Customer Reviews

Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man? [Hardcover] by Charles Barkley

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In this book you really do not hear from Charles Barkley so much. When he writes it is very simple and to the point, with very little humor (which is what he is known for). It is fascinating to read opinions and personal stories from Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, Obama, and many other famous peronalities on their ideas about race and other issues in America. This book has very little to do with Charles Barkley, and if I were to read it blindly I would have never guessed that he wrote it. This book has a great compilation of contributors and it is worth reading just to learn more about them alone.

OK, I understand that some look at this as some celebrity interview book, but I see it as more. Sir Charles is always himself and his opinions are well stated. I happen to agree with a lot of what this book has to say. It has a pop culture edge but that is ok. Does everything have to be academic? It is enjoyable and has a good heart.

Until now, I was not much of a of Charles Barkley fan. I always saw him as a "washed up bully" and ex-basketball superstar, still trying to cash-in on his name recognition and tying to keep it in the "limelight" by saying outlandish and provocative things. I no longer think that after reading this book, which I bought after seeing it, and Barkley "unceremoniously put down" in Larry Elders incredibly ill conceived, confusing and poorly written book called "Stupid Black Men."

My thinking was that if Larry Elders didn't like Charles Barkley, then there must still be something good and redeeming about him that I had not yet discovered. And sure enough, there was: This book, which is a miniature masterpiece. Barkley is no "Stupid Black Man," as Elders has portrayed him to be.

Rather incredibly, this book is the missing dialogue on race that America has never had, and may never have. It is just the opposite of Elders' "Stupid Black Men" and the "Bill Cosby and Alvin Poussaint two-man road show:" "Come on People," in which both take the fashionable "low road of least resistance: "Just attack Black men, and you are safe: America will love you, but nothing will ever be done, and nothing will ever change:

End of the American dialogue on race.

Perhaps for the first time in American history, we get a collection of what fourteen successful and well-known people have to say about race in America -- rather than mindless ideological tripe, oozing out as more "Christianized racism," from the likes of Armstrong Williams and Larry Elders. And what these fourteen people (most of whom are black) have to say will not only surprise Cosby, Pousaint and Elders, but the rest of America as well.

Hear what Tiger Woods, Ice Cube, Barack Obama, George Lopez, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, and many others both black, white and other colors, have to say about the racism that still exists across the American landscape in every industry and in every town.

Rather than steal the book's thunder, I will simply say this: If one wants to know what the racial situation is like in America, they would be wise to interview some successful black people and others who understand and know the consequences of racism rather than listen to the "hired conservative media hit men" who all speak the same language: "Uncle Tom-speak."

Five Stars

"Each discussion heads in its own direction" is absolutely right. However, that doesn't take away from this book...it maybe just makes you feel a bit deceived by what the book is about. It's still an interesting book that makes you think and also, in my opinion, underscores the fact that most blacks--no matter how different you think they are from you--think rather similarly, particularly when it comes to racial issues. I found myself agreeing with a lot of what the people involved in this book had to say while learning a few things at the same time.

If you're looking at these reviews in order to decide whether or not you want to buy/read this book...I have to say that I think a lot of these reviewers miss the point, and I even wonder if a couple of them read the book, particularly Shirlene (I think she just wanted to go off). I think this book really IS about helping. I think it really IS "about" getting kids off the streets, making them forget professional sports and getting them into college...you just can't take "about" LITERALLY. What the book does is take blacks who many in the black community would think of as successful, mixes in a white person a lot of blacks respect (Bill Clinton)...throws in a few non-blacks and other blacks who are less known by many blacks but who maybe should be of more interest to the black community or who go to show that blacks are not the only ones interested in racial issues and interracial relations...these people sit down with Barkley separately and discuss race as it relates to them (some of their own experiences), how they view race in the world and why they find it essential for young people to work harder on race relations or to get somewhere in life.

Of course they also go on to talk about their careers and other things that really don't seem like they always relate. But they somewhat do. The ways in which I found they related were that, with their careers, you have to sit there and let it hit you that, "hey, blacks weren't always allowed to do this," or "wow, blacks weren't always this successful" and "some of these blacks had to struggle to get to where they are. They are not just rich, detached blacks who don't understand what it's like. In fact, considering when some of them grew up, they probably had it WORSE than us." In that sense, and in other senses, they bring up black history and the history of this country. They are TEACHING. And I am a young twenty-something who is interested in black history, and I do think that a young person who is open to hearing what people have to say about the past and the state of this country today will walk away having learned a lot and having considered some things they never have before. Other young people, I really don't know. But it's worth a shot if it's possible that your 18-year old will read, at least, parts of this book and say, "hey, these are athletes and entertainers who had a hard time with race and accomplishing what they did, and they keep talking about education and the importance of black leaders. Because of the past, I have more opportunities. Maybe I need to take advantage of some of them. Maybe I should consider college. Maybe I should be interested in becoming a black leader. Maybe I need to find a way to help other blacks. I won't have to work as hard as they did to achieve my dreams or to help blacks, but I know I still have to work hard" or something along those lines...the same as if a 26-yr old black male whose life was going down the wrong path reads this book and he walks away with his eyes opened a little bit more.

The reason people are missing the point is this book is not PREACHY. They're not trying to tell you what to think, and that's PERFECT. The entertainers are not sitting there and saying, "these young black kids don't understand the past" in a way as to put us down or "these black kids need to forget sports and go to school." I think that's important, because young people don't like being told what to do, but they are, even subtlely, influenced by the media and people in the media so much. The book also says something really important, because a few people in this book go ahead and just say, "hey, black people today don't have it anywhere near as bad as they THINK they do," and they go on to reference the past a bit. That's key, because when they did make comments about young people and what they probably don't KNOW about the past today or what they don't realize...every time they did that, I saw that they were pretty much correct. It's another thing that makes you want to go DO something, even if it's just to get on the internet and look up some things about the past or about certain people. THAT'S the point of this book.

Another thing I think that is important about this book is the way there are people in it that when you first note their participation, it makes you go, "why the hell did Charles include THESE people?" I'll tell you what makes some, or all, of us do that--you look at these people and think, "what the hell do they know about blacks?" or "what do they care about us?" The first person you might do this with is Tiger Woods. I'm glad he was included in this book. I think it's essential, particularly for blacks, that they hear from biracial people, because blacks are always wanting to pre-judge or alienate biracial blacks. Tiger has some interesting things to say about himself, his racial views and racial experiences. I think a lot of blacks would read it and still WANT to be against Tiger, but I think a lot of blacks need to read it just because if they approach his passage with an open mind it will help them to see, "hey, maybe Tiger isn't just a sell-out who doesn't want to be black." All blacks think about being black and what that means, and his inclusion is this book is one of the reasons why I say this book underscores that. For that reason, I really think it would have been interesting to see a passage with Mariah Carey, for example.

George Lopez--why is he in this book? Well, admittedly, he DOES talk a little too much about Latinos. But that shows something that Rabbi Leder, another person you would go, "why are they in this book," says, if I remember correctly--that every "minority" group has their time where they are mainly interested in their group of people and their issues. It shows blacks are not the only ones with problems in this country because of who they are, we're not the only ones a little overly-consumed with thoughts of our racial identity and "our people," and this book takes the bent of, "hey, minority groups need to work TOGETHER rather than blacks work towards something for blacks, Latinos work towards something for Latinos and Jewish people working for Jewish people." Many of these people believe that if minority groups come together and work for the betterment of each minority group, as well as for understanding of minority groups among minority groups (ex. blacks understanding Jewish people and Latinos understanding blacks), we can create so much power for ourselves in America. And this book shows you that there are people from other groups that really are interested in blacks and seeing blacks do better in America. I think that's a powerful message that can lead to less suspicion of people from other groups, which is something this country needs.

The one thing I did have a problem with is this book focuses too much on men. There are too many men interviewed, and they talk about men more than women in the racial struggle in this country, past and present. To me, that makes the book a bit uneven, particularly in terms of representing what diverse groups of people in this country think about race. If Barkley wanted to throw in a black person who made some strides in the movie portion of the entertainment industry, he could have easily tried to get Halle Berry (or another prominent black female actress). I don't know, maybe he did try, and I do know Morgan Freeman was at it longer than she was. And, like I said, Mariah Carey would have been a good female counterpart or replacement for Tiger Woods. And it wasn't as if an extra 30, 50 or so pages in this book would really hurt. The book is actually a really quick read, because it's interesting when you get started on what a person has to say. I could have done without so many details about the person's experience in the entertainment industry and more talk about race, as well. But, as I said, it underscores, "hey, blacks weren't even always allowed to do all these different roles, win awards or play good, non-stereotypical characters" or whatnot and "hmm, working in entertainment is maybe not as easy or as glamorous as I think." I actually feel there were too many entertainment-oriented people in the book--Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, Morgan Freeman, etc, but I get the point. People know these guys better than, say, Lani Guinier, with whom an interview would have interested me. This book is also not necessarily a "good read if you're interested in sports"--it talks about sports a bit but doesn't have that much to do with it. There are maybe more mentions of education than sports, which is EXCELLENT.

All that said, it IS a good book. You just need to approach it with an open mind. No, the book is not necessarily structured, but there's nothing wrong with that, especially since it's just a bunch of dialogue with different people. All I did was look at the table of contents and just went to the dialogues with the people who most interested me first--I didn't read them straight through. I like when books offer that option. Yes, these people are mainly entertainers with fame and/or money, but it's interesting to know what those people think and to realize they share some of the same thoughts you have. Anyone interested in talking about or reading about race, people's experiences with it, what people think about it, etc, should have no problem enjoying this book.

It is rare to find a public fugure who speaks as plainly and honestly as Mr. Barkley does in this book. It is clear that he is comfortable in his own skin, and doesn't mind saying exactly what is on his mind. This is a book about racism in modern society. However, refreshingly, there is no whining or finger-pointing. Through interviews with a number of prominent and successful Americans, Mr. Barkley attempts to both define and seek practical solutions for the scourge of racial prejudice. He skillfully engages the subjects of his interviews and succeeds in extracting a host of fascinating and enlightening revelations about their lives. I applaud Charles Barkley for channeling his celebrity status into such a worthwhile and noble endeavor. The only reason I withhold a fifth star is Mr. Barkley's decision to enlist the assistance of an "editor," Michael Wilbon. I have seen Mr. Barkley interviewed, and I do not believe he needs an assistant to turn out a quality product. I hope Charles continues to write, and gives strong consideration to a career in politics. Highly recommended.

For the reviewer who is tired of the whiny black celebrities.... Most Jews think the same thing about white people, its just that black people aren't afraid to say it. It's not a black and white or jewish issue....It's an ignorance issue....which Barkley, and other "whiny" black celebrities are bringing to light.

Charles Barkley was always worth watching and is worth hearing because he played with a sort of who gives a damn attitude, and speaks the same way. He always has a clear opinion about any topic; an in-your face attitude, with a friendly and likeable twist. However, in his book, Charles tries to become a Charlie Rose type interviewer, and falls short. His questions all come from a "this is what I think, what do you think" orientation,with the emphasis on "this is what I think." If the person being interviewed does not share Charles viewpoint, the conversation stalls. This is particulary evident in the interview with Morgan Freeman, who comes across as a person who did not share the same racial edge that Charles has, and clearly Charles could not relate. In spite of that, I appreciated the opportunity to have Charles and some of the interviewees help me see the black situation from a different and sometimes thoughful perspective. Final note to Charles - every interview focused on what Cosby said, making the presumption the reader would know what that was. I for one did not.

I grabbed this in a bookstore discount bin because it was cheaper than the magazine I had in hand. I have Charles' other book and enjoyed it, so I thought it would be better time spent.

Unlike his previous book, this isn't about Charles Barkley at all. Rather, it's a series of interviews with prominent Americans with peppered comments from Charles on racism and race relations. It was a little disjointed, and I don't think it really made any points other than racism is a bad thing and someone needs to do something about it. But I will give him points for attempting to use his notoriety to call some attention to the issue, and it was great to hear from many of the people he selected. I wouldn't have expected some of the responses I read.

This book is so much more than I expected.

Charles Barkley gets influential people to talk openly about their lives, and what they see happening in our country today.

The book is a series of conversations between Charles and such people as former President Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Morgan Freeman, and Tiger Woods.

The focus is not on Mr Barkley, but on the topics of race, power, education and hopes for the future.

He talks about his own life minimally, to keep the conversation going.

Racism definitely cannot be put in the past tense.

Tiger Woods is a young man, but he was called the N word in elementary school and on the golf course in the 1990s.

Tiger just relates the facts of what happened, not at all whiny.

Reading this book lets you see the life experiences of some incredible people. The book is definitely worth the money.

I am going to pass this book along to others who may be deceived by the cover and title.

Refreshingly honest - Charles Barkley interviews a selection of famous personalties, many of them black, on the subject of racism in this country. Very down to earth - the title of the book alone makes you laugh - Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?

Everyone!!! Which is exactly why we need books such as this and movies such as "Crash", to take a good hard look at ourselves and begin to unravel the terrible web of racism in this country.