Reviews

Biased by Jennifer L. Eberhardt

emmabeckman's review against another edition

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5.0

Super well written and presented in a really interesting and relatable way. Accessible to a lay audience. My one qualm is that she’s very focused on the idea of reform rather than really rebuilding from the absolute bottom ground up (at least in terms of policing) but she does show evidence of reform having some level of positive effect. And generally, her presentation on bias in general makes this book worth reading no matter how you feel about reform.

louisadassow's review against another edition

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5.0

An incredible book. The science, psychology, nuance and histories of Implicit Bias and how it impacts society today. This book provoked some serious self-reflection of the sheer intensity and complexity of biases faced by minority groups.

Dr Eberhardt offers insights, personal and statistical, as well as solutions. There is an in depth exploration of policing in the US and it addresses the visciousness of White supremacy and police shootings exploring its roots in bias from housing, job, education and facility opportunities.

This book has really highlighted the dangers of 'not seeing race' in the face of neurological bias and how that enables its evidenced implications to be ignored.

wanderfish's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

winston_j_puppy's review against another edition

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challenging informative medium-paced

3.75

julianna_s_johnson's review against another edition

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5.0

 An excellent, expansive, and well-researched work about micro and macro bias. Very informative, yet also easy to follow and comprehend. Highly recommended, especially to those who are - like me - intimated by nonfiction. The audiobook is read by Eberhardt herself and I found it very much enhanced my reading. 

curtisjc3's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

musicsaves's review against another edition

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5.0

A truly fascinating and important book written by a social psychologist. Dr. Eberhardt paints a very clear picture of why ALL of us act the way we do toward those who look different than us, or those who society has labelled as “different” and, therefore, to be feared in some way. What makes the book so great is the beautiful balance she strikes between personal stories (her own and those of others) and the science of our brain and how it works. Powerful analysis of why current events are erupting the way they have been these past two years and how to do the hard work necessary to live better lives together.

“Implicit bias is a kind of distorting lens that’s a product of both the architecture of our brain and the disparities in our society.” (p. 6)

“The mistake we keep making—the mistake we all keep making—is in thinking that our work is done. That whatever heroic effort we’ve made will keep moving us forward. That whatever progress we’ve seen will keep us from sliding back to burning crosses and hiding Torah scrolls. But this moment in Charlottesville is our lot, our inheritance. This is where our history and our brain machinery strand us—time and time again. Moving forward requires continued vigilance. It requires us to constantly attend to who we are, how we got that way, and all the selves we have the capacity to be.“ (p. 250)

“It turns out that diversity itself is not a remedy for, though it may be a route to, eliminating bias. But we have to be willing to go through the growing pains that diversity entails. We’ve learned that diverse groups are more creative and reach better decisions, but they aren’t always the happiest group of people. There are more differences, so there is apt to be more discord. Privilege shifts, roles change, new voices emerge. Success requires us to be willing to tolerate that discomfort as we learn to communicate, get to know one another, and make deeper efforts to shift the underlying cultures that lead to bias and exclusion.” (p. 291)

tara_micheala's review against another edition

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5.0

This book was so insightful and wonderfully written, I need everyone to read it. The case studies presented are shocking and awful. I urge anyone serious about being/becoming anti-racist to read this book.

sdillon's review against another edition

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challenging informative sad slow-paced

4.25

havanaxo's review against another edition

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informative reflective fast-paced

3.0