Scan barcode
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
5.0
This book was amazing.
Extremely well written and well researched.
Great read.
I really enjoy McWhorter and will closely follow his career. His other book [b:Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever|55252533|Nine Nasty Words English in the Gutter Then, Now, and Forever|John McWhorter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599452124l/55252533._SX50_.jpg|86155165] was also very enjoyable.
An important read.
4.8/5
Extremely well written and well researched.
Great read.
I really enjoy McWhorter and will closely follow his career. His other book [b:Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever|55252533|Nine Nasty Words English in the Gutter Then, Now, and Forever|John McWhorter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599452124l/55252533._SX50_.jpg|86155165] was also very enjoyable.
An important read.
4.8/5
mikecross's review
4.0
A powerful book by an excellent author. Really drives home the point and provides the full analysis and plan of action. Always love his works. Highly recommended.
kalervonpoika's review
4.0
A book I've wanted to read since hearing the man speak on radio. He has many salient points. The main reason this isn't a five-star review is because he doesn't have citations of every single thing he refers to, but the ones I bothered to look up were readily findable.
dlsmall's review against another edition
4.0
I feel a bit like Dave Chappelle and his current dilemma…if one wants to discuss or debate White Fragility or So You Want to Talk About Race or How to be an Antiracist, you should be required to read this and Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste first.
danimal85's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
An excellent perspective on how racism on the left can occur even in those who say they're fighting it from the perspective of a well-known African-American academic liberal.
jerihurd's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I've struggled with any philosophy that says race is not just the core of who you are, but the all-defining characteristic, which means don't totally agree with Ibram X. Kendi. D'Angelo lost me as soon as she implied that ANY argument with her position, no matter how rational, just proves your fragility. That is completely antithetical to every idea about social discourse my liberal arts college drilled into me. So I was ready to jump completely on board with McWhorter, whose many columns and articles I've enjoyed as a pretty rational response.
However, the book just read like a very long column, rather than the more...analytical? academic?...argument I was hoping for. I'm also not as sanguine as he seems to be in this book about the current state of racism in the US. Of course it's better than Jim Crow days, but I don't think we're as generally evolved (if not specifically) as he implies. I do think he's on the right tack in describing the far left woke cohort as religious zealots, bent on converting the heathen. Or the Catholics and the Huguenots.
While the first four chapters into a detailed explanation of his analogy, the last few chapters offer ways to actually address black poverty and education in meaningful ways, as well as suggestions for responding to the woke "Elite"should the need arise. That he understands of whom he speaks is pretty much evidenced by the myriad Goodreads reviews calling him everything from a self-hater to an Uncle Tom. As he predicted.
So no, it's not brilliant, but I'm glad I read it.
However, the book just read like a very long column, rather than the more...analytical? academic?...argument I was hoping for. I'm also not as sanguine as he seems to be in this book about the current state of racism in the US. Of course it's better than Jim Crow days, but I don't think we're as generally evolved (if not specifically) as he implies. I do think he's on the right tack in describing the far left woke cohort as religious zealots, bent on converting the heathen. Or the Catholics and the Huguenots.
While the first four chapters into a detailed explanation of his analogy, the last few chapters offer ways to actually address black poverty and education in meaningful ways, as well as suggestions for responding to the woke "Elite"should the need arise. That he understands of whom he speaks is pretty much evidenced by the myriad Goodreads reviews calling him everything from a self-hater to an Uncle Tom. As he predicted.
So no, it's not brilliant, but I'm glad I read it.
laraleigh529's review
A different view than what I normally ingest… I’ll be thinking about this book for awhile.