Thomas Sowell

Presents an examination of common beliefs about blacks, Jews, Germans, slavery, and the teaching of history, and maintains that misconceptions and errors have led to narrow and mistaken political and educational policies.

Black Rednecks and White Liberals

Michael Stuckey

Thoughtful and honest. I really enjoyed this book. It treats everyone equally and endeavors to be truthful above all. I feel like this should be required or at least recommended reading in schools. 

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Bad Girl Bex

I think the only reasons I have for not giving this give stars is that 1/ Each section felt a little disjointed when you consider the book as a whole and 2/ I pretty much knew everything Sowell write about in it; there was nothing new in it really. More or less going over old ground. However, if you're new to Sowell and you don't fancy wading straight into a big old economics tome, then this is an easy read and good introduction to his writing style and his large body of work. Here he covers some aspects of cultural heritage among groups who you might not assume to have developed in such a fashion and sprinkles the whole thing with his art with and humour. For anyone new to Sowell, I suggest checking out a few videos of him on YouTube first. Once familiar with the rich cadences of his voice it becomes impotent to hear him in anything of his you read, going forward. And that is in no way a bad thing.

Joseph

This explosive new book challenges many of the long-prevailing assumptions about blacks, about Jews, about Germans, about slavery, and about education. Plainly written, powerfully reasoned, and backed with a startling array of documented facts, Black Rednecks and White Liberals takes on not only the trendy intellectuals of our times but also such historic interpreters of American life as Alexis de Tocqueville and Frederick Law Olmsted. In a series of long essays, this book presents an in-depth look at key beliefs behind many mistaken and dangerous actions, policies, and trends. It presents eye-opening insights into the historical development of the ghetto culture that is today wrongly seen as a unique black identity - a culture cheered on toward self-destruction by white liberals who consider themselves ''friends'' of blacks. An essay titled ''the Real History of Slavery'' presents a jolting re-examination of that tragic institution and the narrow and distorted way it is too often seen today. The reasons for the venomous hatred of Jews, and of other groups like them in countries around the world, are explored in an essay that asks, ''Are Jews Generic?'' Misconceptions of German history in general, and of the Nazi era in particular, are also re-examined. So too are the inspiring achievements and painful tragedies of black education in the United States. Black Rednecks and White Liberals is the capstone of decades of outstanding research and writing on racial and cultural issues by Thomas Sowell.

Black Rednecks and White Liberals

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