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What Members Thought
I'm late reading this book, even though it's been sitting on my shelf since it was published. By now, I'm sure you've already heard that this is a fantastic book and absolutely worth reading. I have little to add to all of the accolades that have been heaped on this book other than to say that I wasn't disappointed despite going in with high expectations. The story of the murder by police of one of Coates' college classmates is poignant and personal and yet so unfortunately universal. Reading it
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“A mountain is not a mountain if there is nothing below. You and I, my son, are that below.”
This short but powerful book is written to the author’s fifteen-year-old son. Ta-Nehisi Coates talks about what it means to be in a black body: how suburban white neighborhoods on TV are so foreign to him growing up that they didn’t seem real, how schools seemed more interested in his compliance than his education. He advises, with some sorrow in his voice, that his black son will need to be twice as good ...more
This short but powerful book is written to the author’s fifteen-year-old son. Ta-Nehisi Coates talks about what it means to be in a black body: how suburban white neighborhoods on TV are so foreign to him growing up that they didn’t seem real, how schools seemed more interested in his compliance than his education. He advises, with some sorrow in his voice, that his black son will need to be twice as good ...more
Oct 09, 2020
Stephanie
added it
Shelves:
adult-crossover,
adult-nonfiction,
biography-and-memoir,
political,
audiobooks,
diverse,
black,
bipoc
Such a powerful book to read right now as we less than a month until one of the most pivotal elections in our country's history. Reading and listening to Coates speak his truth and the words he wrote to his son, that he blessed us with too, will stay with me long after I finished the audiobook and I put down the book.
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This is a hard book to review. The author wrote this piece as a black father to his black teen age son in a world that is full of danger being a black skinned person. It's powerful, haunting and eye opening. There are parts of the narrative that were so impactful I don't think I'll ever forget the words. Words like "The enslaved were not bricks in your road, and their lives were not chapters in your redemptive history. They were people turned to fuel for the American machine." Powerful. I believ
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Ta-Nehisi writes to his 15 year old son about what it means to be black in America in this short, powerful book. I had goosebumps throughout. What will most stick with me will be his description of taking his family to France and the feeling there that was so different from America. It was also interesting that he used the words “destroy the body” in place of “kill”. The topic is infuriating. The writing is incredible.
I was excited to read this book because I'd enjoyed Coates's articles and interviews I'd seen. It's a short book and I thought I'd have no problem finishing before my book club meeting, but I just couldn't get into it and went to book club only halfway done. I found his perspective fascinating and important, but it bothered me that the book lacks structure and just seems to ramble. Coincidentally, I finished another book and picked this one back up the week of the murders of Alton Sterling and P
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Dec 13, 2015
Kaitlyn
marked it as to-read
Jan 25, 2016
Brenna
added it
Mar 29, 2016
Kate
marked it as to-read
May 07, 2017
Jen (NerdifiedJen)
marked it as to-read
Aug 08, 2017
Rachel
marked it as to-read
Oct 19, 2018
Kate Hollis
marked it as to-read
May 11, 2019
Collin
marked it as to-read
Jun 06, 2021
Sana
rated it
really liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
popsugar-2021,
non-fiction
Mar 03, 2025
Jonathan Laughlin
marked it as to-read
