A Hand to Guide Me (Hardcover)

by Denzel Washington (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
We all get where we're going with a push from someone who cares, says acclaimed actor Washington. A national spokesperson for Boys and Girls Clubs of America, he tells how he found his own mentor in the Mount Vernon, N.Y., Boys Club and celebrates the organization's 100th anniversary with this collection of 70 celebrities' accounts of how as youngsters they were guided by a caring adult. Among the contributors are actors, athletes, authors, artists and former presidents. Retired basketball coach John Wooden remembers his hardworking father, a farmer, making the time every night to read poetry and Scripture to his children. Gloria Steinem describes how she saw a commitment to women's rights in the novels of Louisa May Alcott. Whoopi Goldberg credits her mother with teaching her empathy the day she abandoned her best friend to hang out with the popular kids. Bill Clinton was influenced by a great-uncle, an undereducated man who not only taught him to value people's differences but to refrain from making judgments. Washington has produced an anthology that will inspire successful men and women to help and empower the next generation. B&w photos. (Nov.)
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Product Description

• In his debut as an author, Denzel Washington shares his personal story of the mentors who helped guide his life.
• Washington pens the introduction for the stories of more than 70 of America's leading personalities in theatre, sports, business, and politics as they tell their life-changing stories of mentorship.
• Contributors include Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Antwone Fisher, Bonnie Raitt, Cal Ripken, Alex Rodriguez, Dick Vitale, Whoopie Goldberg and more.
• A portion of the book's proceeds benefit 4.5 million children currently involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Meredith Books; 1 edition (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0696230496
• ISBN-13: 978-0696230493
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #236,884 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful hand to the youth, October 31, 2006

By	Afdhere Jama, author of ILLEGAL CITIZENS (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

i had recently seen this book at a local bookstore, and i was taken aback by how inspiring it is. i'm not sure if he wrote it himself but it is really written with a beautiful language. many amazing people are featured. and his own story is one that should inspire a lot of the youth in this country.

later, i learned that a large portion of the profits (more than 50%) go to the "boys and girls club," which helps the youth in america with all sorts of activities from sports, fitness and eating well, etc. this organization helped successful people like the author of this book, actor brad pitt, gold medalist joan benoit samuelson, former presidential runner gen. wes clark, etc.

it is definitely worth to check it out. i bought it because it is really inspiring and it is a good cause.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is filled with interesting inspirational stories, November 10, 2006

By	Robert G Yokoyama (Mililani, Hawaii) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This story is filled with stories from people from all different occupations, and the special individuals who have influenced them to achieve their dreams. Actor Denzel Washington was influenced by a professor named Bob Stone, whose letter of recommendation gave him the confidence he needed as an actor. I loved the contributions from people who are not famous like Kelly Zimmerman Lane. She learned the importance of hard work from her single mother, an incredible woman who worked three jobs to support her three daughters. I enjoyed the story of Notre Dame president Reverend Edward Malloy, whose love of learning and reading was instilled in him by his grade school teacher.

There are numerous stories of people who belonged to a Boys and Girls club. This wonderful organization has influenced so many people to succeed in life. I enjoyed the story of surgeon Patrick Kelly. He learned the value of patience and staying calm from a fellow doctor. He also learned to cultivate these traits from his childhood mentor at a Boy and Girls club. Attorney Socrates De La Cruz learned the importance of setting goals from a special person at the Boys and Girls club named Steve Kelly.

There are many contributions from famous people in this book. I loved the contribution from Olympic gymnast Dommique Dawes. She learned the value of hard work and discipline from her coach. Singer Bonnie Raitt learned the importance of maintaining relationships with people and staying healthy physically from the excellent example her parents provided for her. Actor Daryl Mitchell learned to how continue to enjoy life from fellow actor Christopher Reeve, after a motorcycle accident made Mitchell physically disabled. All the stories in this book are so touching and inspirational. I really enjoyed it.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and inspiring - very well done :-), November 2, 2006

By	Little Miss Cutey (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This book is a compilation of personal stories about the men and women who have mentored some of the best and brightest people in America. Much of the profit of this book go to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. It's really a testiment to true role models in life.
There are stories in here about Bill Clinton, Tara Lipinski, Whoopie Goldberg (it really covers all kinds of celebrities and non-celebrities). He looks at some of his friends even, like Debbie Allen, and he Antwone Fisher. It is so amazing and interesting to see what and who has influenced people and helped them on their way. There are little personal glimpses in Denzel's own life. His push in the world came at the Boys Club in Mount Vernon, NY. Billy Thomas ran the Boys Club there and he was a helping hand in Denzel's life. He talks about how we are all destined to leave a mark in the world and that we might miss that mark from time to time unless we get a little helping hand from people we know.
You must go and get a copy of this becaus it really is fascinating and inspirational. It makes you realise that no one in the world makes it on their own - they all have had a helping hand whether it has been big or small and being that we recognise a lot of the people in the book, it is great to see how they have gotten to where they are now and how their lives have changed due to people they've known. I really love this and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have.