invention in wide use and stood out as the most practical one for us to use. >> the concept of this book is most of the people featured the kids who are part of the story, are you targeted african-american leaders alone with this. >> guest: wasn't targeting african-american readers alone but sins all these people came from the african-american community i focused on that and also it is crucial that we reach minority kids. so many minority kids if you ask who they want to be they one a neither an athlete or an entertainer and only see themselves as being able to succeed in those areas. athletic and entertainment. there is such a wide variety of things young people can do today to make a significant

contribution to american life and to learn a great living and be recognized as doing something meaningful. >> host: you spend a lot of time talking to kids that african-americans, many more avenues that provide entertainment but it sounds a lot ironic coming from someone whose claim to fame was sports. how do you jive with that message? >> i can point to my own life. i have a wonderful athletic career but it doesn't last forever. the fact that i am able to be an author and public speaker has to do with what i've learned in school and the fact that knowledge is power which gives you the ability to do things you want to do. that is a vital message and i want to make sure young people get that message. >> host: our want to get our viewers involved in the conversation. let's take our first from baltimore. gerard is our caller.

welcome. >> caller: thanks. i am surprised i made it through. my question for mr. abdul-jabbar is on my facebook i am talking to you. my question is how do you feel about more african-americans being head coach is in the nba and would you ever want to be head coach for the l.a. lakers. my third question is mr. abdul-jabbar, i hate to be taking up all your time, can you tell me who your favorite african-american inventor is. thank you so much. >> i guess i will handle this with the last question first. my favorite inventor runs between two people. louis latimer and artur charles drew because what they did was so significant for people around the world. louis latimer, by doing

alexander graham bell's and duplication was right there at the foundation of telecommunications and electronics and also because of what he did with elimination. these are important things all around the world. modern life would not exist without artificial lighting. his invention is very important. dr. charles drew saved 7 lives and impacted so many lives because of the knowledge we have through the science of blood typing. this is an important contribution worldwide. i hope that answers your question. i don't have time to answer all three questions. >> host: charlotte, you are on. >> caller: what an honor it is to talk to you. i wonder if you would talk about the buffalo soldiers. the book he wrote about the buffalo soldiers and the

significance of the buffalo soldiers to american history. >> the history of the buffalo soldiers is important to american history. the west for expansion of our nation was the key elements becoming a world power. we have not been able to utilize all of the land mass the united states comprised of and in order to do this it took people to to go out there and matt roads and telegraph lines and explore the best places to live and everything. all of this was accompanied by armed forces, u.s. cavalry and infantry and buffalo soldiers were key efforts and when people find out about the efforts of the buffalo soldiers they

appreciate more about how we became a great nation and all of this happened, and the advent of the 20th century. >> host: so many of your titles, brothers in arms, and profiles of courage are biographies. they tell stories through people. why are you attracted to people stories? >> guest: people's stories are important because most people don't envision black americans doing the things everyone else does. their story is just like everyone else's story. you get an idea of our common humanity and understand these are our fellow citizens. fellow citizens trying to do the same thing to make this a great nation. >> host: obviously you were hoping to influence individual young people. to is the biggest influence on

you? >> guest: in so many ways jackie robinson. i was a baseball fan when i was a kid but jackie robinson was also a role model. my mom pointed out intelligent and articulate and he went to ucla and i went to ucla. >> host: on the campus of u.s. c. >> guest: we won't get excited about that. so much of what he did with his wife was an example. after his sports career he became a businessman, a very successful businessman and pointed out things with regard to economics that black americans need to know about. he was very much a role model and mentor in the aspects of his life. >> host: next call from lisa in nashville. >> caller: i love these on

booktv. and the book that you have written i knew you were an offer but didn't realize how many. what was the title of your first book and how did you decide on the subject of your books. >> guest: my first book was giant step and it is my biography. it was pre be easy. i am a pretty solid person. i take long steps. that is how i got that title for my book. i choose my subject matter with regard to how they impact people and explain things about american life that a lot of people aren't aware of. >> host: your co-author raymond obstfield, how does your partnership work? >> guest: we work together in a meaningful way. i will put together -- with him and put together an overview of

what we want to say and define different areas we want to touch on and i will give him notes and he will write some of the things i want to say and he captured by voice on it and we go back and forth, me writing and giving him things to edit. >> host: is writing easy for you is it a real labor? >> guest: writing is a waiver for everybody. you really have a real set purpose to be a writer but the longer i do it the easier it gets. >> host: next question from chain in california but first delay in new york city. >> caller: i appreciate you accommodator. you raised the question of there being only one woman inventor in the book and i would like to

revisit that question for mr abdul-jabbar because i felt he did not answer that. is long basketball history and success but my concern is there's only one woman and there was the fireplace stanford and louise edwards, he really didn't answer why of all the african-american women is their only one -- they have that as many in the actions or significant inventions as all the other ones we get and all the ones we get during black history month. >> guest: thanks. the one that we were able to find did not impress us as much as dr. thomas. that was very impressive. >> host: maybe there's another book behind this. >> guest: a book on women in vendors. it is just the all the other

ones we fought for significant and we didn't want to exclude women so we made sure we had dr. thomas. but of course there are many inventions by women that are worthy of the book. >> host: you are very involved in stem education to get students to study science, technology and math and engineering and the like. is this in concert with this book and that effort? >> guest: yes. the fact that all the people that are heroes in this book are mathematicians, engineers, chemists, and other people involved in science is a key issue in what you talk about with regard to stem educations because so many people don't understand those subjects are the ones that will be the key

for having a job in the twenty-first century. it will be very technologically oriented with regard to positioning for a good job. so people with good math and science background will be able to find jobs in many areas and that is the key issue for many young people thinking of going to college and trying to pursue higher education. >> host: jane, thanks for waiting. >> caller: did you attend the catholic high school in new york city? >> yes i did. memorial academy. i graduated from power in 1965. >> caller: did it have an influence on you? >> guest: yes. my high school definitely had an influence on me helping me understand the fundamentals, the

classic foundation of education. we could not get general diplomas or things that had to do with -- i know a lot of my friends take shop and stuff like that. if my celebrity was academically oriented. >> host: julie in alabama the last. hello? go ahead. >> caller: yes. i am here. >> host: your question. >> caller: i have a comment. it is a wonderful thing that you have done this. is a good idea and the reasons are very important and i wanted to thank you for writing the book. >> thank you. i hope you enjoy it and hope you get a chance to show it for your friends and whatcom know there

is great information. >> that was the night halfway to end the segment with kareem abdul-jabbar and the book "what color is my world?: the lost history of african-american inventors". as we close you just accept a request from secretary hillary clinton to be an ambassador, cultural ambassador. what is the job going to be? >> guest: it entails me going to select groups of young people in various countries and emphasizing the value of education and giving them an insight into what life in america is about. >> host: have you done any trips? >> guest: i went to brazil and it went well and i had a great time and had interactions with the people i met with. >> host: thank you for interacting with the c-span audience on booktv. appreciate learning about your writing career? >> guest: thanks for having me.

>> here are the top-selling nonfiction titles from independent bookstores across the country according to indybound.org as of july 26th. first is wild by cheryl stray did that recounting her hike on the pacific coast and howard travels change her life and mental health. laura hildebrand tells of an olympic winner's time as a prisoner in world war ii with unbroken. jonah where're discusses his theories on creativity with imagine:how creativity works. that is third followed by walter isaacson's biography of steve jobs. they appeared on booktv to discuss these books and you can watch those programs online at booktv.org. jeffrey brown is fifth with his parenting book darth vader and sun. edward klein argues president obama is unfit for the united states presidency with his book the amateur. ..