Book Description
Millions of people around the world know Chuck Norris as the star of more than 20 motion pictures, including "Delta Force," "Missing in Action," and "Return of the Dragon." Millions more know him as a martial arts expert, the only man in the Western Hemisphere to hold an 8th degree Black Belt Grand Master in Tae Kwon Do. And then there are others who know him from his eight seasons on CBS's longest running series, "Walker, Texas Ranger."
What many don't know is that Chuck Norris is a sincere Christian—a man whose faith plays a role in everything he does. Against All Odds is an inspirational story of how Norris overcame abject poverty from childhood, the effects of his father's alcoholism and desertion of the family, and his own shyness and lack of strength and ability early in his life. Norris writes candidly about how he was able to overcome such obstacles in his life—giving full credit to God.
Customer Reviews:
Chuck Norris.......2007-08-29
Chuck Norris's life story will make you laugh, cry and realize what Jesus Christ can do in your life. Thank you Mr. Norris for sharing your story with the world. A must read for everyone. Recommend 100% to all.
Against All Odds: My Story.......2007-07-05
WELL FOR STARTERS I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY DAUGTHERS BOOK REPORT. SHE HAS NEVER MET CHUCK BUT HEARD ME TELL STORIES ABOUT HIM.
HE'S NUMBER 2 MAN IS KEN GALLACHER ONE OF MY 3 BEST FRIENDS IN THE WORLD AND HAS A CHAPTER ABOUT HIM IN THIS BOOK. KEN GOT CHUCK TO SIGN THE BOOK AS WELL AS HIMSELF. AFTER READING THE BOOK MY DAUGTHER HAS THE SAME GREAT RESPECT FOR MR. NORRIS AS KEN AND I HAVE. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK FOR SMALL PEAKS OF WHAT GREAT THINGS MR. NORRIS HAS DONE FOR PEOPLE AROUND HIM AND FOR KARATE IN GENERAL.
Inspiring!.......2007-05-16
"Against All Odds" is an inspirational and very enjoyable book! It's full of many interesting stories and therefore, it's very easy to read. Chuck Norris' story is motivation to everyone to set goals, visualize the goals and work hard to achieve them. His career makes for a great story, especially hearing about his supportive mother who always told him: "God has plans for you". She was right! The book is full of many celebrity stories, too! From Bruce Lee to Johnny Carson to Bob Barker and Steve McQueen. I wish the book was longer. I hated to see it end. Also, Chuck shares his religious beliefs and his wonderful marriage and children. I have written down his quote: "Positive thinking gets positive results and negative thinking gets negative results". Chuck Norris is a very positive and inspiring person! I highly recommend this great book! You'll love it!
Go Chuckie!.......2007-03-30
Great bio. I usually don't read bios, but made an exception for Chuck Norris and for Barry Manilow. Also read Doreen Virtue's bio because it was included in one of her angel books.
That said, Chuck's bio is about overcoming obstacles and helping to make the world a better place. I wanted to read his story because I have always liked his movies and got really into the "Walker Texas Ranger" series. I really liked the positive aspects and messages, and the included spiritualism, in the series. I also liked the way the show included respect for and appreciation of the path and knowledge of the American Indian.
Chuck's bio was very interesting and uplifting and included his beginnings through the fairly current times. There are also old through current photos. It's great to read about a celeb that has his head on straight when you see so much tabloid stuff in the supermarkets. It's also great to read about somebody who moves forward in a positive manner to 1)accomplish things, and 2)help others. (No, I don't buy the tabloids anymore, but you cannot help to see the headlines when you're in line to buy your crabmeat in Maryland.)In my opinion, celebs have a big responsibility to the people who look to them as role models, especially the younger people. I am always happy to see a celeb show a positive image to those who would be influenced by him/her.
Inspirational for anyone who reads this book.......2006-12-28
I find Chuck Norris's story amazing because no matter what anyone else said he worked towards and achieved his goals. An interesting concept of this is how he always shows respect and a smile on his face to everyone he meets, even people who scower at him.
He does this because its a proven fact that if you fight someone's negative attitude with more negativity, nothing will get solved and most likely there will be arguments or maybe even fights. This is one of the many lessons you can learn out of this book, go buy it today. I knew I could learn something out of it and I have learned a lot. I'm glad I bought this book.
Customer Reviews:
A MUST read!.......2007-04-25
This is one great book! If you are a fan of TLC's "Little People, Big World" or just want to read a good book, this is for you. I've read it two or three times and I never do that. Personally, this is one of my favorite books. The Roloff family is a very cool family.
Enjoy!!!
Why did they make a 2 sentence review a Spotlight review?.......2007-04-19
You've got to get this book. That being said, can I be a spotlight review too?
I think little Matt Roloff is one of the most impressive guys I've ever seen. When his trebochet (catapult) almost killed his son and farm worker, he decides to build a bigger and better one when most people would dismantle the thing and burn it, never wanting to see one again.
This is a metaphor for his life. If something is a disaster, do it over bigger and better.
I find his attitude so inspiring that I intend to never whine and complain about my physical problems again. In fact, if anything, after watching him go after everything he wants with gusto, I want to charge out into the world and make my dreams come true in spite of feeling pretty horrible physically most days.
The book is a fantastic read about Matt's life. He faced such enormous physical problems that no one could have blamed him if he ended up a couch potato, but he didn't. Look at what he's done with his life!
You've got to get this book.
Matt Roloff RULES!.......2007-03-13
I first heard of Matt Roloff when my family got addicted to watching his family on their television show, Little People, Big World. I googled Roloff Farms and found his book of which I immediately read. I was so inspired by this man's story, I have made it an Official Pulpwood Queen Book Club Selection and his first book, Little Family, Big Values a Bonus Book Club Selection. I give it our highest honor, 5 diamonds in our Pulpwood Queen TIARA!
Tiara wearing and Book sharing,
Kathy L. Patrick
Founder of the PUlpwood Queens Book Clubs as seen on Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show, (though briefly)!
Worth Reading.......2007-02-24
I actually bought this book for my wife's birthday. She is a huge fan of the show and absolutely devoured the book.
I found Matt's story very interesting. His writing style doesn't appeal to me greatly but it wasn't a grind to get through the book; some of the material is a little redundant and at times I felt a bit bored with his narrative.
If you are a fan of the show I have little doubt you'll enjoy the book. There is a lot of informational material as well as inspirational and spiritual content.
A Total Inspiration!.......2007-01-24
If you like Little People Big World you've got to have this book. You will understand why Matt is bigger than life and why he has become successful against all odds.
Book Description
The inspiring autobiography of James Dyson, the country's leading entrepreneur and inventor, and how he succeeded against all the odds. Dyson's freewheeling account of his struggles, failures and successes is interspersed with his insights on how to turn an inspired idea into a household name. Also includes an updated chapter that reveals the details of the latest TOP SECRET Dyson appliance. Against the Odds will inspire engineers, inventors, and entrepreneurs and appeal to readers around the world.
Customer Reviews:
An interesting read.......2007-01-05
A good book for anyone who enjoys biographies by entrepreneurs. Not too long and not too much back patting. Some invaluable advice was shared. I came away with a good appreciation of the struggle to survive and then succeed.
Best book to read about the business process.......2006-11-18
I've read many books on business, having started and now running a successful business for 12 years, this book describes EXACTLY what it is like to start/run your own business. There are a host of books out there on the theoretical aspects of business, i.e. business plan, financing (blah blah), however they don't touch on the essence of this completely nerve racking, friendship killing, desperate struggle of a process. Starting a business, is not a journey it's an odyssey. Reading Dysons book takes you along for the ride. I can't say this book is for everyone, simply because so few people choose this direction to follow and succeed, but if you do, this book should be read many times. It will also give hope to the person of average intelligence, as I believe, Dyson conveys he is not a genious, he simply doesn't give up, ever.
Awesome.......2006-10-28
I work for Dyson US and this book is something we give to every new employee. When I got my copy I read it in about 8 hours- I couldn't put it down! It's a great "story" and although he speaks mostly about the "invention" process and the obstacles he faced, you still get a great feeling for who James is as a person. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Stories of an Innovator: Building the Better Vacuum Cleaner.......2005-12-21
This book is subtitled "an autobiography," but it isn't really about James Dyson, the man. It is about James Dyson, the inventor and designer who conquered the vacuum cleaner market. The difference? Dyson includes everything that might explain his success as an inventor, but gives only limited attention to his personal or interior life. Dyson briefly mentions some crucial points, like the strain his ongoing travels put on his marriage, or his wonderment at his companies' many lawsuits, but if you're seeking a man's inside emotional story, this isn't it. However, if you're looking for an exciting account of an inventor who proceeds, as Dyson puts it, in an Edisonian fashion, read this book. We recommend it to anyone engaged in design, engineering, marketing or innovation. The stories it contains, especially the descriptions of inspiration or frustration - are refreshing in this theoretical age, as is his advice on creating and marketing innovative products. Dyson's book proves that a vital place still exists for individual vision and old-fashioned perseverance.
An entrepreneur's struggle and testimonial.......2005-01-15
This is a great story of a stubborn, possibly cantankerous, designer turned manufacturing entreprenur. It was a real page-turner and I couldn't put it down.
This Brit took on the vacuum sweeper industry worldwide and now is introducing washing machines that may be technologically superior -- just like his sweepers. He has invented and introduced several products to the world.
Here's what you can get from this book:
1) A humorous story of entrepreneurial struggle and then success,
2) Dyson's rules for product design,
3) Dyson's rules for start-ups for manufacturing companies,
4) Some great words to improve your vocabulary (he's British remember),
5) Lessons in patents and the lengths to which you will have to defend them,
6) How entrenched product manufacturers will buy companies to squelch a superior technology to keep it off the market,
7) How your wayward son who goes off to study art may actually end up richer than you.
8) How to protect yourself from unscrupulous competitors (are there any other kind?)
Most important of all are his rules for design and for startups.
His basic rule for coming up with new products goes like this:
Find a durable consumer product that every household buys. Find out what bugs people about this product. Use technology to dramatically improve its performance -- preferably find the technology in other industries. Look for new materials providing superior durability. Prototype, prototype, prototype. Test, test, test. Then design outward for style and ergonomics (Form follows function.) Don't listen to others. Don't hire consultants. Market and manufacture it yourself. You can learn any subject in 6 months (I think that's a little quick but the point is well made). Keep improving (Japanese style Kaisen) once you have developed your new product (he's developed many improved models once he went into production).
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it heartedly. I wondered though if Dyson wasn't a bit too cantankarous for his own good. I often wondered why he ended up in so many lawsuits and business deals gone awry. Were all his competitors ruthless? Or was he difficult to establish business relationships with? We will never know, and perhaps it's not that important. But there's lots to learn by reading this book. I understand he has another book, self-published, just on the design and invention aspects and I hope to get that book also. I'll check with the wife to see if we need another sweeper. He says they really suck. In fact it sucks up to three times more than competitors. Well, that's his humor not mine.
This book should be required reading at all business schools.
John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX
Average customer rating:
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Stealing Home: Jackie Robinson: Against the Odds
Robert Burleigh
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
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Wind Rider
ASIN: 0689862768 |
Book Description
Man on third. Two outs. The pitcher eyes the base runner, checks for the sign. The fans in the jammed stadium hold their breath. Flapping his outstretched arms like wings, number 42 leads off again. It is September 1955, game one of the World Series, the Yankees versus the Dodgers, and Jackie Robinson is about to do the unbelievable. Attempt to steal home. In a World Series game. To race a baseball thrown from the pitcher's mound and win! Is it possible? Yes, it is -- if you are Jackie Robinson!
Book Description
In 1966, college basketball was almost completely segregated. In the championship game for the NCAA title that year, Don Haskins, coach of the then little-known Texas Western College, did something that had never been done before in the history of college basketball. He started five black players and in the now legendary game, unseated the nationally top-ranked University of Kentucky. Broadcast on television throughout the country, the Miners victory became the impetus for the desegregation of all college teams in the South during the next few years. Now, for the first time, Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins tell his story. Beginning as a small-town high school basketball coach, Haskins was known for his tough coaching methods and larger-than-life personality. As a child growing up during the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma, he developed a strong set of values and discipline that he would instill in his players throughout his coaching career. With recollections from his former players, including those of the 1966 team, along with Haskinss own Seven Principles for Success, Glory Road is the inspiring story of a living legend and one of the most respected coaches of all time. With a foreword by basketball legend Bobby Knight, and coinciding with the release of the film Glory Road, the story of Don Haskins and his championship team is sure to become a classic for sports fans and historians.
Customer Reviews:
A few observations from someone who was there.......2007-06-10
Your current published reviews are enthusiastic but in some cases contain factual inaccuracies. The movie and the book are related in title and subject (Don Haskins); but that is about as far as it goes. The movie which focuses on 1966 is moving and concludes with a happy and factual ending - that is, that Texas Western won that game in 1966 --- but the movie not always true to the facts. Understandably I suppose when you try to compress a life story, even if only one year of a life, into a 2 hour or so movie. The book, from someone who played for Coach, reviewed and commented on the galley proof, and has represented Coach Haskins and the '66 team as a lawyer and a friend for 35 plus years, is "spot-on" and should be read by everyone who has ever had an interest in basketball.
As to the fortunes of 1966 team and the gentlemen representing that team so well, then and now, suffice it to say that the past 3 or 4 years have indeed been a trip down Glory Road: The team was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA this past April, only the 6th team to ever be so honored - and the first collegiate team --- with the enshrinement proceedings to be held on September 7 and 8, 2007 at the HOF facility. The team has also been honored with dinner and a movie at the White House with President and Mrs. Bush; the team will be inducted in the Boys Clubs of New York Hall of Fame in October of 2007, and some of the members volunteered to take an Armed Services Entertainment Tour to Germany, the Netherlands and England in February of 2007 to entertain our country's troops and their families. Also, Texas Western's victory on March 19, 1966 in College Park, Maryland over Hall of Fame Coach Adolph Rupp and his great Kentucky Wildcat team, that included Pat Riley, Louie Dampier and Larry Conley, among others, was selected by the National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") as one of 25 defining moments in the 100 year History of NCAA sports.
I could go on but I think this should at least clear up a few matters and hopefully whet the appetite of prospective readers and reviewers to pause and consider reading this book, viewing the movie. Coach Haskin's story is presented in an interesting manner, containing both Coach Haskin's well known skills as a pick-up riding around story teller and the literary skills of Dan Wetzel who spent hours upon hours riding, listening and recording those stories.
It is well written and factual to a fault; and points out what people can do when they put aside prejudices, rediculous stereoptypes (blacks had no discipline, couldn't be a point guard or quarterback) and circumstances and judge people by character and performance; not color and privilege. Every one of those (then but now not so) young men -- all are still alive except Bobby Joe Hill who passed away of a heart attack in 2002 --- that comprised the Texas Western Team in 1966 had talent and skill; more importantly they had character and heart and respect for each other and their coaches and that combination took them to over the top.
Enjoy this story and share it with others - because of their courage and accomplishments, and those of others in other aspects of the 60's civil rights movement, questions surrounding recruiting, playing, starting and honoring people of color in sports today seem strangely quaint, and beyond the imagination of most people born after the '60s. But it wasn't always so and for this all of society owes a debt of gratitude to Don Haskins, the members of his '66 team, the University of Texas at El Paso (formerly Texas Western College) and the citizens of El Paso for contributing to the environment in which we now find ourselves with respect to race relations in sports.
Kudos to a teammate!.......2007-04-05
I have the honor of being Don Haskins teammate at Oklahoma A & M, now Oklahoma State University and couldn't be prouder and happier for a very good film about a very historic Coach and athletic event. Please be advised that Don's whole 1966 team was just inducted into the new Collegiate Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Missouri. Buy it, you will like it...!
An Autobiography That Needs To Be Read.......2006-11-30
In one of those quirky moments in the book and movie industries, the autobiography of coach Don Haskins was already "in the pipeline" before the development of the picture.
The book and movie share the title - Glory Road - which is a name of a street on the UTEP campus to commemorate the championship basketball season.
The book obviously gives a more fuller picture of Haskins and does not solely focus on the monumental victory by Texas Western College (UTEP) over Kentucky in the 1966 NCAA Finals. There will be areas "filled-in" where the movie takes artistic license with some facts/scenes to push the plot along.
The years after the title run are especially interesting, since the basketball program somewhat faded from national view as the sport became a multi-billion-dollar industry.
It is a shame that history - especially when it comes to matters of race - oftentimes become blurry as the years lumber forward. Though Haskins has always downplayed his role in what was a defining moment on the court of race & athletics, he truly deserved the attention from the national platform that propelled the book to national bestseller status.
The lessons learned along that glory road are as important today as they were 40 years ago.
Glory Road.......2006-07-10
I had great service arrived just in time for fathers day and my father went to UTEP during the duration of the book so it made for a great fathers day present and the service from amazon was awsome thanks alot amazon.
AN AMAZING BOOK.......2006-06-08
Glory Road is a very expiring book. I like how it tells people how it was for African American people to play professional basketball and it helps understand teamwork.
I thought it was very cool how they told you what white people did to black people. One part of the book one of the black players goes to the bathroom and two white guys jump him and beat him up. Thats how rotten people can be to others just because of their skin color.
There is a lot of teamwork in this book also. At the end of the novel the coach tells the players only black people will be playing in the championship and the white guys cheer them on. The team had a rough time in the beginning because of the skin color but by the end they worked it out and won. That shows true teamwork.
Book Description
Jerry Bailey has been called "the Michael Jordan of racing." One of the greatest jockeys ever to break from the starting gate, Bailey has won every major race-and then won it again. He's set earnings and stakes records and entered the Hall of Fame. In the sport of kings, Jerry Bailey is the king of jockeys. But first, he had to beat his own personal demons.
Against the Odds vividly chronicles Bailey's years of drinking, cruelty, anger, and despair, the moment of truth when he decided he wanted to live again-and his astonishing rise to the top. As thrilling as the stretch drive, it's a fiercely candid autobiography of professional racing's greatest jockey and his most exhilarating victory of all-against himself.
Customer Reviews:
AAA Review.......2007-09-06
Book is mainly about his personal battle with alcohol and his resulting "wondeful" family life.
Would like to have seen more racing industry insights and information!
A true champion.......2006-08-09
Bailey tells the story of his sometimes rocky rise through the ranks of the jockey colony to become the premier rider in the world. He doesn't hold back any in discussing his battle with alcoholism and how it nearly ruined him and his family. It's an honest self appraisal by a man with an enormous talent for his craft, yet glaring weaknesses that almost denied racing fans the opportunity to watch his genius at work.
I'd congratulate Jerry.................2006-07-22
....but he does so much of it himself. I've always admired Bailey for his professionalism as a jockey and applaud his having overcome addiction, but was put off by his repeated blowing of his own bugle, so to speak. I cringed at times. It might have been better left to a biographer, with quotes from Bailey relative to his recovery from alcoholism.
On another front, I do think that Jerry Bailey does a nice job as a television commentator.
P.S. Still not buying the excuse for his Belmont tactics with Eddington.
JOCKEYS ARE SUPERB ATHLETES!.......2006-07-11
I gained a brand new respect for the jockey profession after reading Bailey's book. They are superb athletes and deserve every bit of the money they earn. That being said, I also lost a lot of respect for the horse racing industry after reading this and another top jockey's biography. The use/abuse of the thoroughbred & quarter horses as a means to an end to line the human pocketbook with riches is really undefendable. The book makes clear that these amazing equine athletes are given the very best of care right up until they drop dead on the track from ruptured lungs or shattered cannon bones. Sorry, my concience was pricked & my heart broken in the course of reading this and Gary Steven's biography, and not for the owners, trainers, handicappers, or even so much the jockeys, but for the horses. You will also get your eyes opened as to how self-serving these people are and how ruthlessly they behave toward one another. If this is the "Sport of Kings" I'm glad to be a commoner.
A brutally honest autobiography.......2005-11-02
Now that Breeders' Cup 2005 is in the books, 48-year-old jockey Jerry Bailey can claim 15 Breeders' Cup wins, which are the most ever for a single rider. Yet he has been talking very seriously about retiring, possibly within a few weeks.
So far, Bailey has come through this very dangerous business with relatively 'minor' injuries (broken jaw, broken collarbone, smashed ribs, etc.) He has also won over $22 million in purse money, has won every big American race there is to win, not to mention four editions of the Dubai World Cup Classic. He is in the Hall of Fame and is widely recognized as the greatest jockey of the last two decades. It is a joy to watch him ride. He is one of the few jockeys that I can recognize in a race by his classy, quiet, straight-backed crouch, the tip of his boots barely connecting to his stirrups, his horse positioned exactly where it has to be in order to win. And win he does---an incredible 25% of his races.
Maybe it 'is' time to get out while he can still walk, can still enjoy life.
Now that I've read "Against the Odds," I have to worry about what this thinking-man's jockey is going to do with himself after he retires. Much of his autobiography is about his fight against alcoholism. He can count the years and days since his last drink. But what is going to happen when he no longer needs his extraordinary reflexes and his ability to guide a thousand pounds of thundering horse past, around, and sometimes through its hard-galloping rivals? What happens when the euphoria of winning is replaced by a less adrenaline-soaked lifestyle?
I wanted to read "Against the Odds" as a celebration, and instead I ended up worrying about the author's future. This book is about Jerry and his struggle against alcoholism, his struggle to keep his marriage together, his struggle to conceive children. Only about a third of the text concerns his brilliance on the race track.
I was expecting a slightly different story--something a bit more prettified, with more about the great horses that he has guided into the winner's circle.
Cigar is the only Thoroughbred Jerry admits to falling in love with, and what a ride they had together! He was aboard for 15 of the 16 races that tied Cigar with Citation for the greatest number of consecutive wins.
I'll only read Jerry's brutally honest story once, but I'll never forget it.
Book Description
Millions of people worldwide know Chuck Norris as the star of more than twenty motion pictures, a martial arts expert, and the only man in the Western Hemisphere to hold an eighth degree Black Belt Grand Master in Tae Kwon Do. Countless others see him daily in syndicated reruns as the hero of the longest running CBS series to date, "Walker, Texas Ranger."
What many don't know is that Chuck Norris is a sincere Christian-a man whose faith plays a role in everything he does. Against All Odds is the inspirational story of how Norris overcame abject poverty from childhood, the effects of his father's alcoholism and desertion of the family, and his own shyness and lack of strength and ability early in his life. Norris writes candidly about the past and gives God full credit for where he is today.
Customer Reviews:
More info needed.......2007-03-09
Chuck Norris is undoubtedly a stright shooter of high moral character.
It would have been more interesting if he had gone into more detail about his life from childhood to when he started with the martial arts. Bottom line, I did enjoy the book.
Chuck Norris - a man to emulate!.......2007-01-09
This is the story of Chuck Norris. I really enjoyed it and wish everyone would read it. Many know that Chuck was a 6 time undefeated professional world champion of Karate. Many have seem the movies he has made. Most people have seen his TV series, "Walker, Texas Ranger." But other than that we know little of who he really is. Chuck Norris is one of the more down to earth Hollywood types who has had his share of ups and downs.
His story chronicles his life and shows how he dealt with the things that have faced him and his family. Like all of us, he has failed at times. Like all of us, he wishes that he had done somethings differently.
Chucks faith in Christ is evident throughout the book. Yet he doesn't hammer us with it. Many of the projects that were started through Chuck's desire to help people are a direct result of his faith in Christ.
"Against All Odds: My Story," by Chuck Norris is a very engaging book that you will enjoy and find hard to put it down.
Average customer rating:
- Against All Odds - commentary
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Against All Odds: (Non fiction)
Herbert Fowle
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0595387519 |
Book Description
Upon completion of basic training at Camp Wolters Texas Infantry Replacement Training Center, the author shipped overseas to the European Theater of Operations. After a rough crossing of the English Channel and passing through several replacement depots, he was assigned to an infantry line company. The unit, severely decimated by casualties, was currently engaged in the bloody battle of Hurtgen Forrest.
Though trained as a rifleman, he volunteered to be a light machine gunner, though he knew that the automatic weapons of the company were a prime target for enemy gunners. He was also aware that the life expectancy of a machine gunner was considerably shorter than that of a rifleman. However, when the company commander made it clear that someone had to be a machine gunner and, since no one else volunteered, the author reluctantly laid down his trusty M-1 rifle and filled the vacancy.
During the balance of the conflict, the author raised the average life of a light machine gunner considerably.
Though he was a late combat arrival, he earned three campaign stars and beat all the odds when, by the end of the war, they had not yet fired the bullet with his name on it.
Customer Reviews:
Against All Odds - commentary .......2007-05-30
I don't read many army books but this was a true story. All the army men written in the book were true to life. In fact many times while reading the book you could actually feel what the writer was experiencing. It was well written and at times there was humor along with sadness. I had a very special reason to read this book; my father was one of the sergeants written in the book "Ipjian". The author's comments and conversations with "Ipjian" were true to life because it does sound so much like my father today. I am fortunate that my father is still alive today to tell story's of the past and to have made it through the war after being seriously wounded.
I thank the author for writing this book, and sharing the experience that many men went through in World War II and how we can relate this to the current world of today.
Book Description
The inspiring autobiography of one of America’s wealthiest entrepreneurs. John H. Johnson rose from the welfare rolls of the Depression to become the most successful Black businessman in American history; the founder of EBONY, JET, and EM magazines; a member of the FORBES 400. He has had dinner at the White House under seven Presidents. Like the man himself, Succeeding Against The Odds is brash, inspirational, and truly unforgettable. “I believe that the greater the handicap the greater the triumph.”
Customer Reviews:
a Great Book:RIP to Mr.Johnson.......2005-08-15
I bought this Book way back in 1992.I always Admired Mr.John H.Johnson for all that He overcame&also for providing Ebony&Jet into my early childhood all the to the present. what He overcame&what He Accomplsihed is truly incredible. He created magazines that spoke&gave Black America a Fair shake at the Newsstand&also showed our world in a up-lifting light. John H.Johnson is a true Pioneer who trail-blazed so much for the better.RIP&this is a Must have Book.
Inspiring true story of African American success.......2005-06-08
This book uplifted the self esteem of me and many other African Americans. It was the story of a black man raised in rural Arkansas who had a dream. He figured out at an early age that African Americans wanted to know about what was happening in their community. There where only so many if any stories about us in Life Magazine. And if they did publish something about us it was negative. Why couldn't African Americans have a magazine of their own? One that told stories, positive stories about our lives, our heroes, and our history. This book gave me hope to know that even a lower middle class, African American boy from the Bronx like myself could grow up and strive for greatness amongst our people and the rest of society. John H. Johnson's publications are over 50 years old now and are still giving us stories that uplift our minds, bodies and spirits. Reading this book is not only a joy and a honor but it should be required reading for all African Americans and focal point of reading for all others.
The advantage of the disadvantage.......2000-07-18
In his book, Johnson states "There is an advantage in every disadvantage, and a gift in every problem" and "I believe that the greater the handicap the greater the triumph." By this he means to say that disadvantage creates opportunities and forces one to do more with less. He believed that disadvantages were "...challenges to be overcome and not facts to be accepted." A disadvantage provides a challenge that, with the proper motivation and mindset, forces one to try a little harder and work a little smarter.
Two distinct disadvantages that Johnson cites are early in his life: 1) Arkansas City (his birthplace) did not provide a high school education for African Americans, and 2) The economic depression stemming from the Great Depression. These two disadvantages, when taken together, provided a sort of "critical mass" that propelled Johnson on the trajectory that is his story -- his move to Chicago and subsequent business endeavors.
The fact that the disadvantages cited above were realized so early in life is worth note. There is a scientific discipline known as "Chaos Theory" that, among other precepts, states that the time evolution of a series of interrelated complex events is extremely sensitive to the system's initial condition. The analogy that may be drawn to Johnson's life is this: had he not moved to Chicago due to his ambition and his Mother's tremendous sacrifices for her son's education, it would have become increasingly difficult for Johnson to have succeeded to the extent he did, as chronicled in his autobiography.
This statement is supported by the many references he makes in the book about the seemingly random events that led to his success as a businessman; Johnson states, "I'm scared someone with pinch me and wake me up." Thus, it seems that the many disadvantages the author faced throughout life, most notably (in his words) early in life, created an advantage, which led him to great wealth and notoriety.
Faithful guide to the weary traveler........1999-10-14
I could definitely related to Mr.Johnson's story. It is inspiring, insightful, and truly a guide to those of us on the often obstacle laden road to success.
Never allow your personal feelings or emotions to close the doors of oppourtunities. Where the is a will there truly is a way. His story is remarkable and his book enables you to understand that yours is too.
Think and Grow Rich...
perfect.......1999-01-13
I like this book very much,for I used to be a officer that rank is major,I admire his method (or skill) to solve every different problem.
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