Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara

51 reviews

jonna_doucette's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Essential reading! Siddharth Kara's "Cobalt Red" is a triumph in human rights and labor reporting. This is what journalism looks like. Matter-of-fact and unflinching in its narrative, this book can and should radicalize all of us to embrace a future of conspicuous consumption.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma and Colonisation

Moderate: Child death, Racism, and Violence

Minor: Sexual violence, Slavery, and Pandemic/Epidemic

tuesday_evening's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

padayacheese's review against another edition

informative sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

stephanieluxton's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Thos is an important book. The injustice happening in the congo in real time is unimaginable. 

I can appreciate all the work that the author did to research and write this book. No one seems to really know or talk about cobalt mining even though it's directly linked to our rechargeable devices. I think this book will become more important now that electric cars are being pushed so heavily.

It really makes you think about what other injustices are occuring in the world. Our first world problems suddenly seem so superficial after reading a book like this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Nothing is overly graphic.

haley49's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

3.5

This was an extremely valuable portrayal of a horrific industry that thrives on exploitation and the lives of those with no other options. It’s tie-backs to colonialism and the past while also looking towards the future were really well done. However, it would say things about the blood on the hands of the consumer but didn’t discuss ways to hold companies or the region accountable. The people of the DRC deserve so much better but unless there are ways for us average citizens to do something in a world reliant on our technology, we can’t exactly take action without some kind of solution in mind from those who know what’s going on in the DRC. Maybe that was the point but I just wanted a little more of a takeaway. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, and Colonisation

aiyam's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bandysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Cobalt Red is a book on a subject that I was vaguely aware of, but definitely should know more about. This is one of those books that is horrifically depressing due to the subject matter and at the same time extremely well researched and written. I wish that this could be made required reading when purchasing a smart device. The DRC has been brutalized by colonialism and civil war, so to see it further exploited by Cobalt and Coltan mining is just heartbreaking. 

I did listen to this book on audiobook and I felt that the audio was very well done. Sometimes non-fiction can be a bit dry, but this was narrated well, super compelling, and kept me interested in learning more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

montyalmoro's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Slavery, Xenophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

lbelow's review against another edition

informative sad medium-paced

4.75

This is such a brilliant and eye-opening book. It is thorough and heart-breaking. A much-needed and revealing book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Slavery, and Colonisation

Minor: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

pvbobrien's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Trafficking