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shanhautman's review against another edition
4.0
Well researched and informative. Personal stories really drove home certain points.
alicebme's review against another edition
4.0
This shit is spot-on and just fucking squashes me, but reading it in Oluo’s voice lit up my brain. Somehow I found myself laughing and crying and energized all in the same sitting. I’m not hopeful for change on a grand scale (because humans), but I sure as hell felt comfort in Oluo’s insights and writing style.
magikspells's review against another edition
3.0
I really just enjoy the way Ijeoma frames her discussion of her topics. Overall I enjoyed it and I learned a lot.
talypollywaly's review against another edition
might finish later. but it was just so much of "yeah, i already know this"
xcinnamonsugar's review against another edition
This book covers a lot of ground on racism and patriarchy throughout American history. Although this book focuses specifically on the history of white male supremacy in America, power imbalances anywhere lead to similar outcomes. Equality is, in principle, a wonderful thing. Until those who have grown accustomed to being on the receiving end of extra privileges realize that they’ll have to give it up. This is often what makes people cling to polices and practices that preserve inequality.
There were some parts that came across to me like man-hating feminist rants, which was a huge pity because this book was otherwise stellar. E.g. An observation that women/POC tended to be appointed to leadership roles of firms only when they were already at risk of failure, and then replaced by white men when they failed to work miracles: “Women and POC are often only given the opportunity to steer ships that white men have already rammed into icebergs. Then when the ship sinks, the media reports that women make bad captains.” While it makes for a great soundbite, I'm not sure the best way to push for equality is by antagonistic finger-pointing.
Some interesting takeaways:
✏️ A working class white male isn’t against race and gender equality because of hate, but because it translates into stiffer competition for resources that are scant enough as it is. The working class white male wonders why he’s being demonized on account of his race and gender, when he too is barely eking out a living under capitalism. It is a lot easier to blame the person vying for the same resource as he is, than it is to hold a faceless system accountable for throttling supply in the first place.
✏️ The glorification of hyper-masculinity is closely linked to the violence and savagery necessary for colonization. Violence is also conspicuously omitted from, or moralized, in historical accounts. (I shouldn’t be this surprised by how much ground has been gained throughout history by people with delulu-is-the-solulu levels of entitlement).
✏️ There was a time not long ago when working married women were seen as stealing jobs that were rightfully held by men. They were socially shamed, and blamed for rampant unemployment during the Depression. This was despite the fact that they were largely employed in roles that men were not competing for in the first place, like housekeeping.
✏️ Many lauded male “feminists” had self-serving motivations: imagine dating a woman who was not only beautiful, but could actually hold a conversation and pay for her own dinner! Unsurprisingly, they later noped out of this stance when they realized it threatened their position as de facto head of household.
There were some parts that came across to me like man-hating feminist rants, which was a huge pity because this book was otherwise stellar. E.g. An observation that women/POC tended to be appointed to leadership roles of firms only when they were already at risk of failure, and then replaced by white men when they failed to work miracles: “Women and POC are often only given the opportunity to steer ships that white men have already rammed into icebergs. Then when the ship sinks, the media reports that women make bad captains.” While it makes for a great soundbite, I'm not sure the best way to push for equality is by antagonistic finger-pointing.
Some interesting takeaways:
✏️ A working class white male isn’t against race and gender equality because of hate, but because it translates into stiffer competition for resources that are scant enough as it is. The working class white male wonders why he’s being demonized on account of his race and gender, when he too is barely eking out a living under capitalism. It is a lot easier to blame the person vying for the same resource as he is, than it is to hold a faceless system accountable for throttling supply in the first place.
✏️ The glorification of hyper-masculinity is closely linked to the violence and savagery necessary for colonization. Violence is also conspicuously omitted from, or moralized, in historical accounts. (I shouldn’t be this surprised by how much ground has been gained throughout history by people with delulu-is-the-solulu levels of entitlement).
✏️ There was a time not long ago when working married women were seen as stealing jobs that were rightfully held by men. They were socially shamed, and blamed for rampant unemployment during the Depression. This was despite the fact that they were largely employed in roles that men were not competing for in the first place, like housekeeping.
✏️ Many lauded male “feminists” had self-serving motivations: imagine dating a woman who was not only beautiful, but could actually hold a conversation and pay for her own dinner! Unsurprisingly, they later noped out of this stance when they realized it threatened their position as de facto head of household.
kaelaceleste's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this but listen I was always gonna love this. It is news to no one that I loved this.
I really enjoyed the pictures she painted as Oluo guided us through historical examples of white men being mediocre and getting the utmost praise for it. Each chapter took a different subject or angle and forces the reader to explore their own perceptions and biases on the topic at hand. I especially loved the bits she wrote in about her experiences as being from Seattle - some really great takes there that gave me pause. I learned a lot from this book and I think it was a very valuable read.
I really enjoyed the pictures she painted as Oluo guided us through historical examples of white men being mediocre and getting the utmost praise for it. Each chapter took a different subject or angle and forces the reader to explore their own perceptions and biases on the topic at hand. I especially loved the bits she wrote in about her experiences as being from Seattle - some really great takes there that gave me pause. I learned a lot from this book and I think it was a very valuable read.