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cooperhixson's review against another edition
4.0
This book was everything. Informative, eye-opening, tough, and lastly great. As a POC this was not what I expected. I learned so much and everyone should read this book to gain this free knowledge. This one word can be used in so many ways this book showed me that. Do yourself a favor and read it.
outcolder's review against another edition
5.0
Anyone concerned with the grey areas in Free Speech would benefit from reading this well thought out and argued book. But it isn't all serious head-scratching. Most of the book is actually jaw-dropping-ly shocking examples of uses of the N-word. I found myself thinking, as I often do, that legal remedies are not the way to improve our society. I don't agree with everything Kennedy stands for in this work, but I do agree that it is best to avoid use of a word that has been called the "nuclear bomb" of racial epithets.
luvandkiwi's review against another edition
4.0
well i read this book on my trek out to los angeles the summer of '05 and it was necessary, but when i say it reads like a text book...sigh.
it's such a loaded word and honestly i've never been able to verbalize it quite right so this book gave some great background. it was an interesting perspective...
it's such a loaded word and honestly i've never been able to verbalize it quite right so this book gave some great background. it was an interesting perspective...
nkbolton's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
While a hard read, certainly a necessary read. Especially for educators.
mighty_lizard_queen's review against another edition
challenging
informative
fast-paced
2.75
I think that the author grants white people a lot more grace and allowance than we deserve.
That being said, the author’s arguments are not always consistent & focus too heavily on uses of the n-word in entertainment and law.
That being said, the author’s arguments are not always consistent & focus too heavily on uses of the n-word in entertainment and law.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, and Cultural appropriation
scheu's review against another edition
3.0
A survey of the use of the word historically and legally. Educational but dry. It's better to be informed about the word before jumping at it, though.
eris_rising's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating book, with excellent citations, analogies and examples, I just largely disagreed with the conclusion
jsisco's review against another edition
3.0
There's something disappointing about the text, and it may be the length. While he is certainly well-researched and even iconoclastic in the ways he views the subtleties of the word, Kennedy ultimately left me wanting more. I was transfixed by how he tackled this loathsome word and even defended it at times, and found his legal mind awe-inspiring. Maybe that is the problem - what was written was so profound, I was upset there wasn't more of it.
spopovic's review against another edition
3.0
Well documented from the legal point of view (the author is a lawyer), but ends up being somewhat uni-dimensional: no genuine linguistics, no psychology, no sociology. Still really interesting, informative and raises some good questions. I do recommend it.