Steven Barboza, some of you may have heard of him and some of you may have not, but by the time you finish reading this article. You will want to read something written by him. Steven Barboza, like so many others before him has what it takes to become one of the most intriguing writers of his generation and the generations to come. His openness and willingness to tell his story and the stories of African Americans is what makes him such an eloquent writer and places him in the ranks of such writers as Ralph Ellison, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin. However don't be mistaken he is by no means the same. Each of these writers explored a diffretent aspect of the "Black Experience in America" from Bigger Thomas in Native Son to James Baldwin's autobiographical work in "Go Tell it on the Mountain". Mr.Barboza Is a product of his time and generation.

Barboza, the author and editor of various highly-acclaimed books such as, American Jihad which explores the religious experience of Muslims of all races in America and Islam after Malcolm X and The Door of No Return: The Legend of Goree Island which tells of his journey back to his roots and the House of Slaves, a slave trading post off the west coast of Africa. Barboza has also written a book about dance called I Feel like Dancing and is the writer and editor of several newspapers and magazine articles featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Emerge.

Now I guess your wondering why all this fuss? Well Steven has come out with a new book that's called The African-American Book of Values. This book is of classic moral stories and is fabulous piece of work. He has comprised an anthology of over 900 moral lessons, stories, and poems written by some of the most extraordinary figures in African-American history. But don't be misguided by the word moral this book is by no means a lecture or sermon on what or who you should believe in. It is more or less just thoughts, advice, and an idea on what morality is and what purpose it serves in our everyday lives.

Some of the writers featured in this book are just phenomenal such as: Frederick Douglass, Ralph Ellison, Gwendolyn Brooks, Zora Neale Hurston, Ann Petry, Spike Lee, and the list goes on and on. Steven himself gives a fabulous intro. In the beginning of the book. So I say to you if you're ever in Barnes & Nobles go in and pick this up you'll be glad you did!