The Race Myth: Why We Pretend Race Exists in America

by Joseph Graves

“Graves’ integration of science and objective analysis with popular biological assumptions of race makes this an enlightening and provocative work.”— Booklist

DOES RACE AS WE KNOW IT REALLY EXIST?

Preeminent evolutionary biologist Joseph Graves proves once and for all that it doesn’t. Through accessible and compelling language, he makes the provocative argument that science cannot account for the radical categories used to classify people, and debunks ancient race-related fallacies that are still held as fact, from damaging medical profiles to misconceptions about sports. He explains why defining race according to skin tone or eye shape is woefully inaccurate, and how making assumptions based on these false categories regarding IQ, behavior, or predisposition to disease has devastating effects.

Demonstrating that racial distinctions are in fact social inventions, not biological truths, The Race Myth brings much-needed, sound science to one of America’s most emotionally charged debates.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Race, Sociology

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2005

Reviews

[Erin Cadwalader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for work at the request of this year's president. Dr. Graves will be the keynote speaker at our annual meeting at the president's invitation. This book is from 2005 so it's a bit dated but his federal thesis is that race is a social construct, not a biological one, and I do not disagree.

Much of what he discusses I've come across in other things I've read so it wasn't new to me, but I expect at the time it was more profound. I also watched several more recent presentations where his ideas have evolved and do think his talk will help continue to push us to address the challenges in entomology, as well as society more broadly.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book a bit dense, but was interested in its overall message about race as a social construct. Graves occasionally lost me with too much science jargon, but overall a thoughtful message that we have more in common than that which divides us.

[Spectra Speaks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dense, and becomes repetitive. The sections seems disjointed at first, too. However, still a good piece of work.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Race and racism are social constructs. They divide man. They foment hatred and hamper cultural understanding.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff on the relevance of biology to race and culture (or lack thereof).

[Jae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I had put this book down. In the mean time I had picked up the Mismeasure of Man and then put that down as it got quite analytic. This is certainly more the book I wanted to read.

[elissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

a biological approach to race theory.