Never Drank the Kool-Aid: Essays

It's rare to come across a writer able to both entertain and educate at the same time. I've read all three of Toure's book's, and have yet to be disappointed. Much like Kurt Vonnegut's brilliant short story collection "Bagombo Snuff Box," Never Drank the Kool-Aid, will both enlighten and have you laughing out loud. It's refreshing to come across a writer with the ability to effortlessly engage and challenge the readers pre-existing thoughts on society. Though much of "Never Drank..." consists mostly of Toure's encounters with Hip-Hop celebrities, he also manages to include various figures one wouldn't normally expect. As a whole, "Never Drank..." is the kind of book that will make you want to turn the television off, leave the phone at home, and find a park bench to allow yourself-if for a moment, the pleasure of losing yourself in the lost art of the written word. Never Drank, as well as the Portable Promised Land by Toure, are two books that will always have a home on my book shelf.

I was entertained from the first page. I thought I knew Toure' but now I understand so much more. I want to hear more stories. Please keep writing!!!!!

I didn't know what to expect when I read this book and I enjoyed it very much. This fantasy city was live, and the characters were colorful and memorable. The story was magical. Definitely a book that veers from the rest and got me so caught up that I didn't want to leave Soul City. The ending was enjoyable. If you're into fantasy type reads and think you'd enjoy an adult, African American fairy tale, I'd highly recommend this read.

After reading 2 chapters, one line from a song kept running through my mind - "one Nation under a Groove". This book is marvelous. I enjoyed every character and there are plenty of those. The setting, the premise, are just all about black folks and all that's good and bad about us just made funky. I couldn't put it down, I had never heard of it and I consider myself to be a "connoisseur" of books. I'm going to tell all my friends about it. It's a must read and I don't say that about a lot of books. TOURE - YOU GET MAJOR PROPS FROM ME. Keep putting them out, they will get read...

SOUL CITY by Touré September 10, 2004 I wasn't familiar with Touré or who he is, so I read this book with a complete blank slate, not knowing what to expect. I was in for a treat! It's a story filled with outrageous characters and caricatures of people living in a town called SOUL CITY. The residents can fly, they eat magic muffins, and living several hundred years is not uncommon. A man named Cadillac Jackson travels to Soul City to cover the mayoral election. However, Cadillac has the hardest time writing down anything, because what he sees and learns in Soul City is so hard to describe. He finds himself meeting the various residents, and through him the reader gets to meet the many larger-than-life characters that grace these pages. The gist of this book is African American pride and a sense of history of where they have been, and where they are now. But in between all that the reader gets to walk down memory lane through a sea of pop culture that will have one laughing and smiling. It's a very short book, only 184 pages, but it could have easily been longer. I didn't want the book to end, but although it was only 184 pages, I think Toure did a good job at telling a fable about racism, about accepting others for their differences, and for appreciating one's roots and celebrating all that has come before. This book will definitely be on my top 20 list for 2004.