Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes what We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD ★★★★

[Jenni Elyse]

Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt is a graduate of Harvard and a professor at Stanford. Her career focuses on implicit bias. Throughout her career, she has spent time educating California officers about how implicit bias and racial profiling. As a woman of color herself, she uses her education, training, experiences, and countless studies and research to explain how implicit bias causes racial disparities and inequities. She offers tools to challenge our biases to help solve the racial problem gripping the world.

I’m so glad I read Biased. I’m really glad I read it via audio book. It may have taken me almost a month to finish it, not because I didn't like it, but because I read audio books slowly. Dr. Eberhardt was a fantastic reader. Her voice is soothing and engaging. During the emotional parts, she was very genuine as she experienced a lot of what she wrote herself.

I thought the information on implicit bias was very interesting. I enjoyed learning about it and about myself. I think the information in Biased is important for people (read white people) to learn, especially in today’s political climate. I think every white person should read this book. If they did, maybe we'd have less black people killed for no reason and less racism in general.

[Karin]

Bias on what we see also goes beyond race, and even gender. Symphony Orchestras (and philharmonic ones) have gradually switched from regular auditions to blind auditions. The result is that now nearly 50 percent of orchestra members are women, there are far more Asians, more blacks, et al. But even among white males, there has been a shift, since there were certain assumptions about physical builds to certain instruments, etc.

I have read a number of stories, but here is one of the most impressive for showing that what we see affects how we hera someone.

I think this is the Chicago Symphony, but am only 99 percent sure. During an audition for a new horn (aka French Horn in the non-classical music world) player (an instrument long considered one for men, and not small men) the winning person not only played brilliantly, but held a long, high, difficult for a really long time just to show more.

When the winner came out, not only was it a woman, and not only was she a short woman (two stereotypes busted), but she had played with them as a sub before!

This is one of the reasons that the technical prowess of orchestras has risen. The other is that as Mahler's works became more popular, more instruments got really tricky audition material, because if instruments not normally featured in solo parts can play a Mahler solo, for the most part, they can play anything needed.

[Karin]

Another book with an interesting study, even though this young writer annoyed the heck out of me (I studied her field while in university and couldn't believe a few things she asserted), is Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall.

A stude wa an actress who normally wears an A cup bra. She read the exact same passage in 4 bra sizes (stuffed, I guess). Obviously no one could see her in more than one bra size. BUT while women rated her trustworthiness the same no matter what her bust size, MEN were less likely to trust her if she wore an A or a D cup.

That's right, many men have a bias toward trusting women who wear B and C cups in the States.

As if breast size, which in natural breasts is completely determined by the amount of fat tissue in them, had anything to do with character...

[Jenni Elyse]

Dr. Eberhardt talks about the blind orchestra auditions as well. The book doesn’t just focus on race but it is a big part of it.

[Jenni Elyse]

Sorry, Karin. I didn't see your second reply and I was kind of asleep when I read your first reply. I haven't been sleeping well.

Anyway, it's interesting to see how implicit bias affects different areas of life like the orchestra and how if that bias is taken away somehow those parts of life, like the orchestra, can improve and grow for the better.

That's so interesting about the breast size. I had no idea. I'm a rather busty female and I hate it. Someday I hope to get a reduction, but until then I guess I'll just have to be untrustworthy by men, lol.

Thanks for sharing!

[Karin]

Jenni Elyse wrote: "Sorry, Karin. I didn't see your second reply and I was kind of asleep when I read your first reply. I haven't been sleeping well.

Anyway, it's interesting to see how implicit bias affects differen..."

FYI--not ALL men, but more than half. I don't recall the specifics. I fall on the other side of it from you, so guess I am also untrustworthy.

[Karin]

Jenni Elyse wrote: "Dr. Eberhardt talks about the blind orchestra auditions as well. The book doesn’t just focus on race but it is a big part of it."

I want to read this, even though it's not a new concept for me; I've just never read it all in one book.