For anyone interested in world peace, Mary King's book, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr: The Power of Nonviolent Action, is a must read.

In the post cold war era, the battling forces of conflict - war and negotiation - peace have changed. From 1945 to 1990, the United States/Soviet Union standoff shaped public policy. The absence of the super power conflict has created a void and the opportunity for regional controversies has emerged. The essence of Mary King's theme is to utilize the people-based non-violent practices of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. as the major new forces for peace and conciliation.

Mary King's whole background and international experience makes her a unique voice. She cut her teeth in the 1960's in Mississippi, active in America's civil rights batles, working with Julian Bond and Martin Luther King, Jr. From there she has been one of the world's leading spokespersons and activists working on the international scene on behalf of women's rights, civil rights and peace. Her first book on civil rights in Mississippi won the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Journalism.

Mary King has woven together photos, quotes and her own reflections in a manner reminiscent of the popular GANDHI THE MAN by Sri Eknath Easwaran. Her subject is broader, however, in that she gives us not only Gandhi and King but some of the more dramatic leaders of nonviolence in the modern world. The need for information and understanding about this subject and these people cannot be overstated. Mary King was superbly qualified to respond to that need, and she has done so beautifully in this volume. I agree with previous reviewers that it should be in the library of every school and college.

There are not nearly enough books published in English on the extremely important topic of nonviolent social action. I am a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and realize how very many publications there are that examine all aspects of the use of violence/force in international and inter-group relations. But sadly, few of those books give much sober assessment of the huge limitations there are on the effectiveness of coercion-based actions (e.g. in Kosovo, Bosnia, etc.) This book helps to provide an antidote to that. In addition to giving full descriptions of Gandhi's and Dr. MLK's thinking on the power of nonviolence, the author, Mary King, also provides some fascinating material about the effectiveness of nonviolent acts in more recent struggles.

I have written a regular column on global issues for 'The Christian Science Monitor' for nearly a decade now. In the past couple of years, I have also been blessed by the opportunity to work as a writer with an extremely inspiring group of Nobel Peace laureates, including the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, and others. (Based on that work, I wrote a book called "The Moral Architecture of World Peace: Nobel Laureates Discuss our Global Future".) It was significant that nearly all the laureates I worked with mentioned both Gandhi and Dr. MLK--who was also himself a Nobel Peace Laureate--as prime inspirations in their own work and thinking. So I was looking for one reference book that I could use myself, and to which I could refer readers, that would provide a broad overview of the thinking of those two men. I was delighted to find it in Mary King's book, which ideally should be placed as a source-book in every high-school and community library in the country!

I have used this book in Leadership Training for years. Recently I used it at Gindiri College of Theology in Nigeria. The huge 250 pound student body president said it caused him to weep, thinking about repentance. This was one of the only books graduating senior received this year, because the cost of books is such a high % of their annual income.
In the US, white High School students have returned years later to say this small book changed their thinking and understanding of who Dr. King really was. Mine too. Thanks

What an amazing man. King writes with such love for humanity and such desire for an improved society. Though I am not religious, I am very engaged by his discussions of faith. It is this thesis of the role of humanity and the notion of how precious life is that draw me to this book every few months for inspiration.

This book is a great way to get back in touch with youself as a spiritual and meaningful human being. Many of MLK Jr.'s speeches are so popularized that they often leave his other great works in their shadow. This is one of "those other" great works. Definitely worth the cost.

Reading this book from cover to cover would be educational journey, but probably most readers will skip from place to place, as I did. Honestly, I found the 17th Century sermons, which make up a large part of the book, quite hard to follow, though I don't doubt there is much in them that will make the effort worthwhile, if I have need to look more closely.

There is doubtless something to delight and offend everyone in this volume. The editors have been fairly conscientious in taking selections from a variety of viewpoints. Liberals may get a bit more space in the 20th Century selection, but on the other hand, J. Gresham Machen's ringing defense of the historicity of the Gospels, History and Faith, is also included. (A work that could have been written as a reply to the Jesus Seminar of eight decades later. A very devastating reply.) I also found Henry Ward Beecher's pre-Civil War jeremiad against slavery stirring and of more than historical interest. (That, too, of course. He was the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, of Uncle Tom's Cabin fame.) Joseph Smith's rambling funeral oration was useful in a different way, giving positive evidence for my prior feeling that the man was a bit, shall we say, close to the edge.

Agree or disagree, readers of every viewpoint will find something of interest in this volume. It would be a most valuable reference tool for any class on American history, and, I think, belongs in every school library.

Author, Jesus and the Religions of Man d.marshall@sun.ac.jp

I bought this book with an interest in the literary form of the sermon and I was also interested in religion, although I may not call myself particularly religious. I was impressed with the degree of thought that the writers of these sermons gave to their subjects. If you are even slightly interested in exploring religion, this is a nice introduction in American religious thought. The Library of America does a superb job at producing a volume that will last many generations. A nice addition to any thinking man's library.

I was one of the kids who wrote letters for the book 4 years ago, and it was an amazing thing to me to be a "published author." A lot of my friends got to read their letters on Oprah and other TV shows. I really enjoyed reading my copy of this book. I would definitely recommend it to everyone, child and adult.

Saw the book featured on Oprah's show on Martin Luther King, Jr., and bought it. Have bought three more for all grandchildren. Touching, funny, revealing and very well designed. Every kid, of any age, should have one.

Outside of Virginia and graduate writing programs, where he is treated as a minor deity, Garrett is largely anonymous. This is a shame, since he is among our greatest living writers. I'm especially fond of this book, which explores the South's relationship with its own history in a way that respects and humanizes everyone without abandoning the humor that marks the best of the region's fiction. I do not wish to imply that Garrett is merely a local star. He writes about the South because he is from here, but also because it provides a microcosm of America. Issues of racial identity and religious splintering dominate this nation, and they also dominate this novel.
Garrett is an elegant stylist, a wry and fearless observer and a gifted humorist. This book ought not be discarded--it is the best American novel about America written in the past decade, and it is a shame that it has not crossed over into the mainstream territory of book clubs and high school reading lists.

The author writes this novel set in Florida with a combination of vigor and poetry and humor that is very rare and wonderful; his many characters pull you deeper and deeper into this story which flies back and forth a generation to gradually reveal the truth of a 20 year old murder. One extraordinary character after another is born on the page and all together form part of the story. No wonder the author can write such very deep and real Elizabethan books for which he is justly famous.

The words of 1998 MacArthur Fellow Charles Johnson's ccoupled with the poignant photographs of Bob Adelman climax in this excellent literary work that chronicles the life and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The wonderful photographs and literary prose compliment each other beautifully throughout this masterpiece, detailing the life and democratic stuggles of King. Beginning from the early childhood of Mr. King to his untimely death,
Adelman's photographs depict a very young King with his family. It provides insight into his his upbringing and illustrates the foundation that culminates into the life of the great civil rights leader. It continues to depict his educational pursuits and ultimate marriage to the lovely Coretta Scott.

The books carries the reader through the voyage as a young King rises to prominence as a preacher, his continued quest for racial equality, and mainly
his persistent call for agapic love in conjunction with nonviolence. Also, shared in this tome is intimate photographs of King's time spent with his loving family and information about King's life that may not be well-known.

Although nearly 300-pages, this book capitvates the reader from cover to cover. All in all, Johnson and Adelman are to be commended for their efforts! This liteary piece is nothing short of superb!

Reviewed by Nedine Hunter
...

I have many photography books in my personal collection, and I have several on the civil rights movement, but this book is by far the best I have seen. The book combines the work of several photographers - including Alfred Eisenstadt, Charles Moore, Henri Cartier Bresson, plus some lesser knowns - who have been individually recognized for their own work. The photographs are a true documentary of Martin Luther King's life and death with many photos I have never seen before.

When I first began to read the first chapter of this book I was looking at the dates in the book and realized that they were from not that long ago it was recent that this happened. I felt sorr for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr when he had to repeat school because of his lack of knowledge. The parts that struck cords with me is that he was playing a major role in history and he could not be with his wife and cherish the moments of their child being born because he was always doing something with the civil roght movement. He wasw never at home to be with his kids and when he did come home it was not that much. He also was put in jail a lot for things that he felt was right and there were a lot of people who were trying to hold him down from doing his job. But this is a really great book and I encourage anyone to read it to see what we had to go through just to ride on the bus and to vote amd to get our right we were denied after slavery was abolished. But this is a really good book for a person to read if they are doing a report on him.

Franklin looks deep into the life of the late Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. His insightful looks on the full compass of his life makes for an extraordinary piece of work. Never before mentions of different aspects of King's life makes this biography a must read for all who have loved and adored King.

We have read a lot of biographies, but this one was different. I don't really know why. My son, 6, was captivated by this book. He now devours EVERYTHING he hears about Martin Luther King, Jr. My son learned about a man like himself in many ways who experienced difficulties and fought unfair laws just because of his color. He also learned about a man named Gandhi and the influence he had on Dr. King. I was so impressed by the impression that this book made on my son. And he recognized scenes from the book when we watched the movie "KING." Rarely does any book have this much impact on a young child. It definitely deserves 5 stars.

This is the perfect biography for kids around 8-12 years old to read. It has lots of information and is a little more advanced than a Martin Luther King biography you would find in a first grade classroom would be.This would also be a great book to read if a child has to do a report.

I LOVE this book. It is a well-written, personal account of a family. It spans from fun carefree days to the realization of prejudice. It is not about the man, it is about the boy. It was not graphic in it's description of violence and hatred, which made it completely appropriate for my six year old (who also really enjoyed the book). And the poem at the end was the perfect ending. GET THIS BOOK!

I loved this book because whenever i read a biogaphy I always want to hear from someone who really knew the person and in this book by Martin Luther King's sister, Christine King Farris, I get that perspective. Farris writes beautifully and poetically about their childhood and sheds light on the experiences and influences that shaped MLK to be the great inspirational leader that he was. I highly recommend this wonderful biography!

Students were very absorbed in this book. They found the story exciting and it stimulated a great discussion. The idea that someone could dream about Martin Luther King Jr. and see him as a child and then as an adult allowed students to think about how different dreams are from reality. Students were anxious to borrow the book and share it with their families.

This beautifully illustrated and well written book was a must have for my daughters library. She's a new teacher and a lover of good books. What a delight to buy this book for her!

This is the best picture book I've come across concerning the Civil Rights movement of the 60's. The previous reviewer is correct in that the abstractness of the imagery is difficult for younger children, but that is precisely the beauty of the book. With a little explaining, my third grade class was still touched by the struggle of African Americans in this country. My class consisted of numerous minorities (Asian & hispanic) and they were able to come to see that MLK was fighting for them also. The way it is told is very moving and makes the book excellent for older children as well.

I still get choked up whenever I read it.