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mchester24's review against another edition
4.0
I would call this book a must-read for anyone who wants a detailed look at the history of the War on Drugs, and the associated perils that it has brought for the African American community as it replaced the old Jim Crowe system of marginalization and disenfranchisement. This book couldn't be more relevant than in today's climate as many people struggle to understood the deep-seeded anger and frustrations that have boiled over in today's dialogues about racism. I feel I came away with a greater understanding of how such a system of oppression can and does persist in a supposedly colorblind society with a population of people who would largely describe them self as anything but racist.
I recommend this book if those topics interest you, and you'd like to have the tools to talk about race in today's society with a historical context and an understanding of how much work is yet to be done. And I recommend a slow, deliberate read-- because every page is packed with important information and some complex ideas that are worth careful consideration.
I recommend this book if those topics interest you, and you'd like to have the tools to talk about race in today's society with a historical context and an understanding of how much work is yet to be done. And I recommend a slow, deliberate read-- because every page is packed with important information and some complex ideas that are worth careful consideration.
sentient_meat's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
jenmangler's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes you read a book and you know that, because of it, you'll never see things the same way again. That's this book for me. This is a book I wish everyone would read, because there's so much in it that we need to talk about.
Read this book.
Read this book.
dadcalves's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
mmacmahon's review against another edition
5.0
Well written and compelling
Fantastically written, it presents a perspective of our society that is both soundly backed up by evidence and avoids being bogged down by sheer weight of information. It's easy to read, eloquently argued, and a must to gain a bigger picture look at the history and direction of the civil rights, and human rights movement, of the 20th and 21st century.
Fantastically written, it presents a perspective of our society that is both soundly backed up by evidence and avoids being bogged down by sheer weight of information. It's easy to read, eloquently argued, and a must to gain a bigger picture look at the history and direction of the civil rights, and human rights movement, of the 20th and 21st century.
aroberts714's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
sunwapta's review against another edition
4.0
This book is very educational. And i really appreciate that the book focuses on everything before and after incarceration as being the root of the problems. It does spend a little bit on correctional facilities, which are often considered to be the root of the problem behind mass incarceration of black and Brown people.
I do wish the book spent a little more time on success stories in programs, cases, etc that have positively stood against Jim Crow. That would have given more hope in the possibility of change. Instead, the book really focuses on all that went wrong and continues to go wrong. All true but it leaves very hope of real, life-altering changes. And maybe that’s the point - American will likely never be able to treat each other as equals…
I do wish the book spent a little more time on success stories in programs, cases, etc that have positively stood against Jim Crow. That would have given more hope in the possibility of change. Instead, the book really focuses on all that went wrong and continues to go wrong. All true but it leaves very hope of real, life-altering changes. And maybe that’s the point - American will likely never be able to treat each other as equals…