Rating: 
Summary: On and Off the Mark
Review: I grew up in the environment that Professor Graham writes about, however it was never really an issue. Everyone I associated with was just like me. Professor Graham is stuck on credentials and name-dropping, but he is like the majority of the middle to upper class in this regard, regardless of their skin's hue. I think it took alot of courage for the brother to write a book this controversial. While I do not agree with all Professor Graham's views, I do believe his book is fairly accurate and I enjoyed reading it.
Rating: 
Summary: Very elementary and in many instances, inaccurate.
Review: I cannot believe that an African American wrote this book. Does the author really know his history of how we Blacks got to be "blue bloods". Is he really proud of the white blood that runs through his veins? Does he realize that someone was raped in order to have the straight hair, the light skin, etc.? He needs to read, read, read, and then try again to write a book with a little more substance. We cannot put him in the same class with our outstanding Black writers. Maybe in Mr. Graham's next book, he will come out and let us know where the roots of his inferiority lie. Believe me "we all (Blacks) will go when the wagon comes", and maybe the author will learn this before the wagon comes for him, for it surely will. I feel sorry for him and all of those he write about.
Rating:
Summary: This is a bunch of hot air arrogance.
Review: Our kind of people, what arrogance? What contributions did your kind of people make to anyone other than their little circle. I didn't waste my time to finish reading this book. It was wacked right from the pictures.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but very disturbing......
Review: We are going into the 21st century and to actually believe that people still think like this is mind boggling! I can understand that many of these "upper class" individuals want the best for their children, if you have any decency you should; but to go by skin color is absolutely ridiculous! Have these people forgotten that they simply got ahead because their ancestors were the "Massas'" children! They were raped, abused and humiliated as well as used to assimilate their own race. So they got some white blood running in their veins, and straight hair, told that they were superior to the field negroes and suddenly they are the "elite". Should this be something to be proud of??With that said, fast forward to 1999, yes, we have gained entry into the best of schools, we have our own businesses (whether it is through entreprenuership or "old money"), How do you try and help your race progress, writing a check to the local NAACP will not do. Where are the educators and scientists of this group? Why aren't they teaching in schools or creating their own schools? What's happening? While the elite are attacking the "entertainers" and such, I have not seen any of their endorsements lately. It makes no sense to me to belong to a special group that apparently does not want anyone to get in unless they are tied to old money! In regards to the Atlanta elite, THEY OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES! I visited Atlanta and was shocked that the birthplace of Martin Luther King was so shabby and deprived. Do you actually think that the descendants of Thomas Jefferson (Old Money) or the decendants of John F. Kennedy (New Money) would allow their ancestors birthplace look so hideous? The only thing that I can safely say is people wake up!
Rating: 
Summary: It is great to kow there has alway been an upper class
Review: I felt this book was a great read and gave good history of these clubs that the upperclass belong to. He gave each city it own flavor and history and let people know that blacks have all ways been making it despite slavery and racism in America.
Rating:
Summary: RELAX PEOPLE!!!!
Review: I read the book and found it to be an interesting peace of our history, and again this is a small segement of African American history. Many of the people writing these reviews have deep rooted feelings, which I do not feel should be directed towards a book. I like the fact that an author decided to write about our (African American)wealthy side of history, which is far to often neglected. Yes, his views are heavily intertwined, but all books have the authors view present. I appreciate the fact the author has lived the topic, he is addressing. I wish he would have presented more dates and times, to give the reader a better historical account. Take the book with a "grain of salt" and read as much about our history as possible. Again, this is a small segement of our (African American) culture, which is readily evolving.
Rating:
Summary: To The Reader From Boston
Review: While you are so busy trying to correct someone else's punctuation, perhaps you need to take the time to check your own. People come here to get opinions on books, not to read your chastisments...
Rating:
Summary: Observations
Review: This isn't the best book I've read on this subject, but it was interesting. At times it reads more like a Who's Who list, and some of us find that entertaining. Some negative attitudes were displayed by a few of the people in the study, but the majority seem only to want to give their children and grandchildren better lives. A lot of the readers offering reviews on this site seem to be so overwhelmed by their unconscious inferiority complexes that they are missing the point of the book. Graham is NOT saying "Hey everyone, you should do exactly what we did!" This is merely a report on what certain segments of black society felt they had to do to make it in this crooked world. They aren't personal attacks on poor or dark-skinned people, and this is obvious to those of us who aren't so invested in the issues of rich vs poor, light vs dark. As a final note, some of the reviewers on this site (I will assume you are all intelligent people) are posting good commentaries, yet don't bother to check their spelling. Naturally, we can't be perfect writers all of the time, but perhaps we should spend a few extra seconds to double check our reviews. Otherwise, unfortunately, you will end up sounding rather ignorant.
Rating:
Summary: interesting
Review: While the author and a lady were guests on the Diane Rehm show, I tried to engage them on a school, the Dunbar school, in Washington, D.C. that was used to justify separate but equal. The author was able to go around my question by reciting a list of individuals who attended the school and their accomplishments. The fact that this school was used to deny equality to most Blacks did not seem to be an issue with the author. If the descendants of Our kind of peole were white males, who educated their illegitimate children and allowed them a leg up above dark skin Black folks, what them are their accomplishments. These were handed to them. If some of these individuals were dark skinned Black folks who sucesseded in this society, them, there may be a reason for them to boast. But what sense does it make to boast of the accomplishments of ones ancestors if one fails to make a worthwhile contribution to society. As an African living on the East coast, it took me some time to learn about colour, light skinned vs dark skinned Black folks. Yomi
Rating:
Summary: True, but necessary?
Review: This book points out a lot of truths about the Black community, but is it necessary to really dwell on the negatives? It seems like sensationalism to me. If you're going to read about race, you'd be a lot better off listening to some other folks: Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, Farai Chideya--especially her new one "The Color of Our Future"--Danzy Senna and the "Black Genius" compilation put out by Walter Moseley.
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