The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Author: Martin Luther King Jr
A professor of history and the noted author and editor of several books on the civil rights struggle, Dr. Clayborne Carson was selected by the estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to edit and publish Dr. King's papers. Drawing upon an unprecedented archive of King's own words -- including unpublished letters and diaries, as well as video footage and recordings -- Dr. Carson creates an unforgettable self-portrait of Dr. King. In his own vivid, compassionate voice, here is Martin Luther King, Jr., as student, minister, husband, father, and world leader...as well as a rich, moving chronicle of a people and a nation in the face of powerful -- and still resonating -- change.
The New York Times Book Review - David Walton
. . .Mis-titled but otherwise worthy compilation of Kind's autobiographical writings and statements.
Internet Book Watch
Selected by the Reverend King's heirs, Stanford University history professor Clayborne Carson archived the massive papers, videos, and recordings of one of the most influential twentieth century figures. The reader gets a feel for Dr. King as a person who lived the words he uttered. More important is that the audience sees a complete, compassionate, caring human being instead of a federal holiday.Though authorized, this is a fascinating autobiography that provides insight to a time when support of Civil Rights proved deadly. Those readers who seek sensationalism would be better suited filing a freedom of information request to gain access to Hoover's files. Those individuals who want to better comprehend history or simply gain an understanding of one of the previous century's giants, The Autobiography Of Martin Luther King, Jr. is the right stuff.
David Walton
. . .[M]istitled but otherwise worthy compilation of Kind's autobiographical writings and statements.
-- The New York Times Book Review
Jack E. White
. . .[I]t reads exactly like what it is: a cut-and-paste job, assembled. . .mainly from King's previously published books and speeches. . .glosses over some of the most important episodes in the civil right's leader's remarkable career. -- Time Magazine
Interesting textbook: Betty Crockers Cookie Book 2nd Edition or McCormick and Schmicks Seafood Restaurant Cookbook
Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes
Author: Mark Penn
In 1982, readers discovered Megatrends.
In 2000, The Tipping Point entered the lexicon.
Now, in Microtrends, one of the most respected and sought-after analysts in the world articulates a new way of understanding how we live.
Mark Penn, the man who identified "Soccer Moms" as a crucial constituency in President Clinton's 1996 reelection campaign, is known for his ability to detect relatively small patterns of behavior in our culture--microtrends that are wielding great influence on business, politics, and our personal lives. Only one percent of the public, or three million people, is enough to launch a business or social movement.
Relying on some of the best data available, Penn identifies more than 70 microtrends in religion, leisure, politics, and family life that are changing the way we live. Among them:
- People are retiring but are continuing to work.
- Teens are turning to knitting.
- Geeks are becoming the most sociable people around.
- Women are driving technology.
- Dads are older than ever and spending more time with their kids than in the past.
Penn shows readers how to identify the microtrends that can transform a business enterprise, tip an election, spark a movement, or change your life. In today's world, small groups can have the biggest impact.
Business Week
Delightful and fast-paced....Penn's central premise is that the Internet, changing lifestyles, and other factors now sliver the world into hundreds, if not thousands, of groups. A breezy, entertaining consideration of niche groups within America.
USA Today
The strength of the book lies in Penn's analysis of the implications and opportunities of each microtrend....Despite the vast amount of ground Penn covers, Microtrends readers won't be lost in a sea of statistics. Though the book is a trivia-lover's dream - the average American sleeps less than 7 hours per night, children under 14 are banned from tanning in indoor salons in New Jersey, and 80% of dog owners buy presents for their pets on birthdays or holidays - Penn adroitly manages to convey the relevance of such minutiae to the world at large.
The New York Times
Unrelentingly fascinating....Microtrends is a diligently researched tome chock-full of counterintuitive facts and findings that may radically alter the way you see the present, the future, and your places in both..... Microtrends is the perfect bible for a game of not-so-trivial pursuits concerning the hidden sociological truths of modern times.
Newsweek
Penn does more than spot trends, he also shows how responding to them can make or break companies and campaigns alike.
The Economist
As chief strategist to Hillary Clinton in her presidential bid, Mark Penn has been tipped by The Economist as the 'next Karl Rove.' But when not wondering how best to take the White House, Mr. Penn is a business guru too. Washington, DC insiders will browse his new book, Microtrends, for clues on how the Hillary-for-president campaign will be run; others should read it for its dozens of social insights that could well be turned to profit.
Financial Times
Riveting....imaginative....Penn is as much a business consultant as he is a political junkie - a symbiosis that helps explain why so much of his book is so original. Penn's thesis is that change in today's world is driven by small trends that are started below the radar and which creep up on us unexpectedly. The era of megatrends belonged to the Ford economy, which offered mass produce and limited choice. Today's world is characterised by Starbucks which offers hundreds of potential combinations to its finicky customers.
Jeff Koopersmith - American Politics Journal
Buy it - no question . . . Microtrends might be the finest non-fiction book you read this fall.
Kirkus Reviews
One of America's most influential pollsters carves the present into bite-sized pieces in an attempt to reveal future trends. Penn gained fame as an advisor to Bill Clinton during his 1996 campaign by identifying blocks of constituents like "Soccer Moms" as potential voters. Here, he and co-author Zalesne expand their trend-spotting to identify 75 burgeoning patterns that they argue are both reflecting and changing our modern world. Each chapter examines a discrete subdivision with themes ranging among politics, lifestyle, religion, money, education, etc. These easily digestible nuggets of scrutiny are fairly straightforward and primarily serve as a kind of pie chart of the human race, dividing Earth's citizens (primarily Americans, although a single chapter is devoted to international issues) into the cliques and tribes to which they subscribe. Among the emerging classes, the authors find "Cougars" (women who pursue younger men), "New Luddites" (technophobes) and "Car-Buying Soccer Moms," among dozens of other sub-surface dwellers. The book's generalizations are sound and cleverly written, despite their brevity, and will undoubtedly appeal to marketing analysts and armchair sociologists, as well as fans of Megatrends and Malcolm Gladwell. Yet the book stands on an unbalanced argument. "Microtrends reflects the human drive toward individuality, while conventional wisdom often seeks to drive society towards the lowest common denominator," Penn writes in a conclusion, explaining why such movements are important. But by dividing and isolating people into popcorn-sized kernels of experience, their innate individuality is lost in many little crowds instead of one big one. Another troublingfactor is that few of the book's observations feel new. How often have superficial features about stay-at-home workers, caffeine addicts or shy millionaires been recycled on the evening news, let alone the Internet and other mediums? Penn tries to spin the gravity of these ripples. "Movements get started by small groups of dedicated, intensely interested people," he says. But his observation could apply to anything from the Third Reich to MySpace. More cynical readers may feel like a number. A think piece about personal choices that unearths more round holes for square pegs. Agent: Bob Barnett/Williams & Connolly
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