Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

60 reviews

geektastically's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Rape

rorikae's review

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

'The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred' by Chandra Prescod-Weinstein is an interesting mix of physics, memoir, and advocating for a new approach to science. 
Prescod-Weinstein weaves her own experience as an agender Black person into her explanations of physics and how she views science. She provides both an interesting look into physics for those of us who are less familiar with it as well as exploring how her identity has affected her study of science and view of the science field. As the book goes on, Prescod-Weinstein unpacks the racism, misogyny, and colonialism that are at the heart of modern day science and proposes new ways that we can approach science that opens up access and moves away from white supremacy. 
This book is fascinating in the way that it weaves together different genres into one book to be part memoir, part science textbook, and part critique on the current approach to science. I wouldn't have necessarily thought that all of those pieces could work together but the progression with which Prescod-Weinstein works through these pieces build upon one another so that each part that came before supports what comes after. 
The only part I found difficult was near the beginning when Prescod-Weinstein introduces us to different aspects of physics. I personally have a very hard time understanding physics and though I think Prescod-Weinstein made this far more accessible than most physics textbooks, there were still some aspects that went over my head. I do think this is in part due to listening to the audiobook and that returning to these sections in physical form, I would be able to understand more.
My favorite thing about this book is how all of the pieces come together. The end of the book, where Prescod-Weinstein weaves her own experiences and understanding of physics into a new view of how we can do science that removes harm and is more inclusive, was strengthened by each piece that came before. I have not read many books like this that meld genres to create something new and enlightening. I hope that she will write more in the future and I think this is a crucial read for anyone who is interested in or works in scientific fields. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, and Violence

breezer's review

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

3.0

Made some brilliant points but, ironically, was super disordered. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Rape, Racism, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Cultural appropriation

czfries's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Minor: Rape

yaelm's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Colonisation

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment

woodsyowl's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

e_flah's review against another edition

challenging reflective

The Disordered Cosmos covers everything from particle physics to the role that settler colonialism plays in the field of science. I learned a lot from Prescod-Weinstein's precise and insightful arguments. This is a book that left me with a lot to think about. I'm really glad I pushed through the first few chapters, which were very physics heavy (at least to me as someone who knows basically nothing about physics), as I really enjoyed the later sections of The Disordered Cosmos

One of the quotes from the book that sticks with me the most came from Prescod-Weinstein's discussion of physics as a field but it felt applicable to many other industries as well.

"We live and work in an environment that is rigidly committed to an exclusive and sometimes physically violent status quo."

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Racism, and Misogyny

bookiecharm's review against another edition

challenging reflective

5.0

This will take me time to process but it’s everything I want out of a nonfiction science/memoir book. I will probably wait til the paperback comes out to purchase and reread. All of the references and the thoughtfulness in the writing make me want to reread it even though I dislike physics. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, and Colonisation

Minor: Chronic illness and Injury/Injury detail

eb385's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

4.0

Im gonna buy this book so i can reread it and take notes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Colonisation