Martin Luther King, Jr: Civil Rights Leader (Black Americans of Achievement)

The book Martin Luther King by Robert E. Jacoubek and Nancy Shuker demonstrates the amazing struggle Martin Luther King, Jr. and the black community went through to gain the independence and free will their ethnic group deserves. This book is a very good learning device because within the book there is a leadership essay by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. which clearly states what leadership is and how it affects the world. This essay helps you understand what America was like during Mr. King's lifetime.The authors didn't write much about Martin Luther King's personal life. Instead, they talked about what conflicts he faced and what specific important things he accomplished. This way of writing allowed the reader to learn more about his heroic tasks. The authors wrote in a very factual manner. They gave many examples of what Mr. King accomplished by talking about his conflicts and then explaining the resolution he came up with.The authors also used a story-telling technique in their book. They told most of the story in a "third person" view. To do this, they properly fit many actual quotations from Mr. King's speeches into the story. This way of writing allows the reader to learn more from the story that is told. The following quotation from the book is one example of this story-telling technique: "King told the crowds at that night's mass meeting: 'Now they know that an injunction will not stop us.'"This book is great for all ages. The way the authors wrote helped me understand what a hero really was and what characteristics Martin Luther King had to produce such an advancement and to make the world more equal. The book makes you think of questions that influence what a hero really is. When I read the book, I thought of questions like: "Do leaders lead by force or by persuasion" By command or consent?" Raising these basic questions makes you think about the passage and what it really means.I would recommend this wonderful book to everyone. It expressed Mr. King's story in a very logical manner which made it much easier to read. It showed how hard Martin Luther King worked at helping his ethnic group succeed in life with segregation and mistreatment surrounding their lives. The book taught me never to give up, no matter how difficult the task is and some day you will get what you deserve and worked hard for. In the end, after all the crime and mistreatment that had taken place, Martin Luther King finally pursued his dream and his people are set free.