Black Boy, and Way of the Shepherd

(I am down with a cold at the moment of writing this, so if you should find this post very rough and unedited, I say it now, that I’m sorry about that)

I’ve finished a couple of books this past couple of days.

The first book is Black Boy by Richard Wright. It’s an autobiography about how Richard Wright became a writer. I’m sure that after reading that sentence, you’ll say “that’s very interesting, Nightdreamer, but why should I care about how Richard became a writer?” Oh, that’s easy. Richard was a black man, and in his time - he was born when civil war was happening - it was all but unheard of for black people to read, let alone dream of being a writer. That was so, because racial inequality was very rampant during those times (to be honest, even on modern days, racial equality is an elusive case), and a black man’s only station in life was to become the servant of white people. In Richard’s case, he was often mistreated by white people, and looked down by black people because they think he’s crazy for even dreaming of becoming a writer. But it was precisely his unhapinness with all the people around him, regardless of what race, and of what beliefs, that had him becoming interested in reading and writing. I must warn you, though, that this is not a happy book. It is actually a very depressing one, since Richard mostly tells you about his disillusionment with pretty much everything: white people, black people, religion, the South, the North, democracy, and communism. It’s not all whining, though, as he mentions the solutions of how to fight for the rights of black people. He also has a good sense of humor, although most of the funnies are only in the early chapters. As for the writing, for someone who’s had to self-study everything about writing, he sure is one great writer, so much that he is among the most influential American writers of all time. I’ve read people on newspapers who pale in comparison to him. Heck, there aren’t a great deal of modern contemporary writers who can equal his writing skills. 

The other book is… well, surprise, surprise! I’ve actually finished a business book this time. It’s Way of the Shepherd by Kevin Leman and William Pentak. People who know me personally are aware that I am never a big fan of business books. I label most of them as boring overindulgent corporatese-ridden documents. Way of the Shepherd is never going to have a better writing than Black Boy, of course, but it is a rare business book that I find very readable from start to finish. I don’t know if the story it tells is factual or not, but the message is clear nonetheless: that you can learn to become good leaders by following the rules on how to become a good shepherd. There are seven rules. Geez, why is it always seven? The tips are practical and easy to follow, and at less than 150 pages, this book never overwhelms. Some passages are a bit on the hokey side, though, but that can be overlooked. 

Those are the last two books I’ve finished. Now I need to get back to sleep and have my petty sickness nursed.