Review of Overcoming Adversity ( Relaunched)

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Anthony__
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Review of Overcoming Adversity ( Relaunched)

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Overcoming Adversity ( Relaunched)" by Nelson J Fowlkes.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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In a world beset by blatant racism and undisguised hatred for people of color, the odds of personal and professional success are dramatically limited. Do you love books that explain the past in terms of how the environment impacts your chance of success? Or just books that motivate you never to give up? If yes, then, Overcoming Adversity by Nelson J. Fowlkes is a non-fictional book that highlights the themes of racism, adversity, and the power of faith in achieving your dreams.

Nelson J. Fowlkes is a black man who has high ambitions of attaining the pinnacle of professional success. But his poor background coupled with his skin color in an era where blacks were still seen as lesser humans poses significant barriers to achieving his dreams. Crisscrossing his career from high school education to college to military service, he was heckled and hounded on all fronts, primarily because of his skin color. How did Fowlkes navigate such a tenuous environment as a patriot and a business entrepreneur, and what lessons can we gain from his story? Read this book in detail to find out.

The introduction portion started as a book written to motivate people not to relent in the face of adversities, and the ensuing chapters did not disappoint. It seemed every stage of Nelson’s life was destined to encounter obstacles. And isn’t that true for all of us? But his determination to always seek alternate solutions, plus deep faith in the power of God, holds a lesson about grit for all of us. It was gratifying to see that some progress towards equality started from that era and has gained momentum till today, particularly the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

I like that the topic of racism was the dominant theme in this book. I was deeply impressed by how Nelson portrayed racism in its most naked form back in the twentieth century. It was a humiliating experience to see both institutions and individuals contrive to deprive fellow humans of growth opportunities solely because of their skin color. At times, it was almost hypocritical, seeing in Nelson’s case where he is deemed good enough to die for the country as military personnel but not good enough to enjoy other societal opportunities.

As much as racism was (and still is) an albatross for people’s dream actualization, I find it hard to believe that the only factor responsible for the author's failure is racism. For instance, he did not pass the cutoff score required for admission; he implied that he failed because of racism. He did not entertain the thought that he may have failed a couple of tests because of poor preparation, even though he acknowledged his early education was not of the best quality. For this reason, I am rating the book 3 out of 4 stars. Besides that, I enjoyed everything about the book.

I recommend this book to people that love political history and discussion on the impacts of racism in our society. The book gives some background information on the continually evolving issue of race and racial tensions in our modern society. On a final note, the book was well edited because I found only two grammatical errors.

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Overcoming Adversity ( Relaunched)
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Mtheh mdletshe
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Post by Mtheh mdletshe »

Good book indeed I like the part where it says his poor background coupled with his skin color in an era where blacks were still seen as lesser humans poses significant barriers to achieving his dreams
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NISSE
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Post by NISSE »

An educational non fiction book on how to be successful in adversity and overcoming racial abuse etc..Great review!
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Maliha Naveed
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Post by Maliha Naveed »

Being a person belonging to a third world country myself, I would love to read this book to know more about the hindrances caused by racism. Though not black, still I can relate to the hardships the author must have endured in his struggle to be a successful person just because of his race. Kudos to Anthony for giving such an insightful review that makes one read the book as soon as possible.
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Post by Miha Baba »

Interesting, I like it. Let's say no to racism, no, let's not discriminate.
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Post by Nherie Baylosis »

Interesting,this book is great and I’m learning from it.....Great review : :)
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EDMOND OJWANG
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Post by EDMOND OJWANG »

The main theme is racim which during colonial period in Africa it affected many African .Just like Nelson many Africans lived in poverty and couldn't afford education because racim blocked their dreams.
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Post by Humeyra Karakas »

Looks like a good motivational book. It is interesting that the person in the book cover is white, though.
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Ferdinand_Otieno
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

This is a non-fictional book that highlights the themes of racism, adversity, and the power of faith in achieving your dreams. The book is free on Kindle Unlimited and has a well-written OnlineBookClub review. Congrtas @FriesenPress on the BOTD selection.
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Post by Suzer6440 xyz »

The impacts of racism is huge. This is a great review and I’d love to read the book. I Definately agree though, that sometimes people think that’s the only problem when something goes wrong- hopefully the book explains other reasons ( besides race) why something is not right . Congrats on the BOTD
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Post by Anna Bookowski »

Sounds like an ambitious and motivational book. I'm a bit surprised the person on the cover is white, though - because of this I wouldn't expect the book to be focused mostly on racism. After reading the review I'm also concerned if the argument of race is not abused sometimes when there's simply a lack of competence. Otherwise, I find institutionalized racism absolutely outrageous, and I find it important the books like this one are published.
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Post by Asma Aisha Ansari »

This book is written on an important social topic which needs to be discussed thoroughly. Personal accounts of people who are victims of racism give us a better understanding of this issue. And it's commendable that you mentioned both the pros and cons of this book without sounding biased.
Thanks for this wonderful review :tiphat:
Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. - Agatha Christie
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Anil G
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Post by Anil G »

All being struggles in their life, for some people it's a whole life struggle and they've to live with it throughout their whole life. Black people is one of them! This book seems good but I don't get the book cover, this book is about racism and he has put a white man on the cover of the book... I'll surely find it out after reading this book. You wrote a great review!
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Post by Edidiong Udoh 1 »

I actually agree with the author though to some extent. Racism has long been a problem in the early centuries, but this has not stopped most of the black colored people from succeeding. The author saying he failed as a result of racism is not really a fact-proven statement. Like the reviewer said, other factors could have caused that.
Nevertheless, the book is a nice one for some motivation. Nice review by the way.
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Ngozi Onyibor
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Post by Ngozi Onyibor »

Even though I'm black, I doubt this book will resonate with me. The themes aren't topics I enjoy so I will sit this one out.
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