Scan barcode
illustrativemisfit's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Colonisation
zelle10orio's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Racism and Rape
I cried at one point when without shared about her relationship with two immigrant women who worked in facilities at the lab it was very moving and hit close to home.the_darn_kite_rises's review against another edition
5.0
All that to say, the first few chapters were a slower read because the book is packed with definitions and concepts from the fields of cosmology, particle physics, astronomy, quantum mechanics, etc. I very much enjoyed the challenge; having to reread some paragraphs a few times didn’t negatively impact my experience at all (I know this might not be true for everyone).
So, the first part of the book focuses on instilling a sense of wonder about the universe and how it works. The rest of the chapters are a deep dive into the white supremacy driving western sciences and the scientific community.
It gives an unflinching, holistic picture of how throughout history and into the present, white empiricism and the scientific methods enforced by violent colonialism are not very empirical after all. How society has systematically disregarded and suppressed non-western thinking and ideas. How white supremacists are the ones who decide which voices are lauded and who is silenced. This book made me think so much and so deeply. It was horrifying. But hopeful, too. If you are involved in western sciences, or even if you just have a passing interest in it, I regard this as a must-read. It helped me experience something rare.
Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
sanctuary_in_the_pages's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Rape and Transphobia
rotkehlchen's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Racism and Rape
kshertz's review against another edition
3.75
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
mar's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, and Colonisation
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Transphobia, and Police brutality
Minor: Homophobia and Self harm
saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
The Disordered Cosmos is at its most fascinating when it discusses the ways that colonialism and bigotry intersect with and stunt science. Specifically in how these impact what gets studied and how, who gets to study it, and how we talk about history. At times the book feels like a memoir as the authors brings up her own background and personal anecdotes a lot.
Mileage may vary with how much you get out of the book. I’ve taken some college level introductory astronomy courses and was able to keep up with the science pretty well and didn’t learn much. I got more out of the history and social issues section and would love to look for more advanced science with this Black feminist perspective. Though there are times when the arguments are too broad or too surface level like “racism in science exists.” I also wish the ending offered more tangible, less vague solutions.
Overall, this is a pretty good argument for why people in science need more humanities and understanding of colonialism.
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, and Colonisation
tungstenmouse's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Rape
counterfeitnickel's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault