Demanding More: Why Diversity and Inclusion Don't Happen and What You Can Do About It

by Sheree Atcheson

Look around you. Is your workplace as diverse and accepting as it should be? From accusations of racism in high political office, award-winning actors admitting the sets they work on aren't inclusive, to everyday occurrences of sexism, agism, racism and more, we are far from where we need to be.



Demanding More is THE diversity and inclusion book you need to read. Moving beyond HR speak, this book clearly explains what diversity and inclusion are and what it means in the everyday experience of millions of people, both at work and in life. Sheree Atcheson, Global Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Peakon and ex Monzo, draws on her experience as a young woman of colour in an overly white male tech environment; she lives and breathes the issues she writes about. In Demanding More, she calls out the lack of awareness around privilege, unchecked and unconscious biases and details what intersectionality does to feelings of discrimination and disadvantage.

Arguing that the best strategy for us all to adopt is allyship, where we all take ownership of the issues and stand up to bias or discrimination, this book will give us all tools and strategies to action every day, making us accountable to delivering change around us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

240 pages, Paperback

Published April 27, 2021

Reviews

[Lauren Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very eye-opening, though provoking read on all things diversity and inclusion. I feel this should be a compulsory read for all companies!

[Magdalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable and includes some actionable advice.

[Naz H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mixed thoughts about this book. As a person of colour I can relate to a lot of the examples in this book, but it was nothing to new. I found the book waffled on too much and think this book is suited to people who really don’t have a clue when it comes to diversity and inclusion. I could definitely recommend this book to my previous managers who would benefit greatly from this book because they were clueless about the subject. You would have to be living under rock or don’t watch what happening in the world, if don’t know what this entails. It didn’t give me any further insight to what I already know. Some useful take aways in the last two chapters but that’s about it.

[Kristof Verbeke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for anyone who wants to make a change within their organization regarding diversity and inclusion while holding the top executives (as well as middle managers) more accountable.

Could have used from more anonymous testimonies as it feels some companies managed to put themselves in a good spotlight while not mentioning they still have a long way to go as well (most likely).

[Karen Catlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an advanced review copy for the author. Here's my review:

Being an ally is a journey, and Sheree Atcheson's powerful new book is the perfect accompaniment. In Demanding More, you'll be inspired by Sheree and her extensive interviews with leaders to take stock of your privilege and use it for good.  — Karen Catlin, author of Better Allies

[Chelsea Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really thorough and easy to digest guide to assessing and implementing inclusion within the workplace. This book should be read by all leaders, managers and founders. It will help you assess your own privilege and give you guidance on what you can do with that to become an ally and support others who are unfairly represented. “We must demand more and we must do it now” Highly recommend!

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very repetitive to other DEI books I've read for work, sadly doesn't really offer anything new. Still a good book but can't really see a reason to recommend if you've already read other books on bias, inclusion, and allyship. If you're just starting to learn about DEI this would be fine, it covers all the basics.

[Maria Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crisp, succinct & accessible - I want everyone to read this book. Demanding More takes you on a journey through the core concepts of DEI, weaving storytelling together with statistics, actionable steps and insightful interviews with highly respected leaders. Extremely highly recommended.

[Fee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb reference material

[Mairead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful

[Dulcinea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will read this again and will put it to use as often as possible. Amazing read.