The Measure of a Man
A Spiritual Autobiography
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The Measure of a Man
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Narrated by:
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Sidney Poitier
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Written by:
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Sidney Poitier
About this listen
Grammy Award Winner, Best Spoken Word Album, 2000
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. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measure: as a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.
Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.
Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.
Here is Poitier's own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limits - his own and the world's. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.
©2000 Sidney Poitier (P)2000 HarperCollins PublishersYou may also enjoy...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
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-
5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful book
- By Carole Essiembre on 2022-02-26
Written by: Sidney Poitier
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- A Memoir
- Written by: Geena Davis
- Narrated by: Geena Davis
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 59
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 52
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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- Written by: Alec Baldwin
- Narrated by: Alec Baldwin
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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5 out of 5 stars
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Thoughtfully retrospective
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Written by: Alec Baldwin
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In Such Good Company
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- Written by: Carol Burnett
- Narrated by: Carol Burnett
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 29
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good Read
- By Laura L on 2023-01-14
Written by: Carol Burnett
-
No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
- Written by: Robert C. Solomon, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert C. Solomon
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 95
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 77
What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.
-
5 out of 5 stars
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- By Amanda on 2023-02-18
Written by: Robert C. Solomon, and others
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The Souls of Black Folk
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- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 8
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
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Story5 out of 5 stars 7
“The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line,” writes Du Bois, in one of the most prophetic works in all of American literature. First published in 1903, this collection of 15 essays dared to describe the racism that prevailed at that time in America—and to demand an end to it. Du Bois’ writing draws on his early experiences, from teaching in the hills of Tennessee, to the death of his infant son, to his historic break with the conciliatory position of Booker T. Washington.
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5 out of 5 stars
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What the critics say
- Oprah's Book Club Selection
- Audio Publishers Association 2001 Award Winner, Nonfiction, Unabridged
- Grammy Winner, Best Spoken Word Album, 2001
"Moving...Poitier writes with vivid emotion about [past] clashes and brings them blazingly alive." (The New York Times Book Review)
What listeners say about The Measure of a Man
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- King Gabriel Quincy Collymore
- 2021-12-13
I share this background and it resonates as true.
This is an accurate testimony of what it's like to grow up in the Caribbean and make the transference into the US. The insight and Spiritual wisdom gained along the way, or maybe revealed, are wonderful to hear. I resonate with this work. Too bad I hadn't read it 11 years ago, when My Mother handed it to Me and suggested that I did.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-02-10
Excellent
I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about this skilled actor's life story and his thoughts about living a meaningful life. Hearing his story in his own beautiful voice was the icing on the cake.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cassel Miles
- 2019-08-14
Artist, Author...Astounding.
Truly and inspiring and thought-inducing experience.This is not a typical autobiography. As a black actor professionally active in the "biz" for over twenty-five years, Mr. Poitier has always been a personal role model and hero. He uses his life as a guide for those seeking integrity, purpose and dignity in their own. Here, we are privy to the insights gained from the perspective of a mature artist who never forgot where he came from. His interpretations of his personal and professional experiences, both the good and bad, the honourable and the less so, allow for a deeper insight into what it means to live a fully accountable life. And, I love the way that he speaks; that voice; such conviction.
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2 people found this helpful