A Personal Odyssey

by Thomas Sowell

Book Overview

The Harvard-educated economist traces his journey from the streets of Harlem to the halls of power in government and industry. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684864657
• ISBN13: 9780684864655
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A Brilliant Scholar Recounting His Life and Times.

I have recently been interested in reading more of Thomas Sowell's books, having just finished his eye-opening "Inside American Education (1993)" before reading this one. Having read his autobiography, I now have a better appreciation for this man - his love of scholar, intellectual excellence, and most importantly, the truth.Although this entire book is a must-read, I would like to touch on a couple of areas therein that really got my attention. One was Sowell's view on race-based affirmative action. From the very beginning Sowell saw the inherent flaws in this policy, particularly in college admissions. Granting academically underqualified and underprepared minority students to elite and academically intensive universities all in the name of "equality" was, as Sowell saw early on, basically a case of putting students in academic settings there they were sure to fail. It was a recipe for disaster from the outset. In particularly, he saw many college and university administrators bypassing the most qualified minority students in favor of the most ideologically and politically "pro-black" younsters who were just not prepared for the rigors of, say, a Cornell University, where Sowell taught for a time. He adamantly spoke out against this time and again, but to no avail.Which brings me to another aspect of Sowell's life and personality that appealed to me: He was not afraid to question or challenge authority. True, he made many an enemy as a result, but this didn't shake him. In fact, as he points out, the thing that hurts people the most is the truth. He was not afraid to tell the truth, whether anyone like it or not.Thomas Sowell is one of the greatest intellectual minds of our time. I highly recommend this book.

Tough Guy

This is Sowell's personal memoir. It goes from his childhood up to the present. Some of the stories from his childhood were funny. Once he fell asleep in church and woke to find his head in the lap of a female relative. He was angry that a girl would hold his head in her lap as a baby and punched her. He grew up in poverty in the South when black folks were still on the fringes of society. As a kid he visited the home of some white folks, for the first time saw the taps for both hot water and cold water, and thought that the "rich" people "drank a lot of water" because they had two taps. He did not even know that blond was a possible color for hair until he was older. His family moved to New York City when he was still a child. When he enrolled in the schools, he had to fight the Southern stereotypes because everyone knew that "Southern kids were dumb." He got into several fights. Once, he kicked a teacher in the stomach with all his might after an argument, sending the teacher reeling. He eventually got into some of the elite high schools in New York, but this academic career was cut short because his family gave him trouble for studying too hard - the typical rising peoples that do not understand the "new" methods for those who seek a good education. He was virtually forced to move out on his own and could not finish in the elite school. He worked in a machine shop for a time. The government then drafted him in to the Marines. He spent some time there and developed some skills in photography. After he got out of the Marines, he went on to a small college, then on to Harvard, graduating with honor.If I could sum up Mr. Sowell in a few words, it would be "tough guy." This guy had a reputation for not compromising. He turned down several positions because some were token positions for Negroes. He was not afraid of anything seemingly. When he taught at colleges, it was his way or the highway. He never gave students any slack for lame excuses on grades and schoolwork. If his superiors did not allow him to do his job correctly, he quit and went elsewhere. When superiors attempted to undermine his authority, he resigned or forced them to mend their wicked ways.He thought, as I do, that much of the so-called civil rights movement was useless and counter productive. He favored lifting the restrictions such as the Jim Crow laws, but anything that forced "integration," "affirmative action" or any other sacred cow to the movement was misguided. He thought that after the lifting of only those bad laws, Negro leaders should focus on education and increasing job skills for economic advancement. Looking back, he was right and the Negro leaders were wrong, and he has the facts to prove it. Many of the leaders assumed that after the lifting of the restrictions, Negroes would rise fast economically without anything else. Sowell knew that they were wrong and that fundamental change required attitude changes toward both work and educati

Unexpected and Inspiring

Because Thomas Sowell is one of the great intellectuals of the 20th century, I felt compelled to read his autobiography. I'm not suggesting that I wanted to read it, I felt compelled to do so. I've always admired Sowell's positions (this is not to say that I agree with him) and have suggested that my minority students use him as a role model. After reading his autobiography, I realize that thinking this way was a mistake. Sowell must be a role model for all students (regardless or race) and for all professors. Several aspects of this book struck a cord within me.First although I always admired Sowell, but I never suspected that he had anything that came close to what I would call a sense of humor. He never smiles during a TV interview (understandable after reading his book). His writing is always scholarly and emotionally detached. However, the pranks he pulled while a Marine were hilarious and made me laugh aloud. It wasn't what I was expecting of Sowell. Second, much of what I learned about him on the TV news was false. Within the pages of this book, I was quite shocked to read about his political and economic positions during the Reagan administration. News reports were outrageously inaccurate. I always pictured him as a "Black Republican." In reality, he never fit into that category. At best, he could be described as a libertarian. More accurately, he ignores ideology and selects a position that includes some empirical support. The bottom line is: Sowell's perspective is thoughtful and he embraces positions that are "right" rather than popular. He has never followed the path of least resistance except for one possible exception.I find only one sour note in the entire book. While working for US Government, he was confronted with two conflicting theories regarding wage control for sugar manufacturing in Puerto Rico. He was the only economist in the department that conceptualized a research design to resolve the theoretical conflict. Because of some bureaucratic agendas within our government, he was unable to acquire the data. The theory was never tested and this saddens me. It is uncharacteristic of Sowell to surrender so easily. Based on the rest of his autobiography, I am quite surprised that he never returned to the issue. I'm sure he could get grant funding for this unfinished business.This is a delightful book. It is humorous and insightful. Sowell sees himself as unassuming. The best single word to describe him is courageous. I wish I read this book sooner. It is quite inspiring.

Shows the power of clear thinking

The beauty of Dr. Sowell's life as chronicled in the book is its witness to the fact that clear, honest thinking puts one in a minority, regardless of race or class or "station" in life, and that ultimately people come around to respect you for it and you can accomplish so much if you stay that course.So many times Dr. Sowell came to a place where the stated mission was later found contrary to the real priorities of his superiors, who thwarted so many of his efforts to accomplish the stated mission. When he would finally corner them into admitting their ulterior motives and obstructionism, they had the choice of changing policies or accepting his resignation. Few people have resigned from so many places, and fewer still were later sought by the same places with promises that, really, it will be different this time.It is also wonderful to behold someone who thinks like an economist virtually ALL THE TIME. He asks, why should blacks spend any energy protesting against a fifth-rate school for not admitting them? Especially when the best schools WERE admitting them? Can not that energy be better used elsewhere? Good questions. This kind of thinking is so prevalent in the book it inspires one to emulate it as a matter of lifestyle.True, this is not a tell-all, and some things are left mysteries (like why exactly he parted with his unnamed first wife). Perhaps some such things are best left unanswered. After all, we are talking about DR. Thomas Sowell, not MR. Geraldo Rivera. I think we learned enough to understand the man and allow him to keep his dignity, and yes, respect the privacy of the other players, guilty or not.This is a compelling story which is not easily put down once started.

Sowell is a Hero

I genuinely enjoyed this autobiography. Sowell is a scholar whose works I've admired for twenty years. I was pleased to learn, in the course of reading this book, that my favorite of Sowell's books - Knowledge and Decisions - is among his favorites of his own works.All that this book reveals about Sowell is consistent with what I'd previously known of him - for example, that he's uncompromising, crusty, and wholly unafraid to speak what he believes to be the truth. But the book puts interesting bulk on my previously thin knowledge of the man, his background, and his experiences.Nothing I learned about him from this book shocked me, although I didn't realize just how many scholarly institutions Sowell has been associated with. Nor did I realize that Sowell's well-known disdain for the modern academy dates back to his earliest years in college. He did not, contrary to my previous assumption, grow disgruntled with academic life only in the 1970s.True to lifelong form, Sowell did not write this book in an effort to win hugs and kisses. As this book makes quite clear, he's obviously not a huggable guy, and nor does he care to be. But he is a genuinely courageous man of integrity, in addition to being a fine scholar.For years I had the final lines of his Knowledge and Decisions taped to my office door. They nicely capture a principal theme of his policy works: "Freedom is not simply the right of intellectuals to circulate their merchandise. It is, above all, the right of ordinary people to find elbow room for themselves and a refuge from the rampaging presumptions of their `betters.'"Bravo for Thomas Sowell! May he live and work for many decades to come.