Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Rating this entirely for its content—a very worthwhile read.
That said, the production is a little on the embarrassing side. This is a short-ass short book (95 pages, not counting references) and is *filled* with tiny copy editing errors and mix-ups on practically every page. This thing was rushed out the door, which is a shame as its authors and subject matter deserved far better. If a copy editor was in fact hired for this, the publisher should get their money back.
That said, the production is a little on the embarrassing side. This is a short-ass short book (95 pages, not counting references) and is *filled* with tiny copy editing errors and mix-ups on practically every page. This thing was rushed out the door, which is a shame as its authors and subject matter deserved far better. If a copy editor was in fact hired for this, the publisher should get their money back.
This is a highly academic survey of Black scholarship in Canada. On its own, it feels like merely an invitation to explore other works that it references.
As many people complain/notice, the first chapter is confusingly written in academic language with bad grammar. The second and third chapters are more of a smooth read. I value what I learned from this book, including hyper local black history of Toronto neighbourhoods and refreshingly personal takes on formative texts. If nothing else, read the intro and conclusion.
Very quick and insightful read on the very under-explored subject of anti-black racism in Canada.
DNF 14%
Sadly I’m not able to read this. It desperately needs some proofreading. Run on and repetitive sentences, topics jumping all over, and excessively academic language all make for a confusing reading experience. It’s a shame.
Sadly I’m not able to read this. It desperately needs some proofreading. Run on and repetitive sentences, topics jumping all over, and excessively academic language all make for a confusing reading experience. It’s a shame.
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
BlackLife is a brief but powerful little book that offers up vital views on BlackLife in Canada, particularly in the ways that Canadian institutions (particularly cultural institutions) continue to fail Black people in Canada. This is a great starter book for anyone looking to understand racism and antiracism in a Canadian context. The language is often on the academic side, but it's worth working your way through if you can. Definitely recommended!
Being Toronto-focused, I wanted to understand more about the Canadian Black Lives Matter perspective.
Not terribly well written - “The reality is that BlackLife in Canada finds itself being expressed and circumscribed by the demand from Black people that it be a full life and resisted by a set of forces, structures and people that it be something less than a full life.” This is a book that would benefit greatly from additional editing and proofreading. Often complex words are used when simpler ones would have similar impact. Sentences run on far too long - taking me away from the book. In fact, the first chapter takes three paragraphs to explain what its going to be about. Unnecessary.
Passages like this just feel like word soup: “Since 1492, the globe has been embroiled in a conception of the human driven by European man-human conceptuality, understandings and categorizations of the world and thus the globe.”
A topic I genuinely wanted to read about given the local context, but the book did not hold my attention. Perhaps this was overly academic in nature and best served for that audience.
Not terribly well written - “The reality is that BlackLife in Canada finds itself being expressed and circumscribed by the demand from Black people that it be a full life and resisted by a set of forces, structures and people that it be something less than a full life.” This is a book that would benefit greatly from additional editing and proofreading. Often complex words are used when simpler ones would have similar impact. Sentences run on far too long - taking me away from the book. In fact, the first chapter takes three paragraphs to explain what its going to be about. Unnecessary.
Passages like this just feel like word soup: “Since 1492, the globe has been embroiled in a conception of the human driven by European man-human conceptuality, understandings and categorizations of the world and thus the globe.”
A topic I genuinely wanted to read about given the local context, but the book did not hold my attention. Perhaps this was overly academic in nature and best served for that audience.