Harry Belafonte: The Real Deal

A Promised Land is Barack Obama’s memoir of his early political career and the first two years of his presidency. Obama takes us on his journey from relative obscurity as a biracial kid from Hawaii to becoming a transformative figure as the nation’s first African-American president. At every step of his career, Obama was guided by a deep faith in the fundamental unity of Americans; the potential and promise of America; the necessity of compromise and seeking common ground; and above all, the power of the democratic system to heal our divisions and effect real change for ordinary people.

Paul Farmer has worked for decades to provide health care to patients in Haiti and around the world. A doctor and anthropologist by training, Farmer saw the health of a nation’s people as a product of its culture and political history. For Haiti, centuries of political strife—often at the hands of imperialist powers—had left it one of the most impoverished countries in the western hemisphere.

Despite prevailing wisdom that it was too costly to treat patients in poor countries for diseases like drug-resistant tuberculosis and AIDS, Farmer strived to treat everyone who needed care. His multi-pronged approach included prioritizing preventive services, changing international healthcare policy, and lowering the cost of important drugs. His organization’s approach is considered a model for providing treatment to patients in poor countries.

Finding Me, Viola Davis’s memoir published in 2022, recounts her extraordinary journey from the depths of poverty to the heights of Hollywood stardom. In this deeply personal account, Davis shares how acting became a beacon of hope and a path toward self-discovery in the midst of poverty, abuse, and racial discrimination.

Davis, celebrated for her roles in The Help, Doubt, How To Get Away With Murder, and Fences, has distinguished herself in film, television, and theater, achieving the historic "Triple Crown of Acting." Beyond her acting career, she co-runs JuVee Productions, aiming to produce diverse storytelling across various media.

This guide provides a detailed overview of Davis's life, enriched with historical context and additional information not found in the memoir, while also exploring Davis’ impact on the discussions about the importance of diverse storytelling in the media.

Paul Farmer has worked for decades to provide health care to patients in Haiti and around the world. A doctor and anthropologist by training, Farmer saw the health of a nation’s people as a product of its culture and political history. For Haiti, centuries of political strife—often at the hands of imperialist powers—had left it one of the most impoverished countries in the western hemisphere.

Despite prevailing wisdom that it was too costly to treat patients in poor countries for diseases like drug-resistant tuberculosis and AIDS, Farmer strived to treat everyone who needed care. His multi-pronged approach included prioritizing preventive services, changing international healthcare policy, and lowering the cost of important drugs. His organization’s approach is considered a model for providing treatment to patients in poor countries.

My Name Is Barbra is the 1,000-page autobiography of Barbra Streisand, perhaps one of the most successful and well-rounded performers in history. As a testament to her career, Streisand is an EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards), a feat that only 24 people have achieved.

This guide will take you through Streisand’s remarkable life, as told by Streisand herself. We’ll examine her personal life—how she was raised, how she describes herself, and her various romantic relationships. Then we’ll explore her extensive career. Finally, we’ll discuss her legacy: her philanthropic work and what she hopes to leave behind after she passes away.

Our commentary will provide some background information about the entertainment industry and the people Streisand discusses. We’ll also examine some of the psychology behind Streisand’s drive to perform and escape from reality. Finally, we’ll discuss what other prominent figures—such as composer Paul Wiliams—have said about Streisand and her work.

Shooting selfies on vacation. Posting Facebook updates on our kid's graduation from pre-school. Garnering awards and promotions to add to our LinkedIn profiles. Guess what, America? We've become self-obsessed. In David Brooks’s The Road to Character, the New York Times columnist suggests we take a good hard look at ourselves and remember that we weren't always so narcissistic.

Brooks outlines the moral shift that took place after World War II when we transitioned from honoring humility, self-discipline, and public service to worshiping at the altar of "the Big Me." He also reminds us that our current self-focus isn't even making us happy. To help us recalibrate our moral compasses, Brooks details the lives of war heroes, civil rights activists, advocates for the poor, writers, and deep thinkers who've tackled the work of building moral character, then outlines a 15-point plan to help us live more virtuous—and ultimately happier—lives.

In 1976, an Irish schoolboy nicknamed “Bono” answered a call to join a new band. Ten years later, that band—U2—was a global sensation. As U2’s singer, Bono leveraged his fame to become a voice for activist groups fighting poverty, hunger, and the AIDS epidemic. At the same time, he started a family while pushing U2 to explore new styles of music. Bono’s memoir, Surrender, tells the story of his life and U2’s success, while also discussing Bono’s Christian faith and how his childhood affected who he’d become.

In this guide, we’ll cover U2’s rise to stardom, their period of self-reinvention, and Bono's career as a political activist. We’ll also provide historical context for Bono’s early days, the music industry, and U2’s shifting critical reception. We’ll look at the pros and cons of celebrity activism, as well as how Bono’s thoughts on Christian faith compare with those of contemporary religious writers.

Published in 1965, The Autobiography of Malcolm X chronicles how Malcolm X rose from a life of poverty and crime to become a significant leader of the civil rights movement. Malcolm X was a controversial figure—his views were often considered extreme and changed radically throughout his life. In telling his story (with the help of writer Alex Haley), Malcolm X explains why he believed what he believed—and why he fought for racial justice, even though he knew it would lead to his death.

This guide discusses the impact that early experiences of racism, pro-Black radical traditions, and Islam had on Malcolm X as well as his achievements as a civil rights activist. We’ll go into the historical and sociological context surrounding Malcolm X’s life and explore the civil rights movement (and Malcolm X’s relationship to other activists, like Martin Luther King Jr.) in more depth. We’ll also connect historical and present-day racism, and we’ll provide an update on the circumstances leading up to Malcolm X’s murder and his legacy.

My Name Is Barbra is the 1,000-page autobiography of Barbra Streisand, perhaps one of the most successful and well-rounded performers in history. As a testament to her career, Streisand is an EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards), a feat that only 24 people have achieved.

This guide will take you through Streisand’s remarkable life, as told by Streisand herself. We’ll examine her personal life—how she was raised, how she describes herself, and her various romantic relationships. Then we’ll explore her extensive career. Finally, we’ll discuss her legacy: her philanthropic work and what she hopes to leave behind after she passes away.

Our commentary will provide some background information about the entertainment industry and the people Streisand discusses. We’ll also examine some of the psychology behind Streisand’s drive to perform and escape from reality. Finally, we’ll discuss what other prominent figures—such as composer Paul Wiliams—have said about Streisand and her work.

You’ve likely heard of the MeToo movement, but you may not know where the phrase “me too” originated. In Unbound, award-winning activist Tarana Burke explores the pivotal role she played in founding the movement. Burke coined the phrase “me too” as a tool for healing from sexual violence based on her own journey of recovery via community connection, and she continues to work toward healing sexual violence in the Black community.

Our guide begins with a discussion of Burke’s experience of childhood sexual abuse. Next, we explore how community organizing helped Burke cope with her trauma and grow. Then, we consider the factors that led Burke to found the “me too” movement. Finally, we discuss how “me too” changed Burke’s life, explain how it relates to the MeToo hashtag, and describe Burke’s hopes for the movement’s future. In our commentary, we’ll provide more context about sexual violence and its intersection with racial injustice, explore both the original and the viral movements, and share other experts' advice on healing.