MOHANDAS GANDHI

 The life of one of the century's most influential political leaders, from birth and a lackluster academic career in India and England to emergence as a social activist who combated racism in South Africa and, later, India. Gandhi's personal transformation from a painfully shy, hesitant speaker to a charismatic proponent of what he called ``satyagraha,'' or ``truth-force,'' is such a fascinating subject that virtually any recounting of his life makes compelling reading. Directed toward middle school readership, Sherrow's account treads the ground between superficiality and depth. Personal problems such as Gandhi's difficult relationships with his sons and the wife from whom he demanded so much sacrifice and self-denial are mentioned but not dwelt on. The public man receives the weight of attention here; his motivations and methods are well, if briefly, examined, while the impact of his use of civil disobedience and nonviolent protest to effect social change is also discussed in relation to the US civil rights movement. Useful and thought-provoking. B&w photos; source notes; chronology; bibliography; index. (Biography. 11-14)