I’m experimenting with a new (for me) format for some of the books I read and review. As I review and process my thoughts about what I’ve just read, I’d like my ideas to be as coherent as possible. I’d also like my thoughts to be easily presentable. So here goes…

Author
John Perry

Book Name
Unshakable Faith: Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver (A biography).

Book Synopsis In Twitteresque 140 Characters Or Less
A biography of the lives and the relationship of Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. Great men. Great leaders. American heroes.

Where I Bought It
George Washington Carver National Historic Site near Diamond, Missouri.

How I Paid For It
I have no idea. I’ll explain that in a moment. If I had to guess, probably my old Discover card. I know, that wasn’t a great thing to put on a credit card, because I’m probably still paying it off. I know. Quit rubbing it in.

How Long It Took Me To Read
Not long. Once I started the book, I had a tough time putting it down. Perry does a great job of making a historical biography read like story. I finished the book in under two weeks.

How Long I Owned The Book Before I Read It
Four and a half years. I bought the book and promptly forgot about it. It’s been on a bookcase in my office (in the history section) for all that time.

Who I Would Recommend This Book To
Just about everyone. Especially if you enjoy reading historical stuff or biographies. But even if you don’t, this is a great book to read simply because it details the lives of two men who overcame enormous odds to change the direction of an entire nation.

Who I Would NOT Recommend This Book To
Someone who might have been under (or might still fit in that category) a white sheet before the 1960s. This might not be all that exciting of a story to someone who is racist. In fact, I wouldn’t even mention this book to that type of person.

What I Used For A Bookmark
A Post-It tape flag. These actually work out pretty good.

Some Interesting Ideas I Gained From This Book
Unshakable Faith was a gripping story of two black men, born into slavery, and their constant efforts to enable their people to overcome severe obstacles to gain equality in America. Both men, Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver, were exceptionally gifted leaders, in completely opposite ways.

Washington was a very talented educator. He was given the vision of building a school for blacks in Tuskegee, Alabama. And when he started, a vision was all he had; there was no school. Washington took a dream and built it into an institution that educated and prepared black people not only with practical skills that they could use to live and work in the South, but with leadership abilities, which could be used all around the nation. Washington was an excellent fundraiser, a superb communicator, and paid great attention to detail and organization. He was the right man for the job of starting a school for his people with nothing but a dream and the support of a few people in the area.

George Washington Carver was the exact opposite of Washington in many ways. Carver was a scientist instead of an educator, yet he taught with incredible passion. His students loved him. He was a skilled painter and artist, and spent a lot of time creating masterpieces. Carver chose specific items to study, such as the sweet potato and the peanut; he discovered hundreds of uses for these two foods.

Even though he was a scientist, Carver wasn’t very organized. He rarely made any notes of his work, and wouldn’t allow books in his laboratory. Carver wore his heart on his sleeve; he was emotionally focused, where Washington was more results driven.

As a result of their differences, both men had a strained relationship with each other. They both recognized the importance of the work they were doing, and the gifts and strengths of the other. And, in spite of their differences, they managed to work together effectively, bringing public attention to the idea that blacks should be considered equal in all aspects.

As different as they were from one another, Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver lived their lives in pursuit of the same goal of political and social equality for their race. They faced centuries of slavery and the decades of legal discrimination that followed with the same unshakable faith in God….

Humility made these men great….

The Challenge For My Life From Reading This Book
Both Carver and Washington kept their faith in the forefront of every aspect of their lives. And God used them to accomplish great things.

Washington and Carver were not black heroes; they were not Christian heroes; they were heroes for everyone and every time. Their faith made their accomplishments possible. And any of us who would look for a better world in our future will look down to find ourselves standing on their shoulders.

These men were men of unshakable faith before anything else. And God used them in mighty ways. What can God do with my level of faith? What can he do with yours?

Expectations Going In
Pretty high. I knew a little about the lives of both of these men, and respected them because of what I knew. But what I learned blew me away. Unshakable Faith exceeded my expectations in every way.

How I Would Rate This Book
This book merits at least a rating of 8, on a scale of 1-10. Unshakable Faith challenged me to hold my faith as a top priority in all I do.

If you are interested in reading Unshakable Faith, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”