Skip to Main Content

Let Love Have the Last Word

A Memoir

LIST PRICE $26.00

PRICE MAY VARY BY RETAILER

Get 25% off plus free shipping on orders of $40 or more with code GIFT25. (Terms apply)

Buy from Other Retailers

About The Book

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Common—the Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Golden Globe–winning musician, actor, and activist—follows up his New York Times bestselling memoir One Day It’ll All Make Sense with this inspiring exploration of how love and mindfulness can build communities and allow you to take better control of your life through actions and words.

Common believes that the phrase “let love have the last word” is not just a declaration; it is a statement of purpose, a daily promise. Love is the most powerful force on the planet and ultimately, the way you love determines who you are and how you experience life.

Touching on God, self-love, partners, children, family, and community, Common explores the core tenets of love to help others understand what it means to receive and, most important, to give love. He moves from the personal—writing about his daughter, to whom he wants to be a better father—to the universal, where he observes that our society has become fractured under issues of race and politics. He knows there's no quick remedy for all of the hurt in the world, but love—for yourself and for others—is where the healing begins.

Courageous, insightful, brave, and characteristically authentic, Let Love Have the Last Word shares Common’s own unique and personal stories of the people and experiences that have led to a greater understanding of love and all it has to offer. It is a powerful call to action for a new generation of open hearts and minds, one that is sure to resonate for years to come.

About The Author

Photograph by Brian Bowen Smith

Common is an Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Grammy Award–winning music artist. He is an actor and producer and has appeared in numerous critically acclaimed films as well as hit TV series. Common is the author of One Day It’ll All Make Sense, which was also a New York Times bestseller. He was raised in Chicago and currently resides in Los Angeles and Brooklyn.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atria Books (May 7, 2019)
  • Length: 224 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781501133152

Browse Related Books

Raves and Reviews

Praise for One Day It'll All Make Sense

"Common distinguishes himself here as a true artist and a writer of deep talent. This book is the story of an artist in constant evolution, one who embodies the strength of the brilliant woman that raised him, the love of the Southside Chicago land that spawned him, and the raw spirit of the pro basketball player who fathered him. I’ve always heard that the people of Southside Chicago were special. I’m glad their native son Common shows us why."

– James McBride, The Color of Water

“Common has written a magnificent memoir. It states that it is a book about his fascinating life. That is true. More importantly, his story is the story of all young people trying to grow up. His saga reminds the reader that love liberates and poverty cripples. Common writes beautifully, like the poet he is.”

– Maya Angelou

"Common is a 360-degree human being, and I don't say that about many people. He never needed to "pimp the hood" to achieve his deserved success. He is an eloquent and honorable role model and his memoir is a perfect example of his depth as a human being. In addition, reading about his childhood and upbringing in Chicago is really a trip - because we went through so many of the same experiences albeit decades apart. Chicago is still the roughest and primary "Institution of Hard Knocks," and if you can make it there, you can truly make it anywhere!”

– Quincy Jones

“Raw in its honesty, profound in its insights, One Day It’ll All Make Sense establishes Common as a voice that is as compelling on the page as it is on a record. This is not simply the story of an individual artist but a crucial page the history of hip hop itself.”

– Jelani Cobb, The Substance of Hope

“A powerful memoir that speaks to all audiences.”

– Queen Latifah

“A thoughtful and beautiful book that tells us much more about Common. . . . His mother’s perspective takes this to another level.”

– Toure, Author of Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

  • Author Photo (jpg): Common
    Photograph by Brian Bowen Smith
    (0.1 MB)

    Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit

More books from this author: Common