Alexander

Repetitive

Revisado: 08-04-24

The background music is really distracting. The writing is repetitive and very simplistic. I’m shocked at the number of positive reviews.

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Heavy and introspective

Revisado: 02-11-19

As I was learning about the author, appreciating his story I began to think about the different moments that resonated with me. The moments of racism that all black and some people of color in America can relate with. I appreciated the authors reflective thinking and style. If I could compare his style to another author it would be Coates but not there just yet. Coated uses a lot more history as he writes and I live history. I also appreciated the authors honesty and window into his life. It was so courageous to discuss his struggles with weight, racism, lies, women, sex, family, gambling, abuse, violence and so much more. I had no clue who the author was before I read this book. I picked it up after seeing it win book of the year awards. Well deserved and glad I spent the time to listen.

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A necessary perspective and a must read for parents and educators.

Revisado: 01-10-19

This is a book about wisdom and its opposite,” write Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt in The Coddling of the American Mind. “It is a book about three psychological principles and about what happens to young people when parents and educators—acting with the best of intentions—implement policies that are inconsistent with those principles. The Coddling of the American Mind grew out of the increased support among college students for censorship of controversial opinions, a trend that Lukianoff began to notice in the fall of 2013.
Lukianoff and Haidt unfold their argument in three parts: Part I, “Three Bad Ideas,” looks at “three Great Untruths”:

1. The Untruth of Fragility: What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Weaker
2. The Untruth of Emotional Reasoning: Always Trust Your Feelings
3. The Untruth of Us Versus Them: Life Is a Battled Between Good People and Evil People

Taken together, these untruths result in “a culture of safetyism” on campus, whereby students must be protected from opposing opinions that might “harm” their “safety,” no longer defined as physical safety but now as emotional safety too.

The results of this culture of safetyism, ironically enough, are intimidation and violence on the one hand and witch hunts on the other, as the Lukianoff and Haidt argue in Part II, “Bad Ideas in Action.”
Part III, “How Did We Get Here?,” Lukianoff and Haidt identify “six interacting explanatory threads”:

rising political polarization and cross-part animosity; rising levels of teen anxiety and depression; changes in parenting practices; the decline of free play; the growth of campus bureaucracy; and a rising passion for justice in response to major national events, combined with changing ideas about what justice requires.
This book really resonated with me as an educator in a mostly affluent but mixed income school. Coddling is hurting the quality of education and college readiness. Despite agreeing with most of the contents of this book. I am concerned about how the arguments made in regards to micro aggression might be used by people of privilege to dismiss the hurt and stress they cause minorities on a daily basis. Micro aggressive words or actions do not cause physical harm but do impact peoples’ health, stress levels and blood pressure. It’s a burden people of color endeavor through on their journey to pursuit happiness. I thought this section of the book could’ve been handled with more care and well-rounded perspective.

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Disrespectful To History and Douglass

Revisado: 12-30-18

I struggled with this book and at times wanted to stop reading. David Blight built much of his career off the work of Frederick Douglass and I thought he could’ve shown more respect to Douglass and to the discipline of history in his account. I was troubled by the countless examples of speculating the unknown which is not what historians do. I was troubled by the author or historian’s attempts to psychoanalyze a man he does not know. I was troubled by the way he disrespected Douglass’ marriage by sensationalizing the idea of infidelity that remains unfounded and treating it as if fact. That might be ethical for Fox News but not for a historian that claims to have a reputation such as Blight. Historians make claims on facts and there were no facts to make claims such as the ones made in regards to Douglass marriage. There was speculation about Douglass’ marriage largely rooted in the racism of the time. I’m troubled to see that this historian validated those with as much time and frequency as takes place in the book. I did, however, appreciate Douglass’ words and truthfully this is where the book shines. I wish the author had written more respectfully spending more time on his contributions to American history and less time on his family financial struggles and the love between himself and his wife. Blight also doesn’t do enough to provide context for the reader why it was reasonable for a black man despite his notoriety to struggle financially in a country as racist as America. Douglass and his family deserved that respect.

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Loved it!

Revisado: 12-09-18

Excellent book that covers one of the most transformative times in American history. Very well research with a command of previous historians work around the cause of civil war. New insight and a real joy for lovers of American history. I particularly enjoyed the political history.

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Great book but would recommend text

Revisado: 11-24-18

I really enjoyed this book. It was very well researched and explained the transformation of the country over a 30 year period of time. Changes occurred from the policies of government but also equally as much from everyday Americans. It really does a nice job of providing time and evidence towards describing how social and religious movements changed the country from women’s rights to abolitionism to religious awakenings. I also appreciated that the author uses evidence and trust the reader to draw conclusions. Not much editorializing and telling readers how to interpret evidence or conclusions about Andrew Jackson’s presidency and the extent to which it was democratic. I valued most the market revolution and the influence of trains and technology on shipping goods and service, improving communication and developing a continental media. The evolution of technology also contributed to national political parties. I bought a hard copy of the book because the audible version is dense. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any historian wishing to develop a greater understanding of these essential years in American history and the origins of our modern industrialized economy and society.

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Good book but not great

Revisado: 11-19-18

A well-written book that vividly describes Michelle’s Chicago days that contribute to the women she is today. Her story before Obama I found to be the most reflective and seemingly sincere part of the the book. However, I felt like the years spent in the white hours provided no insight of real depth, deep thought and critical reflection. I purchase the book hoping to hear a closer narrative into the back stories of Obama’s administration. However, there really was not the depth of thought or any insight provided to a reader that was familiar with the headlines of the Obama years. I love Michelle Obama and appreciated the families class, grace and intelligence but this book didn’t deliver for me an insight into the White House any more than the depth provided by the news.

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One of the most Engaging Writers In History

Revisado: 10-24-18

From my title, it’s clear that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I came upon it after a recommendation from a colleague and was thankful I followed advice. Very well researched, engagingly written and very insightful. I didn’t know Benjamin Banneker had a white grandmother despite misogyny being very illegal between a black man and white women in the 18th century. I found the time before the 1960s to be the most well-research and convincing of the arguments made. I enjoyed the framing of assimilationist, segregationist, and anti-racist. Anti-racist, in short, are people that accept people for who they are and do not seek to measure everyone’s worth by how closely they mirror white middle-class mores. I struggled to accept his closing arguments. Assimilationist definitely has some self- reflection to consider about their ideas on how to achieve a genuine anti-racist society. However, the author shouldn’t be so narrow in his analysis about this point because it’s not an all or nothing situation. Assimilationist won’t end racism overnight but assimilationism is the best way to slowly progress towards ending racism. Most whites are not anti-racist as he would describe it. And Because they have the privilege to not practice or know about assimilationist theory, they can decide not to participate if not on their terms and with concepts they can accept. Therefore assimilationist has been and most likely will be the best way to take steps to a less racist society. I’m not sure he was trying to persuade the reader to that point or just expressing how he felt personally about anti-racist advocacy.

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An Opportunist Unhinged

Revisado: 08-28-18

I never cared for Omarosa before this book and after reading, the sentiment remains the same. However, there are always truths within the lies. I’ve read every “tell all” book about the trump White House shuffling through and attempting to find truth and commonality amongst the lies. She is not the first to mention Trumps mental health and his raging behavior. What I seriously doubt is that she was there to help the “black community “ as if it’s monolithic. What a joke! She presents as this kind women that did not have disingenuous motives. She uses people to get what she wants and she used my time to get my dime. At least the book was decently written.

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Through and well-written account

Revisado: 08-06-18

My favorite book on the revolution and there are many. This book was thorough in that it covered battles, social history, indigenous relations and conflict, women’s roles, the place of African-Americans in the revolution and constitution construction and arguments. Great book

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