Before reading this book, I knew what most people know about George Washington Carver. He was “the peanut guy.” Actually, I knew a little more than that, having read some of Andy Andrew’s works which include parts of Carver’s story and it was Andrews’ work that made me want to read this book. I am so glad I did.
John Perry does a masterful job filling in the blanks of this great man’s story. Born a slave, he became one of the world’s foremost scientists of his time. The whole story is covered with the finger prints of God and reading this book will make you see clearly how God intervenes in a life submitted to him. For example, born prematurely, Carver was too weak and sickly to do the work most slaves were expected to do. Instead he was charged with household duties and tending the garden. This supposed weakness and infirmity would lead to his life’s work and countless advances in the science of food.
The terrible effects of racism are also addressed. Even as Carver grew to international renown and even celebrity status, he still had problems with simple things like riding in a train car, getting a hotel room, a meal at a restaurant, even access to public restrooms because he was African American. What a tragedy and yet even this was formative for the resilient Carver. His original intent was to be an artist, but in art school, his teacher feared that people would not buy the work of an African American artist so she gently guided him to science. One could argue, and rightly so, that Carver remained an artist all his life, both in actuality and in the more figurative sense, using his immense creativity to change the world.
The most poignant thing about this book is the overt evidence of Carver’s faith. Carver was a man of God whose faith was evident in every area of his life. He gave to his students and to the world, lived a frugal life so he could sow into the lives of others especially for the advancement of African Americans. He was a man of great generosity who turned down many much more lucrative positions to remain at the Tuskegee Institute helping the next generation.
George Washington Carver was a great man more people should know about. John Perry has written a great book that will help many to do just that. Beyond just showing us Carver, Perry has shown us a beautiful example of the power of a life submitted to God. Read this book.
