Reviews

Who Gets to Be Smart by Bri Lee

Only show reviews with written explanations

rubixcube_'s review against another edition

5.0

Sometimes you pick up a book because someone somewhere raves about it on their instagram story once and you find it at a garage sale for $8 when christmas shopping with your mum.

I realised i’d be giving this book 5 stars about ten pages in. Bri Lee has a beautiful way with words. Her research feels complete and conclusive and well-rounded and I was drawn in by every paragraph of her own experiences. I loved reading about her epiphanies and learning. Who Gets To Be Smart is a much needed commentary on education and politics and equality in Australia and the World. Egalitarianism in our form of “A Fair Go” is assumed in this country and the depth of prejudice and solidarity for the old order is in need of challenge.

twicetheamountofsparetime's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

This book felt dense and I switched to the audio version half way through to make it more consumable

buchsy's review against another edition

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3.0

Intensely interesting. Had to pace myself to only read a chapter every couple of days. It resonates deeply with me as someone from a family of academics who had to drop out of Uni because it was destroying my mental health. The deep shame was all consuming at first. Luckily I've found other ways to feel worthy since then. A great read.

terrygirl's review against another edition

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challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

blairmahoney's review against another edition

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2.0

I think the question is instead: who gets to have a book contract? The cover is studded with endorsements and Lee obviously has plenty of supporters in the industry. The book is an absolute mess, with no clear line of argument and Lee's 'research' mainly consisting of looking stuff up on the internet and reprinting large swathes of it here. It's not that I disagree with the points she makes, it's just that it's all so half-arsed. She doesn't interview anyone except her friend who goes to Oxford and her accounts of him and her boyfriend and how smart they are are cringeworthy. As someone who has actually worked in education for nearly 20 years it's perplexing to me why something this shoddy would be published and get any kind of attention.