Reviews

Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom

waltzingmatilde's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

mochamuseum's review against another edition

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reflective fast-paced

4.0

jesslynnwent's review against another edition

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5.0

Tressie McMillan Cottom is a great storyteller, and every personal narrative had me instantly engaged. Her analysis of those events and/or of each topic she's tackling are definitely more academically written, and I found myself having to reread many passages, as I'm no longer used to reading this style of writing. This definitely isn't a negative by any stretch—it made me work harder and understand more fully. In fact, I think I could benefit from a repeat read at some point.

yikesbmg's review against another edition

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5.0

I really loved this book — it was dense, thorough in analysis, and full of interesting, new ideas. The author does a superb job of weaving theory, data, and personal experiences into compelling arguments. I loved her essay on beauty, on black girls on victim hood, and incompetence. It’s short and easy to read, though I did re-read a sections pretty often. After reading, I’d suggest looking up interviews with Tressie McMillan Cottom on different podcasts — she gives even more depth to her ideas on the Chris Hayes podcast, for example. 5/5, loved the book, would recommend to all, and am excited to keep reading her work.

aidanjo8's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

mochimustreads's review against another edition

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challenging reflective

4.0

jilliantw's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

nkz21752's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.25

mgouker's review against another edition

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5.0

Brilliant, well-articulated essays with cunning logic. I love Cottom's voice. Reading her is pure illumination.

amlibera's review against another edition

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5.0

Wow, this book.

I started following Tressie McMillan Cottom on Twitter (mostly because her policy on how students should turn in their paper in MS Word if they want comments matches my own). I ordered Lower Ed based on a thread about distance learning and then saw this and got it at the same time. Like a lot of "good white people" in the wake of the George Floyd murder, I have made it a point to educate myself more fully about systemic racism and the black experience in America. But Thick spoke to me and hit me in a way that I can't remember any book doing in a long time.

Cottom combines a clear academic perspective with a strong personal voice. She has an ability to look at the intersections of race (specifically American anti-black systemic racism) and issues like class, education, sexism, and health care in a way that hits both intellectually and emotionally. I will be thinking about and coming back to the ideas, themes, and stories in these essays for a long time.