Scan barcode
suebrownreads's review against another edition
5.0
If only all Americans were required to read this, study true American history and statistics for which this book is concerned, we would live in a much better world.
I have read much of the statistics that were mentioned here in books like "The New Jim Crow," and "Mercy" but hearing it again is important. Also important are the actual facts concerning political rhetoric in this country.
Excellent work Tim Wise! Thank you!
I have read much of the statistics that were mentioned here in books like "The New Jim Crow," and "Mercy" but hearing it again is important. Also important are the actual facts concerning political rhetoric in this country.
Excellent work Tim Wise! Thank you!
queen_perfection's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
alyshadeshae's review against another edition
5.0
This was rather short and now I'm really looking forward to finding some more works from this author. It was well written, in my opinion, and while it repeated a lot of stuff I already knew, it has an interesting way of educating. I appreciated it.
kevin_shepherd's review
5.0
First, let me say that the contents of this small book represent an unmitigated threat to the status quo. Consequently, anyone who feels menaced by the deterioration of white privilege may think it necessary to attack Tim Wise’s credibility, his methodology, and his statistical sources. Fair enough. Fire away.
However, there are a few derogatory tactics that one should forgo if one wishes to avoid looking like a complete jackass…
One. Read the material. If you intend to criticize Mr. Wise you should really have your proverbial ducks in a row. Saying things like, “I didn’t feel enlightened after skimming the material” puts you on the fast-track to jackassdom.
Two. Calling out Wise as a “white man taking advantage of his white privilege to make money,” or better still “a white man who thinks only white people are to blame for every problem in American society” proves beyond all reasonable doubt that you either didn’t read the material or you are simply too obtuse to comprehend the material [see item One].
Three. Be certain that the tone you project onto the author is not, in fact, your own. Describing the book as, “delivered with too much anger” or that it has a “purely angry tone” is a highly arbitrary assertion to make of printed material, especially when the audiobook, read by Tim Wise himself, conveys no animosity or hostility whatsoever.
And Four. Be sure your negative is actually a negative. Even if the author was indeed pissed off (he’s not), shouldn’t he be? Shouldn’t anyone who looks at centuries of oppression, subversion and injustice be angry? Should not the lies, the overt manipulations, the deceit, spark a little hostility in your tone? And now you’re dismissing the entire presentation because you mistook the author’s zeal and urgency for anger? Seriously bro, stop being such a jackass.
However, there are a few derogatory tactics that one should forgo if one wishes to avoid looking like a complete jackass…
One. Read the material. If you intend to criticize Mr. Wise you should really have your proverbial ducks in a row. Saying things like, “I didn’t feel enlightened after skimming the material” puts you on the fast-track to jackassdom.
Two. Calling out Wise as a “white man taking advantage of his white privilege to make money,” or better still “a white man who thinks only white people are to blame for every problem in American society” proves beyond all reasonable doubt that you either didn’t read the material or you are simply too obtuse to comprehend the material [see item One].
Three. Be certain that the tone you project onto the author is not, in fact, your own. Describing the book as, “delivered with too much anger” or that it has a “purely angry tone” is a highly arbitrary assertion to make of printed material, especially when the audiobook, read by Tim Wise himself, conveys no animosity or hostility whatsoever.
And Four. Be sure your negative is actually a negative. Even if the author was indeed pissed off (he’s not), shouldn’t he be? Shouldn’t anyone who looks at centuries of oppression, subversion and injustice be angry? Should not the lies, the overt manipulations, the deceit, spark a little hostility in your tone? And now you’re dismissing the entire presentation because you mistook the author’s zeal and urgency for anger? Seriously bro, stop being such a jackass.
lesleynr's review against another edition
2.0
I am frustrated with this book. I need a skinny little book to jump right in and make its case. So far he has spent 40 something pages unimaginatively listing statistics (that is citing them in an unimaginative way) to prove that there is still inequality of opportunity between African Americans, Latinos and whites.
I know this already. That's why I bought the book. What I want to know, what I was curious to read his thoughts about, was what this means and how things need to change when whites become the minority "race." And I don't mean just so-called enlightened white people talking to each other. I need some help thinking through how we deal with the backward thinking outright racists, and also the good intentioned whites who may not recognize their own racism... and I think that includes a lot of us.
So... will I continue? I guess. But I think I'll just skim the rest of the stats and see if he ever gets to his point.
I know this already. That's why I bought the book. What I want to know, what I was curious to read his thoughts about, was what this means and how things need to change when whites become the minority "race." And I don't mean just so-called enlightened white people talking to each other. I need some help thinking through how we deal with the backward thinking outright racists, and also the good intentioned whites who may not recognize their own racism... and I think that includes a lot of us.
So... will I continue? I guess. But I think I'll just skim the rest of the stats and see if he ever gets to his point.
alibi313's review against another edition
5.0
This sadly prescient book (published 5 years previously) perfectly described the racist rhetoric that would put the current resident into the White House. Hard to read in 2017.
eleanora0901's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
"In our denial of racism, we are insisting that blacks, as a group, are defective. Yet that notion of group defect is the textbook definition of a racist belief. And if large numbers of us believe that argument to be true, how realistic is it to then presume we would be capable of responding in a unbiased and equitable manner when faced with a black job applicant, loan applicant or student jn a classroom. "
" Do we really believe that black folks, for instance, need to be lectured about hard work ? In a nation, where for generations they were forced to do the hardest and most exacting labour in the entire country. In a nation where they provided as much as one trillion dollars in unpaid labour under the system of enslavement. Do such a people as this truly need to be shown the value of work by those who benefitted most from that unpaid labour ? "
"In our denial of racism, we are insisting that blacks, as a group, are defective. Yet that notion of group defect is the textbook definition of a racist belief. And if large numbers of us believe that argument to be true, how realistic is it to then presume we would be capable of responding in a unbiased and equitable manner when faced with a black job applicant, loan applicant or student jn a classroom. "
" Do we really believe that black folks, for instance, need to be lectured about hard work ? In a nation, where for generations they were forced to do the hardest and most exacting labour in the entire country. In a nation where they provided as much as one trillion dollars in unpaid labour under the system of enslavement. Do such a people as this truly need to be shown the value of work by those who benefitted most from that unpaid labour ? "
danicapage's review against another edition
4.0
Clean as far as I can recall.
Insightful and provocative.
Insightful and provocative.
travis_read's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
This book is a very quick read about White privilege in the United States, something many Americans refuse to acknowledge. There is a lot of great information on the systematic challenges people of color in our country face that even the most self aware white people may have never considered or given much thought to. Although the book is not going to solve generations of disinvestment and systems the country is built on, I still thought it was an important read for and white people who want to see these systems of oppression dismantled.