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  • The Measure of a Man

  • A Spiritual Autobiography
  • Written by: Sidney Poitier
  • Narrated by: Sidney Poitier
  • Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (22 ratings)

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The Measure of a Man

Written by: Sidney Poitier
Narrated by: Sidney Poitier
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Publisher's Summary

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 Publishers

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

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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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    5 out of 5 stars
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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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    5 out of 5 stars
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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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