"Profound, funny. . . . Movie makers, where are you? This narration is as wild and moving as
Bonnie and Clyde. It's as adventurous as
Lawrence of Arabia. It has more gore than 14
Terminators. And it also has beautiful, touching, heartbreaking accounts of a lonely black childhood. . . . Brown sees racial oppression in national and global context; every political word she writes pounds home a lesson about commerce, money, racism, communism, you name it. . . . A glowing achievement." –
Los Angeles Times "
A Taste of Power is chilling, well-written, and profoundly entertaining." –
The New York Times Book Review
"Honest, funny, subjective, unsparing, and passionate. . .
A Taste of Power weaves autobiography and political history into a story that fascinates and illuminates." –
Washington Post "A stunning picture of a black woman's coming of age in America. Put it on the shelf beside
The Autobiography of Malcolm X." –
Kirkus Reviews "A superb achievement. Finally I understood what the Black Panthers were all about. They were bold, daring, and beautiful, and so is
A Taste of Power." –Claude Brown, author of
Manchild in the Promised Land "What Elaine Brown writes is so astonishing, at times it is even difficult to believe she survived it. And yet she did, bringing us that amazing light of the black woman's magical resilience, in the gloominess of our bitter despair." –Alice Walker, author of
The Color Purple
"This is the kind of book you develop a relationship with–one of those tumultuous, passionate relationships commonly reserved for lovers. I drank my morning coffee with it, and arrived at work in anticipation of returning to it in the evening. . . . Fascinating. . . . Remarkable." –Farah Jasmine Griffin,
Boston Review
"The writing is lyrical, poetic, searing, and staunchly intelligent, much I suspect like the author herself." –Marita Golden, author of
Long Distance Life "With this book, Elaine Brown makes a crucial contribution to American history, African-American history, women's history." –Hattie Gossett, author of
presenting sister noblues "This is a powerful book on a personal level that tells Brown's own story without sentimentality but with insight and candor. . . A must for anyone interested in any insight into the organization." –
New York Amsterdam News
