Not having much familiarity with Muhammad Ali before, the book really inspires me to learn more about his life. With the book, I've seen his actions through his eyes, but it was before I had a proper understanding of his actions through the eyes of the rest of the world. Regardless, it's so incredible to hear of the incredible feats he accomplished in his life all that he had done to push forward the civil rights movement, the anti-vietnam movement, the nation of Islam (especially after its break to Sunni Islam) and more. His friendship with Malcolm X is really fascinating.
I'd definitely recommend reading this to people who are familiar with Muhammad Ali and would like to know more but... as a general read, it was okay.
"My faith has evolved over the years, and I now follow the teachings of mainstream Sunni Islam. But, a part of me will always be grateful to Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam for opening my eyes and giving me something greater than myself to fight for."
Throughout the book, he really pushes this idea of 'his purpose in life,' and working for something 'greater than himself.'
"If someone asked me what in life I considered real, I would have to say that for me, the only thing that is real is the spiritual. Only God and love are real. Pain, sickness, old age, even death cannot master me because they are not real to me. Fame, wealth, and material things are empty and meaningless without a developed spirituality. We give them value and importance in our lives. But we must be careful not to value them too much at the expense of what really matters in life. Honesty, integrity, kindness, and friendship are the true treasures we should be seeking."
(con't later, on the next page)
"Many people said I was afraid to go to war. The truth is it was tougher to stand up for my religious beliefs against the United States government and millions of people who turned against me for my decision than it would have been to go to war. The government offered me all kinds of deals. They told me I would never hold a gun. They told me I would giving boxing exhibitions and that I would never come near a battlefield. Even if this had been true, I still couldn't go. They wanted to use me to lead other young American men into the war. They didn't seem to realize that to take their "deal," I would have to denouce my religion, my faith, my beliefs. But I was free and I was determined to be true to myself and God. If I had turned my back on my religious beliefs, my life would have been like aship without a rudder on the open sea. Nothing could be more frightening to me than to try to live without my faith.
So they took my title, my financial security, and they tried to take my freedom. But they could not take my dignity, my pride or my faith, because those were solid, real, and constant in my life."
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Just 2-3 more books to finish and I can clear my "actively reading" shelf and move on. I'll work on the Muslim ones during Ramadan and then others through this semester, iA....
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