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nicoleankenmann's review against another edition
5.0
Audiobook: 8hr.
I was born in the late 1980's. While I technically experienced a number of the global changes described in this social-justice memoir, my political memory begins with the attacks of 9/11. Learning the detailed history of one "woke" white man's life as he advocated for civil rights from WW2 through Y2K was an education that this waking white girl needed. You Can't Be Neutral is a critical read for those of us who think that the Black Lives Matter movement has only been going on for a couple of years.
I was born in the late 1980's. While I technically experienced a number of the global changes described in this social-justice memoir, my political memory begins with the attacks of 9/11. Learning the detailed history of one "woke" white man's life as he advocated for civil rights from WW2 through Y2K was an education that this waking white girl needed. You Can't Be Neutral is a critical read for those of us who think that the Black Lives Matter movement has only been going on for a couple of years.
pickleballlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Some people just write about history, Zinn also lived it. During the civil rights era, he got down with the people. So ask yourself: do you want to just sit there or do you want to make a difference?
solaana's review against another edition
My guy really put his money where his mouth is. Good for him.
ablotial's review against another edition
5.0
Wow.
I had never heard of Howard Zinn before reading this book, but now that I've read this I feel like I was missing out! I have also added his [b:A People's History of the United States|2767|A People's History of the United States|Howard Zinn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407105086s/2767.jpg|2185591] to my TBR and hope to get to it in early 2016 (2015 is pretty full for me with challenge books and new-mom reading).
I had no idea what to expect when I got this. I chose this book because I needed a memoir written by a "Z" author, and it turns out those are few and far between. My library didn't have it, so I purchased a paper copy instead of a Kindle copy so that I could resell (or paperbackswap) it when I was done. But now, I am definitely planning to keep it! It is a great addition to my personal library.
Howard Zinn was a professor and political activist during the civil rights movement in the United States. He had grown up in Brooklyn, working manual labor jobs before working in the Air Force and then taking advantage of the GI Bill to go to college and eventually get a PhD from Columbia. He had trouble finding employment as a professor and ended up taking a job at Spellman, a university in the southern US that served Black students. When (white) people in his new hometown learned where he worked, he was treated differently and with disdain even though he was also white, which really opened his eyes to the rampant racism that hadn't been quite so obvious to him living in a northern city.
He became a friend and ally of his students, and became very active in the movement, even going to jail because of his actions. This book describes much of this history from his point of view, which was really interesting, at times horrifying, sad, happy -- the whole range of emotions. I had a similar reaction reading this book that I did when I read [b:Warriors Don't Cry|356609|Warriors Don't Cry The Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High|Melba Pattillo Beals|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442637405s/356609.jpg|389294] - it's hard to believe the horrific way people act, and that this happened in my parents' lifetime!
Interestingly, this was a new edition of the book, that Zinn added a note at the beginning after 9/11 where he drew parallels between Americans' current treatment of Middle Eastern people and the events in his past. It's very sad how history tends to repeat itself in terms of the bad things...
This was an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
I had never heard of Howard Zinn before reading this book, but now that I've read this I feel like I was missing out! I have also added his [b:A People's History of the United States|2767|A People's History of the United States|Howard Zinn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407105086s/2767.jpg|2185591] to my TBR and hope to get to it in early 2016 (2015 is pretty full for me with challenge books and new-mom reading).
I had no idea what to expect when I got this. I chose this book because I needed a memoir written by a "Z" author, and it turns out those are few and far between. My library didn't have it, so I purchased a paper copy instead of a Kindle copy so that I could resell (or paperbackswap) it when I was done. But now, I am definitely planning to keep it! It is a great addition to my personal library.
Howard Zinn was a professor and political activist during the civil rights movement in the United States. He had grown up in Brooklyn, working manual labor jobs before working in the Air Force and then taking advantage of the GI Bill to go to college and eventually get a PhD from Columbia. He had trouble finding employment as a professor and ended up taking a job at Spellman, a university in the southern US that served Black students. When (white) people in his new hometown learned where he worked, he was treated differently and with disdain even though he was also white, which really opened his eyes to the rampant racism that hadn't been quite so obvious to him living in a northern city.
He became a friend and ally of his students, and became very active in the movement, even going to jail because of his actions. This book describes much of this history from his point of view, which was really interesting, at times horrifying, sad, happy -- the whole range of emotions. I had a similar reaction reading this book that I did when I read [b:Warriors Don't Cry|356609|Warriors Don't Cry The Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High|Melba Pattillo Beals|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442637405s/356609.jpg|389294] - it's hard to believe the horrific way people act, and that this happened in my parents' lifetime!
Interestingly, this was a new edition of the book, that Zinn added a note at the beginning after 9/11 where he drew parallels between Americans' current treatment of Middle Eastern people and the events in his past. It's very sad how history tends to repeat itself in terms of the bad things...
This was an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
bean_mcmachine's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible. Zinn takes a more personal approach to the history of his own life and times. In recounting all of these events he paints a picture of a world that could be viewed in a new light and changed for the better.
minionmalist's review against another edition
3.0
I'd listen to any book david strathairn narrates. The book is inspiring and I'd give half a star more if goodreads allowed it but overall seems more disjointed and not as relevant as people's history.