Denzel Washington Book:

		List Price: $24.95		Publisher: Meredith Books Salesrank: 54159 Released: October 3, 2006
		Our Price: $3.75
		Used Price: $2.29
		Media: Hardcover

Editorial Review:

• In his debut as an author, Denzel Washington shares his personal story of the mentors who helped guide his life.
• Washington pens the introduction for the stories of more than 70 of America's leading personalities in theatre, sports, business, and politics as they tell their life-changing stories of mentorship.
• Contributors include Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Antwone Fisher, Bonnie Raitt, Cal Ripken, Alex Rodriguez, Dick Vitale, Whoopie Goldberg and more.
• A portion of the book's proceeds benefit 4.5 million children currently involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

A Hand to Guide Me Reviews:
Fails to Inspire
2008-03-08 - An interesting construct for a multi-author book, but the contributions are safe and lacking in personal connections with the reader. I mean, Muhammad Ali (whom, interestingly enough, influenced me as a teen) chose Nelson Mandela and it sounded like the relationship was mostly an admiration from afar rather than any personal connection between the two men. By far the best contribution is that of Mr. Washington himself, who allows himself many more pages than others in describing the relationship with the Boys and Girls Club and the mentor who helped to mold his life. The thing about mentors is that often the relationship is informal and the influence isn't realized until many years later. Some people just make you a better person by being themselves. I think if the contributors to this book had focused on that part of it, this book would hit the inspirational mark that it seeks.

Words of Wisdom
2008-01-22 - Enlightening as I am often interested in who and what motivated people. It is good to know that most people are encouraged by "regular" people. This can may you reflect on who had a positive impact on your journey. Kind words and act can move people to move mountains. This book is filled with inspiring accounts; I think it is a great motivational tool for people who think they are not affecting change with their words of wisdom and those who do not believe that where they are now does not have to be their ultimate destination.

For Regular Folks - Look
2007-10-22 - This book highlights celebrities. Yet, they all started where 95% of us started. It shows that many of us are capable and DO make something of ourselves when inspiration, hard work and perseverance rule, in any degree. For each of these celebrities there are probably thousands of people that have guided and are guiding hands to others just through faithfulness to the basic, mundane, and simple tasks of life. You are probably one of those people. It's just that Mr. Washington didn't or could include you in a volume that would be the world's heaviest book.

Thank you Mr. Denzel Washington for sharing with us regular people what regular people CAN become. I hope this book inspires more such books and other media that affirms and confirms regular people in this day of celebrity worship.

A Push to a Certain Path at a Certain Time...to Reach Our Certain Purpose
2007-07-22 - In "A Hand to Guide Me," American film star and legend, Denzel Washington, sets out shine a light on the 100 year old Boy's & Girl's Clubs of America, an organization of 3,700 serving more than 4.4 million children in all 50 states. Washington's eventual success can be traced directly to the Boys Club in his home town, Mt. Vernon, New York. It was there, by necessity, that he learned purpose, consequences, and how to be a man.

"A Hand to Guide Me" is a collection of short stories by ordinary people from ordinary beginnings, accomplishing extraordinary things. Six dozen people from diverse backgrounds share their memories about role models, mentors and positive influences in their lives. Some are household names like coach John Wooden, director John Singleton, author Toni Morrison, General Wesley Clark and former President Jimmy Carter. Many are alumni of Girls and Boys Clubs of America, while others have taken on leadership roles in these clubs. And some were asked to contribute because there was something to learn from their voice. These are very readable stories ranging in length from two to four pages.

All of the contributors have outgrown a hardship or two to reach a significant level of success and can draw a line from their success to some rock solid foundational experience - sometimes it is a parent, a coach, a neighbor or the inspiration derived from a tragic event.

Washington's resonant message is that we are all extraordinary in our own way but we don't go it alone. There are people on whose shoulders we stand and we, in turn, can provide a shoulder for others.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America are the center of everything for many kids today, providing a shoulder for millions of kids and making a vital contribution to the future of our society. They are a breeding ground for hope, purpose, and direction - where many have learned strength, confidence, and the freedom to dream...to think big.


Diverse Reflections of Role Models
2007-06-14 - Denzel Washington uses his star power to assemble personal recollections from assorted successful folks (primarily alumnae of the Boys and Girls Clubs Organizations) about the people who shaped THEIR lives as youngsters.

Some of the stories are more interesting and inspiring than others, and I couldn't help but wonder if this volume couldn't have benefitted from more cohesive editing. But the bottom line is that these are positive and uplifting pages that remind us "if you want to change history, start by changing the life of a child."