what i loved about clarence page's book is it's very readable. i read it in 2 days and was able to grasp the concepts that he put forth in his tome. race is a subject that has baffled blacks and whites for ages; even our most intellectual peers are dumbfounded about how to confront this hydra. page shows us that by confronting race,we can get past race : we can begin to establish a dialogue between each other. page calls for blacks to get out of the "victim " mentality and take advantage of the opportunities available to african-americans. he also encourages blacks to build themselves up intellectualy and use their intellectual talents to survive in america. page then tells whites that they must get beyond their fear of black people and learn more about them and their culture and also be eager to embrace multiculturalism as a start to overcoming racial woes. the book is flawless ! what really startled me was page stated that in present-day america, most ethnic groups have begun to segregate themselves; blacks, primarily because they are tired of learning about whites and trying to relate to them in order or survive ( it has never been vice versa ! )and whites, because they are tired of defending themselves as not being " racist. " i have always been a cosmopolitan person, willing to learn from any culture and to love people simply as people. judging by the number of reviews of this book, i doubt if a lot of people will ever read it or take page's advice. it did my heart and mind good to discover it.

Found book to be very enlightening and imformative; easy to read, understand, and relate to. Says what needs to be heard; unfornately many who need to hear aren't listening.

Clarence Paige is a voice of wisdom in a discussion often dominated by the most strident, offensive voices. He pulls no punches about what race means in America, yet he offers hope. I plan to buy multiple copies to give to all of my friends, black and white, who often seem baffled or hopeless about the future of race relations in this country.

I've concluded that the epic of Mr. Lovejoy, a contemporary of Abraham Lincoln, is about a man who didn't know when to quit. Former U.S. Senator from Illinois, Paul Simon, has formulated a fast reading, riveting rendition of the way too brief life of this "glutton for punishment." Simon's account coincides well with the embarrassing story presented in Alton,IL these days. Still, I was left with questions, like "Why didn't Reverend Lovejoy move on?" "Was Lovejoy the catalyst for the American Civil War rather than John Brown?" and "Why was Abraham Lincoln's duel in Alton cancelled?" I found the answers by visiting the city where the final months of this anti-slavery newspaper editor's life transpired. The tale of Elijah P. Lovejoy, although 165 years old, gave me plenty of food for thought. If you want to know more there are other books. If you want the gist, this volume will serve you well.