Mr. T by Mr. T

This book, written in 1984, is Mr.T's autobiography: his story in his words. Mr. T makes this point very clear in the beginning. This is raw 'T' - no ghost writter, co-author, or filter of any sort.

First, I would like to point out what a surprise this book was for me. I knew that Mr. T played some tough parts, but I always thought of him as just another actor who enjoyed lifting weights. Boy, was I wrong!

Mr. T had a rough childhood, growing up in the ghettos of Chicago. He talks about prejudice and how the 'projects' were a notion concocted by white men to keep blacks out of sight and under foot. In support of this idea, Mr. T goes into detail explaining how the police responded to crime in the projects only in cases where the victims were white. He talks about how he and his seven older brothers protected their family and enforced their own form of justice.

This book tells about everything from Mr. T's days playing college football and serving in the military to his time as personal bodyguard to Leon Spinks (former heavyweight boxing champion of the world). Mr. T has always strived for excellence in whatever he does, and I've come away from this book with a more informed respect for him.

This was not a particularly enjoyable read for me, but it was educational. In addition to his life story, Mr. T explains a lot about his views on God, some of which I support and some I do not. Still, it's Mr. T's life and his story, so he can tell it any way he wants.

Finally, the question I always think about: Would I recommend this book to my kids? My answer: Maybe when they're older. The book includes a lot of rough details. Don't get me wrong; I'm not suggesting that we hide the ugliness of racism and poverty from our kids. They need to know about such evils (but not necessarily to this level of detail). As a man, I respect the strength that Mr. T has found in God. As a parent, I'm going to quietly return this book to the library ...