Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein

16 reviews

mads_jpg's review against another edition

challenging informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

4.25

I regret listening to the audiobook because there were so many sections I wanted to annotate the hell out of, so I'm gonna have to reread this once I've got a physical copy.

While this is a very zeitgeisty book, I think it'll age better than others, as it serves almost as a history book mixed with memoir mixed with psychology. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Body shaming, Classism, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Confinement, Mass/school shootings, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Genocide, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Colonisation, Racism, and War

Minor: Sexual violence, Slavery, Transphobia, and Abortion

booksthatburn's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: War, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, and Racism

meganpbell's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

Facing her own doppelgänger, leftist activist Naomi Klein explores the absurdity, inversion, and surreality of our cultural and political moment, offering piercing perspectives on self-branding and conspiracy theories, climate change and the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, and more. Sprawling, funny, intellectually invigorating, and disturbing in equal measure—if you get lost following Klein through the mirror world,  you’ll end with your feet on more solid ground.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Ableism, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, Pandemic/Epidemic, Colonisation, and Death of parent

bookswithbethx's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Genocide, Violence, Ableism, Colonisation, War, Transphobia, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Misogyny, and Dementia

ranocchietto's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Police brutality, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, War, Child abuse, Antisemitism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Colonisation, Death, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Child death, Genocide, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Torture, and Trafficking

outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition

dark informative reflective slow-paced

2.75

Have you been feeling that in the last few years things are slightly off with the world? Public violence seems to be increasing, & people have little time, care, or respect for others. Online, the slightest disagreement results in pile-ons, doxxing, & calls for people to lose their jobs. I know that I sometimes look around & wonder what the hell is going on. There's a feeling that we have truly stepped through the looking glass. Naomi Klein calls this the Shadow or Mirror world, which leads her onto Doppelganger culture: the world of the Shadow selves.

Klein, author of books such as 'No Logo' & 'Shock Doctrine' has over the last few years been continually confused with another writer of a similar name but who holds the opposite viewpoints in many things. It's all a bit tenuous - I can imagine it is frustrating to have people keep attributing her words to you, but a doppelganger? Not sure. There were some very interesting sections, one being the modern 'branding' of the self as a selling point which is fuelling this reluctance to be seen even considering other viewpoints lest they spoil our 'brand' (the polarised debate over face mask wearing during Covid is one topic covered). Another being the argument that the ideas synonymous with Nazi Germany did not spring from nowhere but were influenced both by the expansionist policies of contemporary Europe & the eugenics & segregation polices of the US.

Overall though it jumps about from topic to topic (including racism, xenophobia, the Holocaust, communism, climate change, Covid, & facism) & it was difficult at times to stay on track whilst reading. My mind started to wander at times. There were some things I agreed with but others I was not altogether convinced. It's my least favourite of her books that I've read for sure. There were several mentions of films & books which deal with doppelgangers, most of which I noted down for later reading/watching. 

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Press UK/Allen Lane, for the opportunity to read an ARC.  I am voluntarily giving an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism