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A review by poxav
This Is What Inequality Looks Like by Teo You Yenn
3.0
The first half of the book is, without a doubt, a must-read for every Singaporean. It provides a perspective into a troubling reality that many of us would choose to blissfully ignore. Indeed, by reading, you are forced to admit not just systemic inadequacies that you might have refused to consider, but also might have to admit your unconscious compliance in facilitating this problematic milieu.
However, despite its strengths, the second half of the book is remarkably different from the first. While This Is What Inequality Looks Like never pretended to be academic in nature, the second half abandons objectivity and nuance for highly opinionated streams of consciousness. Much needed elaboration on certain topics is oftentimes not offered, and certain issues are not discussed in any satisfactory way. While it is good for the author to recognize the issues with not discussing the impact of race, sidestepping the issue in such a manner still makes the text feel incomplete in a sense.
"One has to make conscious effort to move beyond defensiveness and ideology." In the context the author presents this statement in the last chapter of the book, I completely agree. However, this same quote, when considering the backdrop of the latter half of the book, is, dare I say, just a tad bit hypocritical.
However, despite its strengths, the second half of the book is remarkably different from the first. While This Is What Inequality Looks Like never pretended to be academic in nature, the second half abandons objectivity and nuance for highly opinionated streams of consciousness. Much needed elaboration on certain topics is oftentimes not offered, and certain issues are not discussed in any satisfactory way. While it is good for the author to recognize the issues with not discussing the impact of race, sidestepping the issue in such a manner still makes the text feel incomplete in a sense.
"One has to make conscious effort to move beyond defensiveness and ideology." In the context the author presents this statement in the last chapter of the book, I completely agree. However, this same quote, when considering the backdrop of the latter half of the book, is, dare I say, just a tad bit hypocritical.