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Conversations with Myself
Foreword by President Barack Obama
Nelson Mandela is one of the most inspiring and iconic figures of our age. Now, after a lifetime of recording thoughts and events, hardships and victories, he has opened his personal archive, which offers unprecedented insight into his remarkable life.
From letters written in the darkest hours of his twenty-seven years of imprisonment to th...more
Nelson Mandela is one of the most inspiring and iconic figures of our age. Now, after a lifetime of recording thoughts and events, hardships and victories, he has opened his personal archive, which offers unprecedented insight into his remarkable life.
From letters written in the darkest hours of his twenty-seven years of imprisonment to th...more
Paperback, 480 pages
Published
September 27th 2011
by Picador
(first published 2010)
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I read memoirs in between fiction works because in memoirs, there is a bigger chance that the events really happened. I perceive memoirs as nearer to truth and so lessons are more rational and factual.
I picked up this book because I felt that I did not know anything about Nelson Mandela except that he was a very popular prisoner and he became the President of South Africa. He fought against apartheid in South Africa and that was the reason why he got imprisoned for more than a quarter of one's l...more
I picked up this book because I felt that I did not know anything about Nelson Mandela except that he was a very popular prisoner and he became the President of South Africa. He fought against apartheid in South Africa and that was the reason why he got imprisoned for more than a quarter of one's l...more
May 05, 2011
Rohan Kallicharan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
autobiography,
history
We all dream of fame at some time in our lives, yet the phrase that always returns to my mind is 'Walk A Mile In His Shoes.'
How many would truly take the challenge of walking a mile in the shoes of Nelson Mandela?
A man vilified and branded a terrorist by the propaganda of a regime.
A man who lived every minute in fear of his life.
A man incarcerated in indescribable conditions for over a quarter of a century.
A man, whom after his release, was the target of those who he sought to unite.
A man of d...more
How many would truly take the challenge of walking a mile in the shoes of Nelson Mandela?
A man vilified and branded a terrorist by the propaganda of a regime.
A man who lived every minute in fear of his life.
A man incarcerated in indescribable conditions for over a quarter of a century.
A man, whom after his release, was the target of those who he sought to unite.
A man of d...more
It's a hard book to read without first knowing about the life of Nelson Mandela. Fifty pages into the book, I had to stop and read Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela before I could continue, and even then it is still hard to follow. Some of Nelson Mandela's letters are so brilliant and inspiring, they make me want to hang them up in my room; the problem is that it is interspersed with other thoughts and inanities that it loses its effect. Also, in Long Walk to Freedom, I w...more
Now, understand that Nelson Mandela gets 1,000,000,000 stars. But this book's editor gets 2 stars. Maybe just 1 1/2 stars. This is probably the worst compilation of Mandela's written work. It's super confusing to read, unless you happen to have his autobiography handy to reference. I didn't understand the point of some of the pieces that were included and the bits and pieces format made it really hard to read.
That being said, there are some letters in here that are particularly moving, thought-p...more
That being said, there are some letters in here that are particularly moving, thought-p...more
I was excited when my book club chose this as a 2011 book read. However, it was worse than having a tooth pulled without pain killers when you're afraid of the dentist. I spent a month trying to read the book and couldn't finish a letter per day; my focus was all over the place trying to keep up with all the names. I couldn't get into the many letters that didn't really follow a logical order or that gave me a summary before the actual letter. I could have read the summary and been ok. His life...more
In 'Nelson Mandela’s Conversations with Myself' I was surprised by the way it was written. This book was really interesting. It contains a collection of letters, speeches, interviews and notes written by Mandela himself. It has no chapters. The book contains four parts each that represent different stages of Mandela’s life. My personal favorite was part two: Drama. I believe this book showed a great deal of Mandela's life and into some of his innermost thoughts. It didn’t cover every detail of h...more
Mandela, South Africa, Apartheid, Prisoner to President. All of that and I was still disappointed with this book. It was informative and gave insight to Mandela and the struggle of South Africa. With that said,the There was something about the way the book was put together, it sort of read like an unsuccessful cross between just the facts and hears a moment worth remembering. For some reason it all just fell flat and I had to force myself to finish it.
Personally I think Mandela was a great man...more
Personally I think Mandela was a great man...more
A profound statement made by Nelson Mandela in the book and which has stuck in my mind like a leech is the following:
"In real life we deal, not with gods, but ordinary humans like ourselves, men and women who are full of contradictions, who are stable and fickle, strong and weak, famous and infamous, people in whose bloodstream the murkworm battles daily with potent pesticides."
If a comprehension of that statement is a channel to understanding the functioning of the mind of the man who was once...more
"In real life we deal, not with gods, but ordinary humans like ourselves, men and women who are full of contradictions, who are stable and fickle, strong and weak, famous and infamous, people in whose bloodstream the murkworm battles daily with potent pesticides."
If a comprehension of that statement is a channel to understanding the functioning of the mind of the man who was once...more
Very good book for being non-fiction. I usually don't read non-fiction, but I couldn't put this one down. I picked it up because I made a trip to South Africa in 2010 during the World Cup(I was actually going to visit my parents and do some sight seeing. The only time we came close to one of the games was when we drove through Bloemfontein on a game day.) and had watched the movie Invictus(excellent movie, by the way. Highly recommend.) I should note that the book was compiled by someone other t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Jan 13, 2011
Marisa Martins
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
leituras-2011
Colecção de cartas escritas à família e aos amigos, entradas num diário, anotações feitas em calendários e blocos de nota e extractos de conversas gravadas com o biógrafo e com amigos que levam o leitor a conhecer Nelson Mandela numa perpectiva mais intimista.
"Depois de se ter estado na prisão são as pequenas coisas que valorizamos - a sensação de poder dar um passeio sempre que nos apetece, atravessar uma rua, entrar numa loja e comprar o jornal, falar ou preferir ficar em silêncio - o simples...more
"Depois de se ter estado na prisão são as pequenas coisas que valorizamos - a sensação de poder dar um passeio sempre que nos apetece, atravessar uma rua, entrar numa loja e comprar o jornal, falar ou preferir ficar em silêncio - o simples...more
favorite quotes:
-internal factors may be even more crucial in assessing one's development as a human being. honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity, readiness to serve others - qualities which are within easy reach of every soul - are the foundations of one's spiritual life. never forget that a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying.
-from president obama: 'mandela made it clear that we did not have to accept the world as it is - that we could do our part to se...more
-internal factors may be even more crucial in assessing one's development as a human being. honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity, readiness to serve others - qualities which are within easy reach of every soul - are the foundations of one's spiritual life. never forget that a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying.
-from president obama: 'mandela made it clear that we did not have to accept the world as it is - that we could do our part to se...more
Saint a sinner who keeps on trying, value of virtues, level of violence begets equal reaction, push for capitalism, look for good as all have good and weak points, start debate from opposite poles to consensus with view of all angles, put destiny in hands of people, America is bankrupt when visited Castro’s Cuba, not answer personal questions, travesty of leaders who join oppressors to control one another, priests should use pulpits to propagate message, duty to escape and not jeopardize others....more
J'ai lu la version francaise de cette compilation de fragments de documents.
Premierement, il est important de lire "un long chemin vers la liberte" avant ces "conversations". Les documents rapportes ici prennent reellement tout leur sens apres la lecture de la bio de Mandela.
Deuxiemement, je comprends la demarche, mais il y a un tas de notes, documents, etc... rapportes dans cet ouvrage qui ne veulent absolument rien dire et sont tres vide de sens. C'est dommage.
En conclusion, ouais bof...
Premierement, il est important de lire "un long chemin vers la liberte" avant ces "conversations". Les documents rapportes ici prennent reellement tout leur sens apres la lecture de la bio de Mandela.
Deuxiemement, je comprends la demarche, mais il y a un tas de notes, documents, etc... rapportes dans cet ouvrage qui ne veulent absolument rien dire et sont tres vide de sens. C'est dommage.
En conclusion, ouais bof...
It gives insight into Nelson Mandela. It has been marketed as "popular" and for everyone but I think it will appeal to a certain people/groups of people. I enjoyed it but would not be recommending it to many people unless they are intrigued by Nelson Mandela and are into this type of "collection" autobiography (letters, quotes, perceptions, etc.). It is snapshots into Mandela's mind and life and it is not an in-depth narrative (auto)biographical reflection of his entire life. I enjoyed it.
If you will read only one Mandela book ever, don't let it be this one. It feels like those CDs released after and artist's death "The forgotten tracks" or whatever -there's a reason why they were forgotten and never included in any of the previous discs.
This book is a collection of thoughts, afterthoughts one might say, on several topics; part enlightening, part aimless. Nice to have on a coffee table and peruse while you're waiting for the game to kick-off on TV.
This book is a collection of thoughts, afterthoughts one might say, on several topics; part enlightening, part aimless. Nice to have on a coffee table and peruse while you're waiting for the game to kick-off on TV.
This book reveals how carefully Mandela honed his leadership and the public's perceptions of him in that role - even while in prison. The specific excerpts from Mandela's letters, diaries, and discussion transcripts create the inescapable conclusion that his commitment to ending apartheid in South Africa was the focus of everything he said and did. All other concerns - even family - were second to ending apartheid. He is presented as a man of unassailable integrity.
Mandela is natuurlijk een bevlogen, ingetogen, inspirerende persoonljkheid die sowieso heel veel te vertellen heeft. Dit boek geeft een inkijkje in zijn privé gedachten en zijn privéleven.
Dat maakt het bijzonder.
Wat het een beetje saai, taai maakt om te lezen is de vorm waarin het gegoten is. Het is een bijelkaar geraapt geheel van stukjes uit zijn dagboek, brieven, aantekeningen uit agenda's etc. Er is geen coherent geheel van gemaakt. Het schiet ook heen en weer qua data. En dat is voor het...more
Dat maakt het bijzonder.
Wat het een beetje saai, taai maakt om te lezen is de vorm waarin het gegoten is. Het is een bijelkaar geraapt geheel van stukjes uit zijn dagboek, brieven, aantekeningen uit agenda's etc. Er is geen coherent geheel van gemaakt. Het schiet ook heen en weer qua data. En dat is voor het...more
After being unable to read anything for pleasure for a few months, this book was just what I needed. Instead of books describing the life and actions of Nelson Mandela (which I recommend you reading first), it gave great insight into the thoughts and feelings of the man. I wouldn't read this book if you aren't interested and at least somewhat knowledgeable regarding the life the man led, but if you are, give it a shot.
Awesome read! I love that this book was primarily a compilation of excerpts from personal letters and conversations from Mandela himself. It is difficult not to come away in awe of this man (if you weren't already) after reading this book. I've certainly learned more about who he is and his contribution to the world in this one book than I've ever learned in a classroom or textbook. A must-read for everyone.
While I was fascinated by Mandela's ability to stay focused on the great issue of building a country of blacks and whites, this book was not what I expected. There were a few good sections of Mandela material, but there were sections of notes from his calendar that did not mean a thing to me.
Perhaps if I had read his autobiography first, the book might have meant more. But I found too many pages of notes and dates and pieces of conversation that were lumped together with little narrative.
Perhaps if I had read his autobiography first, the book might have meant more. But I found too many pages of notes and dates and pieces of conversation that were lumped together with little narrative.
No es una autobiografía ni es un diario personal, es una recopilación de notas, conversaciones con su biógrafo, anotaciones personales, entre otro tipo de documentos. Todas estas cosas nos acercan de una manera distinta al mito, nos presenta al hombre sencillo que es Nelson Mandela.
Es un poco pesado de leer y a veces los saltos en el tiempo me alteraban un poco. El capítulo 11 es especialmente lento pero nos presenta un retrato de la cotidaneidad en prisión.
El periodo que escribe desde la cárc...more
Es un poco pesado de leer y a veces los saltos en el tiempo me alteraban un poco. El capítulo 11 es especialmente lento pero nos presenta un retrato de la cotidaneidad en prisión.
El periodo que escribe desde la cárc...more
I was seeking a different book about Nelson Mandella, as I had watched an eepisode of 60 minutes about his life story and wanted to know more. Conversations is a series of excerpts: from his conversations with Richard Stengall, his letters from prison, and from his autobiography.
Still inspiring, the intention of this book is not a rich or complete biography, that must be the purpose of his other novel, "Long Walk To Freedom."
One does, however, by watching his punctuation and grammar, and outburs...more
Still inspiring, the intention of this book is not a rich or complete biography, that must be the purpose of his other novel, "Long Walk To Freedom."
One does, however, by watching his punctuation and grammar, and outburs...more
Reading Conversations With Myself was like watching only the extras to a movie. This book is better read after having read other biographies on him. It is not a good place to start for reading about Mandela as so much context is missing. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more, and thus rated it higher, had I been more familiar with Mandela's story.
I am halfway through this candid reflection of and backdrop to Mandela's life.
What comes through beautifully whilst reading these excerpts(taken from his letters, desk calendars, interviews and unpublished autobiographical notes) is that Nelson Mandela is a deeply peaceful human being.
Very enjoyable to read in between other reads.
What comes through beautifully whilst reading these excerpts(taken from his letters, desk calendars, interviews and unpublished autobiographical notes) is that Nelson Mandela is a deeply peaceful human being.
Very enjoyable to read in between other reads.
This book was really interesting. It took me a little bit to get used to the way it was written though, literally just a compiling of letters, speeches and interviews, no chapters or things like that. What he thought about and how he delt with the world around him it truly remarkable and you do get a sense of his mindset through it all.
I'm a South African so anything to do with my Hero is going to get 5 stars. This is yet another book that shows his amazing intelligence, humility and absolute dedication to making the world around him a better more understanding place. Incredibly insighful into his private thoughts and ideas it adds another layer to the legend.
Had this by my bed for months and would read little excerpts, bit by bit. It's impossible not to admire Nelson Mandela. I don't know that this was a consistently successful book format (a collection of correspondence, interviews, essays) but I am glad to have read it and learned more about his extraordinary, inspiring life.
This book is very insightful to what Nelson Mandela really thinks as a human being and not a politician. NOTE: don't read this book unless you read the book "Long Road to Freedom," because if you do you have to piece together whats going on while the different interviews and excerpts are going over them
This is a factual book filled with letters that Nelson mandella wrote while in prision and conversations that he had with significant others. It gives a real insight into his thoughts ,values and moral that lead the way in which he contiues to live out his life. a facisating read, about an amazing man .
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Great as a second part | 1 | 3 | May 21, 2012 03:55am |
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, who held office from 1994–99.
Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. The South African courts convicted him on charges of sabotage, as well as other crimes comm...more
More about Nelson Mandela...
Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. The South African courts convicted him on charges of sabotage, as well as other crimes comm...more
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“i love playing and chatting with children...feeding and putting them to bed with a little story, and being away from the family has troubled me throughout my...life. i like relaxing at the house, reading quietly, taking in the sweet smell that comes from the pots, sitting around a table with the family and taking out my wife and children. when you can no longer enjoy these simple pleasures something valuable is taken away from your life and you feel it in your daily work.”
—
13 people liked it
“Success in politics demands that you must take your people into confidence about your views and state them very clearly, very politely, very calmly, but nevertheless, state them openly.”
—
9 people liked it
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Apr 13, 2012 10:00pm
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