I want to read this book because I wish to learn more about Africa since we were there I become more interested in their culture and history. I want to know more about how they created their culture what happened before and what influenced them as a nation.
Basically, the book is split into 11 chapters that are chronologically speaking about Nelson Mandela life starting with his childhood than the period in Johannesburg when his belief was that the world can be changed through education and money after that comes the period when he sees the power of the team and the community and his strong belief in Freedom. Then he has more struggles in his life not succeeding to develop his law career a thing that I came to believe that is important to highlight is his mindset change regarding violence he believed that he can do this change without violence this was a strong belief for him till the moment when the government start responding with violence to them and that results in losing some lives and made the people be together in order to fight for their rights, at that moment I fell that something switch in his mind starting to focus in boxing and trying to fight back.
His movement started to develop as his life do that he divorce, find a woman who shared his belief and support him and his cause. I tend to believe that his personal life affects a lot his political life, during this time his work is seen as an act of treason by the government. Doing all his work underground and living in hiding. Then it comes the trial period when he is charged with inciting a strike and illegally leaving the country. But his concepts it still in him being prepared to die for it still empowering the people. ‘During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.’. Robben Island: The Dark Years as the chapter is named refer to his imprisonment period when he is put to a lot of challenges and hardship he had restrictions on his visitors, letters, and banning of his picture or words in public. His wife is arrested too, his mother and son die during this time and he is not allowed to go to their funerals. FREE MANDELA campaign was a success showing how the power of people can change a nation, his prison was changed and he was able to talk with his enemies from prison being visited there by United Democratic Front and others. Then a lot of changes took place until he gets released. The book ending with his celebration of the people of South Africa, their goodness and generosity. His regrets for not being able to properly serve his wife, mother, and children. His hunger for freedom for his people. The long walk to freedom is not yet ended. From this book, I learn a lot not exactly from the book but from Nelson Mandela life. The most important for me was to not give up believing and making your dream came true no matter what is happening. How his culture influenced him making me look back at my history and see why I take some decision why I am influenced by somethings and others don’t affect me and what my cultures mean to me. I learned a lot about Africans culture, his leadership style and how to see the importance of the people that we can disappear but the cause will go on the ideology will remain in the community.
Regarding comparing and contradicting I keep thinking of Elon Musk, Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future were the books can be compared both being a biography but contraindicating in the learnings that are given by them. They kind of share the same roots regarding Africa but having different ways regarding their childhood Elon Musk With a traumatic childhood and Nelson Mandela with a childhood full of traditions, customs and community that made him develop in order to create a good people with strong beliefs that are pure and kind. Both of them being highly affected by that influence their growth and decision their lifestyle.
Another similarity that I fond is how they see the hardship in their life is just a step in order to achieve the dream, looking like a hero journey where they need to win the battles in order to become better, to grow, to be a true hero. Both being able to die in order to achieve their goal. Also, the way they treat their families both being highly influenced by his mother regarding what they want to become and how both find in their mothers a safe place and way to put them on the right track to do what is good. Looking at their grown man period it seams that is different Elon choosing to try a lot of stuff to be crazy and lives his life live the end is never coming and Nelson who’s priorities is to become a highly respected person in the community and also by the with people doing what the society thinks is normally creating a family having a job that will bring to him money.
But after that, they both start to fight for their idea, Nelson trying to do everything in a calm and non-violent manner in order to achieve it than the violence appeared in the idea to protect his people and Elon wich is willing to do everything to make his idea come true lying his investor just to get the money and not caring about ethics.
Theiers’s mission is to create a better world Elon through his business ideas and Nelson trough create an equal community for both with and black people. Regarding contradicting from my point of view is just regarding ethics that Nelson have and Elon try to learn it but are is not seems to be important.
From the book, I gained a lot of knowledge regarding their culture and history and decision style. All of this made me be grateful for my life and achievements that I didn’t have a hard life that I didn’t need to fight for my rights and I am free to do all the things I want.
His passion for ethics and equality with everybody even if the colonist was mistreated them help me in my daily life made me be more motivated to work harder to everything that stays in my power to make my dreams come true and be fair to everybody and not give up to be kind and given me motivation a true role model that I never had. But also give a hard lesson that the hardship you are living is developed you made you a better person is helping you to be a leader but all of this is influenced on how you prefer to see the world.
Putting all, in a nutshell, I loved this book I don’t know if it is because I adore what I learned in Africa or just because I see an example of you can change a nation with patience and still be good and fight four your people it made me sad too because as human being in history we prefer to mistreat other based on things that means nothing that every time we forget that we are all humans being with feelings and needs.
