lauraportalupi's review
5.0
Excellent, excellent, excellent. And so important. Rarely do I recommend a book across the board, but I’ve practically begged my family, friends, and coworkers to read this book. Grateful to Oluo for investing the energy and time in sharing her story and the stories of so many others.
shulamit's review
4.0
This is very good for beginners but if you’ve been working on anti-racism you might want something different.
kavinay's review
4.0
I worried through the first chapters of this book, but Oluo does the hard and ultimately rewarding work towards the end. This book is probably a good primer on most of the topics that make talking about race and racism hard. Oluo really gets into the weeds in a good way in regards to the school to prison pipeline and the wonderfully titled "But What if I Hate Al Sharpton?" chapter.
I wonder if the intro and first chapters that bothered me were probably not intended for me. If you've already done a lot of reading on the subject you might think So You Want to Talk About Race was a very entry level book on the subject. It's not but you have to wait until Oluo can get further on the details to really enjoy it.
I wonder if the intro and first chapters that bothered me were probably not intended for me. If you've already done a lot of reading on the subject you might think So You Want to Talk About Race was a very entry level book on the subject. It's not but you have to wait until Oluo can get further on the details to really enjoy it.
erickabdz's review against another edition
4.0
“I hope that if parts of this book make you uncomfortable, you can sit with that discomfort for a while to see if it has anything else to offer you.”
While the ideas were not especially novel for me, Oluo is such an articulate, brilliant writer that everything seemed more impactful and resonated for a while. Fantastic, essential and always relevant book, and also excellent narration.
dannb's review
5.0
She and I are very different. I won't see everything the same way she does. She will make you uncomfortable. She will encourage you. It is a great opportunity to learn, reflect and change.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
ebutter's review
5.0
Eye opening- I’m thankful for the step by step Ms. Oluo gives as well as her honest and unfiltered view. She left me with a new perspective, but most importantly the reminder not just to learn but to act and respond.
hallemcclain's review
2.0
2 ⭐️ // I was looking for a good resource on how to be a better ally, but I was disappointed. I hate to say this, but it seemed like the author was trying to “explain away” some of their actions from prior public situations. I understand the desire to explain one’s controversial actions, and I value real life stories … but it felt cringe-y to me. Also, not a chapter went by when the author didn’t complain about being asked to talk about race. Even so, I’m sure the author’s intentions were pure.
While the book fell flat compared to the other books I’ve read about race, it did give me topics to contemplate nonetheless. I did enjoy the second half of the book more than the first half, but it was very hard to finish the book. If the whole book was like the last chapter, which gave some practical ways to make a difference, this would be a completely different review. If you’re new to learning about race and related topics, I would look elsewhere.
Format: Audiobook
While the book fell flat compared to the other books I’ve read about race, it did give me topics to contemplate nonetheless. I did enjoy the second half of the book more than the first half, but it was very hard to finish the book. If the whole book was like the last chapter, which gave some practical ways to make a difference, this would be a completely different review. If you’re new to learning about race and related topics, I would look elsewhere.
Format: Audiobook