Notes to the Future
Words of Wisdom
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- $199.00
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- $199.00
Publisher Description
From the heart and soul of visionary Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela, a collection of his most uplifting, time-honored quotes that have inspired our world and offer a path for peace.
“The book that you hold in your hands is nothing short of a miracle.” —Desmond Tutu, from the Introduction
Notes to the Future is the definitive book of quotations from one of the great leaders of our time. This collection—gathered from privileged access to Mandela’s vast personal archive of private papers, speeches, correspondence, and audio recordings—features more than three hundred quotations spanning more than sixty years and includes his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.
These inspirational quotations, organized into four sections—Struggle, Victory, Wisdom, and Future—are both universal and deeply personal. We see Mandela’s sense of humor, his loneliness and despair, his thoughts on fatherhood, and the reluctant leader who had no choice but to become the man history demanded.
“A good pen can also remind us of the happiest moments in our lives, bring noble ideas into our dens, our blood and our souls. It can turn tragedy into hope and victory” (from a letter to Zindzi Mandela, written on Robben Island, February 10, 1980).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
South African human rights activist and politician Mandela has inspired millions of people, and many of his most famous public proclamations (as well as some private ones) are collected here. Snippets from speeches following his release from prison in 1990 and during his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa, as well as short passages from the as-yet unpublished sequel to his autobiography are interwoven with previously published excerpts from books, interviews, and other material, creating a rich tapestry that gives readers a well-rounded portrait of the man. Some themes, such as negotiation, forgiveness, and resolve recur throughout, but it is Mandela's honest and humble assessments of his shortcomings that stand out. "When I look back at some of my early writings and speeches I am appalled by their pedantry, artificiality and lack of originality," he wrote to his wife, Winnie Mandela. "The urge to impress is clearly noticeable." There are plenty of poster-worthy platitudes, such as "he best weapon is to sit down and talk," and "ur morality does not allow us to desert our friends," but it's clear that the Nobel Prize-winner's wisdom was hard-won. More than merely a collection of commandments, Mandela's inspiring Notes to the Future are as salient today as they will surely prove to be for generations to come.
