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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Not sure if this is a mind-blowing read for me. Perhaps that is because this book, with some essays published at least nearly a century ago, has been instilled so deeply into illustrious thoughts of black sociology and sociology in general within the 21st century. Perhaps the beauty of this book is that it is so raw. While reading each of the essays I could tell that these were relatively new ideas; Du Bois was playing with fire when he wrote this. I don't necessarily agree with everything within these essays. Again, his ideas are raw and would not -on a theoretical plane because obviously a great deal of this book deals with the practical elements of a people recently out of slavery- be adaptable in modern society. However, one can not deny the role these essays have played in shaping the way that many scholars of today think and, in a useful way, nuancing the discussion of what should be done as it pertains to "the Negro problem". In direct response to Booker T. Washington & Co., I appreciate that Du Bois helped to break up a monolith of Black thought, creating a conversation about what black people should do in this country that continues today. I do wish that Du Bois had been incorporated women into his essays, for it seemed that a great majority of the essays were geared to Black men exclusively. I figure that this is not a mistake; it seems that Du Bois thinks that the Talented Tenth that will lead the race (or are leading the race; whatever) are men. As we can plainly see now, that is simply not the case and I wish that Du Bois had a bit more insight into women's roles within the race struggles and the forthcoming civil rights movement. I don't think that's too much to ask; he was a sociologist.
Definitely recommend, especially if you're wondering whether you should take the time to read it for a college class. It is definitely not an easy read and I think any analysis and discussion could invigorate Du Bois' masterpiece even more.
Definitely recommend, especially if you're wondering whether you should take the time to read it for a college class. It is definitely not an easy read and I think any analysis and discussion could invigorate Du Bois' masterpiece even more.
I don’t know how I have missed this book until now. I found it powerful and moving. DuBois is eloquent and thoughtful. His words made me think and research and adjust. His essay about the death of his son made me cry. I feel that one of the best things that can be said about a book is that it changed you. This book changed me.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
a really informative and insightful piece of groundbreaking work.
Much of the book feels like it could've been written several decades later. Audio narration could be better.
An excellent read - a lot of Du Bois's statements could have been made today.
emotional
informative
slow-paced
The moment you start reading this book, you immediately understand why it's had such an enduring legacy among sociologists and philosophers. Even still, all the discussions about Du Bois' double consciousness theory give the book short shrift because Du Bois dives in much deeper than the dialog about double consciousness admits.
What is more striking about the books is how prescient Du Bois was in his treatment of the topic of race and its inevitable conflict. In the context of modern sociopolitical movements, Du Bois is almost prophetically clairvoyant. This book lays a solid and difficult for addressing the country's past, present and future in much the same manner as modern theorists. It's a wonder that he did this more than a century ago and yet his dialog still feels contemporary in many ways.
What is more striking about the books is how prescient Du Bois was in his treatment of the topic of race and its inevitable conflict. In the context of modern sociopolitical movements, Du Bois is almost prophetically clairvoyant. This book lays a solid and difficult for addressing the country's past, present and future in much the same manner as modern theorists. It's a wonder that he did this more than a century ago and yet his dialog still feels contemporary in many ways.