The Cabbage Pickers Book Club
In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. In The Measure of a man, Sidney Poitier explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measure-as a man, as a husband and father and as an actor.
He explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, pride and humility, rage and forgiveness and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man seeking truth, passion and balance of limits-his own and the world’s. A triumph of spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.
The Cabbage Picker’s Book Club review
Donna: Sidney Poitier’s outlook on growing up in a different culture and forced to assimilate into a world that was hostile and unwelcoming. A memoir of his thoughts on spirituality in the face of racism and early poverty.
Chris: A powerful story of a man who kept his principles and values even when they sometimes collided with his desire to be an accomplished actor. It is clear that his freedom to make his own choices at a young age made him the self-directed and respected man that he is today. His beliefs regarding racism and how he dealt with the impact of it were especially insightful! Great reading!
Merilyn: Since both parents and older sibling were working, he seemed to have almost total freedom even as a small child - to explore his world and survive and thrive. This stamina and independence was invaluable when his goals of acting in plays and movies were realized. Recommended reading.
Ingrid: Sidney Poitier explains in this thoughtful book how he kept his integrity in spite of the many challenges he faced in life. Impressive how he managed to immigrate to a completely different environment and make it his new home. The belief of his father that “the measure of a man” is how he cares for his family was maintained throughout his life.