Buy new:
$14.95
FREE delivery Monday, May 20 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$14.95
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Monday, May 20 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 4 left in stock (more on the way).
$$14.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$5.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Nice clean copy without notes or highlighting. Includes original dust jacket. Ships direct from Amazon. Nice clean copy without notes or highlighting. Includes original dust jacket. Ships direct from Amazon. See less
FREE delivery Monday, May 20 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$14.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Turning White: A Memoir of Change Hardcover – November 1, 2007

by Lee Thomas (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.95","priceAmount":14.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"b3fNa7Vr2uehUv4tTeHJyGlgFzlDogWDY35RKV4U0Z8Jr9RUVvfa2dmU2zW12ws220lcXbK%2BqDujAesWcvMKlpBadTGR3TWK2PEtnTkBiQHfiTmMpR2rxpqitDsu5h6%2FZi4t99nuJGc%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$5.99","priceAmount":5.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"5","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"b3fNa7Vr2uehUv4tTeHJyGlgFzlDogWD9wnq%2BCAhKiFM%2FHow2p0eWbdz7bOMSDE3GjT8pLpvCvs0SJZjKLOD0jPaG5Nz3LFUix2TCmqBsoyNxJBJ%2Bie2pxTr1h1UdiA4PqHKxWn5RIi6FhbzFGQt1Q1Q3fKsl8AVQyHNQHgE263tX0N%2Bq6Qvlw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

In his thought-provoking memoir, Turning White, Emmy Award-winning TV broadcaster Lee Thomas shares the physical and mental battle he is waging with vitiligo a skin disorder that is literally turning him white.

At age 25, Thomas had a dream job in a dream city as a feature/entertainment reporter for the ABC networks flagship TV station in New York. Then he discovered a few white spots on his scalp, the small beginnings of a disease that has spread to half his face -- a fact he covers with makeup when on camera.

As someone in the very public eye, vitiligo has transformed not only Thomas' color, but his life. "Even people who have known me for years avoid eye contact when they see my face without makeup for the first time," he writes.

Recently, Thomas turned the spotlight on himself during a special report for WJBK FOX 2 Detroit, where he is currently an entertainment reporter.

In Turning White, Thomas shares his journey to help people understand vitiligo, and to help others cope with the psychological war that comes from this life-changing disease.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    176 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Momentum Books
  4. Publication date
    November 1, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.75 x 7.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781879094819
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1879094819
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lee Thomas is a playwright, journalist, and four-time Emmy Award-winning television broadcaster. The son of a military officer and a nurse assistant, Thomas got zest for life and love for people from his strong family and their many travels. Currently residing in Detroit, he is an anchor/entertainment reporter and regularly goes to Hollywood to chat with the stars. While dealing with the rich and famous he never thought the toughest story to tell would happen by turning the spotlight on himself, revealing a secret that was in plain sight. Lee Thomas, an African-American broadcaster, is turning white. In 1996 he was diagnosed with the pigment disorder, vitiligo.

Thomas has a B.A. in Speech Communications from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. As a broadcast journalist he has worked for the national television show "Channel One"; WABC 7 Eyewitness News in New York City; and WJBK Fox 2 News in Detroit. He can be seen daily on Fox 2 morning in Detroit.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1879094819
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Momentum Books (November 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781879094819
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1879094819
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.75 x 7.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
54 global ratings
An inspirational guide to a better self.
5 Stars
An inspirational guide to a better self.
I've known Lee Thomas for years, it's been an honor and privilege to see Lee at work, conferences and other occasions.For those who just stumbled upon this name, Lee is a four-time Emmy-award winning anchor, entertainment guru and TV producer at FOX TV affiliate in Detroit. For years viewers of his morning show, his co-workers and friends had no clue that Lee was dealing with vitiligo. He removed his makeup on the air in November 2005, showing what his skin really looked like. Lee’s story got the most feedback the channel had ever seen, he was also featured on CNN, ABC and dozens of other media outlets.In this excellent book, Lee reveals how it took a rare disease for him to learn who he really is, to avoid a career tragedy and transform his life for the better.I'm very proud to recommend Lee's book 'Turning White: A Memoir of Change' to anyone struggling with anything that threatens their self-esteem or the pursuit of their dreams.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

G.M. Vans
5.0 out of 5 stars A Moment To Educate
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2012
Verified Purchase
As a black male, I read this book with intense interest. Its sleek and compact size made it easy for me to carry in my coat pocket. So, I read it daily. Its initial pronostifications in the forward section of the book didn't prepare me, adequately, for what I was about to read. Mr. Thomas eluded to a multitude of intimate life experiences about his medical condition Vitiligo. His writings were subtle. He listed incident after incident of how non-effected individuals reacted to his dilemma. Conversely, he counter-reacted to many of these incidents in a positive manner by trying to produce a "Moment to Educate" about his affliction. It must have been hard, devastating, and at times vexatious to his psyche trying to deal with the public in an understanding manner. And to add to his tribulations, Mr. Thomas was a television journalist exposed to the media everyday. People viewed him daily. Although struggling, he survived these experiences to carve a niche for himself in his selected profession wherever he resided. Additionally, his intimations, sometimes amusing, were the literary writings of a normal human being attempting to live his life. In my opinion, his book wasn't too verbose, recondite, or perplexing to me. I enjoyed it because of its lack of nimiety which made the reader focus on the main issue of the book. It was refreshing. And, his photgraphic display of his condition was, truly, educational. I don't think I could have exposed myself that way. It was more than a moment to educate. In closing, its refulgent packaging will allow this book to remain on my coffee table for my guests to enjoy.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
jannz
4.0 out of 5 stars Vitiligo: A visual symptom of Autoimmune Disease
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2007
Verified Purchase
Lee Thomas' account of pursuing his "dream" career in TV is an easy and interesting read. His story is mostly about how he has dealt with the cosmetic and emotional aspects of discovering he has an autoimmune disease -- VITILIGO -- being a man-of-color (African American), and pursuing a career in a visual media -- TV.

What I most liked about his story was his realization about how the culmination of his poor diet / nutrition and hectic / stressful lifestyle were probably centrally involved -- and at the very least -- the contributing factors that provided the "environmental trigger" (my words) for vitiligo to present itself. He describes that after years of seeing traditional doctors and trying all the latest treatments it was with the help of a naturopath and nutritionist guiding him that he is now eating a mostly vegetarian diet that includes lean fish and organic eggs. He attributes this holistic approach to improving his overall health and perhaps even some pigment returning. He does take supplements but did not identify which ones.

Mr. Thomas explains that there are a theories about vitiligo perhaps being a genetic disease - that some believe it is and that others don't. He may not have known about recent vitiligo research when his book went to publication, but researchers from the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC) have discovered a connection between a NALP1 gene and vitiligo. The NALP1 gene is involved in controlling part of the immune system that monitors viral and bacterial attacks and is the key gene that predisposes someone to vitiligo and other autoimmune diseases. "This part of the immune system may respond to triggers coming from the environment, like bacteria or viruses, and there are indications that you can turn it off. So, we're very, very hopeful that there may be drugs that allow us to do that," said the study's senior author, Dr. Richard A. Spritz

Mr. Thomas explains that he doesn't know why he has vitiligo since no one else in his family has it. Because of the NALP1 discovery we now know that we are born with a genetic predisposition to AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE and some type of "trigger" -- a virus, bacterial infection....stress?? -- allows vitiligo to present itself. He mentions that the doctor that diagnosed his vitiligo mentioned that stress could be a trigger for vitiligo and the way he describes his early years in the TV industry...well I'm pretty sure that "stress" MUST have been his trigger.

I often refer to Autoimmune Disease as an umbrella term over many autoimmune symptoms that manifest into different disease categories -- like vitiligo, Crohn's, psoriasis...etc. I was disappointed that he did not emphasize that vitiligo is just one (visual) symptom of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE -- but he and his doctors may not think of vitiligo in this way.

Mr. Thomas does relate how, because of a persistent back ache, he discovered he also has Crohn's disease -- another member of the AUTOIMMUNE FAMILY. He wasn't sure if the two are connected, but my understanding is that they are. If you are predisposed, someone can have multiple autoimmune diseases and it looks like Mr. Thomas has two - vitiligo and Crohn's. (Someone needs to tell him about how "Low Dose Naltrexone" -- LDN therapy is helping Crohn's patients. And it may help his vitiligo too. )

When I finished the book I just had the sense that Mr. Thomas doesn't see the "big picture" the way I do -- that vitiligo is just one symptom in AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE -- but maybe that was intentional on his part. --??-- I think he wanted people to know that if you have vitiligo, that you will be OK...that there are worse things. I really hope that anyone who reads this book doesn't finish it thinking that vitiligo is just a cosmetic disease -- for which there is no cure, just treatments -- and that is not a terminal disease. And this is all true -- if the PROGRESSION of the autoimmune disease stops at vitiligo.

All-in-all...I REALLY enjoyed this book. This book wasn't meant to be specifically about vitiligo or autoimmune disease -- it's Lee Thomas' story on how vitiligo has affected his life....the worries and the blessings. It's about how when we reach out to someone...how it can change their lives. Like the young boy with vitiligo who asked Lee to tell his story because then people might treat him differently if they understood what vitiligo was. This young boy described an even younger boy who has vitiligo on his face and wears a mask to hide it. It's about how some people seem just naturally generous and kind...his retelling of an interview that he had with the actor Dustin Hoffman really had my heart swelling. (Read the book and you'll see why.) It's about developing and maintaining positivity around yourself even though you have an incurable disease.

I have autoimmune disease -- and one of my symptoms is vitiligo... I have others. And just like Lee Thomas -- I am the only member of my family to have vitiligo.
For current vitiligo research information and support visit: [...]
26 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
I P
5.0 out of 5 stars I met the author while at a natural healing institute in Puerto Rico
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2014
Verified Purchase
So it was a joy to read his book....narrated by him...in my head. He is a person of profound depth and substance... With an undeniable warmth and twinkle in his eyes. I found the book to be very engaging from beginning to end....and hope that it will reach the masses of people...who will undoubtedly be inspired and encouraged by it.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
MN Bra Happy!
5.0 out of 5 stars Lee Thomas wrote exactly what it feels like to have your skin change right in front of ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
Lee Thomas wrote exactly what it feels like to have your skin change right in front of your eyes. Thank you for sharing your story! You are an inspiration!!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Elizzy
5.0 out of 5 stars Need more memoirs about Vitiligo
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is a really great book. I got my first patch of Vitiligo when I was 3. It is really interesting to hear others stories.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Judith Shapiro
4.0 out of 5 stars Brief, but with insight into living with disfigurement
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2012
Verified Purchase
This book provides rare insight on what it is like to have severe vitiligo, and the author shows courage in revealing his disfigurement to the public. The main drawback is that the book is very brief, without enough details on Thomas's feelings as his illness intensifies, and little information on the reaction of those closest to him.
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Only if..........
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2008
Verified Purchase
Only if we as people of this world can think like Lee Thomas, "Just Live!". The last paragraph of the book says it all; "We need each other to survive. I will never give up on loving life or sharing it with people." This book is very thought provoking, honest and informative.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
1Pilgrim
4.0 out of 5 stars interesting memoir
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
Interesting take on someone with an emotionally difficult disease who has a job that requires one to "live in a fishbowl"....an easy, quick read.....good information....wanted it to have a little more depth.....but okay. Author has positive attitude in dealing with the situation life dealt him.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Sunny 1
5.0 out of 5 stars A Story of Hope
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 9, 2013
Verified Purchase
Being the parent of a recently diagnosed child with vitiligo, I was desperate to find out more about the condition. Not just the medical bit, not the genetics, the theories, the treatment, but what it felt like from the INSIDE. Lee Thomas's memoir explains the journey he has taken from disbelief and despair at his diagnosis to acceptance of his condition and how he has accommodated it into his life.
The author's warm and engaging personality shines through as he charts the effect the disease has had on him, both personally and professionally. Vitiligo doesn't just affect the skin. It affects the mind too. I finished the book feeling more positive about the condition - hey if Mr Thomas can do it, my girl can too!
Report