Up from the Projects: An Autobiography (Hoover Institution Press Publication Book 600)

A valuable autobiography from an African-American born into a materially poor family in 1936, and who faced much racism in his younger days, but has become a successful economics professor and syndicated columnist. However, his family was not poor in non-material ways, since he was blessed with a mother who instilled strong character and accepted no excuses. Dr Williams is also grateful to teachers who set high standards, and says “I am glad that I got my education before it became fashionable to like black people—at least everyone knows my qualifications are real.” Williams also learned the value of work early on, as well as the roadblocks that governments, in collusion with unions, put in the way of young people today, e.g. with minimum wage law.Later, Williams served in the military, which still discriminated against "negroes". Williams won some important battles, both by winning against a frivolous court martial, and by pointing out that racism contradicted America's ideals and what America should be fighting for in Korea at the time.After his honorable discharge, Williams earned an economics doctorate, and was again grateful to professors who set high standards and made no allowances for race. When he became a professor, he strongly denounced affirmative action, featuring in a 1975 headline, “Racism? Temple professor opposes easy grades for blacks”. Dr Williams pointed out that fraudulent grades denied blacks an honest assessment, fostered a patronizing attitude among white students and professors, and hurt blacks who earned their high grades honestly by casting suspicion on black grades.Williams also flabbergasted audiences with comments on slavery. He of course denounced slavery as reprehensible, but it is a reprehensibility of which all races have been both guilty and victims. But then, both victims and perpetrators of slavery are dead, and nothing can be done about that; people alive today are neither villains to be punished nor victims to be compensated. Then the crux of his argument:while it was horrible that his ancestors were enslaved, their slavery made it possible for him, Dr Walter E. Williams, to be born in America with all its great opportunities, far greater than in any African country.

Walter E.Williams, PHD is one of the two best living teachers of economics, the other being Thomas Sowell, PHD. And, yes it is important that these men are black men between 70+ and 80+ years old, who grew up in a time when public education actually educated. If you are interested in teaching your children the truth about race in American, you can do no better than to use these two men as exemplars of possibilities fulfilled in this wonderful land of opportunity. The importance of Walter E. Williams book 'Up From the Projects' is that it traces his humble beginnings to his present success and illustrates that through his dedication to the work ethic anyone can rise above their circumstances. Both men were not nose to the grindstone kids in public school, but through the influence of a parent or mentors were taught that they could demand better of themselves. I highly recommend this book to parents and hope that they will encourage their youngsters to read it and discuss it with them. Although radical in his earlier years, he confronted racial incidents in his young adulthood with biting and intelligent humor, which made his points without obvious anger. Within the context of his successful and well lived life, Dr. Williams tells of his many years with the love of his life, Mrs. Williams, that produced a beautiful, intelligent daughter. Aside from being a great teacher of economics, Dr. Walter E. Williams is an adorable curmudgeon and an inspiration.

The always independent and amusing Dr. Williams' very short biography is fun to read and there were a few times I laughed aloud. It portrays the life of poor black Americans when families were still intact, and work was readily available for teenagers. Although he is a conservative economist of the Milton Friedman school (I am really simplifying here), he maintains his own unique take on a wide variety of subjects. Until he married, Mr Williams was in trouble with the law and with every sort of authority figure imaginable, even to the point of a considered court martial. I seldom feel that a book should have been longer, but in this case, I do. My guess is that he is a private person and was not inclined to say more than he did.

This biography is brief, but I don't see that as being a drawback. Williams covers the main points of his life and worldview without delving into needless details. It's an inspiring message, well-delivered with just the right amount of anecdotes and self-deprecating humor.Of course, Williams is an impassioned proponent for libertarian-leaning economics, and most readers will know this going in. I think it helps to be sympathetic to this worldview, but I believe even liberal readers will have to admire Williams for his intelligence, hard work, and refusal to tolerate lame excuses from anyone, most of all himself.The reader will learn of Williams' early trouble-making and mistakes, and how those experiences eventually led him away from "thinking with his heart" to thinking with his head. He acknowldges that he had some luck and help along the way, and that's the beauty of it: just about all of us have some luck and help along the way. The trick is not to squander it, or as Willams says: when opportunity knocks you don't want to say wait while I pack. You want to be ready to go.Willams is a talented wordsmith who treats us to a story of a life well-lived, with hard learned lessons and well deserved joy throughout. Good for him, and good for the reader who picks this book up.