"Offered a job simply because he was a black man, he turned it down and said why. Despite this
righteousness, he has retained a sense of humor.Sowell admits to having had plenty of enemies, but enough
friends to save him. This memoir should multiply the latter. Jeff Riggenbachrenders the narrative vividly."
--AudioFile

Here is the gritty, powerful story of Thomas Sowell's life-long education in the school of hard knocks, a journey
that took him from Harlem to the Marines, the Ivy League, and a career as a controversial writer, teacher, and
economist in government and private industry. It is also the story of the dramatically changing times in which
this personal odyssey took place. The vignettes of the people and places that made impressions on Sowell at
various stages of his life range from the poor and powerless to the mighty and the wealthy, from a home for
homeless boys to the White House. More than a story of the life of Sowell himself, this is also about the people
who gave him their help, their support, and their loyalty, as well as those who demonized him and knifed him in
the back. It is a study not just of one life, but also of life in general, with all its exhilaration and pain of constant
striving and deserved success.