Scan barcode
lijohnlw1's review against another edition
2.0
In order to review a political and social commentary such as this I'd like to consider three factors. Does the book provoke new dialogue? Does it make a good attempt to support those ideas with strong argumentation? Thirdly, how does the book sit as a readable piece of work?
The book truly hits the first one out of the park, not only providing a candid, personal account of the British black experience but also a good overview of Black history in England. Based on this alone I'd encourage many to go and read this. Eddo-Lodge touches upon the definitions of feminism, intersectionality, structural/institutional racism and, most crucially, race-blindness.
Unfortunately in the second criteria, I don't feel like the author does justice to these ideas with a measured and effective debate. Taking for example the two chapters devoted to intersectionality. Though I agree wholeheartedly with the conceit that intersectional communities need a voice, I don't feel her arguments really provide me with any ammunition to strengthen that position. The author declares that feminism must "liberate all people who have been economically, socially and culturally marginalised by a ... system that has been designed for them to fail". Not only do I disagree with this mischaracterisation of feminism, I don't think she has convinced me that feminists as a group should be shoulder the blame for the lack of intersectionality discourse today. Throughout the book Eddo-Lodge takes many criticisms of feminism and masculinity as given, and as such I found it difficult to learn anything from here besides raw ideas.
The book is certainly readable front to back. Make no mistake, this is a powerful piece of polemic prose, and therein lies much of the value of the book. I read this, and found myself enjoying experiencing the author's anger, deftly woven into the text and really bringing it to life.
Overall my score is a reflection of the strength and power of the ideas, let down significantly by the lack of convincing arguments for real solutions.
The book truly hits the first one out of the park, not only providing a candid, personal account of the British black experience but also a good overview of Black history in England. Based on this alone I'd encourage many to go and read this. Eddo-Lodge touches upon the definitions of feminism, intersectionality, structural/institutional racism and, most crucially, race-blindness.
Unfortunately in the second criteria, I don't feel like the author does justice to these ideas with a measured and effective debate. Taking for example the two chapters devoted to intersectionality. Though I agree wholeheartedly with the conceit that intersectional communities need a voice, I don't feel her arguments really provide me with any ammunition to strengthen that position. The author declares that feminism must "liberate all people who have been economically, socially and culturally marginalised by a ... system that has been designed for them to fail". Not only do I disagree with this mischaracterisation of feminism, I don't think she has convinced me that feminists as a group should be shoulder the blame for the lack of intersectionality discourse today. Throughout the book Eddo-Lodge takes many criticisms of feminism and masculinity as given, and as such I found it difficult to learn anything from here besides raw ideas.
The book is certainly readable front to back. Make no mistake, this is a powerful piece of polemic prose, and therein lies much of the value of the book. I read this, and found myself enjoying experiencing the author's anger, deftly woven into the text and really bringing it to life.
Overall my score is a reflection of the strength and power of the ideas, let down significantly by the lack of convincing arguments for real solutions.
rachaelloveseveryone's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
I'm usually more of a lurker but reviewing to highlight an insightful black voice on an important issue.
saffysarah's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I'm glad I have read this book, as it is helping me see what else I can, could and should be doing to understand the problems of race, but also that it isn't a hopeless endeavour to understand racism and the nuances.
theogb451's review against another edition
5.0
A book all white people should read.
If you assume this book is racist then you'd be wrong. It lays out a lot of facts about how race affects people who aren't white in the UK that are interesting and damning.
Luckily the author's writing is brisk and highly readable. Unlike many factual books where it feels the author has a word count to achieve, this is always pithy and to the point, covering a range of points without repeating the same ideas over and over.
If you assume this book is racist then you'd be wrong. It lays out a lot of facts about how race affects people who aren't white in the UK that are interesting and damning.
Luckily the author's writing is brisk and highly readable. Unlike many factual books where it feels the author has a word count to achieve, this is always pithy and to the point, covering a range of points without repeating the same ideas over and over.
jashegerova's review against another edition
3.0
i somehow expected more from this book. much of it - with perhaps the exception of the history element at the beginning - felt quite obvious. not sure whether to feel dissapointed or smug about this - the book raises a lot of good points, and perhaps these are points that weren’t being raised when it was first published, but a lot of it felt repetitive. anywho.
leesahajduk's review against another edition
4.0
Even though I’m a fiction girl, this was very interesting.
tommy_boi's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Racism
nibbseyreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
shimmery's review against another edition
5.0
It’s hard to know what to say about this book other than that every white person in Britain has a duty to read it.
I’ve always been aware of racism, felt uncomfortable about it and saddened by it, but never really knew what to do. Sometimes I’d hear racist things said and call out someone for being racist, and when they asked why found I couldn’t fully articulate an answer. I’ve always been the kind of person who obviously wants equality and yet thought it was probably not my fight. In this book, Eddo-Lodge articulates perfectly all those insidious kinds of racism and provides a startlingly acute insight in to what it is like to be a person of colour in Britain, and just how much that still, in this day and age, is limiting opportunities. We all have a duty to recognise prejudice in ourselves and those around us and this book is a great help in doing that.
There is a great section on intersectional feminism. One part really struck me - where she points out that if we have feminism without intersectionality then all we are working toward is the same power structure but with more women at the top, not equality. I really like the idea of imagining a utopia and aiming for that. I really hope this book will be widely read and inspire change.
I’ve always been aware of racism, felt uncomfortable about it and saddened by it, but never really knew what to do. Sometimes I’d hear racist things said and call out someone for being racist, and when they asked why found I couldn’t fully articulate an answer. I’ve always been the kind of person who obviously wants equality and yet thought it was probably not my fight. In this book, Eddo-Lodge articulates perfectly all those insidious kinds of racism and provides a startlingly acute insight in to what it is like to be a person of colour in Britain, and just how much that still, in this day and age, is limiting opportunities. We all have a duty to recognise prejudice in ourselves and those around us and this book is a great help in doing that.
There is a great section on intersectional feminism. One part really struck me - where she points out that if we have feminism without intersectionality then all we are working toward is the same power structure but with more women at the top, not equality. I really like the idea of imagining a utopia and aiming for that. I really hope this book will be widely read and inspire change.