Book Review: Under Our Skin

Benjamin Watson, the author of Under Our Skin, presents the racial divide quite well. He continually points out that the problem is not with the color of a person's skin but with their heart. Those that are prejudiced against each other are sinning. They are wrong. And I agree. Watson also points out that both blacks and whites are responsible for the racial discrimination we see today, and that the situation will only change if we all realize this and accept that the racial issues have to do with much more than just the color of someone's skin. 

Benjamin Watson strongly conveys that everyone is responsible for their life. Each individual has a choice. They can choose to face the obstacles, the hardships, and the trials that they may face in life with determination, or they can choose to find some way around these struggles.  Often times, those that choose to find some way to maneuver around their obstacle will often lay the blame of the hardship on someone else. All of a sudden, a white man's problems are caused by some black man and a black man's difficulties were caused by the white man's prejudices...or vice versa. 

Everyone has a choice in what path they will take in life. I have the choice to go to school, begin a career, and make something of my life...but I also have the choice to live on the streets and live off of others' charity or by stealing. I have a choice to love others or to look on others with hate or disgust. You have the same choices available to you. Everyone does. Sure, our decisions may be influenced by the way we have been raised or by who has had an impact on our lives, but ultimately we all make a decision to love or to hate. 

I have seen lives of people who should hate be transformed by the grace of God. I have seen people who have every right in this world to despise others, yet they have experienced the love and forgiveness of God and have chosen to share that with others. 

This is the main point that Benjamin Watson conveys. He demonstrates that we all have a choice to make. He shows that poor child who seems to have no opportunities in life can choose to persevere, overcome the obstacles that lie before hime, and make something of himself. Watson also shows that a child who seemingly has all of the opportunities in the world can end up murdered by a rival gang. 

What material things we have and what environment we are raised in does not dictate who we become. Watson made this very clear in his book Under Our Skin. He shows that blacks and whites both have the opportunity to make a decision.... They just have to take that opportunity and stop letting others decide how their life will turn out. 

To be honest, I did not fall in love with this book. It was really hard for me read simply because I was a little bored with it. In the end though, I realized that there are lessons in this book for all of us to learn. One thing I did like about the book was that Watson uses personal stories to illustrate the ideas and lessons he wants to convey. This personal touch makes the book much more interesting.  I would recommend this book to just about anyone. 

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers for an honest review. 

To read the first chapter click here: 1st Chapter .PDF