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vampirefwoodstock's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Murder, Racial slurs, and Violence
mosswood's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
This was a difficult book to read in many respects but Akala’s incredibly talented writing and intricacy of perception made it difficult for me to put down. He provides such clear statistics whilst also conveying such humility. The book is an incredibly useful tool and was immensely valuable to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
flowingleaves's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
A very interesting part biography, part history book that shines a very important light on many aspects of Britian and its culture and history. The author's experiences were very visceral and you could tell how much they shaped him. The writing was a bit not up to par in some places, but overall it was a very informative and important read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Classism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Police brutality
readingthroughinfinity's review
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
This is an excellent, insightful piece of nonfiction about the history of racism and empire in the UK. It's clear that a lot of research went into this, as Akala delves into the Britain's colonial past and the damaging legacy it left behind for the countries colonised and in the way people of colour are treated in he UK today. He also discusses his childhood and own experiences of racism, weaving these anecdotes and stories together with the wider discussion of the issues faced by global African communities. A fantastic piece of nonfiction and one that I wish everyone (but especially white people) in the UK would read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Racism
jasleen14's review
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Racism
thesinginglights's review
medium-paced
5.0
Akala is one of my favourite thinkers. Clear-eyed, well-informed, and just overall interesting. This is a brilliant blend of Akala's life and the socio-political context that informs him: he being a mixed-race man growing up in London, a fact that made his white mother be disowned by her family.
His story informs aspects of race in the UK from history and concurrently with his life, argued with accessible prose, similar to how he speaks in public. That's part of the draw: it's informative without being overwhelming and speaks deeply and broadly on topics. The one thing I would have liked a bit more of is his reflections on his adult life, of his music career and where he is currently. We get glimpses of it (especially for racial profiling) but the bulk of his personal stuff is from his childhood, especially when he was being a "roadman" in his teens.
His story informs aspects of race in the UK from history and concurrently with his life, argued with accessible prose, similar to how he speaks in public. That's part of the draw: it's informative without being overwhelming and speaks deeply and broadly on topics. The one thing I would have liked a bit more of is his reflections on his adult life, of his music career and where he is currently. We get glimpses of it (especially for racial profiling) but the bulk of his personal stuff is from his childhood, especially when he was being a "roadman" in his teens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Slavery
britgirlreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Bullying, Classism, Slavery, Police brutality, Murder, and Hate crime
lukerik's review
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
If Zack de la Rocha were British and wrote a book.
It’s a hard piece of writing to categorise. Political and personal and polemical. It’s almost like a personal work of sociology, properly referenced and with an interesting bibliography. Akala is obviously a very intelligent man with a finely tuned bullshit detector and a laser-like intellect that he turns on some very confusing issues. Thorough, precise, and sensible arguments and he never takes rhetorical shortcuts even when he’s angry. I didn’t agree with all his conclusions, but if we’re all going to agree we may as well give up and stop thinking now. A very thought-provoking book. I often found it sending my mind off at tangents so that reading it is almost like engaging in a dialogue. Also very funny at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Genocide, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
anjalasagne's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
3.0
Some great discussion around class and race, especially useful for those just beginning to understand the complex relationship between them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Violence
jjcantread's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism