"In 1955, as a college student home in Atlanta for vacation, Vernon Jordan had a summer job driving a retired white banker around town. During the man's afternoon naps Jordan passed the time reading books, a fact that astounded his boss. "Vernon can read!" the man exclaimed to his relatives. Nearly fifty years later, Vernon Jordan, longtime civil rights leader, adviser and close friend to presidents and business leaders, and one of the most charismatic figures in America, has written an unforgettable book about his life and times. It is a story that encompasses the sweeping struggles, changes, and dangers of black life during the civil rights revolution."--BOOK JACKET.