Uncensored: My Life and Uncomfortable Conversations at the Intersection of Black and White America

by Zachary R. Wood

Rooted in his own powerful personal story, twenty-one-year-old Zachary Wood shares his dynamic perspective on free speech, race, and dissenting opinions--in a world that sorely needs to learn to listen.

As the president of the student group Uncomfortable Learning at Williams College, Zachary Wood knows all about intellectual controversy. From John Derbyshire to Charles Murray, there's no one Zach refuses to debate or engage with simply because he disagrees with their beliefs--sometimes vehemently so--and this controversial view has given him a unique platform on college campuses and in the media.

But Zach has never shared the details of his own personal story, and how he came to be a crusader for open dialogue and free speech. In Uncensored, he reveals for the first time how he grew up poor and black in Washington, DC, in an environment where the only way to survive was to resist the urge to write people off because of their backgrounds and their perspectives.

By sharing his troubled upbringing--from a difficult early childhood filled with pain, uncertainty, and conflict to the struggles of code-switching between his home in a rough neighborhood and his elite private school--Zach makes a compelling argument for a new way of interacting with others, in a nation and a world that has never felt more polarized. In Uncensored, he hopes to foster a new outlook on society's most difficult conversations, both on campus and beyond.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Race, Biography, Politics, Society, Social Justice

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2018

Reviews

[Courtney Villa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just for some background, I am a woman of color who is pretty liberal and very interested in race issues in America. I have read many of this year's books focusing on these and related issues and loved them. This is by far my least favorite book by the most self-centered author that I have read on race. I hope that people who do not believe that race relations are a problem in America don't read this book. I think that it would actually cement any racist or negative views they may hold.

I have never written a review of a book on Goodreads, but my reaction to this book really made me feel like it was necessary to.

I have a number of problems with this book, but I will limit myself to four here:

1. Zachary holds an extremely high opinion of himself - both on his work ethic and viewpoints. Every person he encounters in the book is compared to him (and never measures up to him). Even his fellow high-achieving classmates fail to measure up. Even though they are smart and work hard, they are not nearly as intelligent or persistent as Zachary because they lead lives of privilege and don't face the same struggles that he does. I absolutely agree that students from low-income or marginalized backgrounds often have to work harder to achieve because they face different and often more obstacles. However, diminishing someone else's accomplishments does not build up your own.

2. He frequently cites times where people judge him based on his perceived background and criticizes these people. He, however, judges everyone he meets. Throughout the book, he expresses judgement on those whose views differ from his. One example is when he describes a friend he meets in college whom he described as "deeply religious, but practical and open-minded." Why is it okay for Zachary to make assumptions of people from different backgrounds? Furthermore, when he ascribes a positive feature on these people, he does so in a condescending manner like it is a gift he is bestowing on them. Why is he the judge? What makes him smarter than the rest of his classmates?

3. This book is a long "woe is me." He is deeply out of touch with reality. I agree that Zachary was underprivileged and encountered many struggles that others will never encounter. Despite his challenges, he was also quite privileged himself. He went to prestigious private schools on scholarships which enabled him to get to college. He talks about how despite these scholarships, his family struggled to meet the gap. However, his parents struggled to meet this gap, not Zachary. Even children from more privileged backgrounds have jobs in high school to help out their parents. Zachary (from the book anyway) never had a job to support his parents. He claims that he couldn't because he wanted to read more to delve more deeply into other academic topics. This is a luxury. It was not necessary to do well in school. Many wealthy adults don't have the luxury to read more just for extracurricular learning. Frankly, I think it is selfish given the conditions his family were living in that he didn't contribute financially. Furthermore, he even complains about the financial aid package he received from Williams College. It sounds like he expected a completely full ride. Again, he didn't get a job to meet the gap or even consider taking out student loans. He instead criticizes higher ed for not using their endowments to fully fund underprivileged students. As a fundraiser at an university, I can see that Zachary clearly does not understand how endowments work and how they are limited. Again, his father takes on yet another job to fund his education. Even students from more means take student loans, so this is another luxury that Zachary feels entitled to. Given the sacrifices his father made for his education, it is a slap in the face, that his father only shows up in one line on the second page of acknowledgements proving that even those who come from oppressed backgrounds can have the sense of entitlement that he judges his white friends for.

4. Lastly, Zachary only graduated in May of this year. I agree that graduating from college is an accomplishment given the challenges he faced. But, what has he achieved or contributed to the world that requires a book to be written? Students of color struggle every day and still graduate and find careers (not enough yet), but do they all write books about it? I think this is the biggest illustration of Zachary's ego.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I applaud Mr. Wood for courageously telling his life story, I thought this title could have used better editing. I feel as though I'm reading a slightly cleaned up diary. The chapters about his time at Williams were rushed and shallow, missing a chance to flesh out his young adult collegiate experiences with more insight and nuance. Perhaps he should have waited several more years before penning his memoir. I also would have preferred to have a separate essay/novella/book about his experience as an African American Conservative. It almost felt as though this slant was an afterthought when it was apparent that this was an undercurrent flowing through his life for some time.

[Myriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and thought provoking. A book that I couldn’t put away until I finished it. A book I wish high school students would read in class to debate and get inspired. There is so much we can all learn from Zach Wood and his experience.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

More about his upbringing than his views on free speech. I probably need a few more days to digest some of my reactions. A lot of this explores where he gets his thick skin from, and makes you wonder if having a thick skin is necessarily a good thing? Definitely a driven young man, interesting that he has become famous for being controversial when he explains how the first 20 years of his life he strove so hard to be liked. I'm bothered that despite his recognition that university is expensive and the sacrifices his dad made for him, when he talks about coming up short on money it doesn't occur to him to take out loans or get a job? Instead he crowdsources his education. I am slightly struck by how in a sense he definitely absorbed aspects of privilege as he straddled his two economic worlds. He's definitely a resourceful and determined young man. His narrative feels ingenuine. Maybe it's just because he tells how much he wants to help people rather than shows, and tells how much he endears himself to others without really coming across as an endearing person? Maybe that's just because it's so self-conscious and analytical? Much of his philanthropy and good deeds seem self-serving, but I can't really hold that against him given the challenges he faced. One has to survive. He doesn't discuss much what changes to this world he would like to make if he were President. I do appreciate that he gives his family the credit they deserve. They worked their asses off for him to go to private school.

But I guess he's written a book and he's famous now so it all paid off. Finally he discusses his desire for people to express different opinions and refers to the emotions of his detractors often, but he doesn't address the difference between fact and opinion. As he invites speakers whose opinions are not based on facts, data or evidence. Should intellectuals be propagating quack science? Look at how promoting anti-vaccers has led to less people getting vaccinated and thus epidemics of diseases that were wiped out years ago resurging. He doesn't have a rebuttal for the fact that he is putting money into the pockets of people who spread blatant falsehoods.

I just came off of reading John Lewis' March (and Go Set a Watchman) and I read The Hate U Give earlier this year and am looking forward to the movie. In comparison this book left me feeling uninspired. If he wants to be president some day, he's going to have to be willing to make sacrifices for causes that promote social justice so we want to cheer for him. Understanding his intellectual goals and reasoning didn't make him likable. Still he's got 2 decades to work on his platform and if you take his word for it, he's good at that.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lessons from Uncensored are simple and important. The phrase “Uncomfortable Learning” -- the name of a club at Williams College which often invited controversial speakers to campus -- is also a wonderful concept to keep in mind. “Uncomfortable Learning” -- the concept, not the club -- is difficult, but important. If we want to break down barriers and try to resolve differences around issues such as race, gender, and class, we need to be willing to consider points of view that challenge our views, if only to develop better counter-arguments. Another recurring theme of the book -- that context is important when considering the impact of words and actions -- is a counterpoint to the idea that certain phrases, and concepts should always be avoided. While some things are offensive, never talking about them means that we can never make them more rare. These seems like pretty basic concepts, but I’ve noticed far to many interactions where themes like “forbidden words” and staying aligned with dogma and inside your “role” predominate over problem solving and understanding.

As important as the lessons of this book are, I found the writing to be uneven, with some sections much more engaging that others. We learn that that Wood credits his motivation to engage in uncomfortable conversations to his life experiences that straddle boundaries of class and race. Wood’s stories often do an excellent job helping you to understand what he was going through, but the sections through the book were far from consistent. Some sections kept me engaged with their detail, others seemed to ramble far more than I expected. Since this is all very persona stuff, the presentation is understandable, but this would have been a more powerful book had the editing been a bit tighter.

Minor flaws aside, this was an inspirational book, not just because of the barriers that Wood overcame, but also because some of the stories resonate with anyone who has dealt with intimidation or pressure based on race, or differences from peers during formative years. Likewise, the stories of the pressure Wood endured to, for example, create dialog with controversial speakers during his tenure at the Uncomfortable Learning group at Williams College could serve to encourage us to pursue simpler conversational challenges in Social Media and other forums.

On the whole, I’m glad I read this book, as it inspired a lot of thinking on my side around discussing controversial topics, especially with those who you nominally agree with. The “Echo Chamber” may be a comfortable place, but learning often requires leaving your comfort zone.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I commend Mr. Wood for tackling layers of challenging topics here, from socio-economic disparity in our society, to the very painful realities of living with someone with mental illness to code switching to issues of political discourse and free speech. It’s a lot to pack into 230 pages. Mr. Woods’s memoir is vivid, and it remains tightly focused until he gets to Williams. I wondered if that was perhaps because he was living it as he wrote, and so it was harder to have perspective. I work in private schools, and I found his reflections on his experiences at Bullis particularly gripping. The moment of the decision to send the emails and the ensuing discipline was vivid and breathtaking. It’s not just that he sent fake emails; they happened to be related to perhaps the most fraught moment at independent schools: the college process and the possibilities to leverage power that come with it. His decision to withdraw lays bare the reality that he had no margin for error. This is a timely book for anyone interested in education, race and free speech, and is extremely relaxant to any educator, particularly those who work in independent school environments.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those times where I think the author needs some space between his experience and telling the story. I can't count the number of times that Zachary bemoaned his dad's disinterest in academics while simultaneously telling us of the new jobs that his dad was picking up to cover his tuition. When he described the class load and extra expenses his college career would entail - and the new ways his dad would earn money to cover it, I wanted to scream "help out!". It felt like most of this book was about how hard it was to be his mother's son and to live in (subjective) poverty. I wish this was a book about race, but it was not. I guess I'm happy for him that he got a book deal, but I think he's going to spend some time regretting writing some of this book when he matures emotionally.

[Ceil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any memoir written by a 22 year old is suspect. This one's worth it! Zachary Wood has persevered through crushing odds to have a life of the mind dedicated to living fully in our divided world. If we all adopted his obsession with seeing all sides of every issue, we'd probably be better off on every level. What will be exciting to see as Wood matures is whether he can bring the same incisive clarity of thinking to his own role that he does to the social dynamics he chronicles. He's well on his way.

[Kenneth Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout the course of reading this book, I recommended it to at least 3 of my close friends.

Before finding Uncensored on the Libby app, I had never heard of it or the author, Zachary Wood. However, I was engaged with and enthralled by his life story.

Uncensored deals with lots of difficult topics - poverty, abuse, race, education, and free speech - and it invites the reader to rethink all of them.

For example:
“It would’ve been easy for me to think of this guy as a thug - a prime example of the big scary angry black man, who spent most of his time on the streets, contributing to crime, violence, and fear in poor black communities. It would’ve been easy to assume that this guy probably had no job, was a poor father if he was one, and called the women he slept around with ‘slim-thick bitches’ and ‘hoes with fat asses’.
But when I thought about my experiences and all that I’d read, I realized that thinking about this guy as some sort of pathological menace was a convenient way of avoiding how all of us were implicated in the aspects of his experience that we distort.”

I was intrigued by Wood’s ideas of “uncomfortable learning” and I was grateful that this book gave me an opportunity to formulate my own opinions on this concept, even if I don’t entirely agree with some of his thoughts.

5 out of 5 stars

[Harron68 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the ROBERT PEACE bio a while ago. That book, which has Mr. Peace come to a sad end, left me feeling less hopeful for what we label "the underclass." The good feeling Zachary Wood's story gives me reinforces my hope for our youths.
Wood's energy, his constant challenging himself, makes clear every person can endure a good deal of stress. Like a body builder working muscles, pushing one's limit, we all can improve our minds.
Zach's desire to hear multiple sides on any issue shows his confidence in his mind, with willingness to reconsider strong opposing opinions. Many of his fellow liberal students and professors are less tolerant. I'm at present going thru the book MODERN TIMES by Paul Johnson. In the history of Western Europe, the U.S. et cetera, in Germany universities and higher learning institutions were politicized toward far right attitudes even before WWI. Johnson makes the point when institutions of higher learning become intolerant toward open opinions, left or right, good government is in danger.
Zachary Wood is one of the best of graduates, a fully made man and mind. I wish only one thing for him, his quest for knowledge left little time for a social life. I trust since finishing a heavy course load he's found his place. Five golden stars.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book on Audible. Great way to experience this book. It provides a glimpse of the authors life as well as issues such as race and free speech. Would have preferred more dialogue around the time at William’s college and the attention and media coverage of his speaker series. And, less of his time as a very young boy. 3.5 Stars.

[Aranya Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING book. Would recommend for anyone anywhere on the political spectrum.

I think the ending was a little bit rushed and that the title is a little bit misleading, but other than that, the content of the book was GREAT! It really opened my eyes and it broke down my wall of "I know I'm right" bit by bit in a gentle way.

I would not doubt it if this man did go on to become president of the US. I want to believe it would be a great country under him.

[Daniel Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book and pulls you into the discussion with its twists and turns. Started if at 8pm at night and was 3/4 through by eleven. Also brings to mind how the concepts could be applied to the current discourse about the Trump followers versus the rest of the world.

[Chris Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr Wood wrote this memoir either at the end of his college undergraduate years or shortly thereafter. (I'm mumbly-mumble years ago and don't have the hubris to write a "memoir.") It's well written and interesting to read. He grew up with an abusive, mentally ill mother until high school, when he moved halfway across the country to live with his father.

The first half of the book, when he is living with his mother, is the more interesting. Although she certainly had problems, she instilled in her son the importance of education and of presenting oneself in a forthright, confident manner. She also made sure he attended an expensive private school in Grosse Point, MI. But her problems proved too much for the mother-son relationship, so with the help of child protective services, Mr Wood moved to Washington, DC to live with his father.

Father and son also did not have an idyllic relationship, perhaps partly because the son was looking for the supportive, caring relationship he had with his mother, although without the abuse and craziness. His father, like many men of his generation, didn't function in that way, and Zach felt the loss. Still, his family sacrificed to get him into another toney private school, where he mostly thrived.

In the second half of the book, Mr Wood recounts his college years. Between high school and college, he attended an enrichment summer at Stanford University, then went to Williams College in Massachusetts for his undergrad years. At Williams he became involved with an on-campus club that invited speakers to campus that a liberal university environment would consider outside the mainstream or controversial.

During this part of the book, I began to see little things that started bothering me. Mr Wood bemoans his father's lack of financial support for his education, although his father faithfully paid child support (that mom misused) and contributed more to the expensive private school tuition. Zach also complains that his orthodontic work and appointments were haphazard, because of money problems. But he chose to go to Williams, annual cost (as of 2020) $72,290. He obtained some scholarships for both his Stanford summer and for Williams, but there was still a significant cost, which he met by GoFundMe begging and somehow attracting a wealthy patron in DC. What I saw no evidence of was a regular job, either while he was in high school or college.

Instead, he determines to "make the most" of his time in college, by taking more than the required classes and reading academic journals on whatever topic was interesting him at the moment. Laudable activities, but some of that time could have been spent contributing to his own upkeep.

He also determines to get to know other people of various groups, so he joins clubs and usually runs for leadership positions in the clubs immediately. He engages in long, informal debates on different subjects, sometimes playing devil's advocate. (When I was that age, we called those "college bull.... sessions.") Mr Wood writes about wanting to understand other people's points of view so he can better counter their arguments.

It greatly disturbed me that he seems to only value other people for what they can offer him, whether money, status (he goes in to detail on a couple of his "mentors"). or intellectual promotion. I hope as he matures, Mr Wood will begin to view people as valuable for who they are, not for what they can give him.

It's not a major part of the book, but Mr Wood does mention in passing that he would like to be President of the United States one day. Let's see: he's had no regular employment, he expects other people to cover the costs of his life, and he views people as objects to further his advancement. He should be a very successful politician.

[Sarah Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even after years and years of reading almost every day, I still struggle to pinpoint what, exactly, makes a book one I “can’t put down.” Certain books attach themselves to me, and their stories become as important to me, if not more important than the events of my daily existence. Uncensored is one of those books. While I learned much about dialogue and began to reflect on how I personally pursue and avoid “uncomfortable learning,” what I will remember about Wood’s memoir is the authentic, deeply human individual who permeates the pages. Wood, as a narrator and character, is earnest and honest. His reflections on his younger self are filled with a degree of self-awareness and tactful self-criticism that I would expect few 21-year olds are able to reach.

In reading this book, we are brought face to face with every version of Zach. We see him at his most vulnerable, in painful encounters with his unpredictable mother and in the principle's office of his beloved high school, as he's urged to withdraw only months before graduation. We also see him proud and successful, awkward and unsure, and everything in between. The dynamic character that Zach is able to create and embody is what allows me to understand the true motivation behind an individual that, previously, I might have dismissed as being controversial for the sake of being controversial. This is crucial: only after understanding and empathizing with Zach, person to person, did I begin to understand the truth and power of his pursuit of hard conversations. This seems deliberate on Zach’s part; he drew me in, and then helped me understand his perspective. And this is exactly how I’ve realized that I must approach these uncomfortable conversations in the future: by first recognizing the humanity of the person I am speaking with, and therefore understanding the heavy, lived experience underpinning his or her ideas. Zach uses his story to display for us readers the practice which has worked for him; he trusts in our potential for empathy in order to exhibit his own. His approach to difficult dialogue may appear abrasive at first, but the roots of this approach are filled with love: love for both himself and the human across the table from him, for the reader and the critic, for every person that is deserving of being heard, or rather, every person.

Zach’s book urges us to be more empathetic, but it doesn’t urge empathy for empathy’s sake. Rather, this type of empathy is urgent, as Heidi Stevens writes in her review of Uncensored in the Chicago Tribune. Stevens introduces a quote from Brene Brown, who writes: “As we take sides, lose trust, and get angrier and angrier, we not only solidify an idea of our enemy, but also start to lose our ability to listen, communicate, and practice even a modicum of empathy. Once we see people on ‘the other side’ of a conflict as morally inferior and even dangerous, the conflict starts being framed as good versus evil.” As I begin to comprehend the increasing frequency of these good versus evil dichotomies in our modern discourse, Zach’s book feels even more essential. A must-read, for students like myself and adults alike.

[Diane Busch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe the subtitle of this book should have ended at “my life”, as the rest of the subtitle does not really apply and this book was not about race relations. The biography was heavy on his childhood and his relationship to his mother, who was a whacked social justice warrior with a PHD. She had mental health issues and treated him quite strangely. She did try to prepare him as a minority black male growing up in a majority white culture. Although his parents were divorced, his dad was involved in his life and provided financial support but not emotional support.

Zach was a voracious reader and had a thirst for knowledge. He put on a well-constructed facade, being obsessed with how he presented himself to others.
As a young adult Zach was very ethically disciplined, not participating in sex, drugs, or alcohol and he was a top academic performer . He was a strong self-educator, well-read and well-rounded. But he always depended on other people to support him instead of getting a job to support himself.
As he moved into his college years, he became a free speech activist, bringing nationally recognizable controversial speakers to campuses, to force conversations on both sides of an issue. The main point of the book seems to be that he is advocating that controversial people should not be censored.

I believe the audience for this book would be 17-37 year olds.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wholeheartedly agree with Wood’s point that we must engage in conversation with those we disagree with, not just those we agree with. How can we learn from or with each other otherwise? I wish that the book spent more time on this. I felt the last chapter was rushed. I’m not sure I’d go about having these conversations in the same way Wood did. Polarizing an audience or potential conversation participants isn’t going to facilitate more of these conversations on a ground level. Anyone who is looking to explore how we become who we are and appreciate how difficult it can be to go through that journey should read this book.

[Darci Isherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bit of a change from the usual selections of my book club. The author’s story gives an incredible first hand look at race, poverty, mental illness, and growing up in that world. With the racial climate that this country is in currently, I encourage everyone to read this biography. Zachary Wood is extremely revealing and vulnerable with how he shares the story of his (so far) short life. At such a young age, to have this type of intelligence to share, it makes me wonder what else this young man will achieve.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and some excellent points in the last chapter about free speech and engaging with and confronting opposing views and ideas. This book and other of Zach's writing should be assigned reading material for today's youth and anybody who wants to make a difference in the world. One word summation: Inspiring.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zach Wood is a remarkable young man, a very compelling writer, and very likely a future U.S. President. His ability to remain so dedicated to the truth, and a centrist point of view, despite the many hardships he endures is truly commendable. There are important life lessons for us all in this book. This is high on my list of books everyone should read.

[David G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncomfortable Reading

This is a book which will make you uncomfortable. That can be good. Zachary Wood helps us understand how a lack of comfort can lead to a surplus of knowledge. Walk his journey with him as your guide. Listen as he converses with those who share his perspective and those who oppose it. Learn how to engage in uncomfortable learning. Live wiser for it.

[Deedi Brown (DeediReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All my reviews can be seen at https://deedireads.com/ :)

"Without [the exceptional circumstances that allowed me upward mobility], my life would likely have been just like the other kids' in Bellevue. I could have had a dad in prison, a mom who was desperately trying to make it and didn't have the time or energy to give me love and support, and teachers who were sick and tired of my black ass and just wanted me to sit down and be quiet. The drugs, the violence, and the hostility—that was years of oppression and accumulated disadvantages coming out. I knew where that came from. Despite my relative advantages, I felt it every day. But I was also determined to make the most of my unique opportunities and hopefully use them one day to make a difference. And I could do that only by avoiding the traps that were laid at every turn for me and all the other kids like me."

Zachary Wood is an impressive person. He wrote his memoir like he lives his life: free of judgment, open to interpersonal connection, assertive but not aggressive, and with plenty of room for the reader to maintain his or her dignity and opinion. He seeks to understand, to connect, to challenge assumptions, and to broaden both his and his readers' understanding of the world.

Zach grew up in his mother's house. She had significant mental health issues and was both physically and emotionally abusive. Nevertheless, Zach learned to read early and escaped into books. But not fiction—instead, he learned anything and everything he could. Even after he left his mother's house, he drove himself into the ground (literally) trying to learn, to make himself useful, to be helpful, to defy stereotypes, to change the world. I have never met anyone in my life with a work ethic like Zach's. It is hard to even believe.

Once he got to Williams College, he became involved with a student group called Uncomfortable Learning. Under his leadership, the group sought to bring speakers to campus who held radically conservative viewpoints—the most extreme of the extreme. His fellow students fought him tooth and nail, wishing to protect the safe space their campus had become for them. But he wanted to debate, to push everyone to think harder and deeper. This did not often make him popular, but it did make a statement. It also brought him national attention.

Zach states several times in his book that he wants to run for President one day. I hope he does; while I obviously can't decide whether I'd vote for him just by reading this book, his willingness to debate both sides of an argument and his ability to do so in a smart, respectful, effective way is sorely needed in the Democratic Party.

I tore through his memoir in just one day. It reads very well, and it opened my eyes to a perspective and set of experiences that my privileged upbringing never exposed me to. That alone is worth the time to read this book.

[TJS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Random thoughts:

1. Zachary Wood's mother should be in prison or a mental hospital for child abuse, to the extent that his account is faithful to the facts, and I have no reason to think that it isn't.

2. Blurbs praising the book state that Mr. Wood wants to be president of the United States someday. It's not a particularly great job. I'm not sure it's even a particularly interesting one. I hope that in a few years he finds a better option to strive for.

I also attended a competitive liberal-arts college. In my class, one guy stood out for his political ambitions. (He ended up doing noblesse oblige good works at a high level, Kennedy-style, but as far as I know hasn't held public office.) Probably a half-dozen or a dozen were trying to rocket-launch their political careers. And that's probably been true in every class at Mr. Woods's alma mater.

3. I suppose it's because he was abused by his mother that he sounds like he's all work and no play. But play is critical to life; a life without play is a stunted life. With commendable candor, he reports that at one point someone tells him this. But it seems not to register with him.

4. I was struck by his acknowledgment that instead of undertaking summer jobs to help pay for college, he attended writing workshops at Yale and Stanford. For the Yale workshop, he raised $13,404 through GoFundMe; if I recall correctly, a wealthy benefactor paid for Stanford. It's all most enterprising. Perhaps, having seen his father toil at grueling jobs, he didn't want to work at similar jobs during summers. But it leaves me a bit quizzical about ... I don't know, something that I can't articulate.

5. The fact that he challenged what sounds like a dreadful woke orthodoxy at Williams College, including by writing contrarian op-eds in The Wall Street Journal, deserves full praise.

[Tom Gagne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me places I've never been. I've never read a non-fiction book about personal experiences in poverty or with a mother with serious mental issues.

And yet with so much stacked against him he didn't just survive but endured and overcame.

This book reminds me of the many biographies I've read about America's founding fathers. After reading each one I feel like a lazy schmuck. The only biographical subject I've ever felt competitive with is Benjamin Franklin, because he was a lousy husband and so-so father. Zach's book is a lot like those biographies of Lincoln, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Hamilton and Washington. These guys were so well read, so well self-educated, well educated, motivated, and liberal, that I can't help but feel inadequate by comparison.

There are books I've read that I'm glad I read them, but I don't recommend them all.

I recommend this one--strongly.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I applaud Mr. Wood's vision and work with Uncomfortable Learning at Williams College, this book never seemed to quite embody the passion he tells us he has for engaging with thinkers/speakers who have vastly differing and controversial opinions from his own. The first two thirds of the book tell Mr. Wood's story from childhood to the end of high school. He has overcome a myriad of obstacles and perhaps some deeper self reflection on his notable resiliency throughout childhood would have added some depth to the narrative. Only when the book finally takes up the topic of his work with Uncomfortable Learning, do we begin to get a hint of the importance he places and enthusiasm he has for thoughtful and meaningful dialogue with those with opinions differ from his own. I look forward to hearing more from him in the future.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book .....easy to read...well written....loved his honesty about the most difficult types of lives we can live and still continue on no matter what when we have goals.....I doubt most people could accomplish what this young man has considering all the hurdles he had to jump....but his intelligence and compassion for others is beyond words.....I always love non fiction.....and I am praying that this author continues on his road to politics because he definately would be someone I would vote for as long as his priorities remain the same.....great book...gave me hope for the future...thank you for sharing your life.....and you have an amazing intelligence....wish I had just a little piece of it.....thanks again!! You are on your way!

[Stefanie Lindeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued after watching his TED talk, and wanted to hear more about this guy and his perspective. Understanding his background and how he was "made" was heartbreaking and illustrates the concept of "privilege" pretty starkly. From that perspective, I thought the book was really compelling. But then I found myself liking him less as I kept reading and his situation improved. Hearing so many examples of his extreme work ethic and all the name-dropping got old and I felt like I was just another person he was selling himself to, and needing acceptance from. In my opinion, this book is just another desperate attempt for him to feel himself worthy. As I reader, don't like feeling manipulated like that.

[Susan Frazier-Kouassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand, this was a powerful memoir of a gifted young Black man who had to learn to navigate 2 worlds - one of poverty and trauma; and the other surrounded by elite and upper class mostly whites. What I found most remarkable about this story is his willingness and bravery to tell the story of early trauma, emotional and physical abuse, and fear largely from his mother who suffered from a serious mental illness. I think if I met a person like him, my immediate reaction would be to dismiss him and possibly not even like him as it seems many of the Black characters in his life did; but, on deeper reflection, I really felt a deep sense of sorrow for him and the life he was born into and the struggles he had to endure.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate this young man's position that we can all deepen our understanding of other people, as well as refine our political and philosophical positions, by engaging in respectful discussion and debate with people who have differing views from ours. But very little of the book actually addressed this topic.
The bulk of the book for me was the story of a brilliant and precious boy who was molded/tormented into a compulsive overachiever and dealt some pretty serious emotional damage by a mentally ill mother.
The writing was stilted and humorless, and while I feel for the author for all that he has been through, I didn't feel like I learned anything from the book.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in a day - the author's journey is incredulous-I would not have had that kind of grit and fortitude. I wish there was a happier ending in terms of his mission and the hope that our communities could engage in open dialogue about "hot topics" and controversy. There is too much shaming going on and not enough real communication. I wish that the educators would help teach and facilitate open dialogue rather than shy away from controversy. My kids have experienced versions of Zach Wood's experiences and all too often the answer is to bury the problem and not talk. Zach Woods is an incredibly brave young adult - wish there were more like him