Let Love Have the Last Word

Books | Self-Help / Motivational & Inspirational

3.5

(63)

Common

“An insightful memoir that uncovers unique stories about matters of the heart.” —Essence The inspiring New York Times bestseller from Common—the Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Golden Globe–winning musician, actor, and activist—explores how love and mindfulness can build communities and allow you to take better control of your life through actions and words. Common believes that the phrase “let love have the last word” is not just a declaration; it is a statement of purpose, a daily promise. Love is the most powerful force on the planet, and ultimately the way you love determines who you are and how you experience life. Touching on God, self-love, partners, children, family, and community, Common explores the core tenets of love to help us understand what it means to receive and, most importantly, to give love. He moves from the personal—writing about his daughter, to whom he wants to be a better father—to the universal, where he observes that our society has become fractured under issues of race and politics. He knows there’s no quick remedy for all of the hurt in the world, but love—for yourself and for others—is where the healing begins. In his first public reveal, Common also shares a deeply personal experience of childhood molestation that he is now confronting…and forgiving. Courageous, insightful, brave, and characteristically authentic, Let Love Have the Last Word shares Common’s own unique and personal stories of the people and experiences that have led to a greater understanding of love and all it has to offer. It is a powerful call to action for a new generation of open hearts and minds, one that is sure to resonate for years to come.

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More Details:

Author

Common

Pages

224

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

2019-05-07

ISBN

1501133187 9781501133183

Ratings

Google: 5

Community ReviewsSee all

"Ugh. Let me begin by explaining that I have been a fan of Common's since he was Common Sense. I love the social consciousness of his rhymes, as well as his social justice activism. So maybe I had too high of expectations for this book. But now understanding that this is his second book, I'm even more disappointed. His sentence structure is more akin to his hip-hop than his authorship. There are innumerable run-on sentences that are incredibly distracting to the reader. More substantively, the book is rather redundant. He probably could've cut it in half and still conveyed the exact same messages. In addition to repeating his message over and over again, he also notes encounters with others that are all but irrelevant. And as to his self-reflection, he seems to be skimming the surface quite a bit. Shouldn't you try to uncover why you need to go to church alone, without your significant other there, if you admit that you have a greater spiritual experience praising God together with the other parishioners? Why, then, is the presence of your significant other of any consequence to that experience? Why do you need your mother to stay in a hotel, instead of your apartment, while you're out of town? Why is that needing your "own space" when you're not even going to be in the same physical space as one another? And after she'd been staying in your apartment while you were there? He also spends a lot of time describing his childhood, and the absence of a healthy example of adult love, yet drops in towards the very end the fact that he was raised for almost his entire life by his mother and his stepfather. Apparently, their relationship was the exact kind of example he'd been claiming had been absent in his life (and at least partially to blame for his commitment issues). It seems as if he's writing this book a little too soon into his counseling sessions. I think the readers would've benefited a lot more from a deeper dive into his intimacy avoidance and love addiction issues. Honestly, the new album (of essentially the same name, and of which came out in conjunction with this book) has more substance than the book does. Again, I love Common, but this book was a big letdown for me. I almost wish I hadn't read it."