The original Roots book’s publication was not without controversy, much of which continues even today. As Mr. Haley was not a historian, mistakes were made, and a lawsuit was settled regarding some passages taken from a novel. Despite these travails, the articles in this book are remarkable, as they provided a startlingly clear, straightforward look at black Americans, starting in the 1950's - a time when the Civil Rights movement was being lived, day to day, and the average WASP American had no clue what strong "roots" black Americans brought to their everyday lives.

Writing about such diverse public figures as Malcolm X, and Mr. Mohammad, Wilma Randolph, and his own brother and father, Alex Haley brings to life the triumphs and struggles of key American blacks. The book is divided into sections; "Stories of Triumph," "Race and Resilience," "The Search Begins," "The Legacy," plus the original excerpted Roots. Well worth the read, even if you read the full book, watched the mini-series, or studied black history in college, The Reader's Digest brings it home to us how important Alex Haley was, and is, to the understanding of slavery, civil rights and black history.