Reviews
Think Like a White Man: Conquering the World . . . While Black by Nels Abbey, Boulé Whytelaw III
gwenhwyfardr's review against another edition
5.0
Ik heb gegrinnikt en gelachen, terwijl dit ook wel een boek is dat je achterlaat met heel wat vragen over je eigen privilege. Aanrader!!!
katyla's review against another edition
5.0
Very funny, very poignant and makes you confront the reality of the lived experience of anyone who is not white.
madamegeneva's review against another edition
3.0
This was a funny book, don’t get me wrong, I just think i didn’t enjoy it was much since I’m not the target audience for it. That being said, it was still enjoyable to read!
mhewza's review against another edition
3.0
A satirical professional manual for the black employee (soon-to-be-business owner, if this book’s advice is acted on). Laugh or cry or squirm. This book is so stark. The footnotes alone are some kind of tragic poetry.
‘If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ Footnote: An alternative question could be ‘If the police shoot a brother in the back while handcuffed and then take the cuffs off him and say he did it to himself, should it still be considered suicide?’
Footnote: ‘Once you fake the sincerity the rest is easy’ - unknown, but often credited to Tony Blair.
Do beware of the latest rebranding and marketing scheme for racism. For example: ‘unconscious bias’ is often very conscious racism, where there is a ‘lack of diversity’ there is an abundance of racism, ‘did you notice that “identity politics” suddenly became all the rage in the latter days of the Obama years.’
‘If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ Footnote: An alternative question could be ‘If the police shoot a brother in the back while handcuffed and then take the cuffs off him and say he did it to himself, should it still be considered suicide?’
Footnote: ‘Once you fake the sincerity the rest is easy’ - unknown, but often credited to Tony Blair.
Do beware of the latest rebranding and marketing scheme for racism. For example: ‘unconscious bias’ is often very conscious racism, where there is a ‘lack of diversity’ there is an abundance of racism, ‘did you notice that “identity politics” suddenly became all the rage in the latter days of the Obama years.’
zavey's review against another edition
I was not the intended audience for this book. I am neither black nor intending on making it in the corporate world. In that case, I probably shouldn't have read it. Nevertheless, I did, and it left me scratching my head at times as, although satirical, I struggled to get which points were him using satire to point out racism, and which points he was actually serious about. I found some things in this book questionable.
I think the title of this book threw me off. I was expecting more satire at the expense of the white man, with advice on how to actually think like a white man, eg. be unapologetically confident in all that you do, take up space, don't worry about your dress sense etc. But this book was exactly the opposite, it was less how to think like a white man and more how to think like a black man trying to impress the white man.
I know he was using these points to assist the black person navigate and get ahead in the corporate world, I guess it's just a shame one should have to feign whiteness in order to do so.
I think the title of this book threw me off. I was expecting more satire at the expense of the white man, with advice on how to actually think like a white man, eg. be unapologetically confident in all that you do, take up space, don't worry about your dress sense etc. But this book was exactly the opposite, it was less how to think like a white man and more how to think like a black man trying to impress the white man.
I know he was using these points to assist the black person navigate and get ahead in the corporate world, I guess it's just a shame one should have to feign whiteness in order to do so.
nimzimma's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Hilarious! Very well written, the writer has a natural comedic style that I identified with, as well as relating to a number of the issues he raises. Insightful as well - some fantastic tips for succeeding in the corporate world, particularly if you are not white.