those are four examples, but throughout the book Thomas says things that are incongruous. These mistakes are indicative of intellectual laziness or a lack of introspection. Given Thomas' long track record of intellectual success, I doubt that mental laziness is his problem. I simply believe that he has a large ego that keeps him from seeing himself and/or judging himself accurately. Conclusion, Clarence Thomas had a rough childhood. He lived in squalid conditions, he was surrounded by illiterate blacks, yet somehow he managed to rise up through the U.S. power structure to win a coveted seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. There is no question that he is emblematic of the American dream. In this country, even someone from the most humble beginnings can achieve greatness through hard work, intellect and a certain amount of luck. To understand why black Americans, in general, have no affection for Thomas, one need only read a line from page 280. Thomas writes, that Senator Strom Thurmond was at his side right after the senate voted to approve his nomination. "It seemed ironic that a man who had once been a fervent advocate of racial segregation had ended up supporting my nomination ..." Actually, that's not ironic at all. It seems pretty clear that Strom Thurmond has the same portrait of Thomas that black Americans have of the new Justice. The only difference is that Thurmond admires Thomas for his position on racial issues and black Americans revile him for it. Thomas will argue that he has always stood up for what he believed in, and he believes he knows how to help black Americans, but it's interesting that in 289 pages of text he offers only two concrete ideas to help blacks. One is ending all government programs that currently help them. Somehow he's convinced that blacks, left to their own devices, will do better than if they have government assistant. And the second, is that he negotiated a scholarship program with Sears during his first years with EEOC. Ironically, this program included a preference for the children of minorities and female employees. So, once again, he contradicts himself. On the one hand, he's opposed to preferences, but when he creates something, it includes preferences. Beyond these two ideas, he doesn't offer any other affirmative suggestion about what should be done. Does he have a rational basis for his Conservative beliefs? I assume that he does, but he had 289 pages of text in which to present and defend his beliefs and he never did. He made only a handful of statements regarding his belief that black people would be better off if the government got out of their lives, but he never presented a real argument to support that position. Overall, I found both Thomas and his book to be unimpressive.

This man is so eloquent and principled. A very rare quality in our govenerment today.

This was both poignant and of unbelievable determination. The grandfather was both an influencer and idol to Clarence.

Very, very good and interesting book, highly recommended! I love both the sense of humor and the seriousness of Justice Thomas, and am deeply thankful for this book.

In this book Justice Thomas describes his upbringing with his grandparents, who are the epitome of tough love, to his rise to the Supreme Court. He tells of his journey from an angry black man to a conservative who realizes most often it's the condescending white liberals who are the racists rather than who the media would have you believe. Liberals start off with the premise that black people are inferior and that only through the beneficence of government programs can they survive in racist America. Justice Thomas proves otherwise, as he rode to the top using his own talents and intellect and survived a vicious smear attack from the left because he dared to be an independent thinking black man. A Must read for anyone interested in how through hard work you can achieve the american dream and how politics today has devolved into destroying and demonizing your opponents rather than fight them in the arena of ideas.

i could not put the book down. The story of Justice Clarence Thomas was clear, insightful and educational. I already respected him, especially after the U.S. Senate confirmation hearings and the witch hunt because of Anita Hill. Now having read his story my admiration is even deeper. Highly recommend everyone to read his book even if you are a progressive. I feel certain once anyone reads his story it will become clear and logical why he thinks and acts the way he does, and they will gain greater respect for this quiet man. I believe Justice Thomas will go down in history as one of the great judges on the U.S. Supreme Court.

An amazing book, a good read for the way the world is today. It gives me hope!

Fantastic read and storytelling by one of the greatest Justices of the Supreme Court!

The most fascinating person in this book for me was Clarence Thomas' grandfather. Here was a man who learned from his experiences and dedicated himself to being the best father he could be the second time around. What an inspiring story of both of these men.

Loved it. A story of hard work, family and growing up in America that any reader should be able to relate to.

I always admired Clarence Thomas and after having read this book I like him even more. The book is well written and kept me reading until late into the night.

A good education of his background and how he made it to the Supreme Court

An inspirational account of an important person life. Well written.

What a fascinating story of one mans life. Couldn’t put it done

I realize that feedback is important but at the same time I received what I paid for and am a satisfied customer. I am like my old district manager who said 'I don't come around except when there is a problem, so you don't want to see me often.' I do not give feedback often except if there is a problem and then I scream like a mashed cat.

I was very impressed by the life Clarence Thomas has led. From the difficulties, hard work, and discipline that he was subjected to in his early years. How it made him a strong, responsible individual. It was also interesting seeing the similarity between Judge Thomas' confirmation hearing and the Kavanaugh confirmation. Sad but true. A very good read. I definitely recommend the book.

Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas' life story is interesting for two reasons: because it doesn't have a word of self-aggrandizement in it, and because it so clearly contrasts the fallacies of the victim culture with the rewards of a constant effort at self-improvement. The author is very candid about his personal shortcomings, some of which, especially in his youth, are glaring and obvious. To me, the major contribution of this book is to provide incontrovertible evidence that America still is one of the best places on the planet to grow up in as what is termed a `disadvantaged child'. Justice Thomas is living proof of this fact. At the same time, his autobiography contains an implicit warning against moving down the road that Europe has been on for the past sixty years: that of a culture government dependency, personal irresponsability, and rampant nepotism in all aspects of society. A thought-provoking book.

Wow! An excellent book, and now we can all see where the mysterious neo-conservative black Supreme came from. As a lefty who loathes His Honor's politics and view of the law, I was taken by the writing and the story, but the real take away for me is that this is one angry, messed-up man, filled with bile and loathing for all things not in line with his viewpoint. Irony abounds. I expect that writing this book was LIKE therapy for Judge Thomas, but really he should be IN therapy, not sitting on the Supreme Court, inflicting his vile, angry, contemptuous view of America on the rest of us, via the law. Left, right, center - a great book. I'm left, and am left with a great personal respect for Judge Thomas, while maintaining little to no respect for his view of the law.

I just love Clarence Thomas and this is a very wonderful look into how this man became the great American he is. Buy! Buy! Buy!!!!

What a wonderful life he has lead. It’s too bad he had to go through a lot of sorrow.

I enjoyed this book a whole lot as learning of hiss back ground made me respect him even more

Outstanding book on the life of Clarence Thomas. A must read for those interested in a real American story.

I knew very little about Clarence's life before I read this book. It is frank. It is telling. Probably one the top ten books to have an impact on me. I believe all should read it and come with an open mind to process the events of his life.

An amazing story of an American hero. Everyone should read

This is an incredible man. I wish that everyone knew him for the honest principled man that he is instead of the false image that others propagate of him.

A great read.....shows what anyone, no matter what the circumstances of their early life can do! Loved it!

I'm throughly amazed by this book. I must state upfront that I was completely caught off guard by Justice Thomas' book. While I most certainly expected him to speak out regarding the events that occurred during his confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court, I never expected him to be so open regarding his life. I feel as though I owe Justice Thomas a great debt of gratitude. After everything he encountered in his life, he held on to achieve what he is today, a real life "American Hero." This book brought me to tears at times as I empathized with many of his trials. My father, not unlike his grandfather, still espouses many of the sentiments that Justice Thomas talks about in this book. This is now required reading for my children as well. Jules

Excellent and well written.

Well written and a really good read! It seems to depict with harsh honestly his early years and how the anchoring values in his life were set. His "side of the story" of his nomination for Supreme Court Justice and the truly bitter confirmation process is a story that needs to be told, and he does it well. In my ten years in Washington DC in a leadership position, I have no difficulty understanding just how nasty the media can be if a person fits outside the medias rather consistent political value system. Whether you agree or strongly disagree with Justice Thomas, the books is a really enjoyable, insightful read.

Hooray for our judge! Loved the book , and I have a new appreciation of the tortuous course of political combat one must persevere to arrive in this supreme position. May God bless you, Judge, and your group, in making right and righteous decisions in HIS eyes and direction. Amen!

The book arrived in excellent condition. I enjoyed reading the auto biography. I learned things I never knew about Clarance Thomas and now I have a very favorable opinion of him.

Appreciate the Justice so much more by knowing his background. Very carefully written memoir.

This was a fascinating book. It really gave a good picture of who Clarence Thomas is and why. The background material really inhanced my positive image of him.

Clarence Thomas is a gifted writer. This book is eloquently written as well as being a page turner. I could not put this book down. The first section recalls growing up under his taskmaster grandfather and gentler grandmother who raised Clarence and his brother, Myers. The middle section gets a little bogged down with all the names and government jobs and departments he was a part of, but for historical purposes is important. The last part of the book tells the events leading up to his confirmation to the Supreme Court, and the debacle of the accusations by Anita Hill. I was glad to hear his perspective. It really helped me to understand what really happened during the confirmation hearings and the events leading up to them. I highly recommend this book.

Great book. A real page turner. I could not put it down until I finished reading. So much information and told with such clarity. I believe this is the second time we have been able to get this close to the MAN Clarence Thomas. His ability to look and live above the apparent hatred and unkind labels placed on him by other black people is an undertaking that someone of lesser character could not have survived. His ability to have spoken his views about succeeding with out affirmative action programs to some black people,lead them to be label him. His ability to not be bitter is remarkable. His public silence is alright with me as long as his decisions written for the court are loud and clear. I certainly hopes he writes again, I will certainly read it.

This book is most interesting because most of it is a straight autobiography in which Clarence Thomas describes his childhood in Pinpoint, Georgia, a relatively undesirable section of Savannah near the Bethesda School for Boys. The latter part of the book is a less interesting, and borderline maudlin, account of the negative efforts of Anita Hill to block his appointment to the Supreme Court. Though I have come to believe he is innocent of her charges, basically agree with his politics, and admire his friends, Colin Powel, Condoleeza Rice, James MacWhorter and Juan Williams, I found this moralizing a bit boring. Conservative African-American activists are justly most interested in improving education, but nowhere does Thomas seem to understand the over-arching importance of measurable fluency in achieving the basics.

I enjoyed reading it. Especially interesting was the stories about living in the older days when things were not good for black people. Admire the way they learned to do without or with little and how they persevered.

IF YOU THOUGHT THAT WORKNG FOR THE GOVERNMENT WAS ENJOYABLE, READ THIS BOOK. THE PROCESS THAT ONE MUST GO THROUGH TO BECOME A JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT IS OUTRAGEOUS, BOTH THEN AND NOW! THE BIOGRAPHY OF JUSTICE THOMAS BRINGS TO LIGHT THE LIFE OF THE SOUTH AS WELL AS THE HAPPENINGS OF OUR US GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON, SC.

I am the same age as Clarence Thomas. We both experienced the same history, but from different backgrounds. It was interesting the similarities of our values and world views while living different lives. This book gave me a much deeper understanding of our Country. Definitely a book you don’t want to put down. Easy read, but the message stays with you.

Glad I took the time to read this.

Loved this book, a great man from very humble beginnings.

I had read it many years ago, and I couldn’t find my copy, so I ordered it again. I was even more touched with so much, and came to basically the same conclusions I had years ago about the Judtice. I study black history and have for at least 20 years; I think this is a valuable background piece for any American.