What do you think?
Rate this book
The Power of a Promise: Life Lessons Encountered on My Journey from Illiteracy to a Lawyer
"In The Power of a Promise, Lesra shares the secrets of his success, demonstrating that a key factor in overcoming obstacles is a strong belief that we can move beyond limiting circumstances." -Robin Sharma, Leadership guru, Author of the #1 International Bestsellers The Greatness Guide and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Have you ever discovered an inspiring story of someone who has made a real difference in the world and asked yourself how they accomplished that? Lesra Martin's secret is that he believes that neither your intellect nor your circumstances will ultimately determine your success in life; that the real key to success lies in our ability to make a commitment to ourselves and then to fulfill that promise, whatever it is! Filled with thought-provoking insights and practical guidance for tackling the everyday challenges we all face, The Power of a Promise takes us on a journey to uncover our hidden strengths, to discover the gifts that we have to share and to reveal the life that we were meant to live. Lesra Martin was once an inner city kid dismissed by society; he rose from a poorly educated Brooklyn teen to a highly respected attorney. His heartrending story, which was the subject of the major feature film The Hurricane , has inspired millions, including its star, Denzel Washington. Also inspired by his experiences, The National Film Board of Canada produced the documentary The Journey of Lesra Martin , a compelling film that was screened at numerous film festivals around the world including the Hollywood Black Film Festival.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 10, 2022
A modern day fairytale. Environment does make a world of difference. Thank you for sharing your story Lesra. :)
May 7, 2021
I was interested in Lesra Martin’s book,
The Power of a Promise
for two reasons 1) because I had heard of him from watching the movie about Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and how Lesra learned to read by reading Carter’s autobiography
The Sixteenth Round
2) because he practices law here in my hometown. The subtitle of The Power of a Promise is: Life Lessons Encountered on my Journey from Illiteracy to Lawyer.
Mr. Martin writes that it isn’t circumstances that determine our life. He goes on to juxtapose people with every advantage in life not fulfilling one’s destiny versus someone born with every disadvantage rising above their circumstances by recognizing the potential within and ‘building on what they have to accomplish great things.’
He goes on to write that his discovery of this principle of attitude is the basis of how he was able to turn around his life – from being born in a middle-class family which fell into poverty through ill health & alcoholism, raised in the ghettos of New York, and illiterate to being taken in by ‘the Canadians’ and given every advantage for an education helped him become the successful man, lawyer, and motivational speaker he is today.
Lesra says that as he based his life on six principles: hope, heart, human spirit, dreams, determination and discipline he was able to find and pursue his special gift(s) and offer them to the world.
Over the last thirty years or so I’ve applied these principles; I would have had an easier time if I’d learned of these principles much earlier in my life… I guess, ‘better late than never.’
A lovely read from a very humble man. I highly recommend this book to read, study, and apply these words of wisdom.
Mr. Martin writes that it isn’t circumstances that determine our life. He goes on to juxtapose people with every advantage in life not fulfilling one’s destiny versus someone born with every disadvantage rising above their circumstances by recognizing the potential within and ‘building on what they have to accomplish great things.’
He goes on to write that his discovery of this principle of attitude is the basis of how he was able to turn around his life – from being born in a middle-class family which fell into poverty through ill health & alcoholism, raised in the ghettos of New York, and illiterate to being taken in by ‘the Canadians’ and given every advantage for an education helped him become the successful man, lawyer, and motivational speaker he is today.
Lesra says that as he based his life on six principles: hope, heart, human spirit, dreams, determination and discipline he was able to find and pursue his special gift(s) and offer them to the world.
Over the last thirty years or so I’ve applied these principles; I would have had an easier time if I’d learned of these principles much earlier in my life… I guess, ‘better late than never.’
A lovely read from a very humble man. I highly recommend this book to read, study, and apply these words of wisdom.
March 14, 2012
Lesra Martin came to Toronto and spoke at a literacy event where he also showed the movie The Journey of Lesra Martin. What a story! What an event. I walked away with an autographed copy of his book!
This is a book that inspires you and if full of lived wisdom.
An excellent read!
This is a book that inspires you and if full of lived wisdom.
An excellent read!
September 19, 2010
Lesra is the real deal and is all about "moments." Having met him I was able to share with him my favorite poem: "The Moment is My Life." - author unknown.
May 19, 2013
Great Book! I think I might reread it this summer.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews