Up from the Projects: An Autobiography (Volume 600)

My 11 year old son loves to read autobiographies, so I purchased this one for him for his birthday.He also enjoyed, "A Personal Odyssey," by Thomas Sowell, and "My Grandfather's Son," by Clarence Thomas.This trio of books are an homage to some of the greatest minds of this century. And given that this cultural moment demands that people elevate black voices, I can't think of a trio of voices more worthy than these three men.Fantastic story of a man who was born in the Jim Crow south, was drafted into the Korean War, got his degree before affirmative action, and has applied intelligence economic analysis to all areas of life, looking for evidence to prove or disprove currently accepted social truths, allowing the evidence to speak for itself.Knowing more about the man adds depth to his invaluable contributions as an economist and teacher, not to mention his absolute grace and dignity as a human being. Such a lovely man! His wisdom will be sorely missed.

I was doing some reading / research on Thomas Sowell and came across Walter Williams name.This book was so humbling for me to read. He's a great man who achieved great things and came from such meager beginnings.This book is a quick read. It's so good, I 'insisted' my 15yo read it.Enjoy....

This book is more than appropriate for today’s youth to read and learn from, and also a great reminder to people born in the middle, or late decades of the 20th century, of how life for minorities really was. (Was). Dr. Williams’ ability to teach and his exceptional ability to communicate are shown on every page.If the reader wears the label of “Victim” with any sense of pride, or honor, then you will Not enjoy this book.But, if the reader wears any label describing tenacity, persistence, intelligence, determination,… they’ll thoroughly enjoy this book about Dr. Williams’ life.Walter E. Williams is wise, articulate, and a great testament to the freedoms and liberty that are the foundation of this great country, the United States of America!Read, learn, and enjoy!

This biography is brief, but I don't see that as being a drawback. Williams covers the main points of his life and worldview without delving into needless details. It's an inspiring message, well-delivered with just the right amount of anecdotes and self-deprecating humor.Of course, Williams is an impassioned proponent for libertarian-leaning economics, and most readers will know this going in. I think it helps to be sympathetic to this worldview, but I believe even liberal readers will have to admire Williams for his intelligence, hard work, and refusal to tolerate lame excuses from anyone, most of all himself.The reader will learn of Williams' early trouble-making and mistakes, and how those experiences eventually led him away from "thinking with his heart" to thinking with his head. He acknowldges that he had some luck and help along the way, and that's the beauty of it: just about all of us have some luck and help along the way. The trick is not to squander it, or as Willams says: when opportunity knocks you don't want to say wait while I pack. You want to be ready to go.Willams is a talented wordsmith who treats us to a story of a life well-lived, with hard learned lessons and well deserved joy throughout. Good for him, and good for the reader who picks this book up.

A valuable autobiography from an African-American born into a materially poor family in 1936, and who faced much racism in his younger days, but has become a successful economics professor and syndicated columnist. However, his family was not poor in non-material ways, since he was blessed with a mother who instilled strong character and accepted no excuses. Dr Williams is also grateful to teachers who set high standards, and says “I am glad that I got my education before it became fashionable to like black people—at least everyone knows my qualifications are real.” Williams also learned the value of work early on, as well as the roadblocks that governments, in collusion with unions, put in the way of young people today, e.g. with minimum wage law.Later, Williams served in the military, which still discriminated against "negroes". Williams won some important battles, both by winning against a frivolous court martial, and by pointing out that racism contradicted America's ideals and what America should be fighting for in Korea at the time.After his honorable discharge, Williams earned an economics doctorate, and was again grateful to professors who set high standards and made no allowances for race. When he became a professor, he strongly denounced affirmative action, featuring in a 1975 headline, “Racism? Temple professor opposes easy grades for blacks”. Dr Williams pointed out that fraudulent grades denied blacks an honest assessment, fostered a patronizing attitude among white students and professors, and hurt blacks who earned their high grades honestly by casting suspicion on black grades.Williams also flabbergasted audiences with comments on slavery. He of course denounced slavery as reprehensible, but it is a reprehensibility of which all races have been both guilty and victims. But then, both victims and perpetrators of slavery are dead, and nothing can be done about that; people alive today are neither villains to be punished nor victims to be compensated. Then the crux of his argument:while it was horrible that his ancestors were enslaved, their slavery made it possible for him, Dr Walter E. Williams, to be born in America with all its great opportunities, far greater than in any African country.

Walter Williams has been a champion of individual rights for years. He rose from relatively humble beginnings to become a voice of reason....just like his friend and colleague Thomas Sowell. He writes in a way anyone can understand, clearly states his opinions (and backs up with facts) and has a great sense of humor in doing so. His passing was a great loss to this nation.