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A review by j3r3
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt
4.0
A safe book with good arguments
The main arguments definitely provide some clarity and understanding of the PC/virtue signaling/SJW culture that is being embodied by the left especially on many college campuses. The authors do a good job of diving deep into specific instances to show motivations and another side of the story. Unfortunately, this is bogged down by their one sided political view of events in the US. They seem to be quite sympathetic to those actually promoting and causing violence and spend a lot of time explaining their actions, sometimes seeming to blame the victims but put no effort into doing the same for the other side. They conveniently leave specific facts out or unaddressed (Trump, Charlottesville) and include incorrect facts as supporting arguments (McCarthyism). However, this all aligns with the common narrative and does not seem to detract from the primary arguments of the book. That is what makes this book safe, in the sense that the authors use the word throughout. It goes right along with most of the current beliefs of the people they are discussing many of which are very divisive while suggesting that people stop being so divisive.
The main arguments definitely provide some clarity and understanding of the PC/virtue signaling/SJW culture that is being embodied by the left especially on many college campuses. The authors do a good job of diving deep into specific instances to show motivations and another side of the story. Unfortunately, this is bogged down by their one sided political view of events in the US. They seem to be quite sympathetic to those actually promoting and causing violence and spend a lot of time explaining their actions, sometimes seeming to blame the victims but put no effort into doing the same for the other side. They conveniently leave specific facts out or unaddressed (Trump, Charlottesville) and include incorrect facts as supporting arguments (McCarthyism). However, this all aligns with the common narrative and does not seem to detract from the primary arguments of the book. That is what makes this book safe, in the sense that the authors use the word throughout. It goes right along with most of the current beliefs of the people they are discussing many of which are very divisive while suggesting that people stop being so divisive.