White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son | 
|  | | | Title: | White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son | | Author: | Tim Wise | | Publisher: | Soft Skull Press | | Type: | Book / Paperback | | Publication Date: | 28 December, 2007 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 1933368993 / 9781933368993 | | List Price: | $14.95 | | You Save: | $4.78 | | Amazon Price: | $10.17 | |
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Product Description
Racial privilege shapes the lives of white Americans in every facet of life, from employment and education to housing and criminal justice. Using stories from his own life, Tim Wise shows that racism not only burdens people of color, but also benefits those who are "white like him" — whether or not they’re actively racist. Using stories instead of stale statistics, Wise weaves a compelling narrative that assesses the magnitude of racial privilege and is at once readable and scholarly, analytical yet accessible.
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Customer Reviews:
• Understand White Folks 01 November, 2008
As a white dude, I can say that Tim Wise understands white folks in the states, probably as well as anyone can. He knows all about how we think and how we insulate ourselves from reality and how we have the uncanny ability to simultaneously tell others to be responsible while we blame them for our problems. And he's even anticipated your unwitting and latently racist attack / defense in expressing your outrage that there is such a thing as white privelege (which you will put scare quotes around, "privelege", to say that it doesn't exist.) He knows your tricks, and he is an extremely engaging and humorous author on top of it.
This is one of the single best books I have ever read and is definite must-read material for anyone living amidst a lot of racism, especially the kind that doesn't see itself as such.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1E371HE68KMWB
• Not Too Wise 18 April, 2008
He sure knows not much about the Civil War, even that it was not a Civil War
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1L63M47R52BTJ
• A Terrific Exploration Of Race In America 08 August, 2008
Tim Wise's name is well-known and I have read many of his essays over the years. So as I was about to read this book, it's safe to say I had some expectations for it. The verdict: it surpassed them. In the first few pages, the book seems a bit aimless, and at various points in the book his language is a little off-putting (by that, I mean his very free use of words like F-bombs). But after the first few pages, and getting past the occasional language obstacle, he shines with it.
He proves very adept at illustrating how ever-present race is in everyday life, and I don't make this point lightly. I already felt I had a good understanding of this, but some of his examples prove that wrong and show that it's present even in places I didn't think that was the case. He shares stories from his family as well as life outside of home that all drive home his points well.
Most of all, as is the case in his essays, Wise gets real about race as it concerns White people. He pulls no punches, evident in several parts of the book. He makes it clear more than once that merely "being a good person", for lack of a better phrase, will never be enough to make a significant dent in racism. He points out that for White people doing this work, the rewards are not what one might expect - don't expect to be on the cover of a major magazine or the top story on the six o'clock news, and don't expect to be loved by all the way athletes and entertainers are worshiped in America. And he does a great job of showing how racism hurts White people, examples including how privilege can put us in danger or rob us of our self-determination, and in perhaps an extreme example, how it can lead the poorest of Whites to support politicians and policies that don't help them at all but profess to be anti-Black - the latter being the reason they support the politician or policy.
This is a challenging book. It certainly was for me, and I haven't been a passive observer on this subject matter during my life. It made me examine myself and my thoughts on this subject, yet it also in some points affirmed that if nothing else, I may be on the right track, as there were certainly parts I identified with. It's also realistic in that the overall picture it paints is that for many reasons, fighting the rampant White privilege in America is not easy at all.
All in all, this book is well worth reading, especially for a White person who wants to do something positive on race.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1ZK6MYHRS01HH
• Arrogant Cook 24 September, 2008
This book was given to me and I did not finish it.
What I read offended me - as a Caucasian.
This Tim Un-Wise knows he is preaching to the choir of self loathing rich white folks who are left wing cooks full of guilt from what some of their ancestors did.
However it also seems to make the assumption all white people should feel that way, well speak for yourself, pal.
I am and I know a lot of decent caucasians with decency and courtesy who are further from racism that most black folk. Write that, pandering lyar.
Making excuses like that is not helpful to the black community either as most of their problems can hardly be blamed on the folks who make welfare possible - the taxpayers.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1KD2OP7RYTLNP
• White Like Me 23 November, 2008
This is one of the most important pieces I've read in the last few years. Very thought provoking and challenging. Be ready to shake your world to help in beginning to establish a better place for all.
- Reviewed by customer ID: AEWS50HYC0KMZ
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