lpip's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely starts a valuable conversation but lacking...something? I don’t know what. Ask me about it when I’ve had time to think.
mariahhanley's review against another edition
5.0
I read this in one sitting- and I can tell I’ll be thinking about it for much, much longer.
roseybot's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great book!
Yes, some of the concepts were things I am already familiar with, but in written form, with specific tips and scripts, it sits with more weight than trying to glean things from social media posts.
You may already know some, or even most of this stuff, but I think it's still important to read it over and over again. Especially if you are white and want to be a better person (and hopefully ally, but that's something you've got to earn).
This is well written, engaging and thought provoking. Definitely recommend it.
Yes, some of the concepts were things I am already familiar with, but in written form, with specific tips and scripts, it sits with more weight than trying to glean things from social media posts.
You may already know some, or even most of this stuff, but I think it's still important to read it over and over again. Especially if you are white and want to be a better person (and hopefully ally, but that's something you've got to earn).
This is well written, engaging and thought provoking. Definitely recommend it.
szkalebina's review against another edition
5.0
i wish i could engrave every word of this book in my brain forever so that i could recite it whenever there's a need for educating people or shutting down racist behaviours.
ava17's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Love the insight, just at moments it was very dragging. It’s a fast read, and an important read.
vannychopiny's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
carolynnjimenez's review against another edition
3.0
This is a really great book if you are just starting. There were great definitions and I took a lot of notes to help me have conversations with people who might just be starting off. I found the school-to-prison pipeline discussion helpful for my career.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book that will be helpful for many people and in particular, for White readers interested in becoming more skilled at talking about race.
brettpet's review against another edition
3.0
So You Want to Talk About Race is an effective primer on race relations in America. I think my enjoyment of this book was undercut by the other excellent literature on racism I've already read this year like Isaac J. Bailey's Why Didn't We Riot?, Jesmyn Ward's The Fire This Time, and the "book of the moment" How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. I realize that this book came out in 2018 while Fire and Riot? released later, but I feel that Race doesn't discuss current events to the same extent. Fire frequently discusses the Charleston Church mass shooting, Riot delves into the impact of Trump on race relations, and Antiracist gives a wide reaching account into America's history of racism.
Meanwhile, Race largely discusses author Ijeoma Oluo's first-hand experience with racism. And while that's incredibly valid and important for her to write about--it didn't come across as impactful to me as the other books I mentioned. I want to say that if I had read this book in my last year of undergrad in 2018 that I would have been blown away, but even during that time I was pouring over my first read of Ta-Nehisi Coates' integral Between the World and Me. Overall, Race was extremely readable and well-written, conveying Oluo's points within succinct chapters, but not quite providing the reading impact I had hoped for.
Meanwhile, Race largely discusses author Ijeoma Oluo's first-hand experience with racism. And while that's incredibly valid and important for her to write about--it didn't come across as impactful to me as the other books I mentioned. I want to say that if I had read this book in my last year of undergrad in 2018 that I would have been blown away, but even during that time I was pouring over my first read of Ta-Nehisi Coates' integral Between the World and Me. Overall, Race was extremely readable and well-written, conveying Oluo's points within succinct chapters, but not quite providing the reading impact I had hoped for.