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hilary_weckstein's review
4.0
3.75 stars. Enjoyed the tone, interviews, stories. Appreciate the author sharing and being vulnerable. Definitely a couple important takeaways for me but honestly we should know this by now. It’s sad that many people don’t but those people won’t read this anyway.
laysbookdncoverd's review
4.0
It was a Greta book filled with different narratives of people of color and minorities! I love that Fredrick got so many different types of people. When it came to sexuality, gender, and other things but all something that they and we have in common!
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
An eye opener. To be read with an open mind and an inward-looking view.
I want to be someone who sees a person without preconceptions, without prejudice. In my work, in everyday life. But I'm also a realist and know each of us brings unrealised history and judgements, instant impressions and stereotypes to our interactions. I know this.
And I also think, while we may not be able to rid ourselves of some of the above, the first step towards improving how we interact as individuals but also as a community is by acknowledging we aren't without flaws, that we can improve - that we should try to.
So I approached this book as a student, as someone willing to look at myself and try to determine if there are ways in which I allow words, feelings and my own unique history affect how I see other people.
The author is going to upset some with this book. Seeing situations from a perspective that isn't often reported is going to make readers think quite hard about what seem like small things - the phrases they say without realising they will be deeply hurtful and cutting, and just what it can be like to experience them day in and day out.
Anecdotes from his life, thoughts from a variety of people on their own experiences, along with a lot of discussion and analysis, this is angry but measured, weary yet energised.
This needs to be said. By a lot of people, in a lot of ways. Because it's time we took this seriously.
I found this book less of a challenge to read than I thought, what the writer said made sense to me, I thought the mixture of personal stories and discourse gave this flow. It could be read by teenagers in school or adults, it will require some self-evaluation. The glossary was particularly good, with not just definitions but historical background for terms such as 'affirmative action', 'BLM', 'white women's tears'.
For teens and above.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
I want to be someone who sees a person without preconceptions, without prejudice. In my work, in everyday life. But I'm also a realist and know each of us brings unrealised history and judgements, instant impressions and stereotypes to our interactions. I know this.
And I also think, while we may not be able to rid ourselves of some of the above, the first step towards improving how we interact as individuals but also as a community is by acknowledging we aren't without flaws, that we can improve - that we should try to.
So I approached this book as a student, as someone willing to look at myself and try to determine if there are ways in which I allow words, feelings and my own unique history affect how I see other people.
The author is going to upset some with this book. Seeing situations from a perspective that isn't often reported is going to make readers think quite hard about what seem like small things - the phrases they say without realising they will be deeply hurtful and cutting, and just what it can be like to experience them day in and day out.
Anecdotes from his life, thoughts from a variety of people on their own experiences, along with a lot of discussion and analysis, this is angry but measured, weary yet energised.
This needs to be said. By a lot of people, in a lot of ways. Because it's time we took this seriously.
I found this book less of a challenge to read than I thought, what the writer said made sense to me, I thought the mixture of personal stories and discourse gave this flow. It could be read by teenagers in school or adults, it will require some self-evaluation. The glossary was particularly good, with not just definitions but historical background for terms such as 'affirmative action', 'BLM', 'white women's tears'.
For teens and above.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
pbraue13's review
5.0
If you want a good introduction to anti-racist lit, this is it. It's an important and wonderful read including the voices of many writers, advocates, etc. on the various areas of race and racism which Joseph explores in this guide for those who wish to learn how to be better allies (or as Joseph writes accomplices). I especially loved reading the moments of Joseph's own experiences, some good and some very very bad, with racism, white privilege, and the prejudices which are rampant in our country. The area exploring micro aggressions truly blew my mind and had me reevaluating experiences or memories in which these micro aggressions may or may not have took place with out my awareness. It had me making myself accountable for my own ignorant, racist behavior and made me want to be a better person. More people should read this book and more people should use the knowledge in this book to try and change the world for the better and inform others who may not be privy to the harmful actions they commit.