George Washington Carver: In His Own Words

by Gary R. Kremer (Editor)

George Washington Carver (1864-1943) is best known for developing new uses for agricultural crops and teaching methods of soil improvement to southern farmers. This annotated selection of his letters and other writings from the collections at the Tuskegee Institute and the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri, reveals the forces that shaped his creative genius—including the influence of persistent racism. His letters also show us Carver’s deep love for his fellow man, whether manifested in his efforts to treat polio victims in the 1930s or in his emotionally charged friendships that lasted a lifetime.
 
With a new chapter on the oral history interviews Dr. Kremer conducted (several years after publication of the first edition) with people who knew Carver personally, and the addition of newly uncovered documents and a bank of impressive photographs of Carver and some of his friends, this second edition of our classic title commemorates the 75th anniversary of Carver’s death on January 5, 2018.
 

Genres: Biography, History

268 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting and I am glad I included it on my George Washington Carver reading list. But as mostly a collections of letters and personal writings not meant for publication it is a slow read. One of those things you pick up and put down a lot.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to Carver, who was a man of charm and impracticality, intensity and feminine tenderness, humility and immense ego, and who was simultaneously devoted to Christian orthodoxy and an idiosyncratic strain of nature mysticism. Kremer’s introduction is nicely written and strikes a proper balance between hero-worship and debunking. Despite the black scientist's unusual combination of personality traits, his virtues and faults remained largely constant throughout his career, so some of Kremer’s examples seem repetitious. That’s no problem. In books like this one, you can skip and skim in good conscience.

[Michiele Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is all the letters he wrote and / or received. Most cover the same idea over and over.

[Max Cannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I rated this a 2, I want to clarify that I do not believe this is a bad book. I read this for black history month in 2022 with the hope of learning more about the impact that this man had on agriculture and society. If this is your desire when picking up this book, you may be disappointed. What you do learn about is the spiritual and human side of this man. Not what I was personally looking for when starting this book but if that's what you are looking for than this could be a good read for you.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a different portrait of a man than some of the other biographies portray him -- he really worked hard to have a certain image of himself. While much of it was true, it was interesting to see that even "way back when" people knew how to spin their own story to make themselves more marketable. I admire Mr. Carver and all he accomplished, it was intersting to see other sides of his personality though!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having my interest piqued when we visited the George Washington Carver National Monument and seeing many of his quotes I brought home this book to learn more. Fascinating to learn more about the famed “Peanut Man,” he was so much more multitalented than we learned in school.

There were times when I felt appreciative of the editors comments setting up the chapters however, there were times I felt they were not always subjective.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read but painted a different view of George Washington Carver than what historians say -- he was good at painting himself in a very "humble" light, overall it was interesting to learn about him!

[Aaron Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admire Mr. Carver. As great Missourians go, he is way up there. The book provided a good overview and some interesting details of his life.

Sadly, though, I just did not enjoy his writing. Even as the editor provided context, the letters often seemed too personal and rarely informative.