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elcsparks's review
5.0
The amount of time, energy, research, tact, and just overall intelligence put into this book is an absolute gift to all of its readers. Heather McGhee is an incredible writer, economist, speaker and this book is both poignant and timely. My partner and I first encountered Heather in 2019 and had this book preordered over a year. This was our most anticipated book, and lived up to the anticipation - absolutely worth the wait and the read. Thank you, Heather for sharing your brilliance with the rest of us!
srjennings's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
The main theme is that whites have bought into a zero- sum ideology that says the rights and gains for other groups is a loss to them. The truth is that whites are hurt by inequality and inequity also. Greater equity produces dividends of solidarity that uplift everyone. One of the main ways is to change from disinvesting in public goods that serve everyone and rather build up these public goods so that all can benefit.
busboom's review
5.0
This book is excellent and a must read for all Americans, particularly the "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" crowd.
readwithbri's review
5.0
"πΎπ πππ πππ πππππ
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ππππ ππππππππππ ππ π
ππππππππ, π ππππππ ππ πππππππππ πππππππππ ππππ πππ ππ ππππ ππ ππππ
ππππππππππ ππππ ππ ππ ππππ ππππ π
ππππππ πππππ π
ππ."
There are a few truths that we must face if we want to build a nation that is truly great: we are living on a stolen land built by stolen labor, the freedom and privilege that we enjoy is a product of the exploitation of a racial hierarchy, and that we are equipped to dismantle that hierarchy so that all of us, rather than just some of us, can be greater than the sum of us.
Read this for:
Read this for:
π a complete dismantling of the idea that the majority suffers due to the gains of the minority
πΈ compelling truths about the high costs of racism, white supremacy, systemic oppression, and denial in *all* communities β be they white, nonwhite, liberal, conservative
π eye-opening clarification about our shared realities and the invisible boundaries we all live within
ποΈ top notch writing, research, and accessible presentation- an expert blend of meticulous data analysis, personal experiences, and investigative research.
π§ guidance for realistic, hopeful, multi-racial solutions that can bend the moral arc of our nation back toward justice, and begin to transform America
At this point, anyone who is aware of our nationβs history (and recent history) has been confronted with the hard realities that many of our problems, from housing to healthcare, education, voting rights, clean air, etc β can be traced to racial injustice.
In The Sum of Us, youβll unlock even more truths about our shared history as a nation, and take a closer look at the insidious ways that racial hierarchy has baited the white majority into believing in a false zero-sum modelβ¦ and then use this book as a guidebook, as a roadmap into what solidarity actual looks like.
This is simply excellent.