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Carol's Reviews > Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
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by
Carol's review
bookshelves: diaspora, civil-rights-social-justice, history, non-fiction, politics, books-i-own
Dec 17, 2020
bookshelves: diaspora, civil-rights-social-justice, history, non-fiction, politics, books-i-own
I'm of two minds on Caste. On the one hand, it is a must-read book for anyone with the slightest interest in understanding the Black experience in the US. Its reach is so broad that having read it is table stakes for any cross-racial conversation on point. If you're white and serious about expanding your meaningful relationships with Black individuals, you particularly need to read it, along with The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Between the World and Me and a couple of other Systemic Racism 101 titles. Otherwise, let's be honest, your unwillingness to invest your reading time in understanding systemic racism suggests you're expecting those Black friends to educate you, and I suspect they are weary of taking on that thankless task.
Then again, what you take from reading Caste depends on the level of knowledge and lived experience you bring to it. I found it to be repetitive both within its own pages and in terms of what I know from reading other books, articles and columns covering this same subject matter. Nonetheless, I read and discussed Caste over a 7-week series of meetings with a Zoom book club of predominately well-intentioned, not particularly politically-engaged, white readers; I observed that those readers who knew the least going-in found Caste to be the most impactful, a major eye-opener, as it were. In contrast, the two of us who have been engaged intensely on this topic for decades found it to be fine but it didn't bring new insights or learnings. (The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness it is not.)
I have the utmost respect for Wilkerson and her writing is engaging and avoids the research-dump trap. A self-aware reader will know whether Caste should be 1st or 150th on her TBR.
Then again, what you take from reading Caste depends on the level of knowledge and lived experience you bring to it. I found it to be repetitive both within its own pages and in terms of what I know from reading other books, articles and columns covering this same subject matter. Nonetheless, I read and discussed Caste over a 7-week series of meetings with a Zoom book club of predominately well-intentioned, not particularly politically-engaged, white readers; I observed that those readers who knew the least going-in found Caste to be the most impactful, a major eye-opener, as it were. In contrast, the two of us who have been engaged intensely on this topic for decades found it to be fine but it didn't bring new insights or learnings. (The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness it is not.)
I have the utmost respect for Wilkerson and her writing is engaging and avoids the research-dump trap. A self-aware reader will know whether Caste should be 1st or 150th on her TBR.
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Reading Progress
August 9, 2020
– Shelved
November 2, 2020
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Started Reading
December 17, 2020
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Finished Reading
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This is probably the first or second book I will read in 2021 (with a book club). I have high hopes but I find your review to be a fair minded assessment of how you saw the book. Repetition as a rule works wonders for people who are less engaged. For those of us who are, it's annoying. I'll be back in January with a more informed opinion... ;-)
Monica wrote: "This is probably the first or second book I will read in 2021 (with a book club). I have high hopes but I find your review to be a fair minded assessment of how you saw the book. Repetition as a ru..."I am really interested to hear your take, Monica.
Théodore wrote: "The most objective and justified opinion heard lately. Big like."
Thank you!
A very insightful review, Carol. I have just recently started it and I think I am with you.
All I can is: look deeply into yourself
Lorna, thank you. I’ll be interested to see if your view shifts between now and the end.
One of my GR groups has chosen this as a BOTM for January / February. I've got university level ethnic studies course and years of observing racial differences, so I'm ambivalent about whether to read it. Your review isn't helping me decide, Carol 😉. I still have quite a while to decide as I'm only 2 weeks into a 10-week wait. I'm # 818 (wow!) for the ebook.
Woman Reading wrote: "One of my GR groups has chosen this as a BOTM for January / February. I've got university level ethnic studies course and years of observing racial differences, so I'm ambivalent about whether to r..."I recommend you read Part 1 with the group and then decide. You’ll know by then ... 😉
Jan wrote: "All I can is: look deeply into yourself"To what end, might I inquire?
I grew from the reading I have done this year on white privilege/racism/antiracism and social justice. I'm well educated and consider myself a progressive, and I also discovered much evidence of institutional racism that I absorbed through my white culture growing up in Colorado during the 50's to the present. I am looking deeply into myself to spot it and eradicate it.
Thanks for sharing your intelligent and objective insights.
Fine review, Carol :))
Jan wrote: "I grew from the reading I have done this year on white privilege/racism/antiracism and social justice. I'm well educated and consider myself a progressive, and I also discovered much evidence of in..."Good to know!
Denise wrote: "Thanks for sharing your intelligent and objective insights."Thank you, Denise!
Beata wrote: "Fine review, Carol :))"Thanks, Beata. I feel the risk of being anything other than enthusiastic, but thought it was worth endeavoring some nuance.
Thanks. Great review and very helpful. I agree that The New Jim Crow is essential.
Reid wrote: "Thanks. Great review and very helpful. I agree that The New Jim Crow is essential."Thank you, Reid. There isn’t a week that goes by that NJC doesn’t come up in conversation and thought. And those footnotes. *swoon*
I agree that much resonated with previous study of structural racism; however, I found the new frame of caste shone a new light on an old subject. Also agree that The New Jim Crow is must reading, along with Prison by any Other Name.
Claire wrote: "I agree that much resonated with previous study of structural racism; however, I found the new frame of caste shone a new light on an old subject. Also agree that The New Jim Crow is must reading, ..."I’m glad you enjoyed it, Claire!
It seems like I will soon find out where I am on the topic. Probably I have lots to learn, as I have always subconsciously avoided American perspectives on anything social or philosophical 😅
Elanna wrote: "It seems like I will soon find out where I am on the topic. Probably I have lots to learn, as I have always subconsciously avoided American perspectives on anything social or philosophical 😅"Elanna, understood :) I’d love to know what you think after you read Caste.
Shankar wrote: "Very interesting review ! Thanks."Thank you, Shankar!
To that suggested reading list in your comment, I would add White Fragility as a guidebook for the white personality development needed for the key to understanding how the root, white supremacy, has strangled and cheated whites as its acted as a barrier to open-mindedness, White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo. White privilege is real; it blinds clarity and hides nuances and subtleties of micro- and macro-aggressions forming the mosaic of caste in theU. S.A.
Darice wrote: "To that suggested reading list in your comment, I would add White Fragility as a guidebook for the white personality development needed for the key to understanding how the root, white supremacy, h..."Darice, thanks for your comment. I'm not a fan of White Fragility but understand many find it to be helpful and foundational. On the other hand, I'm reading Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankine, and find it excellent and a great resource for understanding the nuances of white privilege without the white author and independent consulting career associated with DiAngelo's business and work.
Hi Carol: I truly appreciate you taking your time to write such a thoughtful review of this book. I just finished reading it and am of the thought that Ms. Wilerson's analysis of caste in the U.S. is of vital important for white people to understand if we are to ever make progress on ending racism. So while I agree with your critique I'm definitely going to be encouraging every single white person I know to join me in reading this book. Also; I appreciate the recommendation above to read Claudia Rankine's Just Us: An American Conversation and will take you up on that (as I do not read white author's talking about racism).
Laurie wrote: "Hi Carol: I truly appreciate you taking your time to write such a thoughtful review of this book. I just finished reading it and am of the thought that Ms. Wilerson's analysis of caste in the U.S. ..."Thanks for your comment, Laurie. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Just Us when you get to it.
Thank you for your review. You stated very eloquently exactly how I felt after finishing the book.
Sumarie wrote: "Thank you for your review. You stated very eloquently exactly how I felt after finishing the book."You’re very welcome, Sumarie. Thank you for reading it.
This is exactly my impression, too. She's a clear writer, and this is important reading, but she's repetitive, and beyond the thesis, there didn't seem to be a lot of interesting analysis.. Thanks for capturing what I was thinking as I tried to read this!
I am not anywhere near an expert on this topic, so I'm hoping it will still be worth my time, after reading a number of other books on the topic, including one of those you reference. I know reminders are good, and more than one perspective and "voice" can be helpful to me...I just hope I don't decide it's too much of what I've already read, based on what you say here. I do appreciate your take on it.
Carmel wrote: "I am not anywhere near an expert on this topic, so I'm hoping it will still be worth my time, after reading a number of other books on the topic, including one of those you reference. I know remind..."Carmel, I’m really interested to read your take on it when you’re done. If I recall correctly, it’s a fairly quick read, so the opportunity cost is low and having the ability to form your own opinion on it priceless.
Carol wrote: "Carmel wrote: "I am not anywhere near an expert on this topic, so I'm hoping it will still be worth my time, after reading a number of other books on the topic, including one of those you reference..."Thanks, Carol. I'm actually listening to it on audio, and heard the first 90 minutes last night. So far it's holding my interest.
Big like.