While I was familiar with the general facts of Frederick Douglass's life, I'd never read any of his autobiographies until now. This book should definitely have been taught in my high school—but as is so often the case (especially in some parts of the South), slavery was pretty glossed over. This brief but powerful account includes both Douglass's first-hand experiences as a slave and some eloquent thoughts on intellectual liberty, human dignity, and the hypocrisy of those who claimed Christian values while owning slaves.