Writings on the Wall

by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld

A New York Times and Washington Post Bestseller

Bestselling author, basketball legend and cultural commentator Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores the heart of issues that affect Americans today.

Since retiring from professional basketball as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, six-time MVP, and Hall of Fame inductee, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has become a lauded observer of culture and society, a New York Times bestselling author, and a regular contributor to The Washington Post , TIME magazine and TIME.com.

He now brings that keen insight to the fore in Writings on the Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White , his most incisive and important work of non-fiction in years. He uses his unique blend of erudition, street smarts and authentic experience in essays on the country's seemingly irreconcilable partisan divide - both racial and political, parenthood, and his own experiences as an athlete, African-American, and a Muslim. The book is not just a collection of expositions; he also offers keen assessments of and solutions to problems such as racism in sports while speaking candidly about his experiences on the court and off.

Timed for publication as the nation debates whom to send to the White House, the combination of plain talk on issues, life lessons, and personal stories places Writings on the Wall squarely in the middle of the conversation, as many of Abdul-Jabbar's topics are at the top of the national agenda. Whether it is sparring with Donald Trump, within the pages of TIME magazine, or full-length features in the The New York Times Magazine , writers, critics, and readers have come to agree on what The Washington Post Abdul-Jabbar "has become a vital, dynamic and unorthodox cultural voice."

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Social Justice, Sociology, Essays, Race, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 23, 2016

About the author

As a center for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1975 to 1989, American basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, originally Lew Alcindor, led the all-time scores in history of national basketball association in 1984.

This former professional player current serves as assistant coach. Typically referred to as Lew Alcindor in his younger days, he changed his name when he converted to Islam.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kareem_...

Reviews

[Yun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful and thought-provoking. The book explores many issues so relevant today, including race relations, gender inequality, class-struggle, and the news media. In addition to talking about the issues, he offers solutions both at a government level and also at the individual level, with lots of data and history to back up his assertions.

[Eilonwy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a lot of opinions. Opinions about how to treat black folks, women, LGBTQ people, and religious minorities in the US (hint: fairly, respectfully, and Constitutionally would be a good start, in his opinion). He is opposed to oppression and in favor of social justice for all. (He’s also got opinions about children’s sports, college basketball, and the elderly, not just “culture war” hot-button groups.) And he doesn’t want those opinions to be based on garbage, so he spends quite a lot of time researching and double-checking the opinions he would like to hold. (He says if he hadn’t become a pro basketball player, he would have been a history teacher, so research seems to be second nature to him.)

Which makes it sound as if a book full of his opinions might be a bit dry and dull. But it wasn’t at all. I loved his writing style, which is an enjoyable mix of informative and chatty. He also sticks to the subject really well, which has not been the case with many nonfiction books I’ve read. He provides an overview of each issue, digs into greater depth, and then at the end of each chapter sets out a list of ways the situation(s) could be improved. Some of his suggestions require political intervention, while others need only some changes in attitude and approach. I loved how dispassionate he is in laying out his positions, and how pragmatic his proposed solutions are. I also appreciated that by offering suggestions, he’s also offering hope: nothing is truly frozen or paralyzed. Much of the inequality in the world is the result of choices, and different choices are always a possibility.

I give KAJ extra bonus points for discussing tampon taxes as an example of economic unfairness towards women, without a single apparent blush or twinge of discomfort.

I wish more politically focused books were this clear, consistent, and sensible.

[Scott Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is amazing. He was a history major at UCLA and is obviously a very bright and thoughtful guy. This book is engaging and insightful. He is a major voice for sanity. His celebrity assures that maybe others will hear what he has to say. I hope so, because he makes a lot of sense and can express it in a way that others might not be turned off, as that sometimes are by Michael Moore or others. I was very impressed.

[Katherine Howsare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew? Abdul Jabar a brilliant thinker/writer. Much food for thought on the state of American culture in this book. Guessing his impact on America may be on par with Muhamed Ali's when all is said and done.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's book is full of the musings of a senior-type citizen of the US.

His book covers a wide range of topics, including American Politics, Racism, Religion, Gender, Class Struggle, News Media and Seniors. The final chapter is a letter to Generation Z.

Most every chapter offers Kareem's (and co-author Raymond Obstfeld's) refreshingly progressive take along with suggestions to strengthen various streams of social justice.

What I found particularly interesting was the historical research on the term "American Dream." Turns out, according to Kareem (and Wikipedia), the term was made popular by James Truslow Adams, in his 1931 book The Epic of America.

Kareem quotes from Adams' definition:

"[T]here has been also, the American dream, that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man [and woman], with opportunity for each according to his [or her] ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."

The irony is that Adams was speaking of an entirely different American Dream than the current president-elect of the US was referring to in his campaign slogan. And given the results of that election, Kareem's book is, if nothing else, prophetically significant.

If you are a progressive thinking individual, Kareem's book will offer hope to get through the next four years. If you aren't, you should probably read it anyway.

[Velanche · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a book on the meat of race in America, particularly race relations between blacks and whites, then I recommend this book. Abdul-Jabbar, not just an NBA great from the Los Angeles Lakers, but also a historian and a columnist for the Washington Post, pulls no punches, and lays things out for everyone to see. It may sometimes make for slightly uncomfortable reading, but my feeling is that Abdul-Jabbar isn't about making people feel comfortable. The book was published before the 2016 Presidential election, but not before shootings in a North Carolina church, and the incidents in Ferguson and Dallas. If ever one needs a wakeup call, a dose of reality, a gut-level check, for the lingering issues of racism here in the states, this is one volume that you should take the time to read at least once. It's highly-relevant, in these uncertain times.

[John Ready Reader One · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Abdul-Jabbar. Watched him since being a kid growing up a Lakers fan. Like most kids of my growing up years I often practiced his "skyhook," spin left, shoot right. I have known for a while that he is very smart and articulate and a student of history so I was looking forward to jumping in on this book when I saw it pop up on my digital library home page. Then I started listening. Like several other books I have gone through in recent years, Abdul-Jabbar addresses some big needs in our society, I just feel like we approach solutions from very different starting points. I disagree with certain of his foundational premises so that points us in different directions. One clear area where we have more in common than others was the issue with how our culture addresses women. I feel that needs to change but here again, I also believe in some fundamental differences. For example, I do feel that men and women are equal in value but that does not mean we are the same. I value tools in my tool bag and a hammer and a screwdriver are equally necessary but they do different things. One is not better than the other just like men are not better than women. Women have every right to success as men. As a comparison How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job addresses some of the fundamental differences between how men and women approach jobs and climbing the ladder. One other issue I have is the complete one-sided approach to addressing political issues. Every single negative example had an "R" next to it. Seriously? I'm not saying those examples were all wrong but c'mon, show some universal descriptions if we are going to seriously address the issue. I am not saying this to deny problems by trying to scream louder about someones else's fault, but it just got tiring hearing certain names over and over again to illustrate various points.

Made me think and want to dialogue so that is a good thing.

[Lia]

Hard to rate this book as it is not my usual fare.
My son is an avid basketball fan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of his heroes. Not just his finesse as a player nor his popularity as a sports commentator, but also for his stance on social issues. This book is a great way to introduce critical thinking and sociology to an otherwise typical teenage boy.
I think I will pass this onto my dad now as he is about the same age as Mr Abdul-Jabbar, and is interested in both sports and social justice, I feel this will be a great way to connect my son and my father around mutual topics of interest yet sparking some input from different points of view.

All in all this was a great read for me, but more so as it will connect my family through a shared love of reading.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Human Being Needs To Read This Book! And I may not have if I weren't participating in the Kalamazoo Public Library's Community Reading Program called Reading Together. I look forward to Kareem's other books.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent excellent book! This should be required reading for, well, everyone.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of cogent essays on a variety of big topics: race, gender, media, aging, and more. Starting from the idea that what makes people from the U.S. a coherent nation is the equal rights declarations of the constitution, he proceeds to document how our society, rulers, and others are failing to live up to so-called American ideals. While often being funny, he also lays out a series of suggestions to improve the situations at the end of each essay--every writer should do that if they are going to point out flaws and failures.

While I may have a radical anarchist philosophy, the straight-forward argument based on our society's own rules is a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled craftsperson--as it is here.

[Daniel Cornwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sensible and inspiring book that shows you can love America with a critical eye. From race, to gender, to class, to aging and more Mr. Abdul-Jabbar offers clear analysis and sensible sounding solutions. Through it all, he comes across as having great faith in the ideals of the United States to fix what is wrong with our country.

It's such a good book that I bought the Kindle edition after reading my library's copy.

[Scott Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kareem and I would definitely have to debate some of the specifics of his various proposals here, but at least he's thinking clearly, articulating real plans for addressing real problems, and--above all--sounding a rational, reason argument and inviting rational, logical debate. I wish we had more prominent cultural/political critics doing the same. Perhaps if we did perhaps the wing nuts could stop screaming at each other and there would be some room to calmly address some real problems.

Adbdul-Jabbar addresses many of the major continuing issues surrounding debates about equality today, addressing equality as a factor in race/ethnic relations, gender relations, and relationships between the generations. He presents well-argued coherent arguments based on clear principles, and does so with demagoguery.

He also presents fascinating chapters on sports as a large portion of American society, and on relations with the media, on which he has a rather unique perspective as both a long-practicing journalist and writer and a long-lived celebrity.

Above all I love his call for a defense of free speech and freedom of the press. Those sections I couldn't agree with more or argue for any more passionately. We wouldn't agree--don't agree--on everything, but that's part of the point of reading the book. We--as a society--have to start listening to each other with the intent to understand again at some point.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. If you feel frustrated either by the outcome of this election or by your lack of choice in this election, you should read this book. He talks about things we can do to improve our communities and be more responsible members of society. Very well written and well sorted out. It may have been the only thing that got me in the car going to work after the election (I listened to the audiobook). Whether you're conservative, liberal or neither, or not politically aware in any sense, I'd have to think this would be a good read for you. Except I think he quotes the Eagles too much, and Bowie not at all. Other than that, great book.

[Erin Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I definitely love K A-J’s writing, and I will continue to read more of his work. My only gripe with this book is that he didn’t cite sources for the plethora of statistics used to validate points.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read like a thesis paper: separated into various topical sections with well-thought-out and thoroughly researched information followed by suggestions/ideas for addressing the various concerns. I appreciated the topics that they chose to focus on (politics, racism, religion, gender, class struggle, sports, news media, and seniors) and I learned some interesting tidbits. I'm still struggling with his argument that athletes should not be role models, but I'll let that settle for a bit before I craft a response.

What I wouldn't give to see Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jaylen Brown talk for an hour...

[Brad McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes a step back from many contentious issues and looks at them from a different perspective. Right from the start, I knew the book was going to be thought-provoking.

On page 3, he quotes the movie, History Boy:
“We still don’t like to admit the war was even partly our fault ‘cause so many of our people died. And all the mourning’s veiled the truth. It’s not ‘lest we forget’ it’s ‘lest we remember’. You see, that’s what this is all about- the memorials, the cenotaph, the two minutes’ silence. Because there is no better way of forgetting something than by commemorating it.”

He puts forth facts that could be construed as attacking military tradition. But while it is a critique it’s not an attack. This shows a trait that I’ve seen across the books on and by PoC authors. Those books tend to ooze one thing: hope. The rhetoric I hear from whites is we’re under attack and everything is horrible. But I think that’s just social media. It was thanks to this realization that I’ve decided to read some conservative stalwarts’ books to see certain critiques bear weight. For example:

“We don’t define the value of a policy based in incidences that might seem extreme” p. 30

He’s talking about the push back on political correctness. But that’s good advice for life in general. And because those extremities are different for different people, it’s dangerous.

Another trait of PoC books is suggestions on how to fix the issues being critiqued. Here, I found every chapter to have suggestions spelled out. I’ll list them below and hope they entice you to pick up the book to read more about one or more of them.

1. ) Politics
Teach the children well
Stop encouraging people who don’t want to vote to vote
Fact-check politicians as often as possible when they speak publicly

2.) Racism
Teach (there’s that word again) public awareness
Apply social pressure
Pass and enforce anti-racist laws; block enactment of racist laws
Peacefully protest every racist action
Support affirmative action
Press for more minorities in TV and movies

3.) Religion
Make and enforce hate-crime laws
Speak up
Create more interfaith activities

4.) Gender
Convince people of the causes of inequality
Pass new laws and enforce existing ones that protect gender identity
Reduce the emphasis on physical beauty
Include women of all classes

5.) Class
Reduce occupational regulations to provide more jobs
Raise the minimum wage to $15
Protect unions in order to safeguard jobs and benefits
Reform the bail system to stop punishing the poor.
Provide equal education for all income brackets
Increase voting to increase political cloud

6.) Sports
Establish better training for youth coaches
Improve quality of parental participation
Bring the costs down to make sports more inclusive and competitive

7.) Media
Stop pandering
Do not move the integrity line

8.) Seniors
Shore up social security
Raise our [Senior Citizens] voices
Bury the stereotypes

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

This year, I’ve been getting more and more into non fiction. Now, some non fiction novels I pick up read like an extremely boring report written by a college student who’s barely passing their English class. But this book?

This book did wonders.

The writing was phenomenal. It was sophisticated, clean, and didn’t drag on. There weren’t too many numbers thrown around. Everything the author said served a purpose.

There was also a lot to learn. I learned a lot about the education system, and how people were treated, why they were being treated that way, etc.

Overall, I’ve never been so invested in a book. However, as it goes on, the book becomes more dense. Definitely worth a read though. It’s encouraged me to challenge my beliefs, especially political.

[Aria Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book Kareem Abdul Jabbar flexes his extensive knowledge, thoughtfulness, and personal experience on matters of race, religion, gender, income inequality, and other issues. There's a lot I like about this book. His thoughts are well reasoned and articulated and backed up by facts and statistics. Perhaps the greatest strength of this book is that he doesn't merely rant about problems, he diagnoses them and provides thoughtful solutions to them. This solutions wouldn't fix all of America's ills, but they'd make great progress.

However, as great as the thoughts he expresses in this book are I found the experience of actually reading it exhausting. There are many sections of the book that read like a paper written for a college course -- exhausting levels of restatements, statistics, anecdotes, and metaphors to make sure a point is hammered home (and perhaps pad page count in the case of a college paper). I feel like 30% of this book could have been left on the cutting room floor and it would have been just as effective.

He also relies overwhelmingly on metaphors, similes, and pop culture references to make his points. This makes his writing very approachable and it all feels genuine (not pandering to those in on the reference) but I grew very tired of it about 30-40% of the way in.

There's a lot of great stuff in here, but it's probably worth more of a skim than a close read (that's certainly what I found myself doing towards the end).

[Katherine Cowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writings on the Wall is this year's Read Along book for my city's library system, and in a few weeks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be coming to speak.

This book feels incredibly timely--even more so now than when it was published in August. It's a collection of essays on many of the problems facing America today: racism, class inequalities, sexism, agism, etc. The book is well-researched and well-argued, with plenty of references to stats and studies, but it's also written in a very accessible style, with pop culture references used to create a connection to the readers and illuminate the issues.

Part of me despaired as I read this book and realized how many problems are facing us right now, and how many of these problems (like the divide between the left and the right) have gotten worse over the last few decades. But in every single essay, Abdul-Jabbar addresses specific things that can be done by individuals and communities to address these problems. This book is a great starting point for activism and social awareness.

[ani 🧿 rav · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel as though reading this book has reignited a fire in me as an American citizen. I found myself both hopeful and disappointed going through the analogies and statistics Jabbar presented. The fact of the matter is, we have a national epidemic of people unwilling to compromise their staunch viewpoints for a better understanding of our nation and their role in governance. I want this book to be widely distributed to young people, old people, people of color, conservatives, LBGT, etc. I seriously think everyone can benefit from Jabbar's unique perspective on these issues. I found him to be critical of the left as well as the right wings, and we need critical analysis of our political climate if we ever want to reunite the USA. This book has left me with a drive to help our nation, return to the ideals we were founded on, and encourage dialogue. I hope the book is as impactful on all readers, perhaps his writing style and relevance will inspire Americans to be more mindful and involved.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: The copy of Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White was provided as a Goodreads give away.
This book was an excellent read. The author touched on many good topics dealing with the American society as a whole. Chapters include: politics, gender, race, religion, sports, the media and more.
In this Presidential election year, I find it funny that Abdul-Jabbar felt the same way that I do. I told anyone who would listen that Donald Trump would be the next POTUS, because a point had to be proven. He states, "Americans are mad as hell and they aren't going to take this any longer."
The women's issues that Abdul-Jabbar breaks down were very enlightening. The religion chapter was also very powerful.
On a scale of 1 to 10, this book is a 10!

[Hezekiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kareem Abdul Jabbar is one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game. He perfected an unblock-able shot, set records that stand to this day, and embodied himself as a willing ambassador to the world. In addition to his basketball prowess, he also is a social activist who is active in all political issues affecting America. His book, Writings on the Wall, addresses various issues from race to to the media. Each argument is insightful and profound that is rich in research coming to an astute focal point. He also ends each chapter with advice on how to begin a resolution of each issue he covers as a guideline for progress. He also openly acknowledges and points out his own bias when an issue is discussed to facilitate a dialogue with others (assuming the book is used for book clubs). His poignant assessment of these topics will leave the reader thinking and reassessing everything that they have been taught in this country, It is a must read of this era of social justice.

[George Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's columns in Time Magazine and had found him to be an astute observer of American culture and polities. This book solidified that impression. His essays on contemporary America were often hard to read, but almost always spot on. There were chapters on politics, racism, religion, gender, class struggle, sports, news media and seniors. Those of you who think of Abdul-Jabbar only as one of the greatest basketball players of all time are missing some challenging and insightful observations. My only real complaint, other than reading this made me feel uncomfortable a lot, was that his short list at the end of each chapter of what we can do, --tended-- to be on what "we" as a nation/country could do and less of what "we" as individuals could do.

[Julie Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has written a highly readable, entertaining, and informative book on a wide range of social issues, including race, poverty, treatment of women, religion, and sports. His conversational style and pop culture references make this book accessible to all readers. There were lots of nuggets of wisdom, but one of my favorites was that whenever he has a knee-jerk opinion on a topic without knowing much about it, he realizes that it must be a result of hidden biases. He then does the research to create a more fully formed opinion. He also had some great thoughts I needed to hear about letting the next generation develop their world in ways that make sense to them while affirming the need to consider the needs of the elderly. Great reading. I highly recommend it.

[George Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Transparent Look at Our Society 2016

Kareem Abdul-Jabber, Hall of Fame professional basketball player, has written an insightful book examining some of the many challenges confronting America today: race relations, gender inequality, class disparity, sexism, aging, and the toxic politics of the 2016 race for the White House. The author has penned 12 books , and this may be his most important. He urges us to use reason, insight, and critical thinking when dealing with the challenges of today. The book is loaded with factual studies, references to social media, and a lifetime of experiences from this UCLA History Major Scholar-Athlete.

[Asha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely have a greater respect and appreciation for Kareem Abdul Jabbar after reading this book. He has a strong insight on not only politics but human nature. The book tackles several issues from politics to race to gender to even aging. Kareem hits a lot of thoughts that are in our subconscious but need to be said out loud. I rate this book as a 3.5 , because it is full of a lot of stats, percentages and references. It reads more like an academic paper in that way, instead of more leisure reading. Even as a clinician, i reading academic style text will lose spark and interest unless you are reading it for research. Overall, however, there are many great points.

[Jolie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only reason it took me so long to read this is I didn't have my own copy and finally had to give it back to the library, and then when I did get a copy it sat on my shelf for ages.

It's not easy to read.

It is extremely, vitally important to read.

You may not like everything he says, you may not agree with everything he says, but you need to read this book. It ought to be required reading for everyone. I may end up reading it again. There are so many critical pieces of wisdom in this book that I know I didn't absorb it all.

Brilliant. Absolutely, thoroughly brilliant. Thought-provoking, funny, sad, and overall, an incredible book.

[Andrea D · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This is a book that will really make you think. Incredibly informative and insightful. If I wasn't reading it, I was talking about it. I don't agree with everything the author believes but I can understand where it comes from and respect him for it.

Although race relations is a main topic throughout the whole book, there are also sections on politics, sports, poverty, religion, and others. I will never be able to write a review that will do it justice, but instead I will recommend it to anyone who still has the ability to think for themselves.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems to me it's characterized as a collection of essays & I have no quarrel with that these essays are tightly knit & well reasoned. The big guy is a far stretch from a dumb jock; he is intelligent, highly well-read & concerned & this is his view on our more significant shortcomings as a society & what we might do to fix them. I might disagree (mildly) with a few of his proposed solutions but mostly I wish Kareem would take steps to make his views more public. He needs a bigger platform & we need to hear more from him.