2008-01-10 Concise & moving

A thoroughly enjoyable account of the life of Justice Thomas. I found it fascinating to read of the prejudice he faced and the support he got as he progressed. I liked his honest discussion of the contrast between his thoughts in the past and his thoughts now, particularly with respect to his past political views and his opinions of his grandfather's method of raising children.

Thomas comes across as a thoroughly likeable character of a non-partisan nature. Reading this book gives an idea of how rare these qualities can be in Washington among those who deal with racially-charged political issues. Towards the end of the book we are treated to a tense trip through the controversy that surrounded attempts to kill off his nomination to the Supreme Court using almost any means possible. Even though I knew the outcome of the nomination battle it was possible at times while reading to forget this, so involved did I become in the tension of the situation.

All in all an inspiring memoir: short, to the point, and not full of dull political anecdotes.