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4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.5 stars, this is an incredible journey through the life of a fully human man - and he knows that about himself. I love that he was always exactly himself, never overly moral, but devoted to his cause. You can tell he struggled with what he made his priority - putting his activism over his family, but he was at peace with his choices. This is excellent, and I saw a few parallels to the Autobiography of Malcolm X, in their thoughts on activism and life priorities. Mandela is certainly my favorite of the two.
reflective
medium-paced
I loved this book, great learning the struggles of nelson mandela and how he grew into who he became, would strongly reccomend for anyone looking to learn more about him.
This is not a book about Apartheid; it is a book about humanity. I will never forget the beauty of Mandela and his service to his people. We should all learn by him.
informative
inspiring
reflective
Even hearing it in Nelson Mandela's words, it is unfathomable to imagine a person spending decades in prison and remaining so resolute and hopeful. This was really inspiring to hear in more detail. I listened to this book and ironically close to the end received a news notification while it was playing that the South Africa election resulted in a loss for the ANC for the first time since the end of apartheid. It was interesting to read more about these current events having just learned so much more from this book. Mandela certainly left a significant legacy behind and I'm glad his work was captured in this way.
What an inspirational read. One of the rare books I simply couldn't put down.
Nelson Mandela's autobiography exemplifies in a unique way the common analogy of life as a rollercoaster ride. There are moments in the book where I found myself wondering if I'm actually reading about a life that has happened in the way it is described. The hardships Mandela had to go through (talk about spending more or less 10,000 days in prison) reach beyond one's imagination in a way that at times it seemed as if you've picked up a very depressing fictional book. And even though there are many pages that can dampen your spirit, Mandela never allows you to close a reading session with that sensation. He brightens the mood with his loving soul on so many occasions that it is difficult to suppress a smile.
This book puts things into perspective. After reading it you'll find yourself yearning for challenges and the wish and motivation to better yourself. Mandela's legacy will live on for quite a while and this book plays a significant part in that.
Highly, highly recommended!
"Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished."
Nelson Mandela's autobiography exemplifies in a unique way the common analogy of life as a rollercoaster ride. There are moments in the book where I found myself wondering if I'm actually reading about a life that has happened in the way it is described. The hardships Mandela had to go through (talk about spending more or less 10,000 days in prison) reach beyond one's imagination in a way that at times it seemed as if you've picked up a very depressing fictional book. And even though there are many pages that can dampen your spirit, Mandela never allows you to close a reading session with that sensation. He brightens the mood with his loving soul on so many occasions that it is difficult to suppress a smile.
This book puts things into perspective. After reading it you'll find yourself yearning for challenges and the wish and motivation to better yourself. Mandela's legacy will live on for quite a while and this book plays a significant part in that.
Highly, highly recommended!
"Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished."
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Probably good as a historic reference book but not the kind of autobiography I enjoy. I thought it is a very distant writing style with many details that don't seem to impact the overall story. Contains a lot of name dropping (which I assume is meant to give credit to other important people - which is very considerate - but doesn't help with the flow of the story at all). I think this could have benefited from tight editing and some footnotes for (optional) details and explanations.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
informative
slow-paced