When volunteering at a small liberal arts college, I was assigned the task of picking out books for scholars of the leadership program to read for the following year. The sophomore class focuses on servant leadership and community outreach; therefore, I wanted a book that would explore this aspect of leadership in a compelling manner. A student overheard me discussing book ideas with my supervisor and recommended Same Kind of Different As Me, written by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. After researching the book, I decided to engage in leisure reading in the midst of the chaos of life. At the time, I was completely unaware of the profound influence this book would have on my outlook of life.

Have you ever read a book that completely touches your life? That makes you reexamine who you are and the filter in which you see the world? This book did just that for me. I never knew the lives of Ron and Denver would have such a lasting impression on my life.

Same Kind of Different As Me starts off by paralleling the lives of two men that are different in every aspect. Denver is an African-American sharecropper who experiences numerous trials, including the loss of several family members, drug usage, and homelessness throughout the course of the novel. On the other hand, Ron is a wealthy art dealer with the ideal life, including the perfect wife. Despite their differences, these two men are bound together for life thanks to Ron’s compassionate wife, Debbie. Continue Reading