Product Description
This Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography charmingly chronicles the life of Edward Bok, the longtime editor of The Ladies Home Journal and a noted philanthropist. Bok wrote of his eventful life, "Every life has some interest and significance; mine, perhaps, a special one. Here was a little Dutch boy unceremoniously set down in America unable to make himself understood or even to know what persons were saying; his education was extremely limited, practically negligible; and yet, by curious decree of fate, he was destined to write, for a period of years, to the largest body of readers ever addressed by an American editor. . . ." Perhaps Bok's success was due to his willingness to champion progressive causes to the wide readership of The Ladies Home Journal. Bok advocated women's suffrage, saving the environment, public sex education, education on prenatal care and children's health, and pacifism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best Book I Ever Read
Edward Bok emigrated from the Netherlands with his family at the age of 6 in 1870 (5 years after the Civil War). He had to learn English and the way of this new country. With the lunch money and bus fare he saved, Edward bought a set of encyclopedias to study famous Americans. He began writing letters asking questions and getting autographed replies from famous figures like Lincoln, Sherman, Grant, Longfellow, Tennyson.... When his father read the reply from General Early as to why he burned Chambersburg and not Frederick, he had the letter published in the New York Tribune.

From the news story about young Edward, prominent people contacted him to read these letters. He was invited to dinner by General Grant, began writing President Garfield and many who later became US Presidents... and upon whom he called on at NY hotels when they visited NY City. When Bok became a stenographer as a teenager, the step to newspaper writer wasn't far behind as he was known by these famous Americans and could easily obtain interviews.

Against all logic, Edward Bok left NY, his status at Scribner's and Son's and Curtis Publishing, to fulfill his vision and destiny of influencing the positive development of the US as the editor of The Ladies Home Journal from 1889 until he retired in 1919 when WWI ended. Bok then focussed full time on improving his new homeland and the city of Philadelphia. Bok wrote several book, established and financed several educational endowments along with The American Peace Award (to name just a few).

The Americanization of Edward Bok (his autobiography) is required reading in many schools...probably at Harvard as his grandson, Derek Bok, was president of Harvard in recent years! Read alone or aloud to older children, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll stand in disbelief about Bok's encounters with about every famous person of his time (including Twain, Kipling, Beecher, Lewis Carroll and his beloved Teddy Roosevelt). This book was a favorite read for me at 14 and again at 40. Take off your shoes and wear Bok's for a mile, or two...or more. You will come away a better person, with greater appreciation for this country, inspired to create your own vision to contribute more as a citizen of the US and the world! ... Read more

Product Description
In this groundbreaking modern slave narrative, Francis Bok shares his remarkable story with grace, honesty, and a wisdom gained from surviving ten years in captivity.

May, 1986: Selling his mother's eggs and peanuts near his village in southern Sudan, seven year old Francis Bok's life was shattered when Arab raiders on horseback, armed with rifles and long knives, burst into the quiet marketplace, murdering men and women and gathering the young children into a group. Strapped to horses and donkeys, Francis and others were taken north, into lives of slavery under wealthy Muslim farmers.

For ten years, Francis lived alone in a shed near the goats and cattle that were his responsibility.Fed with scraps from the table, slowly learning bits of an unfamiliar language and religion, the boy had almost no human contact other than his captor's family.After two failed attempts to escape-each bringing severe beatings and death threats-Francis finally escaped at age seventeen, a dramatic breakaway on foot that was his final chance.Yet his slavery did not end there, for even as he made his way toward the capital city of Khartoum, others sought to deprive him of his freedom.Determined to avoid that fate and discover what had happened to his family on that terrible day in 1986, the teenager persevered through prison and refugee camps for three more years, winning the attention of United Nations officials and being granted passage to America.

Now a student and an anti-slavery activist, Francis Bok has made it his life mission to combat world slavery.His is the first voice to speak for an estimated twenty seven million people held against their will in nearly every nation, including our own.Escape from Slavery is at once a riveting adventure, a story of desperation and triumph, and a window revealing a world that few have survived to tell.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Item came early and in great condition
I ordered this item through Amazon and was shocked when it came 3 weeks ahead of when it was supposed to arrive.Not only that, but it came in excellent condition! Great seller, would not mind doing business with them again
.

Slavery Still Exists
Excellent book.I've read all but a few pages.I was very touched by Mr Bok's description of his childhood as a slave. A few years ago I'd heard that the Sudan had some problems; after reading this book I have a little idea of those problems in general and of slavery in particular.I strongly recommend this book.

Captivatng
Thisbook is a must read!!! I recommend this book...inspiring. as well as sad when Francis and many others have to suffer...I honestly did not know that slavery still exist in sudan and many other countries

impressive work
The first portion of the text is hard to put down, an eye-opening first person account of a life torn from his home community.The later narrative of his work with the NGO, testifying, lecturing and the like is a bit stilted and boring, and some of the culture conflicts upon arrival in the USA seem exaggerated for attention or effect.Still, a worthy subject matter and interesting author.

Choose to read this one!
Two days ago I began to read "Escape from Slavery". I have hardly wanted to set it down since I picked it up. I have been saddened but incredibly inspired. I am forcefully reminded that freedom is a miracle too easily taken for granted. Until this week, I admit I was completely ignorant of Sudan, let alone the plight of it's people. In fact, I only knew Sudan was another big country "somewhere in Africa". This book is not a history of Sudan, but it does put it on the map for you. It does not try to expound on all of the political issues, but it paints a very human picture of how the government affects the people. This is one young man's compelling account of his early life and journey as a slave in Sudan. It is told in a simple, clear and honest voice. For me, Sudan is now the birthplace of Piol Bol Buk - known today as "Francis Bok". It is the place where Piol laughed and played with his family. He made clay cows with his friends, and dreamed of being like his father. It is the place where Piol was entrusted one day to take his mother's produce to sell at the market...and would never return. Here was a little boy forced to witness unspeakable violence, and who had everything taken away from him. However, no one could take his indomitable spirit. Sudan is a place where innocent lives are crushed every day, and yet it is also the place where Francis Bok was created. Francis humbly and painstakingly details his escape, the agonizing immigration process, and the miraculous turn of events that ensued. Francis has begun to fulfill his father's prophesy that someday he would do "great and important things" and would have the strength of "twelve men". This is a story about slavery, but it is really a story about hope, faith, will-power and determination. It is a miraculous story. Who could have imagined that this young boy with no hope of survival would make such a huge impact for his country already? Truly inspirational! This is a testament that the human spirit can survive unspeakable things - and then can rise from the ashes. When you find a story like this, you just can't wait to share it with the world! Francis Bok lived through such horrific pain, and yet now we have the chance to listen to his story, and to make a difference in the world just like he has. I hope that you will choose to read this story. I know that you will be so grateful! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1920. This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An exhilarative peep into the process of Americanization.
In 1920, the former editor of the Ladies' Home Journal, Edward Bok, published his fascinating memoir, an exceptionally well-written book through which he candidly yet eloquently recounted the step-by-step process of his 'Americanization' from penurious immigrant Dutch boy to affluent pioneering American editor and philanthropist; hence, it is not a surprise that the work secured for its author both the coveted 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Biography/Autobiography as well as the Gold Medal of the Academy of Political and Social Sciences. Succinctly written using the third person narrative format, the book chronicles the humble beginnings of Edward Bok from when he was a child in Helder, Netherlands to how he and his family-like many immigrants of the time-fled to the United States as a result of the 'technological order' that brought about a wave of new opportunities. But it would not be in the world of hard-core industry where he would make his name; when Edward Bok left the Netherlands in 1870, he had but three things to sustain him: his family, his meager belongings and some advice from his Dutch grandmother-"...make you the world a bit more beautiful and better because you have been in it." {P. xxi} Through the acts of frugality, laborious toil, absorption of American ideals and visions of a better life, Edward Bok slowly rose above the unbending economic classicism that unfortunately soldified the roots of many families as well as their descendents into harsh blue-collar drudgery. Though he never received a collegiate education, because he quit quite early, his leaving school was not the limitation of his intellectual instruction. Life was, in fact, the expansion of it, for it led him to acquire his learning in a most unorthodox fashion. For people who never receive an education, there is, for the most part, a hidden kernel of regret that sometimes becomes everlastingly needling and tragically overwhelming. As that is the con, the pro would be that they would be liberated from the arrogant pretentiousness and bemused condescension that a liberal education can sometimed imbue in one who is well learned. Neither of the above plagued Edward Bok. To quench his insatiable thirst for knowledge about what the essence of success was, he wrote to men and women of eminence, asking them not merely for their signature, but for a piece of wisdom, advice. And many-including Henry Ward Beecher, Louisa May Alcott, Samuel Clemens, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, among others-did not hesitate in the least to proffer advice. What began as a simple inquiry into success, ended as a voluminous mass of autographs and lettes that revealed the most intimate thoughts and beliefs of some of the greatest historical figures in American history, of which no dollar value could ever be placed. Through this inquist, Edward Bok not only found connections and valued friendships, but he whetted his editing and writing prowess, innate abilities that later led him to work for Henry Holt & Company, Charles Scribner's Sons and The Brooklyn Magazine (as editor); it too led him to establish The Bok Syndicate Press and eventually assume the helm, for thirty years, of the Ladies' Home Journal as editor and then vice president of the Curtis Publishing Company-which owned the magazine. While in command of the LHJ, he cultivated it into a powerhouse that brought about meaningful modifications to the United States, i.e. the better-babies movement, the teaching of social hygiene to youths of both sexes, the beautification of American cities (of which Lynn, Massachusetts was a part), the improving of home architecture and railroad cars, and most importantly, the passing of the Pure Food and Drug Acts by Congress. It was in America where he was able to prove himself: "As the world stands to-day, no nation offers opportunity in the degree that America does...the United States offers, as does no other nation, a limitless opportunity: here a man can go as far as his abilities will carry him...America can graft such a wealth of inspiration , so high a national idealism, so great an opportunity for the highest endeavor, as to make him the fortunate man on the earth today." {P. 448} Durng the latter stages of Bok's life when he established the $100,000 American Peace Award, he did it because America gave him a second chance to work and prove himself, which is not always easy to come by. He did not adhere to the writings of Herbert Spencer, William Graham Sumner or Russell Cornwell, men with timeworn values who espoused the 'lordly' dogmas of Social Darwinism and the Gospel of Wealth-the former being "An ideology based upon the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin, justifying the concentration of wealth and lack of governmental protection of the weak through the ideas of natural selection and survival of the fittest" while ther latter was a belief "that God ordains certain people to amass money and use it to further God's purpose; it justified the concentration of wealth as long as the rich used their money responsibly." {P. 485 of America And It's Peoples: A Mosaic in the Making} Edward Bok clung to no person and no 'chic' belief, simply his faith, his industriousness and to humanity specifically. We need more Edward Boks in the world! ... Read more

Product Description
Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1922.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
This edition is written in English. However, there is a running French thesaurus at the bottom of each page for the more difficult English words highlighted in the text. There are many editions of The Americanization of Edward Bok. This edition would be useful if you would like to enrich your French-English vocabulary, whether for self-improvement or for preparation in advanced of college examinations. Webster's edition of this classic is organized to expose the reader to a maximum number of difficult and potentially ambiguous English words. Rare or idiosyncratic words and expressions are given lower priority compared to “difficult, yet commonly used” English words. Rather than supply a single translation, many words are translated for a variety of meanings in French, allowing readers to better grasp the ambiguity of English without using the notes as a pure translation crutch. Having the reader decipher a word's meaning within context serves to improve vocabulary retention and understanding. Each page covers words not already highlighted on previous pages. This edition is helpful to French-speaking students enrolled in an English Language Program (ELP), an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program, an English as a Second Language Program (ESL), or in a TOEFL® or TOEIC® preparation program. Students who are actively building their vocabularies in French or English may also find this useful for Advanced Placement® (AP®) tests. TOEFL®, TOEIC®, AP® and Advanced Placement® are trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which has neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. This book is one of a series of Webster's paperbacks that allows the reader to obtain more value from the experience of reading. Translations are from Webster's Online Dictionary, derived from a meta-analysis of public sources, cited on the site. ... Read more

Product Description
1923. Illustrated. Bok, American editor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Americanization of Edward Bok, tells the story of a man's life not merely to trace a business life, but to emphasize the great truth, particularly to young men, that business is a great adventure: a well of romance so rich in its thrilling moments that no man has ever sounded its depths. Enough remains for thousands of young men who approach it with eager zest, enthusiastic effort, and alert minds. To such it will prove what it is: an arena and a university with its limits fixed by themselves: a game so full of romance and adventure as to surpass the imagination of the greatest fictionist. But a young man must hold on to one essential fact: that the current coin in business, and the only coin that is consistently current, is character. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. ... Read more

Product Description
THE YOUNG MAN IN BUSINESS. A well-known New York millionaire gave it as his opinion not long ago that any young man possessing a good constitution and a fair degree of intelligence might acquire riches. The statement was criticised - literally picked to pieces - and finally adjudged as being extravagant. The figures then came out, gathered by a careful statistician, that of the young men in business in New York City, sixty per cent, were earning less than £1,000 per year, only twenty per cent, had an income of £2,000, and barely five per cent, commanded salaries in excess of the latter figure. The great majority of young men in New York City - that is, between the ages of twenty-three and thirty - were earning less than twenty dollars per week. On the basis, therefore, that a young man must be established in his lifc-profes-sion by his thirtieth year, it can hardly be said that the average New York young man in business is successful. Of course, this is measured entirely from the stan

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Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the difficult to read text. Read books online for free at www.forgottenbooks.org ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more