What do you think?
Rate this book
The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism
An eloquent and thought-provoking book on racism and prejudice by the Liverpool and England football legend John Barnes.
John Barnes spent the first dozen years of his life in Jamaica before moving to the UK with his family in 1975. Six years later he was a professional footballer, distinguishing himself for Watford, Liverpool and England, and in the process becoming this country's most prominent black player.
Barnes is now an articulate and captivating social commentator on a broad range of issues, and in The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism he tackles head-on the issues surrounding prejudice with his trademark intelligence and authority.
By vividly evoking his personal experiences, and holding a mirror to this country's past, present and future, Barnes provides a powerful and moving testimony. The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism will help to inform and advance the global conversation around society's ongoing battle with the awful stain of prejudice.
John Barnes spent the first dozen years of his life in Jamaica before moving to the UK with his family in 1975. Six years later he was a professional footballer, distinguishing himself for Watford, Liverpool and England, and in the process becoming this country's most prominent black player.
Barnes is now an articulate and captivating social commentator on a broad range of issues, and in The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism he tackles head-on the issues surrounding prejudice with his trademark intelligence and authority.
By vividly evoking his personal experiences, and holding a mirror to this country's past, present and future, Barnes provides a powerful and moving testimony. The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism will help to inform and advance the global conversation around society's ongoing battle with the awful stain of prejudice.
320 pages, Paperback
Published August 16, 2022
34 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
About the author
John Barnes
258 books198 followersJohn Barnes (born 1957) is an American science fiction author, whose stories often explore questions of individual moral responsibility within a larger social context. Social criticism is woven throughout his plots. The four novels in his Thousand Cultures series pose serious questions about the effects of globalization on isolated societies. Barnes holds a doctorate in theatre and for several years taught in Colorado, where he still lives.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bar...
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bar...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 3, 2022
He raises some very valid points but I found it fairly repetitive.
March 26, 2024
Raises some great points and makes you think about how you can do better
December 14, 2021
A lot points I agree with, some pints I fill need expanding on further.
October 24, 2021
Really good read. Interesting way of looking at racism, unconscious bias, and discrimination of all kinds. I also liked the analysis of the events that have happened in history that shape today's world.
December 28, 2021
An interesting book. Barnes' arguments are very nuanced and certainly more detailed than the arguments that are more binary that the mainstream media reports on.
And that is the problem. How will Barnes' well considered and thoughtful views be more reported and conveyed apart from within the pages of this book?
I don't agree with every idea within this volume but if his ideas were given more airtime then the world wouldn't be such a divided and toxic place. And that's not just regarding race but surrounding any of the identities involved in identity politics.
There should be more emphasis on Barnes' ideas and less on Critical Race Theory. Especially regarding a group that are demonised and oppressed more than any other- the working class. How many times do we hear about them in the media and they can be helped? Very rarely unfortunately. And that's a travesty.
And that is the problem. How will Barnes' well considered and thoughtful views be more reported and conveyed apart from within the pages of this book?
I don't agree with every idea within this volume but if his ideas were given more airtime then the world wouldn't be such a divided and toxic place. And that's not just regarding race but surrounding any of the identities involved in identity politics.
There should be more emphasis on Barnes' ideas and less on Critical Race Theory. Especially regarding a group that are demonised and oppressed more than any other- the working class. How many times do we hear about them in the media and they can be helped? Very rarely unfortunately. And that's a travesty.
November 30, 2022
I had expected this to be a biography of Barnes' experiences of racism in the world of football, but instead it is more of a wandering discussion of various topics connected to race and racism. As Barnes says in the book, its aims are to explore the reading and research he has done more so than to provide a chronology of events that he experienced.
The results are mixed. Although Barnes' views are much more well developed than you would expect from the average footballer, he is no social scientist. His views are certainly interesting; as he came from a relatively privileged Jamaican family, he never saw the racism he encountered in England as hurtful as he could never see those racists as anything but inferior to him. His most interesting views are with regard to celebrities, and how when they cry foul over a piece of racism they experienced, they are distracting from the much worse racism that people without power experience.
The results are mixed. Although Barnes' views are much more well developed than you would expect from the average footballer, he is no social scientist. His views are certainly interesting; as he came from a relatively privileged Jamaican family, he never saw the racism he encountered in England as hurtful as he could never see those racists as anything but inferior to him. His most interesting views are with regard to celebrities, and how when they cry foul over a piece of racism they experienced, they are distracting from the much worse racism that people without power experience.
March 18, 2022
Necessary reading for anyone who truly wants an honest education on the topic.
June 4, 2023
Please, please, please do not be put off by a bald, vaguely 'in your face' title or the fact that - in these times of information overload induced intellectual, moral and compassion fatigue - such a book seems to promise merely a rehash of ideas we have already heard and (secretly) have about the same emotional energy for as we do for Covid protocols. If you are a person who has EVER felt even one moment of impotent anxiety in relation to race-related questions in modern society (essentially, if you are even one millimetre left-of centre politically), you will be rewarded with a plethora of dazzling and thought-provoking insights for reading this book. It is, hands down, the most incisive, insightful and promising treatment of this amorphous, intractable and elusive subject I have ever encountered. I know what I am talking about as that experience began with the incendiary and consciousness-raising Autobiography of Malcolm X (read as a 19 year old forty years ago) and includes studying Philosophy, Politics & Economics at Oxford University. While there, I wrote a 20,000 word thesis assessing whether the small business route by which Jews had penetrated the English middle class in the past (and East Asians were in the process of doing in the 1980s) was the silver bullet to solve the issues around anti-black racism (I said it wasn't and that has proved to be the case) and - for a term - ran a section called Black Perspectives on Cherwell , the university newspaper. Yes, I am a Liverpool fan who, back in the day, recognised John Barnes as probably the best - and certainly the most exciting - player in British football. This brings me to something of an existential takeaway from the experience of reading this book: weirdly, the level of flair which John Barnes demonstrates in the treatment of his subject matter in this book is kind of on the same level as that with which he differentiated himself on the football pitch. There is actually one set-piece hypothetical scenario , around page 100, involving the Queen, Donald Trump and some ordinary people being stuck in a lift together which touches on genius in the effectiveness with which it illustrates the point he is making. You can tell it is class because you immediately know that the scenario is something which could be developed much further by himself or someone else. What this seems to suggest to me is perhaps that 'genius' is a state of mind or maybe 'way' of mind which does not limit the possessor of that mind to pre-eminence in one given field but will manifest itself in any field subject only to the the possessor of that mind applying him/herself to said field for a suitable amount of time. Interesting.
Also interesting - but not in a good way - are some eminently avoidable errors of grammar and syntax: up to the point I am at (just past page 100) , 'sparring' has been spelt with one 'R', and 'free reign' is printed where, obviously, 'free REIN' is meant. Small things but if I was Barnsey I'd be pulling my hair out at the proof readers at his publishers not picking them up...
Barnsey also makes no bones about the fact that he is going to write as he speaks from the outset. This definitely enhances the authenticity and therefore readability but there is at least one sentence somewhere in the first 50 pages which defeated me comprehension-wise so I just had to move on after reading it about ten times. It was his final point on the topic so I already had the gist of what he was saying so it did not detract from overall comprehension. The other thing which will provide ammunition to the 'haters' which such a forthright, breathtakingly honest, and intellectually courageous work will inevitably draw is the fact that - not having spent 30 years reading around European history like a university graduate such as myself - Barnsey, though essential correct, is sometimes sketchy and over-simplistic in what he says about The Slave Trade and related historical events which seeded the Industrial Revolution, Capitalism and subsequent economic, military and (most perniciously) cultural pre-eminence for Western Democracy.
Again though, that has no bearing on the intellectual freshness, innovativeness, and sheer humanity with which he deals with his subject matter.
In this book, John Barnes shows himself to be among the foremost social theorists on modern British society and certainly the most lucid and compelling. The other most interesting book I have read on British society is 'The Condition of the English Working Class' by Friedrich Engels (yes, THAT Engels! But it is purely descriptive with no dry theory anywhere). Of the many hundreds of books I have read in my life, that was the most horrifying and impactful despite just being social history. I can tell from his book that John Barnes has not read it and I really hope he comes across it at some point because - with his fertile intellect and agile mind - I think that input would give him much to work with in terms of further developing the seminal ideas in his extraordinary book.
Also interesting - but not in a good way - are some eminently avoidable errors of grammar and syntax: up to the point I am at (just past page 100) , 'sparring' has been spelt with one 'R', and 'free reign' is printed where, obviously, 'free REIN' is meant. Small things but if I was Barnsey I'd be pulling my hair out at the proof readers at his publishers not picking them up...
Barnsey also makes no bones about the fact that he is going to write as he speaks from the outset. This definitely enhances the authenticity and therefore readability but there is at least one sentence somewhere in the first 50 pages which defeated me comprehension-wise so I just had to move on after reading it about ten times. It was his final point on the topic so I already had the gist of what he was saying so it did not detract from overall comprehension. The other thing which will provide ammunition to the 'haters' which such a forthright, breathtakingly honest, and intellectually courageous work will inevitably draw is the fact that - not having spent 30 years reading around European history like a university graduate such as myself - Barnsey, though essential correct, is sometimes sketchy and over-simplistic in what he says about The Slave Trade and related historical events which seeded the Industrial Revolution, Capitalism and subsequent economic, military and (most perniciously) cultural pre-eminence for Western Democracy.
Again though, that has no bearing on the intellectual freshness, innovativeness, and sheer humanity with which he deals with his subject matter.
In this book, John Barnes shows himself to be among the foremost social theorists on modern British society and certainly the most lucid and compelling. The other most interesting book I have read on British society is 'The Condition of the English Working Class' by Friedrich Engels (yes, THAT Engels! But it is purely descriptive with no dry theory anywhere). Of the many hundreds of books I have read in my life, that was the most horrifying and impactful despite just being social history. I can tell from his book that John Barnes has not read it and I really hope he comes across it at some point because - with his fertile intellect and agile mind - I think that input would give him much to work with in terms of further developing the seminal ideas in his extraordinary book.
October 10, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, not only does John Barnes present many a new ideas to the reader (particularly surrounding race). But he also crafts his logic within analogies, further helping the reader understand some of his concepts, not just leaving the reader in a whim, reading but not understanding!
Whilst the book may become repetitive at times, this is perhaps due to the message that John Barnes is trying to get across to his reader (he didn’t write the book for nothing). At no point did this “repetitiveness” overwhelm me, but instead actually further helped my understanding as the crafting of the books structure always cleverly looped back into the authors main points. For me, this helped widen my understanding (of the concepts and their applications) but also created a sense of validity behind what the reader was seeing (as you’d catch yourself agreeing or disagreeing, only to late be told what you were really agreeing/disagreeing too!).
I would heavily recommend anyone to read this book, even if they completely disagreed with its discourse. This is as the book offers what is likely to be a different viewpoint on racism, then what the reader has experienced before. However, this is no to be treated as a “bible” and for a true “truth” I would encourage any intrigued reader to read further around the subject.
Whilst the book may become repetitive at times, this is perhaps due to the message that John Barnes is trying to get across to his reader (he didn’t write the book for nothing). At no point did this “repetitiveness” overwhelm me, but instead actually further helped my understanding as the crafting of the books structure always cleverly looped back into the authors main points. For me, this helped widen my understanding (of the concepts and their applications) but also created a sense of validity behind what the reader was seeing (as you’d catch yourself agreeing or disagreeing, only to late be told what you were really agreeing/disagreeing too!).
I would heavily recommend anyone to read this book, even if they completely disagreed with its discourse. This is as the book offers what is likely to be a different viewpoint on racism, then what the reader has experienced before. However, this is no to be treated as a “bible” and for a true “truth” I would encourage any intrigued reader to read further around the subject.
January 18, 2024
You don't expect to read a thoughtful, intelligent and thought-provoking book on an important issue that was written by a former football player, do you? You know why? Unconscious bias.* There's a lot about unconscious bias in this fascinating, if sometimes meandering, discussion of race and racism. There's not as much about Barnes' own experiences of racism since, as he notes, his ability and his fame "elevated him out of blackness" in a way the overwhelming majority of black people won't ever be.
This book is clearly the result of a lot of thinking about the issue, and discrimination in general. There are no easy answers, and, bleakly, possibly no answers at all beyond mass societal change but Barnes' thoughts on how colonialism still affects our views today are especially interesting. He's just as convincing on the difficulties faced by black players moving into football management, the futility of campaigns to kick racism out of sport (not because they're bad, but because they don't address the wider issue of discrimination in society) and the need for all disadvantaged groups to find common ground.
*That said, I had a huge laugh at his referencing Joey Barton's intelligence while reading this book during Barton's current Twitter campaign to become the stupidest troll in the world.
This book is clearly the result of a lot of thinking about the issue, and discrimination in general. There are no easy answers, and, bleakly, possibly no answers at all beyond mass societal change but Barnes' thoughts on how colonialism still affects our views today are especially interesting. He's just as convincing on the difficulties faced by black players moving into football management, the futility of campaigns to kick racism out of sport (not because they're bad, but because they don't address the wider issue of discrimination in society) and the need for all disadvantaged groups to find common ground.
*That said, I had a huge laugh at his referencing Joey Barton's intelligence while reading this book during Barton's current Twitter campaign to become the stupidest troll in the world.
June 6, 2023
If you ask me what is the first thing that springs to mind when I hear the name 'John Barnes' it is 'finest footballer of my childhood'. But much like the sport that gave him fame, his life has very much turned out to be a game of two halves as he has now transitioned into a captivating social commentator on a broad range of issues and in The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism (2021) he confronts racial prejudice in Britain today in an impassioned, timely and accessible read. Using his own unique perspective, Barnes challenges us to question and confront our own unconscious bias, something that through well-travelled research he has determined is so deeply rooted in historical, elitist narrative and control, that change in our attitudes to each other and the stereotypes there-in, would require change on a societal scale. Barnes believes that most efforts to 'stamp out racism' in its current form is merely papering over the cracks and that the real approach would require a more open and honest dialogue, amongst us all, of our ingrained bias would be the best start. A very detailed and engaging book, Barnes deserves a lot of credit for this bold essay, it's worth reading and very much worth discussing too.
July 18, 2022
Such an interesting in depth read providing the uncomfortable truth about racism. This book addresses complex issues on racism. If we don’t be honest with our own biases the world will never change and peoples perceptions will always be influenced and lead by society.
‘It’s due to what I see every day in the media which makes me, and people like me, feel the way we do about ourselves and others.’
‘It’s about the stereotypical assumptions of different groups of people and the impact it has on all of us.’
‘Because to change the future white society has to change its perception of black people.’
‘Empathy and understanding are the most important weapons in the fight for equality.’
‘This is what society needs to fight discrimination-honest, open, non-judgemental dialogue about the reality of discrimination. Not what we are doing now, which is burying our heads in the sand, passing laws, and attacking certain easy targets to convince ourselves that it isn’t prevalent anywhere else.’
‘The first step in the journey towards racial equality is acknowledgement that unconscious bias exists within all of us.’
‘It’s due to what I see every day in the media which makes me, and people like me, feel the way we do about ourselves and others.’
‘It’s about the stereotypical assumptions of different groups of people and the impact it has on all of us.’
‘Because to change the future white society has to change its perception of black people.’
‘Empathy and understanding are the most important weapons in the fight for equality.’
‘This is what society needs to fight discrimination-honest, open, non-judgemental dialogue about the reality of discrimination. Not what we are doing now, which is burying our heads in the sand, passing laws, and attacking certain easy targets to convince ourselves that it isn’t prevalent anywhere else.’
‘The first step in the journey towards racial equality is acknowledgement that unconscious bias exists within all of us.’
February 5, 2022
2.5 stars
I think John Barnes had some good points to make here and he achieved that eventually, but there was far too much rhetoric bandied about before we got there. The book is very repetitive and comes back to certain points over and over again, which soon becomes boring and a bit tedious.
I think its interesting how Barnes compares racism via class and status. It is a good angle to approach it from.
There are some intriguing arguments but the book as a whole just felt too overblown.
NOTE FOR GOODREADS LIBRARIANS- THE AUTHOR PROFILE IS FOR THE WRONG JOHN BARNES! JOHN BARNES THE FOOTBALLER IS NOT AN AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AUTHOR! 😂😂
I think John Barnes had some good points to make here and he achieved that eventually, but there was far too much rhetoric bandied about before we got there. The book is very repetitive and comes back to certain points over and over again, which soon becomes boring and a bit tedious.
I think its interesting how Barnes compares racism via class and status. It is a good angle to approach it from.
There are some intriguing arguments but the book as a whole just felt too overblown.
NOTE FOR GOODREADS LIBRARIANS- THE AUTHOR PROFILE IS FOR THE WRONG JOHN BARNES! JOHN BARNES THE FOOTBALLER IS NOT AN AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AUTHOR! 😂😂
November 23, 2021
What an interesting read. I don't agree with all of John's opinions but his objective was never to get everyone to agree with everything he says. Most importantly for me was it never once felt like I was being 'preached' to, something I sadly believe is a big obstacle for most people when hearing/reading information that we may find uncomfortable and challenging. It does make you think though. It made me question how racism is/could/should be addressed. This book is a thought provoking read and I recommend to all.
November 18, 2022
During all the, often vehement and divisive, furore surrounding the Black Live Matter protests, I thought John Barnes was a lone voice of intelligence and common sense, and therefore thought this book would be worth reading, especially for a white male OAP like myself. I was not wrong, but I did find the book, especially the early chapters, difficult to read; not because of the content, just the way it was written, therefore I have only given it 4 stars.
December 2, 2022
Good interesting read. I’m appreciative of the point Mr Barnes highlights throughout this book. He shed light in areas I was ignorant. I live in America but I never thought about racism outside of my country. The way John discusses it made me more aware it is a global pandemic. I would recommend this material.
February 17, 2024
Rambles around a lot, but does get to the core points he is making. Our biases have been deeply entrenched over many years.
-"If only more people would be honest with themselves about their true feelings towards not only black people but so many other groups who are disenfranchised by mainstream society, then the world truly would be a better place"
-"If only more people would be honest with themselves about their true feelings towards not only black people but so many other groups who are disenfranchised by mainstream society, then the world truly would be a better place"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2021
I Saw John talking on TV and ordered this Book .. It is a Booked crammed with John's Thoughts on Racism and Life .. It has given Me So much to think about ..I am really glad I Have read it and I Hope People do talk about it and We Can Go Forward as one
May 3, 2022
Thought-provoking, authentic and a fantastic contribution to conversations it would do us all good to be having - or having more of. I found John’s insights valuable. He presents a call to action for us all to explore in our own conversations. A great book.
May 27, 2022
Joy Reid | Ibram Kendi | Cornel West | The Democratic Party | Rashida Tlaib | Ilhan Omar | The Democratic Party | Woodrow Wilson | The KKK | The Democratic Party | Michael Eric Dyson | Patrice Cullors | The Democratic Party…
December 17, 2022
I love listening to John Barnes talk about racism when I’ve seen him on tv and this book didn’t disappoint.
It’s unlike any I’ve read before, it’s made me re think everything I feel about how we battle racism.
It’s kind of blown my mind tbh!I will definitely need to re-read this again.
It’s unlike any I’ve read before, it’s made me re think everything I feel about how we battle racism.
It’s kind of blown my mind tbh!I will definitely need to re-read this again.
February 6, 2022
Brilliant!
June 7, 2022
Arguably one of the most important books about racism in our time.
June 8, 2022
I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Although it has more to do with prejudice than racism it was still worth reading.
March 7, 2023
Thought-provoking. Worth reading.
June 17, 2023
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews