Fund-of-funds Books

this book is great for every non -profit that goes online, it gives a clear picture on the most important foundations

Timely! Fundraising on the internet is the next level of fundraising for non-profits, and this is an excellent way to get started!

A fantastic collection of resources! Warwick, Hart, and Allen brought together an amazing array of experts to assemble a practical, hands-on book full of interesting case examples. As an application service provider working almost exclusively with non-profits, we found the book particularly useful as a source book for guidelines and best practices. Our clients who have read the book were enthusiastic about everything from the specific strategies to the fundraising tips.

This is an all-encompassing, basic guide that makes fundraising on the Internet accessible to the most inexperienced nonprofits but gives insightful advice to veterans. I wholeheartedly recommend the book and plan to make this required reading for our customers and employees.

This collaborative effort is well-written, fast-paced, and extremely up-to-date. Each chapter is on a different aspect of Internet fundraising, written by a different author. Speaking from personal experience, this book has been extremely possible in our own business of helping nonprofits raise funds online. We recommend it to any nonprofit who wants to take advantage of the net.

Very useful for organizations working with an interactive agency to imporve their efforts on the web...

I have always been inspired by Tom. Never have I read a better, more helpful and concise book. It is a joy to read and you will definitely benefit both personally and professionally from the tips that he shares. If you ever get to see a presentation by Tom in person, RUN (don't walk) to your seat in the lecture hall. His tips are practical, entertaining and based in science and experience. Thank you Tom for your contributions to our profession.

generally, it's a well taught and expounded book that very few books explain so very clearly in detail. as someone involved in raising money and promoting our non-profit, social work I am tremenously blessed and have my mind renewed and informed with fresh perspectives.

The material in this book is as invaluable as the style in which it is written. I found this book incredibly motivating, informative, stimulating, and fun to read. Thanks Tom! I feel utterly refreshed and excited to write now, instead of dreading it.

I could not put Tom's book down and read it in a night. There are some many great tips and insights -- I will not write another thing without this book at my side!

This book is easy to read, makes you laugh, teaches you how to write better and helps you raise more money. It just doesn't get any better any this. If you write anything to donors or prospective donors you should stop and read this first. You won't regret it.

this is a great book i used this book at home and in my office.

If you need to know the correct format for an office document or the correct way to address an official, it is in this book. This book covers the traditional means of communication as well as the electronic arena. It is well organized and very easy to use.

We are a small firm, and I am a licensed professional who types his own correspondence, contracts for clients, transmittals, etc.. Because the styles and forms of business letters have changed since I was in college, I decided I needed a good reference to help me with the tricky stuff that comes along occassionally.

This book did the job. Whether I need to know how to address a letter to an elected official, or pressure someone to pay an invoice, the Secretarial Handbook covers it. From punctuation to collation, this is the best single office reference I have ever used.

If you do your own administrative tasks, buy one for yourself for National Secretaries (Administrative Professionals) Day.

A superb one-stop reference volume covering topics highly relevant to the duties of secretaries and personal/admininstrative assistants, this handbook has withstood the test of time. The third edition dates from the early 1990s, but most of the many tasks treated comprehensively in this handbook have changed very little over the years: forms of address, basic grammar and punctuation rules, formal business correspondence, organization of meetings and travel, postal mail procedures, telephone etiquette and procedures, and so on. A few chapters that are very technology-sensitive (computers and word-processing equipment, desktop publishing, etc.) have dated considerably, but the handbook overall is so useful that it's worth having within arm's reach in just about any office-for both secretaries and their managers.

In an increasingly global business environment, this handbook is also very useful for assistants and secretaries outside the U.K. and U.S. who must deal with English-speaking colleagues on a regular basis by phone, e-mail, or mail.

We are a small firm, and I am a licensed professional who types his own correspondence, contracts for clients, transmittals, etc.. Because the styles and forms of business letters have changed since I was in college, I decided I needed a good reference to help me with the tricky stuff that comes along occassionally.

This book did the job. Whether I need to know how to address a letter to an elected official, or pressure someone to pay an invoice, the Secretarial Handbook covers it. From punctuation to collation, this is the best single office reference I have ever used.

If you do your own administrative tasks, buy one for yourself for National Secretaries (Administrative Professionals) Day.

This irreverent portrait of your proposal's life cycle once it LEAVES your hands is funny, but a little simplistic. While I enjoyed the author's perspective, as a grant-writer I was looking for more meat. Also, I think this book is overpriced for a trade paperback. It was fun to read, but I didn't learn a whole lot. Someone NEW to the business will find it more helpful than I did. Buy it to share with your friends who just started grant-writing -- but if you've been in the development business more than four years, this book may not meet your expectations.

This book contained practical down-to-earth advice. It outlined in concise easy-to-read language the dos and don'ts of the grant process. I work with several non-profits and believe we will benefit from this knowledge.

Don't bother putting in a proposal for a grant until you read this book. Once you read it you'll immediately understand that this is the way that granting organizations have to operate in order to get anything done.

The people at the granting organization have to have their procedures. Your proposal has to first be screened by someone quite low in the organization. He's got to be excited enough to grasp the central idea of your proposal in no more than one or two minutes of reading. Then he's got to take it up their management chain to even get it started through their approval cycle.

Perhaps the biggest single message the book has is to follow the guidelines that the funding organization has. If you're proposing the renovation of an historic building but the organization is chartered to fund supporting wild horses, your likelyhood of success with them is low.

But after following everything that they say, your chances are still not good. You need to see your proposal as he will review it. And here in one small book is specific details as to what he is seeking. Invaluable information.

To the best of my knowledge, Teitel is the first foundation head to write a book like this. He's been there. No, he IS there, and still heads a foundation (I looked it up and it's in Boston). Forget all those books by grants consultants. Go straight to the horse's mouth and gallop away with a satchel full of tips, suggestions, and insights.

I found this gem at Bioneers 2007, itself a major validation of this book's appreciation by that extraordinary collective, and I consider it to be one of three core books that have been helpful to me as a CEO in understanding what our Columbia-trained MPA in Non-Profit Management has been trying to tell me. I strongly recommend this book, and the two others listed below, to *anyone* involved in the grant-application process, from Chairman of the Board to the peson responsible for putting the package together who might notice something at the last minute.

The other two:
8 Steps To A Grant Winning Proposal
Essential Principles for Fundraising Success: An Answer Manual for the Everyday Challenges of Rasing Money

I completely disagree with those that find this book simplisitic. Indeed, I consider it superior to the "8 Steps" book, but the latter adds value. Start with this one. Highlights I noted:

* Start with the Board guidelines, not whatever the staff produces
* Do not fail to examine the list of previous awards
* Get in touch with previous winners on a similar paths and sound them out
* Do NOT send in complex proposals, only Letters of Inquiry
* Advisory Panel or Board of Directors on Letterhead is a MUST--it is a critical factor in jumping from the lowest level of credibility to the next
* Type Letter of Inquiry at top of letter (and do not underestimate the lack of knowledge and experience of the person who does the first screening for trash versus next look)
* LOI is SHORT. One sentence summary, paragraph on issue, paragraph on organization, attached budget--multi-year budget if seeking multi-year support
* Focus on creating a partnership, not on "selling"
*Stick to the facts
* Goal is to have a proposal invited, not to flood them with information
* Project future success with or without them
* Integrated applications, each unique, to multiple organizations is a PLUS, and do not fail to include a sheet on who else is being approached, why, and how that fits into a larger solutions package
* Fundamentals include copy of tax determination letter (single most common ommission and a show-stopped for many who do not get a second chance); sample of work, one press clipping.
* Before tailoring anything to the foundation, after first two steps above, look for keywords that "place" your project in their frames of reference. Use them!
* Avoid red flags inconsistent with foundation's interest (e.g. international focus when theirs is domestic).
* Connect vision and motivation, passion, in a concise compelling way.
* Strategy is how resources are to be mobilized; tactics is how the mobilized resources are to be applied
* Comply with the foundation's budget guidance in detail; check your math at least three times (three different minds)
* Be able to itemize planned outcomes and how to measure. This is potentially your KEY TO FUNDING.
* If invited to meet, ask about date-time-place, purpose, who to bring, and BRING something useful that is not a gift (e.g. new clippings)
* At meeting, verbal LOI, update, any questions, email thank you with recap of "to do" items.
* Offer to visit ONCE.
* A cover flyer with photos of real people doing real work can be helpful to the foundation's action officer in visualizing the project.
* Become a trusted resource for the foundation

The books ends with a ten section appendix of do's and don'ts, a very useful recap and reframing of the substance in the book.

I sometimes try to find "one book" but in this case, while this is the best book I have found, it is not totally complete, and the other two books are in my view also needed.

The edition of "The Theory of Money and Credit" from Signalman Publishing was specifically formatted and published for the Kindle. This specialized version enhances the readability and allows the reader to better focus on and understand the thoughts of von Mises. The Signalman edition will help students navigate through the text using the hyperlinked Table of Contents, unlike the Evergreen edition, which was not formatted specifically for the Kindle.

This is a transformative work by von Mises. In the short time since I began reading I have come to a deeper understanding and appreciate the function and nature of money.

This is NOT light reading, but all the same it is fascinating. I found myself wanting to be back in school again, for no other reason than to have a professor and classmates to explore these ideas with, and to better develop my own understanding of the subject.

I have only two complaints, neither of which might really qualify as a complaint, since the original was written in German these is to be expected: first, most of the citations refer to the original German works. This makes it difficult for the English reader to cross-check citations and expand the reading list. However, thanks to the magic of Amazon, many of the cited authors are available in English. Second, von Mises assumes a very high level of understanding from his readers. Many of his ideas are built upon the work of others, and generally I found the background explanation a bit lacking (hence my want for a classroom environment). In all fairness, this book is so weighty that if he had ventured to give appropriate background for each element of support, the publishers might have been compelled to split the work into multiple volumes. The author rightly expects his readers to achieve a deep understanding of each supporting subject and and to research its origins on their own.

The Theory of Money and Credit is the foundation of modern Austrian Economics. The central contribution of this book is its application of marginal utility theory to money. Mises takes a micro-analytic approach to money that differs from the Hume-Fischer-Friedman Quantity Theory significantly. Of course there is some truth in the Quantity Theory. The Quantity Theory also teaches some lessons against inflation.

Mises set the groundwork for Austrian Business Cycle theory, as later developed by Hayek and Garrison. Both the Quantity Theory and the Mises-Hayek theory of trade cycles point to the same root cause: inflation. However, the Mises-Hayek theory explains trade cycles in terms of intertemporal dis-coordination. Hayek owes his Nobel Prize the groundbreaking work of Mises.

The Theory of Money and Credit also served as the basis for the calculation critique of socialism. Mises began to see the significance of monetary calculation in this book. The Austrian theories of the trade cycle and monetary calculation are the two main lines of modern Austrian research. These were the two critical debates of the Interwar Years. Also, Mises formulated his `Regression Theorem' in this book. Without this book, the modern Austrian paradigm would differ beyond recognition. Anyone who wants to learn Austrian economics should read this book.

Murray Newton Rothbard has been quoted as saying this book is THE best book ever written on Money & Credit. So having found Rothbard's writings to be outstanding in their own right, I moved on to this Mises classic!

The first thing to note is that this book was first published in 1912 and in German, and although the translation has been accomplished superbly, the style of writing has somewhat of an antequated feel to it; not quite the same free flowing prose you get with Rothbard. Once you get into the feel of it though, this in no way detracts from your understanding of the theory presented.

It has an excellent new Foreward by Rothbard himself, extensive footnoting and index and is hardbound beautifully by the Liberty Fund Press, with dust jacket. There is also a nice Appendix: On The Classification of Monetary Theories, that is very useful and informative.

The book itself is divided into four main Parts:
Part One: The Nature of Money.
Part Two: The Value of Money.
Part Three: Money and Banking.
Part Four: Monetary Reconstruction.(This part was added in 1952).

For me the book really took on a story of two halves. In the first half of the book, Parts 1 & 2, the bulk of the theory is really laid out. It can be slow going as it is extremely in depth but I highly recommend you stick with it as this pays off in the second half of the book!

In Part 3 Mises really starts putting flesh onto the theory when we get into Money & Banking proper with discussion of demand for money, credit, fiduciary paper, rate of interest etc. But towards the end in Chapters 19 & 20 things get MUCH more interesting as equilibrium rates and interest are discussed in detail and he finally talks about gold, the gold standard and banking freedom.

Part 4 is where my heart lies. Here we have the discussion of the principles of sound money versus contemporary currency systems. There's then an excellent discourse on the Return to Sound Money, ie the Classical Gold Standard.

The second half of this wonderful book certainly flowed better for me, but that may also be just because I am more of an investment manager/trader and less of an economist! You feel like you have had Mises teaching you in fine detail and that he has left no stone unturned in your understanding. Mises doesn't read as easily as the prose of Rothbard but that does not detract from the excellence of the material. Superb!

It really IS a truly outstanding work and if not the best book ever written on the subject, it surely has to be at the very least, one of the very best, and as such is certainly a "must-read"!!!

This wonderful, beautifully bound, classic is an absolute "steal" at $20. I still cannot believe it is sold for so little. My recommendation is to buy it while it is still available in this beautiful hardbound edition!

Enjoy!

Von Mises' "The Theory of Money and Credit" is a great work in theoretical economics. Its key insight is that money has an influence on the real economy.

Monetary financing of deficits leads to inflation, but this inflation is never proportional, that is variations in the money supply produce variations in relative prices and therefore have distributional consequences.

MV = PT is an identity. The 'V' reflects the money demand of individuals for whom a $ has a subjective value. What happens to PT is dependent on who how the new money will ripple through the economic system. Every change in the amount of money is different. Apart from subjective factors the velocity of circulation will depend on trends in population growth, the division of labour and financial innovation all of these tending to accelerate it over time.

A key price in any economy is the real interest rate. Within a stable monetary framework these would reflect time preference and the (perceived) profitability of investments. By artificially reducing the rate of interest investment booms are provoked by making longer processes of production seem more profitable than they are and when finally because of a intolerantly high rate of inflation the monetary growth is halted a sharp recession occurs, in which firms go bust and the some investments are liquidated. Hence business cycles.

In essence it a manifesto for sound-money which in Mises' view amounts to adopting the gold standard. Inflationary deficit finance is dishonest and arbitrary on people's incomes and should be replaced by explicit taxation.

Stephen Goldstein helps anyone involved in fundraising, either as a staff person or volunteer board member, to get back to the fundamentals. He takes the mystery out of asking for money by delivering practical advice on how to be an effective fundraiser. I've purchased copies for all of my favorite charitable organizations and have my own within easy reach. I won't get involved in fundraising efforts again without following the valuable steps outlined in this book.

I'm not a fundraiser--I'm a donor, and I stumbled on this book while looking for advice on how to choose worthy charities to support. What an eye-opener it is. Now I'm going to offer this book to fundraisers who approach me with tired old pitches.

What an eye-opening pleasure to find a book so direct and plain-talking and generous with its genuinely practical advice. If you're raising money, you'll learn here how to make targeted, carefully crafted appeals that produce results. If you're giving money or time, this book works in reverse to help you choose intelligently how to help others do their good works.

DR. GOLDSTEIN HAS TAKEN THE MYSTERY OUT OF FUND RAISING IN 30 FASCINATING DAYS. AS A PROFESSIONAL FUNDRAISER FOR A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION, I WAS MISSING THE MOST OBVIOUS TECHNIQUES THAT WOULD INCREASE MY FUND RAISING DOLLARS.I COULDN'T WAIT TO READ THE NEXT DAY,USE THE EXERCISES WHICH BY THE 30TH DAY HAD CREATED MY NEW FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN.

BY UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH DAY OF THE 30 DAYS YOU READ BRINGS YOU CLOSER TO WHY YOU MAY HAVE FAILED BEFORE.

I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'VE CLEARLY BEEN UNAWARE OF. A MUST READ ARE DAYS 12.18 & 25 WHICH WILL HAVE YOU SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD & SAYING "YES,OF COURSE'HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED THAT STEP?
THIS IS TRUELY THE BIBLE WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

Dr. Stephen Goldstein's book, 30 Days to Successful Fundraising is a Gem. However, taking the workshop with him is even more dazzling. Having already chaired a fundraising campaign for my alma mater, I'm just sorry I didn't have the benefit of Dr. Goldstein's knowledge before I took on this task. Next time I'm called on to help raise some moola, I'll be better prepared.
Read the book. Take the workshop if you have the opportunity. You won't regret it. You'll be empowered.

If only this book were available when I started working in the non-for-profit world. Dr. Goldstein is brilliant. Once you've used this unique, interactive program, you'll never need another one.

I purchased this book to guide me through my first grantwriting position in the winter of 2002, and I still return to it today. The sample letters are valuable, and I have successfully modified them to meet the needs of three different organizations. The filing systems make managing a huge amount of information easy. I always recommed this book to people looking to get started with grant writing, and have sung its praises at several workshops I have conducted for beginning grantwriters.

This book presents a systematic approach that begins with identifying your internal needs and moves through the process of research, proposal development, and outreach to funders. Myths are addressed along the way; for example, grants are not "something for nothing," but rather "rational deals between colleagues." A good read filled with specific, hands-on advice.

I found this to be an excellent choice for guidance on proposal writing for grant funding. Altho geared more toward foundation funding sources, it also has excellent advice/directives for federal funding applications. I would strongly recommend this as a first choice - particularly of interest is the funding cycle perspective, very helpful.

I have an advanced degree in nonprofit management and several years of experience in grant writing. This is the book that is an invaluable tool to me even this far into my efforts. I see it as indispensable for a beginner. An essential classic for anyone taking on the formidable task of grant writing.

The are many books on grant writing, and most of these purport to make the process `easy' or `simple' but no other book that I've discovered presents such a clear, organized method for all level of grant writers.

Whether you're just starting out or you're already entrenched in this essential task for all nonprofits, Demystifying Grant Seeking: What You REALLY Need to Do to Get Grants tells you precisely how to be effective.

The authors present a concise technique to search for grants, gather necessary information, and finally compose proposals that actually win awards.

I've used the system for The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra, www.claflinhill.org , a cultural organization that I've personally seen grown from burgeoning to thriving in just a few years. With the authors' process, I've pinpointed granters, both business and philanthropic, made initial contact, developed relationships, garnered key points, and submitted successful grants.

Demystifying Grant Seeking: What You REALLY Need to Do to Get Grants is always on my book shelf, except when I'm referring to its procedures or showing it to rising grant seekers.

Bernadette Stockwell, www.callthewriter.com

I found this book VERY helpful. In fact, I was so fascinated with it, I couldn't put it down. It was like a good novel. I immediately changed some of my thank you letters and re-did my Corporate request for funding letter. I will continue to use it's suggestions. The book is well written and not full of 'filler info', but very solid recommendations that one can put to use right away.

This is an excellent textbook and reference book on fundraising for non-profits. I recently joined the board of a non-profit and knew nothing about fundraising, but this book got me up to speed very quickly. The author treats you like a reasonably intelligent person, in contrast to some other primers that are too cutesy, and she writes in plain English and avoids jargon. It's packed with information, web sites, references, real-world examples, and recommendations. And it's up-to-date. If you're working for or with a non-profit, you need this book.

This guide to fundraising for non profits covers the newest strategy and grand writing plans that are needed in the future.

Highly recommend reading this book. It has great real-life examples and useful tips. Very easy to read and follow. I love how it allows you to be creative and realistic at the same time.

Just as money is the life-blood of governments and private enterprise corporations, so it is essential to carrying out the mandates of non-profit organizations as well. Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded second edition, Effective Fundraising For Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work" by Ilona Bray draws upon her years of experience and expertise serving a variety of nonprofit agencies in every managerial capacity from development director and staff attorney to department manager and advisory council member to create a 496-page compendium of superbly organized and presented information, jargon-free advice, case examples, and illustrative comments from more than forty experienced and successful fund raisers who work in the non-profit sector. An ideal guide, readers will learn how to work with individual donors, plan special fund raising events, successfully compete in the solicitation of grants from foundations and corporations, obtain and exploit media coverage, utilize the Internet as a fundraising tool, start side businesses to create additional revenue streams, develop effective print materials (brochures, newsletters, annual reports), and a great deal more. Of special note are the eleven appendices offering fundraising worksheets for everything from sample cost analysis to press release templates. "Effective Fundraising For Nonprofits" should be a core reference work and a part of every community library and non-profit agency collection, and is an especially recommended study for non-specialist general readers having a responsibility to raise funds for their particular non-profit group.

I ordered this book because it was required for a graduate class that I was taking, but I found it to be an excellent resource. The author provides numerous examples for how to apply the material, but also provides additional internet resources to access other information in the field of nonprofit management and fundraising.

I would definitely purchase additional resources from this author again.

I also use this book as a textbook in a fundraising class and the students consistently rank this as a great learning tool and resource that they will use in their careers. Excellent real-life examples and practical knowledge on every aspect of non-profit fund development.

Ciconte's book is insightful and thorough. This new edition is especially helpful, especially for the purposes of this reviewer, when it comes to Internet applications and computer programs. A well-written and fairly current fundraising resource guide.

I liked this book a lot. It's a big book with 8.5xll inch pages with the small text formatted into two columns per page. It covers a broad spectrum of fundraising for nonprofit topics: annual giving programs, board development, sponsorships, special events, major gift solicitation, planned giving, and capital campaigns. I suspect this book will be of tremendous help to anyone trying to develop a successful fundraising program for their nonprofit. Also, the reader is informed that it has been used as a textbook in various classes on fundraising.

My favorite chapters were (1) philanthropy, (2) roles of players, (3) the development office, (8) prospect research, (14) capital campaigns, (15) planned giving, (17) fundraising consultants, and (18) career options. The chapters are purposefully short, but they provide wonderful introductory material on their topics. Bibliographic material is provided so the reader can easily locate material that covers these topics in more depth.

I thought Chapter 4 (technology) was weak. I got the impression from reading it that I was reading a term paper from a high school student. I didn't feel as thought the authors were writing from firsthand experiences. Why were calculators and adding machines added to the list? Anybody who uses MS Office or similar program would know to use a spreadsheet program to do what a calculator or adding machine would do. Bottom line: this chapter could have been greatly improved so a nonprofit can save major bucks. Also, workers today are expected to know how to use a PC and the software that runs on it. If they can't, then don't hire them. NEVER consider paying someone to train them how to use a PC!

I had problems with chapters 5, 6 and 7. I thought Chapter 5 should have been much more detailed as to what a fundraising plan includes and how to design one. This was not done. And I thought Chapter 5 also should have covered direct mail, telemarketing, and the importance of building relationships as elements of a good fundraising plan. Then chapters 6 and 7 could have picked up where Chapter 5 left off. As these chapters are currently written, there really is no connection between the three - and in my humble opinion I think there should be.

I would reorder chapters 8 and 9 so the material on prospect research is covered after the reader is introduced to major gift fundraising. It just seems more logical to me to do it that way.

Chapter 13 could be improved a bit. Nonprofits waste a considerable amount of money on having fancy brochures created. And the authors seem to condone this. Today so much money and volunteer time can be saved by posting online in the form of Web pages what used to be printed. In the old days for-profits used to create fancy brochures. Now they give the prospect a business card with a Web site address on it. The prospect goes online to examine the relevant Web pages. Nonprofits can do the same thing. Why weren't Web sites covered in Chapter 13 (publications)? You try creating the content for a Web site and you will learn real quickly that Web sites are electronic publications.

And then there is Chapter 16. I'm not sure why this one was included. Sounds like membership organizations (trade associations) do their fundraising in a very similar way to church fundraising. It doesn't take rocket science to line up the congregation and hose them down for gifts. The same holds true for trade associations. I think I would have left this one out.

Even though I am somewhat critical of this book, I admit that I am being picayune. I am just rambling the thoughts that flipped off the tip of my tongue. This book is big, heavy, and full of good content. Give it a read. It will probably help you immensely in putting together an annual giving program for your nonprofit. Always remember that successful fundraising begins and depends on a good Board. 5 stars!

Using this book as "the" textbook for a UCSD Extension class on Fundraising Introduction and Processes; The course is the first required course for a Certificate Program in Fundraising and this is the text book selected. Very in depth, overview of fundraising, annual giving campaigns, special fundraising events, planned giving, grant-writing etc. Covers it all in depth and simple to understand. Great book! Plus its way cheaper thru Amazon than in the UC bookstore ;-)

Jack Johnson remains perhaps the most controversial athlete in American professional sports. And for that, it has been the constant rewriting of his life by his critics and/or racists.

His autobiography, published in 1927 when he was approaching his 50th birthday, should dispell the myths surrounding the greatest heavyweight champion ever. But more than his ring exploits, Johnson truly believed in a world without labels, a world where a celebrity can truly make a difference in people's lives and a world where dreams can truly be sought after and achieved.

He has pointed comments concerning critics who never gave a balanced account of his life and has a lengthy account on the fix he claims was arranged for him to lose the heavyweight title to Jess Willard. A chapter on physical fitness is timely today and demonstrates how Johnson was setting new standards on working out for his sport and general fitness.

You may have viewed the PBS special and read the recent biography on his life, but nothing beats reading Johnson in his own words. Johnson was truly a champion for honest play inside the ring and - most importantly - in the game of life.

Jack Johnson was the first African American Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. He became the heavyweight champion in 1908 when African Americans were exploited by Racism in a close-minded White America where hundreds of African Americans were murdered without trial by white mobs of hatred.

With this context of hatred, Jack Johnson, matter of factly talks about his life during this troublesome time in American history as if it were a minor annoyance. In over 250 pages, he discusses his childhood and boxing career. He also speaks of the adventures in his life and anecdotes that all have an excitement, the kind that makes "Carpe Diem" seem like a non-event.

Bull Fighting in Spain; fleeing to Europe from a US government intent on exploiting the marvels of his success with grotesque technicalities of Laws biased against African Americans; storms through the rough ocean off of Mexico; encounters with wild Indian tribes; Russian spies prior the Bolshevik's revolution; somehow managing to win a poker game with 4 Aces when two others with 4 Queens and 4 Kings accused one another of cheating not realizing that they'd both been defeated.

Jack Johnson is the most underrated American Hero. To me, after reading his story, I felt no bitterness in his diction. I read no scars from all the hatred thrusted upon him. On the contrary, I read the voice of a man who probably would have lived to 200 years old had it not been for his tragic auto accident death when he was in his late 60s.

The book has amazing historical insight. He discusses the implication of the "Jazz Age" and how it affects family values. Oddly, today, the Jazz Age was when the family was still in tact. I thought Devil Worshipping Heavy Metal destroyed the family. No wait, wasn't it that rebellious punk rock music? No, wait, wasn't it that selfish "me-generaton" Disco? That evil Rock'n'Roll? No wait.... It's amazing how musical trends imply collapsing humanity. Still Johnson's insight was intellectually pragmatic and insightful.

The book is an amazing read when one considers that Jack Johnson had only a 5th Grade education. Yet we read of a man whose expressive skills excede those with Doctorate Degrees. Notice how I forgot to emphasize that he was a heavyweight boxer? When, fights were often 20, 30 rounds long? All those punches, yet his mind extremely sharp in his autobiography.

He's entertaining with much to say and with deep insight few autobiographies have.

If you find true individualists to be a source of inspiration, Jack Johnson's "In and Out of the Ring" is a must for your collection.

This autobiography is a much-needed corrective to playwright Howard Sackler's artistically over-licensed opus "The Great White Hope", dramatized on stage and in film in the late 1960's. As a self-portrait of a Black man living in a particular time and place, it is not only a record of Mr. Johnson's matchless skill as a boxer, but more importantly, it is a journey into an all-encompassing Black mind, an intellect as well as a striking physical specimen, who broke out a new mold for the image of the athelete as someone capable of possessing as much "brains" as they had "brawn." Johnson was so clearly head and shoulders above his peers and detractors that it is no wonder why he was hated and feared by many whites. When enough people of color have read this book, it is likely that Mr. Johnson may be put under the same sun that shines on the likes of Paul Robeson and Jackie Robinson: Black "Renaissance" men whose lives outside of their sport(s) have been obscured because of their insight, outspokeness, and general refusal to be limited by their "race." Don't let "Black History" month slip by without attempting to get onto, and into this priceless autobiography by a true "giant" of a man.

This book is a must read, not only for boxing fans seeking more information about the first black heavyweight champion, but also for students of American history and specifically race relations in the U.S. Johnson's writing is insightful, eloquent and scholarly. He refused to allow the abysmal prejudice of whites to deter him from his goals, and enjoyed his life to the fullest. He maintained his dignity and judgement despite the efforts to break him. His book shows him to be a man of immense intellect, who could have excelled in any field of his choice. His views on the pace of 'modern' life, diet, physical fitness and race relations are as relevant today as they were in 1927. This book was a great surprise to me as I picked it up as a boxing fan, but the scope of Jack Johnson as a man goes far beyond the squared circle. His life was epic and his words timeless. This is a book for all times, by a passionate, inspired and inspiring man.

This autobiography is a much-needed corrective to playwright Howard Sackler's artistically over-licensed opus "The Great White Hope", dramatized on stage and in film in the late 1960's. As a self-portrait of a Black man living in a particular time and place, it is not only a record of Mr. Johnson's matchless skill as a boxer, but more importantly, it is a journey into an all-encompassing Black mind, an intellect as well as a striking physical specimen, who broke out a new mold for the image of the athelete as someone capable of possessing as much "brains" as they had "brawn." Johnson was so clearly head and shoulders above his peers and detractors that it is no wonder why he was hated and feared by many whites. When enough people of color have read this book, it is likely that Mr. Johnson may be put under the same sun that shines on the likes of Paul Robeson and Jackie Robinson: Black "Renaissance" men whose lives outside of their sport(s) have been obscured because of their insight, outspokeness, and general refusal to be limited by their "race." Don't let "Black History" month slip by without attempting to get onto, and into this priceless autobiography by a true "giant" of a man.