What do you think?
Rate this book
The Essential Dick Gregory: A Generation-Defining Anthology of Body, Mind, and Spirit―Activism, Wisdom, and Truth
A soulful, generation-defining collection of thought-provoking, agitating, and liberating works from Dick Gregory, the activist and author of sixteen books, including the classic bestseller An Autobiography and the 2017 NAACP Image Award Winner, Defining Moments in Black Reading Between the Lies. A true renaissance man, Richard Claxton “Dick” Gregory was one of the pioneering satirists of his generation, a reformer and brilliant spokesperson for the downtrodden and forgotten who dedicated his life to speaking unadulterated truth—and to improving ordinary lives. A revered human rights and environmental activist, fearsome and uncompromising social critic, lauded bestselling author, and beloved nutrition guru, Gregory aimed not only to educate souls, but to liberate them. His words shaped a generation and remain vital for our own turbulent times, offering wisdom to enlighten and inspire a new activist age. This carefully curated anthology of selected writings reflects and celebrates Dick Gregory’s wisdom and his vision. Divided into three sections—Body, Mind, and Spirit—it includes previously unavailable transcriptions and excerpts taken from his sixteen books, fifteen albums and audio compilations, and more than 1,200 hours of archival video, including lectures, interviews, and comedic performances. It is a breathtaking tour through the life of one of America’s most prophetic and relevant cultural icons. The Essential Dick Gregory is a pointillistic portrait of a man who gave up a lucrative entertainment career to fight injustice on the front line of battle—leading protests and hunger strikes to end the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa; supporting civil rights, feminism, and Native Americans,; and addressing hunger, poverty, and police brutality. This compelling volume will challenge your beliefs, allow you to see life in unexpected ways, and dare you to make the world a better place.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published October 11, 2022
11 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Dick Gregory
35 books348 followersRichard "Dick" Gregory was an American civil rights activist, social critic, writer, entrepreneur, comedian, motivational speaker, author and actor. He became the first black comedian to successfully cross over to white audiences.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 19, 2022
The Essential Dick Gregory is an absolute gem, combining various works of his to tell his life story as well as his ideas and beliefs. A remarkable man in his own words.
While the book is organized in a rough thematic form, it is also largely chronological, so it is as much a memoir as it is a collection of his work. What makes this especially strong is that the excerpts and complete shorter works are from various periods of his life. While other memoirs generally consist of a person reflecting and, to a large extent, smoothing the rough edges of their life, these are Gregory's words at those moments of time or at least much closer to them.
I'm not sure he would have wanted to "smooth" his story even if he had written this as a single work, part of what is so amazing about him was his ability to grasp so much even in the moment. My memories of him are largely from TV when I was young and a couple of albums. Later I became aware of the breadth of his activism through interviews and yet more reading.
One of the many things in the book that speak to our current environment as much as it did at the time (1973, in a monologue about Watergate): "anytime you get people that's in control of a nation, any nation, that talk about law and order and never talk about justice, there is a Watergate somewhere close by." He recognized then that "law and order" is a dog whistle, and under the recent orange menace the dogs came out of the darkness and are trying to destroy what democracy we do have.
I would highly recommend this to those who like memoirs as well as those who like to read about truly inspiring people. Gregory almost always saw things from a very considered and intentional perspective. Will you agree, from this much later date, with everything he said? Probably not. But you will be hard pressed to find any kind of malice in his opinions.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
While the book is organized in a rough thematic form, it is also largely chronological, so it is as much a memoir as it is a collection of his work. What makes this especially strong is that the excerpts and complete shorter works are from various periods of his life. While other memoirs generally consist of a person reflecting and, to a large extent, smoothing the rough edges of their life, these are Gregory's words at those moments of time or at least much closer to them.
I'm not sure he would have wanted to "smooth" his story even if he had written this as a single work, part of what is so amazing about him was his ability to grasp so much even in the moment. My memories of him are largely from TV when I was young and a couple of albums. Later I became aware of the breadth of his activism through interviews and yet more reading.
One of the many things in the book that speak to our current environment as much as it did at the time (1973, in a monologue about Watergate): "anytime you get people that's in control of a nation, any nation, that talk about law and order and never talk about justice, there is a Watergate somewhere close by." He recognized then that "law and order" is a dog whistle, and under the recent orange menace the dogs came out of the darkness and are trying to destroy what democracy we do have.
I would highly recommend this to those who like memoirs as well as those who like to read about truly inspiring people. Gregory almost always saw things from a very considered and intentional perspective. Will you agree, from this much later date, with everything he said? Probably not. But you will be hard pressed to find any kind of malice in his opinions.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
April 22, 2023
According to producer and director Andrew Gaines (The One and Only Dick Gregory), “For me, the personal experiences of Dick Gregory were like listening to a walking history lesson. It took only a few hours into my journey to make this film for me to realize that Dick Gregory was one of a kind, and I became totally consumed.” According to Christian Claxton Gregory, editor of his father's thoughts, “What a life, what a blessing. Dick Gregory was many things–he metamorphosed from athlete to comedian to activist to presidential candidate to nutritionist to social critic–at no point leaving behind the nucleus holding him together: love. Love–love for self, love for thy neighbor, love for humankind, love for nature–was the engine that powered his many manifestations.”
This is a very timely book that will remind many of us about the man, his work, and the times in which he lived. For those who know nothing about him this is an excellent overview of his life, thoughts and activities. More can be found here. Initially Dick Gregory came to prominence as a political satirist who was cool, calm and disarming in his delivery and analysis of domestic and world events. No person or issue was spared his razor-sharp insights. In his early days (1958-1961) as a stand-up comedian he spent a good deal of time trying to figure out what makes people laugh. “If young comics only knew that when there’s a little bit of hesitancy on laughing from the audience, it’s because you got a streak of brilliance that’s resented.” He further analyzed his position as a Black comedian and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. After making it big, Gregory was compared to Mark Twain, who he said, “... didn’t pull any punches … was the greatest social commentator of our times.” For modern comedians, social commentators, he had a no holds barred accolade for Lenny Bruce, who could present for three hours about real issues, and not just blather on, seeking approval from the audience.
On many issues Gregory was way ahead of his time, on other issues and events he might have been completely wrong. Reading this overview of his life, his interests, his focus, his actions, it is evident that he was more than a stand-up satirist. As compiled by his son, Christian Claxton Gregory, the book makes readers look at life from different perspectives, which is what his father did all the time--automatically and naturally. He had the tenacity, the unique vision, boldness and guts to put those ideas out there. Even though it is cold water on the face to realize how slow progress has been in major domestic and global arenas: racism, social, political and economic issues, it is worthwhile to remember that Dick Gregory put down some very big footprints for others to fill, which many satirists (comedians, filmmakers, TV hosts and others) are doing.
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction
This is a very timely book that will remind many of us about the man, his work, and the times in which he lived. For those who know nothing about him this is an excellent overview of his life, thoughts and activities. More can be found here. Initially Dick Gregory came to prominence as a political satirist who was cool, calm and disarming in his delivery and analysis of domestic and world events. No person or issue was spared his razor-sharp insights. In his early days (1958-1961) as a stand-up comedian he spent a good deal of time trying to figure out what makes people laugh. “If young comics only knew that when there’s a little bit of hesitancy on laughing from the audience, it’s because you got a streak of brilliance that’s resented.” He further analyzed his position as a Black comedian and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. After making it big, Gregory was compared to Mark Twain, who he said, “... didn’t pull any punches … was the greatest social commentator of our times.” For modern comedians, social commentators, he had a no holds barred accolade for Lenny Bruce, who could present for three hours about real issues, and not just blather on, seeking approval from the audience.
On many issues Gregory was way ahead of his time, on other issues and events he might have been completely wrong. Reading this overview of his life, his interests, his focus, his actions, it is evident that he was more than a stand-up satirist. As compiled by his son, Christian Claxton Gregory, the book makes readers look at life from different perspectives, which is what his father did all the time--automatically and naturally. He had the tenacity, the unique vision, boldness and guts to put those ideas out there. Even though it is cold water on the face to realize how slow progress has been in major domestic and global arenas: racism, social, political and economic issues, it is worthwhile to remember that Dick Gregory put down some very big footprints for others to fill, which many satirists (comedians, filmmakers, TV hosts and others) are doing.
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction
Read
November 3, 2022Early on in this book I wondered why it was published: I didn't see the value in it. I'm glad I continued on because I realized, that through Dick Gregory's maturity and life experience, his observations became more sharp and profound over the years. This book would be more beneficial to young, Black men and men who have a lack of strong, male figures.
This collection of essays, interviews, and speeches covers Gregory's early life, living in poverty and how having a strong, mother-figure got their large family through it; his adulthood, including his career as a comedian and political activist. It is interesting to learn how he built his craft as a comedian. This would benefit any person interested in becoming a comedian. Gregory's in depth about where he gets material, which audience the material would work best on, etc. There are not many books that talk about this; he makes intelligent observations about societal norms and learning people.
Then there is the activism. He was not so caught up in being a celebrity comedian that he ignored the need for an activist such as himself to help the people. In this day in age, where scrutiny is on an innumerical level, with the inception of social media, so many celebrities struggle with speaking for a cause or being silent and judged for their silence or their opinion. Gregory chose to speak up, but also speak up and raise sensible points and arguments that helped those who had no voice or a weak one. He was quite a man who should be celebrated and never forgotten.
This collection of essays, interviews, and speeches covers Gregory's early life, living in poverty and how having a strong, mother-figure got their large family through it; his adulthood, including his career as a comedian and political activist. It is interesting to learn how he built his craft as a comedian. This would benefit any person interested in becoming a comedian. Gregory's in depth about where he gets material, which audience the material would work best on, etc. There are not many books that talk about this; he makes intelligent observations about societal norms and learning people.
Then there is the activism. He was not so caught up in being a celebrity comedian that he ignored the need for an activist such as himself to help the people. In this day in age, where scrutiny is on an innumerical level, with the inception of social media, so many celebrities struggle with speaking for a cause or being silent and judged for their silence or their opinion. Gregory chose to speak up, but also speak up and raise sensible points and arguments that helped those who had no voice or a weak one. He was quite a man who should be celebrated and never forgotten.
October 23, 2022
This gathering of the words of Dick Gregory is pulled together from his books, interviews, lectures, and performances. He candidly answered questions about his childhood, his rise to prominence in the field of comedy, his involvement in civil rights, and other topics. Those details are organized into three sections in the book - Body, Mind, and Spirit.
Readers will find themselves caught up in descriptions of walking to school, performing on the stage of a nightclub, or addressing groups of protesters ready to march for voting rights or other causes. Gregory talks about his visits to Mississippi after the death of Medgar Evers, testifying before Congressional members about discrimination in performing arts, or his involvement in efforts to end apartheid.
I don't remember hearing about Dick Gregory when I was growing up, but I recognize many of the influences he mentions - Redd Foxx, Nipsey Russell, Amos and Andy. Perhaps it was because he was on the nightclub circuit rather than other venues that I did not hear of him until I was an adult. And with his speeches and participation in protests and demonstrations, I have never seen him mentioned in accounts of those events.
For those like me who were not cognizant of his speeches, protests, and even hunger strikes, this book covers the span of a remarkable life in the man's own words. Just released October 11, this is an eye-opening compilation and a fascinating book.
I read an advance copy provided for review purposes through NetGalley.
Readers will find themselves caught up in descriptions of walking to school, performing on the stage of a nightclub, or addressing groups of protesters ready to march for voting rights or other causes. Gregory talks about his visits to Mississippi after the death of Medgar Evers, testifying before Congressional members about discrimination in performing arts, or his involvement in efforts to end apartheid.
I don't remember hearing about Dick Gregory when I was growing up, but I recognize many of the influences he mentions - Redd Foxx, Nipsey Russell, Amos and Andy. Perhaps it was because he was on the nightclub circuit rather than other venues that I did not hear of him until I was an adult. And with his speeches and participation in protests and demonstrations, I have never seen him mentioned in accounts of those events.
For those like me who were not cognizant of his speeches, protests, and even hunger strikes, this book covers the span of a remarkable life in the man's own words. Just released October 11, this is an eye-opening compilation and a fascinating book.
I read an advance copy provided for review purposes through NetGalley.
January 24, 2024
Dick Gregory was a true man in full. High school track star, comedian, social activist, politician, essayist, nutritionist were among the many hats he wore in his life. Dick’s son Christian has put together a sort of biography of his father in Dick’s own words by putting together essays, interviews and transcripts of television appearances which in this case is an effective way of getting to know what the man was all about.
It’s good to work in a library sometimes because this book wouldn’t have entered my radar if I just hadn’t come across it in the new book section last year. (Go to your local library and browse the new book section ; )
I also listened to a couple of Dick’s albums from the 60’s, “Running for President,” and “In Living Black and White.” I recommend those, too
It’s good to work in a library sometimes because this book wouldn’t have entered my radar if I just hadn’t come across it in the new book section last year. (Go to your local library and browse the new book section ; )
I also listened to a couple of Dick’s albums from the 60’s, “Running for President,” and “In Living Black and White.” I recommend those, too
November 29, 2022
Essential primer on a remarkable 20th Century figure. Covered in this slim but wide ranging book are interviews, speeches, essays on his work in show business, civil rights and nutrition and transcripts from stand up routines. Essential if you know nothing of the man and his work.
January 3, 2023
Very interesting background into someone I was only vaguely aware of.
May 25, 2023
An excellent overview and summary of all phases of the life of a great man.
March 2, 2024
wow. mind blown.
March 11, 2024
Such an interesting character and a real rollercoaster of a life
November 23, 2024
Dick Gregory is Dope! Just Dope!!! A must read or listen to the audio book.
January 5, 2026
excerpts from interviews, speeches monologues... diet/fitness stuff worth 5*s (Huel + AG1, FIVE DECADES before was a thing).
March 6, 2023
Dick Gregory was a political activist who was passionate about women's rights, human rights, the environment, social injustice, hunger, poverty among the poor both domestically and globally, In this anthology, Dick Gregory specifically mentions how a description of him would be classified differently and inaccurately because he was a black man. Fellow comedian Lenny Bruce was not a "Jewish comic" just because he was Jewish. Likewise, Dick Gregory's mission, message and passions are vast. He spoke truth to everyone and his message should not be limited nor confined to a narrow narrative because of his race, his color nor the fact that he came from a single parent home. Dick Gregory was a renaissance man with a unique voice during a time when his views and opinions were considered radical but, now in retrospect, his viewpoints are more relevant and insightful about issues that are unfolding today.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews