Gordon Parks' life achievements would be remarkable for any person, but they are particularly impressive given the difficulties that he faced as an African American man in the decades before the Civil Rights Movement. In this memoir, Parks recalls his life between 1944 and 1978, a period in which his achievements included becoming the first black man to be a fashion photographer for Vogue, writing and photographing for Life magazine, and directing Hollywood films (including Shaft). A new introduction by Alexs Pate fills readers in on Parks' early life and puts his later achievements and political activism into perspective. Often moving and sometimes quite funny, Parks' memoir will have wide appeal. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)