Reviews
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, by Ibram X. Kendi
lgsplace's review against another edition
I'm a very fast reader. Because I wanted to be certain not to miss any of the content, I read very slowly and deliberately. This is a must read, particularly in light of the horrible racist acts we are witnessing every day. Read it and then take real action.
bookishsix's review against another edition
5.0
Stamped from the Beginning is definitely my favorite book I’ve read this year and absolutely the most important book I’ve read in my lifetime!
mari_the_cryptic's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
jess_segraves's review against another edition
4.0
Impressive in its scope, approach, and depth. This book read a tad drier than I had thought it would based on its popularity but it’s a well-researched and well-written history of racist ideas – exactly what it purports. Worth the acclaim it has garnered.
grubnubble's review against another edition
5.0
Ibram Kendi first introduces a framework for thinking about racism that captures subtleties that are difficult to capture. The majority of the rest of the book describes historical examples of racist ideas, thoughts, and policies; and labels those items in a way that ties to his framework. It took me half of the book to really grasp his framework of thinking about racism, so I absolutely needed all of those examples. I now have a much clearer understanding of racism and I do appreciate the clarity Kendi provides. The book ends in a revolutionary manner, calling for an overthrow of current power and an instatement of new, antiracist power that will benefit all of us who aren’t already billionaires. Hell yeah!
kellycoburn37's review against another edition
5.0
This book should be read by everyone interested in learning the real history of this country’s systemic racism. There is so much information in here that I WISH I had learned in school. It uses five people (Cotton Mather—a Puritan minister; former president, Thomas Jefferson; abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison; activist and leader W.E.B. Du Bois; and activist Angela Davis) throughout the history of our country to describe the history of anti-black racist ideas in America. It really shows that racist ideas did not come from nowhere—they were created to justify the systemic racist policies that this country has had from the beginning.
I am not usually a reader of nonfiction but this book was written in a way that kept my attention (despite it being very long). I learned a lot of new information that will (hopefully) help me to be a better teacher and citizen.
I know that there is a YA version of this book called Stamped co-written with Jason Reynolds that I am also interested in reading. I’ve heard that it does a really good job of condensing this information without missing any of the key points.
I am not usually a reader of nonfiction but this book was written in a way that kept my attention (despite it being very long). I learned a lot of new information that will (hopefully) help me to be a better teacher and citizen.
I know that there is a YA version of this book called Stamped co-written with Jason Reynolds that I am also interested in reading. I’ve heard that it does a really good job of condensing this information without missing any of the key points.