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herk's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
pmhandley's review against another edition
4.0
To be clear to start: I am white, cis, straight, woman. I admit the intro of this book made me a little skeptical, mainly because I was not expecting to see words like "humxn" and "folx," and while the glossary was useful I wish it had included some history or theory behind why those terms are inherently more inclusive. But the fact is you get used to it quickly (and like Ricketts says, Google is free, and I am more than capable of looking up more information myself!) and as soon as I started the first chapter my doubts were all gone. Ricketts is very open and shares some of her most personal experiences, some of which I know had to be very painful to write about, to provide a very clear perspective on things I am never going to personally experience because of my own privileges. She supports everything with research and statistics and other experts too, so it's more than her personal experiences. It's never fun to examine your own flaws and think about times you have hurt other people by perpetuating white supremacy, but the book is useful in how it helps you get over yourself and actually improve instead of feeling guilty and calling it a day. I had some small issues - saying heterosexual people all have some form of transphobia ignores that trans people can be heterosexual, and I don't think saying "women+" instead of "womxn" addresses any of the criticisms on how "womxn" is not inclusive. (It still seems like it puts nonbinary/femme people in a "woman lite" category, and trans women are women, not some women-alt.) Then there was stuff that was just Not For Me, not any of the actual substance or prompts but I mean the suggested meditation and breathwork exercises, and I'm also not a very spiritual person. I have never been able to sit still ever, and asking me to meditate is like asking me to fly. But the actual thought exercises and prompts are useful and I benefited from them all the same, breathwork or not! I really loved the "wealth and hellness" chapter and the section on apologies, where Ricketts states "an apology without change is manipulation," which is just such a perfect and succinct analysis. At some point it seems like it became an expectation that someone must accept an apology and give forgiveness, and it was really refreshing to read pushback on that concept, and point out that that is not the point of apologizing about harm you have inflicted anyway. This book provided me with a lot of ways to be a better and more supportive friend and a better and more supportive coworker, and I saved a lot of notes to return to and practice again and again.
ebb_and_flow's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Classism, Medical content, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Hate crime, and Terminal illness
rayapolyak's review against another edition
5.0
This book kicked my ass. Rachel does not hold back, and now that I've finished the book, I'm so glad she didn't. I will be returning to this book time and time again as I continue on my journey of anti-racism and dismantling white supremacy and all systems of oppression. Thank you, Rachel, for your generous and wildly helpful offering.
chilivanilli28's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
jaymeshaw's review against another edition
4.0
If you are actively working on being anti-racist, this is a great book for you.
While my personal relationship with God is tenuous at best, I enjoyed Rickett's approach with spirituality instead of organized religion.
This book has inner work activities with both mindful and practical steps to do the work.
This is the type of book that I need to purchase a physical copy of so I can highlight and make notes in the margins and refer back to on a regular basis.
While my personal relationship with God is tenuous at best, I enjoyed Rickett's approach with spirituality instead of organized religion.
This book has inner work activities with both mindful and practical steps to do the work.
This is the type of book that I need to purchase a physical copy of so I can highlight and make notes in the margins and refer back to on a regular basis.
amandakathleen's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
skoppelkam's review against another edition
4.0
Picked this up because I am truly obsessed with a meditation Rachel Ricketts has on the insight timer app, which led me to all of her wise work. I definitely heard that same voice which is simultaneously loving and brutally honest in this text. You know, I truly used to not understand what people were talking about when they said antiracism would feel hard and uncomfortable. Over the past couple of years that’s changed, and I realize it’s because I wasn’t really getting honest with myself. “Do Better” made my breath shallow and my chest tight and made me feel all the discomfort - and that’s why I needed to read it, and I’d suggest other white folks do the same, particularly women. As Ricketts states, this book is TO white women, but not FOR white women. Oh and she also says “white folx cannot love, donate, vote, volunteer, post, or read their way out of racism” which is good for all of us here on the goodreads to remember. Pick this book up, and as others reviewing here have mentioned, be sure to look up “tone policing” and educate yourself before reviewing or reacting.
“So do more. Do better. And do it now. You’re already centuries behind.”
“So do more. Do better. And do it now. You’re already centuries behind.”