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Racism, Not Race: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
The science on race is clear. Common categories like "Black," "white," and "Asian" do not represent genetic differences among groups. But if race is a pernicious fiction according to natural science, it is all too significant in the day-to-day lives of racialized people across the globe. Inequities in health, wealth, and an array of other life outcomes cannot be explained without referring to "race"--but their true source is racism. What do we need to know about the pseudoscience of race in order to fight racism and fulfill human potential?
In this book, two distinguished scientists tackle common misconceptions about race, human biology, and racism. Using an accessible question-and-answer format, Joseph L. Graves Jr. and Alan H. Goodman explain the differences between social and biological notions of race. Although there are many meaningful human genetic variations, they do not map onto socially constructed racial categories. Drawing on evidence from both natural and social science, Graves and Goodman dismantle the malignant myth of gene-based racial difference. They demonstrate that the ideology of racism created races and show why the inequalities ascribed to race are in fact caused by racism.
Graves and Goodman provide persuasive and timely answers to key questions about race and racism for a moment when people of all backgrounds are striving for social justice. Racism, Not Race shows readers why antiracist principles are both just and backed by sound science.
In this book, two distinguished scientists tackle common misconceptions about race, human biology, and racism. Using an accessible question-and-answer format, Joseph L. Graves Jr. and Alan H. Goodman explain the differences between social and biological notions of race. Although there are many meaningful human genetic variations, they do not map onto socially constructed racial categories. Drawing on evidence from both natural and social science, Graves and Goodman dismantle the malignant myth of gene-based racial difference. They demonstrate that the ideology of racism created races and show why the inequalities ascribed to race are in fact caused by racism.
Graves and Goodman provide persuasive and timely answers to key questions about race and racism for a moment when people of all backgrounds are striving for social justice. Racism, Not Race shows readers why antiracist principles are both just and backed by sound science.
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First published December 21, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 26, 2022
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Author Graves is a biologist; Author Goodman is a biological anthropologist. These are scientists answering a series of questions that have, for over a century, pretended to be scientific excuses for the hate-based ideology of racism.
There is one race: Human. Homo sapiens is the genus and species of each and every one of us.
The format of this book is supremely simple. Its chapters, titled eg "Everything You Wanted to Know About Genetics and Race" and "Intelligence, Brains, and Behaviors" (bonus points for not forcing me to retrofit the series/Oxford comma, gents!), are organized around questions, eg "What do geneticists mean by the structure of human variation?" and "In the twentieth century, were Jews, Italians, and Irish thought to be separate races?" and "When doctors, epidemiologists, and other medical scientists say that race is a risk factor, what do they mean?" There is, at the very front of the Kindle book, a hyperlinked list of all the questions raised in this book. It could not be easier to use if it was an audiobook that read itself to you.
The Notes section, which (I realize and suspect the authors do, too) you aren't all that likely to read, is more than a simple list of people and projects cited; the authors also provide some editorial comments worth your time to follow the hyperlinks to see. There are quite a lot of them, but there's such a thing as telling too much (in fiction, called "spoilering" and apparently a thing I do a lot despite trying to think like a spoilerphobe).
I'll conclude with a ringing endorsement of this exercise in calm, logic- and fact-based debunking of enduring hate-based myths. The authors said it best of all:
My Review: Author Graves is a biologist; Author Goodman is a biological anthropologist. These are scientists answering a series of questions that have, for over a century, pretended to be scientific excuses for the hate-based ideology of racism.
There is one race: Human. Homo sapiens is the genus and species of each and every one of us.
The format of this book is supremely simple. Its chapters, titled eg "Everything You Wanted to Know About Genetics and Race" and "Intelligence, Brains, and Behaviors" (bonus points for not forcing me to retrofit the series/Oxford comma, gents!), are organized around questions, eg "What do geneticists mean by the structure of human variation?" and "In the twentieth century, were Jews, Italians, and Irish thought to be separate races?" and "When doctors, epidemiologists, and other medical scientists say that race is a risk factor, what do they mean?" There is, at the very front of the Kindle book, a hyperlinked list of all the questions raised in this book. It could not be easier to use if it was an audiobook that read itself to you.
The Notes section, which (I realize and suspect the authors do, too) you aren't all that likely to read, is more than a simple list of people and projects cited; the authors also provide some editorial comments worth your time to follow the hyperlinks to see. There are quite a lot of them, but there's such a thing as telling too much (in fiction, called "spoilering" and apparently a thing I do a lot despite trying to think like a spoilerphobe).
I'll conclude with a ringing endorsement of this exercise in calm, logic- and fact-based debunking of enduring hate-based myths. The authors said it best of all:
Antiracism starts with understanding what race is and isn't. Antiracism is not just an ethical and scientifically correct position; it is necessary for our survival.
October 20, 2024
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: The science on race is clear. Common categories like "Black," "white," and "Asian" do not represent genetic differences among groups. But if race is a pernicious fiction according to natural science, it is all too significant in the day-to-day lives of racialized people across the globe. Inequities in health, wealth, and an array of other life outcomes cannot be explained without referring to "race"—but their true source is racism. What do we need to know about the pseudoscience of race in order to fight racism and fulfill human potential?
In this book, two distinguished scientists tackle common misconceptions about race, human biology, and racism. Using an accessible question-and-answer format, Joseph L. Graves Jr. and Alan H. Goodman explain the differences between social and biological notions of race. Although there are many meaningful human genetic variations, they do not map onto socially constructed racial categories. Drawing on evidence from both natural and social science, Graves and Goodman dismantle the malignant myth of gene-based racial difference. They demonstrate that the ideology of racism created races and show why the inequalities ascribed to race are in fact caused by racism.
Graves and Goodman provide persuasive and timely answers to key questions about race and racism for a moment when people of all backgrounds are striving for social justice. Racism, Not Race shows readers why antiracist principles are both just and backed by sound science.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Author Graves is a biologist; Author Goodman is a biological anthropologist. These are scientists answering a series of questions that have, for over a century, pretended to be scientific excuses for the hate-based ideology of racism.
There is one race: Human. Homo sapiens is the genus and species of each and every one of us.
The format of this book is supremely simple. Its chapters, titled eg "Everything You Wanted to Know About Genetics and Race" and "Intelligence, Brains, and Behaviors" (bonus points for not forcing me to retrofit the series/Oxford comma, gents!), are organized around questions, eg "What do geneticists mean by the structure of human variation?" and "In the twentieth century, were Jews, Italians, and Irish thought to be separate races?" and "When doctors, epidemiologists, and other medical scientists say that race is a risk factor, what do they mean?" There is, at the very front of the Kindle book, a hyperlinked list of all the questions raised in this book. It could not be easier to use if it was an audiobook that read itself to you.
The Notes section, which (I realize and suspect the authors do, too) you aren't all that likely to read, is more than a simple list of people and projects cited; the authors also provide some editorial comments worth your time to follow the hyperlinks to see. There are quite a lot of them, but there's such a thing as telling too much (in fiction, called "spoilering" and apparently a thing I do a lot despite trying to think like a spoilerphobe).
I'll conclude with a ringing endorsement of this exercise in calm, logic- and fact-based debunking of enduring hate-based myths. The authors said it best of all:
The Publisher Says: The science on race is clear. Common categories like "Black," "white," and "Asian" do not represent genetic differences among groups. But if race is a pernicious fiction according to natural science, it is all too significant in the day-to-day lives of racialized people across the globe. Inequities in health, wealth, and an array of other life outcomes cannot be explained without referring to "race"—but their true source is racism. What do we need to know about the pseudoscience of race in order to fight racism and fulfill human potential?
In this book, two distinguished scientists tackle common misconceptions about race, human biology, and racism. Using an accessible question-and-answer format, Joseph L. Graves Jr. and Alan H. Goodman explain the differences between social and biological notions of race. Although there are many meaningful human genetic variations, they do not map onto socially constructed racial categories. Drawing on evidence from both natural and social science, Graves and Goodman dismantle the malignant myth of gene-based racial difference. They demonstrate that the ideology of racism created races and show why the inequalities ascribed to race are in fact caused by racism.
Graves and Goodman provide persuasive and timely answers to key questions about race and racism for a moment when people of all backgrounds are striving for social justice. Racism, Not Race shows readers why antiracist principles are both just and backed by sound science.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Author Graves is a biologist; Author Goodman is a biological anthropologist. These are scientists answering a series of questions that have, for over a century, pretended to be scientific excuses for the hate-based ideology of racism.
There is one race: Human. Homo sapiens is the genus and species of each and every one of us.
The format of this book is supremely simple. Its chapters, titled eg "Everything You Wanted to Know About Genetics and Race" and "Intelligence, Brains, and Behaviors" (bonus points for not forcing me to retrofit the series/Oxford comma, gents!), are organized around questions, eg "What do geneticists mean by the structure of human variation?" and "In the twentieth century, were Jews, Italians, and Irish thought to be separate races?" and "When doctors, epidemiologists, and other medical scientists say that race is a risk factor, what do they mean?" There is, at the very front of the Kindle book, a hyperlinked list of all the questions raised in this book. It could not be easier to use if it was an audiobook that read itself to you.
The Notes section, which (I realize and suspect the authors do, too) you aren't all that likely to read, is more than a simple list of people and projects cited; the authors also provide some editorial comments worth your time to follow the hyperlinks to see. There are quite a lot of them, but there's such a thing as telling too much (in fiction, called "spoilering" and apparently a thing I do a lot despite trying to think like a spoilerphobe).
I'll conclude with a ringing endorsement of this exercise in calm, logic- and fact-based debunking of enduring hate-based myths. The authors said it best of all:
Antiracism starts with understanding what race is and isn't. Antiracism is not just an ethical and scientifically correct position; it is necessary for our survival.
November 25, 2022
این کتاب مشتی نمونهی خروار است از پروپاگاندهای ضدعلمی چپگرا که در قالب "اثر پژوهشی" توسط انتشاراتیهای دانشگاهی منتشر میشوند (البته با پول مالیات مردم). نویسندهی اول کتاب خودش را زیستشناس تکاملی میخواند، در حالیکه محکمترین یافتههای این رشته را انکار میکند. دگم مرکزی کتاب این است که مفهوم نژاد و گروههای نژادی برساختههایی اجتماعیاند و واقعیت بیولوژیکی ندارند. هر خوانندهای که یک کتاب جدی دربارهی تکامل انسان خوانده باشد، به ریش نویسندگان خواهد خندید. اما ممکن است بپرسید چرا چپهای احکام طهارتی اینقدر مصرند که واقعیت نژاد را انکار کنند، وقتی کوهی از شواهد علمی تاییدش میکنند و با درک عقل سلیم هم سازگار است. آبشخور این انکار یک باور سادهلوحانهی چپی است که میگوید اگر ریشهی بیولوژیکی نژاد را انکار کنیم، آنوقت میتوانیم ریشهی نژادپرستی را بخشکانیم. خب اگر چیزی به اسم نژاد وجود خارجی نداشته باشد، پس دیگر نژادپرستیای هم در کار نخواهد بود. اینطور نیست؟! حالا این حقیقت که تمام تلاشها برای زدودن تعصبات نژادی در قرن بیستم، اتفاقا به دست کسانی انجام گرفت که ریشههای بیولوژیکی نژاد را سفتوسخت قبول داشتند، چیزی است که دیگر به عقل نویسندگان کتاب نرسیده. نویسندگان این رویکرد سادهلوحانه را در قبال سایر مسایل هم به کار میگیرند. تفاوتهای فیزیکی، ریشههای ژنتیکی آنها و قابل انتقال بودنشان را میپذیرند، اما به تواناهایی ذهنی و هوش که میرسند، یکهو ورق برمیگردد. اینجا دیگر ژن نقش تعیینکننده ندارد. ناچارم باز اشاره کنم که نویسنده خودش را زیستشناس تکاملی میداند 🤣
بعد از این یاوهگوییهای ضدعلمی، نویسندگان بر منبر میروند تا دربارهی نژادپرستی و مباحث تاریخی مرتبط با آن خطبه بخوانند. آنها معتقدند سیاهان، هرقدر هم علیه سفیدها و آسیاییها و یهودیها نفرتپراکنی کنند، اساسا نمیتوانند نژادپرست باشند. قوانین تبعیض مثبت به نفع سیاهان هم، که نویسندگان به ندرت اشارهای بهشان میکنند، صرفا تلاشی ناکافی است برای از میان برداشتن "برتری سفیدها." نویسندگان هرچه جلوتر میروند دروغهای شاخدارتری رو میکنند. مثلا ادعا میکنند تا قبل از دوران مدرن، در هیچ جای دنیا مفهوم نژاد وجود نداشته و آمریکا اولین کشوری است که بر پایهی یک ایدهی نژادی بنا شده. نویسندگان پیش از آنکه چنین ادعای کشکیای بکنند، به راحتی میتوانستند نیمنگاهی به یکی دو منبع تاریخی بیندازند و فیالمثل از نظرات اعراب قرون وسطا در مورد سیاهان مطلع شوند. اما این کار را نکردهاند، چون این کتاب، برخلاف سر و شکل و ناشر دانشگاهیاش، پژوهشی علمی نیست، جزوهای مکتبی است که به هدف تهییج عواطف نوشته شده
نویسندگان مشتی راهکار هم برای بهبود اوضاع ارایه میدهند که دقیقا همان چیزهایی است که بام تا شام در رسانههای چپ میشنوید و میخوانید و این "اثر پژوهشی" هیچ چیزی بهشان اضافه نکرده. به ذکر یک نمونه از این راهکارها اکتفا میکنم: در زمان انتخابات، همهی تبلیغاتی که قرار است در تلویزیون یا اینترنت انتشار یابند، باید قبلش توسط "گروههای مستقل" صحتسنجی و در صورت تایید منتشر شوند. یعنی راهکار نویسندگان سانسور است، آن هم به دست گروههایی که معلوم نیست کی هستند و چه کسانی انتخابشان میکنند
دستآخر سیرک نویسندگان با حمله به ترامپ کامل میشود که از نظر آنها آشکارا نژادپرست است. نویسندگان، به روال معمولشان، حتی یک گزارهی مستقیم از ترامپ نقل نمیکنند که ادعایشان را تایید کند. آنها به این بسنده نمیکنند و هر شخصی را که به ترامپ رای داده، البته اگر سفید بوده باشد، لااقل تا حدی نژادپرست میدانند
حاصل سخن اینکه یا نویسندگان کتاب صادقانه هرزهنگاریهای خودشان را باور دارند، که یعنی نه تنها بیسواد، بلکه کمتوان ذهنیاند (نویسندگان علاوه بر ارایهی خیل اطلاعات نادرست و نظریات آبدوغخیاری، تا دلتان بخواهد مرتکب مغالطات منطقی هم شدهاند، مغالطاتی که بعضیهاشان را بچهی مدرسهای هم تشخیص میدهد) و یا نویسندگان میدانند دارند چه میکنند و قصدشان گرد و خاک هوا کردن است تا خواننده واقعیت را نبیند، که یعنی کلاشند
February 5, 2022
When reading books like this, I often approach them from the point of view of my students. As a teacher, especially as a white teacher, it is important that I bring issues of race into my classroom. I seldom have the time or opportunity to use entire books. Still, you never know when a chapter or couple of pages might come in handy. In the case of Racism, Not Race, this book provided an impetus for me to tweak how I teach about race during my unit on media literacy and stereotypes. Mainly, I really appreciate Joseph L. Graves, Jr. and Alan H. Goodman's approach to explaining, consistently and repeatedly, that biological race is not a thing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for the e-ARC review copy.
In the first chapters, Graves and Goodman examine the historical origins of race in European science and colonialism. They provide a very clear explanation of Blumenbach, Linnaeus, and all the other people involved in attempting to codify scientific, biologically-based races. They clearly connect this to the need by seventeenth century Europe to justify things like the enslavement of African people. They use modern genetics to debunk the existence of biological race and, along the way, disentangle related concepts like ancestry and geographic variation. The bottom line? Much like Emily Nagoski concluded in Come As You Are , there is more variation within a given population than between populations. That is to say, two people of European ancestry might be more genetically different from one another than from a third person of predominantly African ancestry! I particularly liked the point that the phenotypical markers we use to supposedly decide on someone’s race are arbitrary—that is, we often associate race with skin colour but not eye colour, even though both traits are ultimately genetic.
After exploring these concepts, Graves and Goodman devote the remainder of the book to asking specific questions about the social and medical implications of race as a social construct. For example, they explore how medicine tends to use race as a proxy for things like ancestry or other data points that are more difficult to pin down. They discuss hate crimes, police brutality, and environmental racism. They really cover a lot of ground here. The Q&A style sections will likely appeal to many people; I was rather indifferent to them. But I can’t knock how thorough this book is!
That being said, while Graves and Goodman might be great scientists and good communicators, I’m not sure they are great science communicators. Graves and Goodman write in a very accessible tone that would be great for beginners to antiracism. Yet when they talk science, their explanations tend to be very technical, and even someone like me with a fairly good layperson’s scientific background started to feel lost. So on the one hand, I really want to recommend this as a “starter” book for people who need these questions on race and racism answered—on the other hand, I’m hesitant simply because I think some of the jargony science explanations will turn those same people off this book. On the whole, I recommend this book but wanted to register this caveat.
Racism, Not Race is definitely the type of book we need. Pair it with So You Want to Talk About Race , which is a bit more of a personal and cultural spin on racism. Whatever your race, books like this help you unlearn internalized ideas that just aren’t true. And if you are white, like me, in particular they point out the ways in which our society functions to uphold whiteness—things we don’t see, or can ignore, because of our privilege. These books are necessary because, as Graves and Goodman point out, plenty of people these days are not intentionally being racist, yet racism still exists, and will always exist until we change and rebuild the systems that serve to exclude and oppress people we don’t consider to be white.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
Thanks to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for the e-ARC review copy.
In the first chapters, Graves and Goodman examine the historical origins of race in European science and colonialism. They provide a very clear explanation of Blumenbach, Linnaeus, and all the other people involved in attempting to codify scientific, biologically-based races. They clearly connect this to the need by seventeenth century Europe to justify things like the enslavement of African people. They use modern genetics to debunk the existence of biological race and, along the way, disentangle related concepts like ancestry and geographic variation. The bottom line? Much like Emily Nagoski concluded in Come As You Are , there is more variation within a given population than between populations. That is to say, two people of European ancestry might be more genetically different from one another than from a third person of predominantly African ancestry! I particularly liked the point that the phenotypical markers we use to supposedly decide on someone’s race are arbitrary—that is, we often associate race with skin colour but not eye colour, even though both traits are ultimately genetic.
After exploring these concepts, Graves and Goodman devote the remainder of the book to asking specific questions about the social and medical implications of race as a social construct. For example, they explore how medicine tends to use race as a proxy for things like ancestry or other data points that are more difficult to pin down. They discuss hate crimes, police brutality, and environmental racism. They really cover a lot of ground here. The Q&A style sections will likely appeal to many people; I was rather indifferent to them. But I can’t knock how thorough this book is!
That being said, while Graves and Goodman might be great scientists and good communicators, I’m not sure they are great science communicators. Graves and Goodman write in a very accessible tone that would be great for beginners to antiracism. Yet when they talk science, their explanations tend to be very technical, and even someone like me with a fairly good layperson’s scientific background started to feel lost. So on the one hand, I really want to recommend this as a “starter” book for people who need these questions on race and racism answered—on the other hand, I’m hesitant simply because I think some of the jargony science explanations will turn those same people off this book. On the whole, I recommend this book but wanted to register this caveat.
Racism, Not Race is definitely the type of book we need. Pair it with So You Want to Talk About Race , which is a bit more of a personal and cultural spin on racism. Whatever your race, books like this help you unlearn internalized ideas that just aren’t true. And if you are white, like me, in particular they point out the ways in which our society functions to uphold whiteness—things we don’t see, or can ignore, because of our privilege. These books are necessary because, as Graves and Goodman point out, plenty of people these days are not intentionally being racist, yet racism still exists, and will always exist until we change and rebuild the systems that serve to exclude and oppress people we don’t consider to be white.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
October 21, 2021
I liked the Q&A format of this book debunking the idea of race as a biological phenomenon and anchoring it fully in its reality as a social construct. Graves is a biologist and Goodman a biological anthropologist, and they are at their strongest in explaining the real factors accounting for differences in skin color and other physical features often attributed to "race" (those factors being genetic mutation and migration and the isolation of groups of people from one another through the course of much of human history). All the while, they emphasize that despite the myth of its roots in biology, race (or rather racism cloaked in the idea of objective "races" of human beings) does have consequences for physical and mental health, status, and income.
I could have done without the rehashing of arguments by people like Ibram Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, and there was a lot of unnecessary repetition. Also, I was left with some questions, especially is "race" ever real? Does it exist in other animal species (and if so, which ones? are dogs and wolves or lions and tigers, for example, different races? are chihuahuas and labradors? are Persian cats and Manx ones?). Or is it a myth everywhere, one best confined to fantasy and science-fiction novels?
I could have done without the rehashing of arguments by people like Ibram Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, and there was a lot of unnecessary repetition. Also, I was left with some questions, especially is "race" ever real? Does it exist in other animal species (and if so, which ones? are dogs and wolves or lions and tigers, for example, different races? are chihuahuas and labradors? are Persian cats and Manx ones?). Or is it a myth everywhere, one best confined to fantasy and science-fiction novels?
November 12, 2023
Modern ideologically driven pseudoscience purported to be science published by a “respected” institution. Another case of denying the obvious conclusion of facts, logic, and reality in order to justify a conclusion that fits a preferred narrative which corresponds to a prevailing socially pressured/conforming bias.
For a better reference on the issue I would point to “Race and Evolution” by Stephen Sanderson a true, academically respected and self-respecting, evolutionary sociologist (rare) who was willing to publish the truth on the issue after escaping/retiring from the hell hole Overton window groupthink(commonly referred to as consensus) of Academia.
Dr. Sanderson’s modern treatment of the issue of race completely refutes all of the premises of this book but for older references of a time when the truth was slightly less controversial, there were 2 honest books that mainstream publishers were willing to publish:
“Race” by Sarich (Routeledge)
and
“Race” by Baker (OUP)
For a better reference on the issue I would point to “Race and Evolution” by Stephen Sanderson a true, academically respected and self-respecting, evolutionary sociologist (rare) who was willing to publish the truth on the issue after escaping/retiring from the hell hole Overton window groupthink(commonly referred to as consensus) of Academia.
Dr. Sanderson’s modern treatment of the issue of race completely refutes all of the premises of this book but for older references of a time when the truth was slightly less controversial, there were 2 honest books that mainstream publishers were willing to publish:
“Race” by Sarich (Routeledge)
and
“Race” by Baker (OUP)
November 20, 2021
This is an important subject, and having all the information about it in one place is valuable. The chapters provide full coverage of all the areas of life where race is supposed to explain things, and show how it doesn't. This is not only because race doesn't actually exist biologically (only socially), but also because the real explanation is racism.
Having said that, I have a few quibbles. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read a prepublication version of this book. This is my first NetGalley book so maybe that's why my first complaint is that OMG THIS NEEDS A THOROUGH COPY EDIT! Sometimes it's clearly a matter of typos (nobody today misspells Barack). Other times a sentence doesn't make sense because it was probably written one way, then changed without removing traces of the first way.
I am a reasonable smart educated person and the chapter on genetics was unintelligible to me. I think the topic is important and needs addressing, but I would recommend writing it as if you were addressing an audience of 15 year olds who don't even know the difference between genotype and phenotype. There is just too much information here and I can't make heads or tails of it. We don't need EVERYTHING we ever wanted to know about genetics. The bottom line is that all the characteristics that make up socially defined "races" are pretty much on the same level as blue eyes or brown hair in terms of their defining a "race."
At the same time, they reference epigenetics which as far as I could tell means the effects of an organism's environment on its DNA. They don't tell you much except that it's really a thing. Intuitively it makes sense such a thing happens, but I would like to know more about how it works because my general understanding has been that your DNA can't be changed short of high tech genetic engineering (like, the COVID vaccine can't change your DNA).
So maybe rethink the entire chapter.
There is one thing I think needs to be fixed later in the book. On page 180 reference is made to a study done by "Alan and his colleagues" of teeth and bones from a slave graveyard in Manhattan, in which they were able to determine which individuals had been born and grown up in the US vs imported from Africa by the amount of lead in their remains. The problem is that a little earlier this study is discussed in more detail and credit for the idea is given to a black graduate student by name. It made me unhappy to not see his name on page 180 and I think this should be rectified. I'm sure the authors would agree.
The recommendations at the end are thorough and sensible, and just like most other things of this nature they leave me sad because nothing of the sort will ever happen in this country. Their chilling warning will be ignored but it's accurate: when fascism arose in Europe and began to spread, the US came to the rescue and beat it down, but if fascism and white supremacy continue to rise here there is no one who will come to our rescue.
This is the kind of book an antiracist person would want to have on the shelf, for those times when someone says some ignorant racist thing and you want a whole chapter of information about why that specific thing isn't true.
Having said that, I have a few quibbles. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read a prepublication version of this book. This is my first NetGalley book so maybe that's why my first complaint is that OMG THIS NEEDS A THOROUGH COPY EDIT! Sometimes it's clearly a matter of typos (nobody today misspells Barack). Other times a sentence doesn't make sense because it was probably written one way, then changed without removing traces of the first way.
I am a reasonable smart educated person and the chapter on genetics was unintelligible to me. I think the topic is important and needs addressing, but I would recommend writing it as if you were addressing an audience of 15 year olds who don't even know the difference between genotype and phenotype. There is just too much information here and I can't make heads or tails of it. We don't need EVERYTHING we ever wanted to know about genetics. The bottom line is that all the characteristics that make up socially defined "races" are pretty much on the same level as blue eyes or brown hair in terms of their defining a "race."
At the same time, they reference epigenetics which as far as I could tell means the effects of an organism's environment on its DNA. They don't tell you much except that it's really a thing. Intuitively it makes sense such a thing happens, but I would like to know more about how it works because my general understanding has been that your DNA can't be changed short of high tech genetic engineering (like, the COVID vaccine can't change your DNA).
So maybe rethink the entire chapter.
There is one thing I think needs to be fixed later in the book. On page 180 reference is made to a study done by "Alan and his colleagues" of teeth and bones from a slave graveyard in Manhattan, in which they were able to determine which individuals had been born and grown up in the US vs imported from Africa by the amount of lead in their remains. The problem is that a little earlier this study is discussed in more detail and credit for the idea is given to a black graduate student by name. It made me unhappy to not see his name on page 180 and I think this should be rectified. I'm sure the authors would agree.
The recommendations at the end are thorough and sensible, and just like most other things of this nature they leave me sad because nothing of the sort will ever happen in this country. Their chilling warning will be ignored but it's accurate: when fascism arose in Europe and began to spread, the US came to the rescue and beat it down, but if fascism and white supremacy continue to rise here there is no one who will come to our rescue.
This is the kind of book an antiracist person would want to have on the shelf, for those times when someone says some ignorant racist thing and you want a whole chapter of information about why that specific thing isn't true.
June 27, 2022
I have read a lot of books about race and racism, and this book is not like any of them. First of all, it is a science book, albeit one that uses science to show that the idea of race has no scientific basis. Secondly, it uses questions that one might ask (out loud or to oneself) about race as a way of organizing the information presented in each chapter. Often the questions are simple and straightforward, although the answers can be lengthy and complicated. What is race? Is Islamophobia racism? Are there race-specific diseases? Do races differ in athletic ability? Do races differ in their cognitive abilities and intelligence? Why does the doctor’s office ask for my race?
One of the strengths of this book is its level-headed science-based approach that is strong in conviction and short on fiery rhetoric. The authors sometimes call on their personal experiences to support a point they are making, but most of the heavy lifting comes from the scientific studies and historical facts that they reference. The science can be pretty detailed at times, and there is a lot of genetics in here, but it is essential to the points they are making. At the end they offer a plan of action, but it is what precedes this that makes this book special.
One of the strengths of this book is its level-headed science-based approach that is strong in conviction and short on fiery rhetoric. The authors sometimes call on their personal experiences to support a point they are making, but most of the heavy lifting comes from the scientific studies and historical facts that they reference. The science can be pretty detailed at times, and there is a lot of genetics in here, but it is essential to the points they are making. At the end they offer a plan of action, but it is what precedes this that makes this book special.
December 15, 2022
Revolutionary. There is NO scientific basis for sorting people into groups based on skin color. This society-killing practice is recent and wrong. When this simple truth smacked me in the head, I needed this book to understand what is both obvious and secret. Racism is real. Race is not.
Who is this book for? Humanity.
Who is this book for? Humanity.
December 6, 2021
First, I want to thank Columbia University Press & NetGalley for the prepublication copy of this book. This book contains relevant information for the conversation on racism. in America. I really liked the use of Q&A for the topics in the book. I thought the Q&A format was great. With this foundation, the book felt like a much-need conversation on racism. I liked that Graves & Goodman started the conversation on what race is not. By starting this way, they were able to build on this relationship for the entire book. The authors backed up their assessment with critical facts.
There were periods of the book that were harder to read than others. I found myself reading certain parts multiple times to fully understand the concept in those sections. All in all, I would recommend this book to others. This book is essential reading anyone ready to have the much-needed conversation on race & racism in America.
There were periods of the book that were harder to read than others. I found myself reading certain parts multiple times to fully understand the concept in those sections. All in all, I would recommend this book to others. This book is essential reading anyone ready to have the much-needed conversation on race & racism in America.
March 5, 2023
I wanted to like this - good science for the most part, easy format, and important messages. However, I think it would be useful to a small slice of people. It's a little too technical for someone without any scientific background, and doesn't bring anything new to the table for anyone who has studied antiracism. And then of course we get this gem:
Have these guys ever met an autistic person? Or considered that autistic people will read their book and maybe be emotionally affected by what they have to say? What a terrible way of talking about a huge group of people with varied experiences, especially for people who are supposed to be progressive and accepting of differences.
"We now see schizophrenia and autism as different ends of a spectrum of mental activity...on the autism side, the brain produces no or reduced speech, reduced sense of self, lack of mentalistic skill, basic emotions, mechanical logic, and lack of or little goal pursuit"
Have these guys ever met an autistic person? Or considered that autistic people will read their book and maybe be emotionally affected by what they have to say? What a terrible way of talking about a huge group of people with varied experiences, especially for people who are supposed to be progressive and accepting of differences.
June 9, 2024
Great book, very clearly laid out. I took some time off from it to read other things and it became a nightstand book for a while, but not due to a lack of quality. Indeed, this is due to the fact that one can pick up most any chapter in the book, read it, and not feel forced to read every other chapter to gain the essential points. There is much repetition, but this is due to the "FAQ" nature of the book, which allows the curious to flip to the questions they are interested in, and not lose out because they are skipping some. I still enjoyed reading it in it's entirety, it just became slow going for a while.
I have incorporated the major ideas and lessons from this book into my high school curriculum. I would love to see a small, condensed version of this book come out, which I would say is a thing that everyone should read. The full version would then be for the interested. I definitely think that in its current incarnation, this is a book that everyone should at least skim.
I have incorporated the major ideas and lessons from this book into my high school curriculum. I would love to see a small, condensed version of this book come out, which I would say is a thing that everyone should read. The full version would then be for the interested. I definitely think that in its current incarnation, this is a book that everyone should at least skim.
January 14, 2022
I learned some interesting things while reading this book, particularly the medical side of how different social races are treated – that’s some scary stuff. This book opened my eyes in that regard, in that if there are differences in race it is because of the social aspect. However, this book reads like a textbook. There is a lot of science that would be boring to the average person, as well as too many tables and graphs. And I love reading about science. There is a way to write about science that makes it interesting, and this book missed the mark on that front. There was also a lot of repetition. I don’t believe this book is meant for the average layperson to learn about racism.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 6, 2022
"Race" needs to be tossed on the trash heap of bad ideas, along with eugenics, phrenology and the like. Unfortunately, we'll need to keep the word "racism" around, "racism" being the odious idea that the people of this earth can be separated into a few (~5) groups (races), certain attributes identified with each group, the groups can be ranked as to desirability and treated accordingly. But the term "race" continues to be used and harm done by it. There are many other ways that individuals can choose to identify themselves, such as ethnicity, descent, ancestry, continental origins of ancestors, skin hue, and on, that don't carry with them the insidious and invidious baggage of "race."
February 10, 2025
I am not rating this due to the content of the book, but of how rudimentary it was. I already know of the terms of racism, so I don't need to have a definition. It is good for people who wants to know what racism is and to answer any questions but not for people who are well informed on the term. I had to give it a rating but the one star is not because of the contents but because of the writing style and the elementary writing.
August 10, 2025
It’s interesting that a broad review of racism, racial essentialism, and a scientific response to them should amount to an overview of most of progressivism. There is only a little here about the mental problems that lead to these baseless beliefs, and sadly, I was reminded of the Johnathan Swift quote, "You cannot reason a person out of a position he did not reason himself into in the first place."
January 6, 2022
Very comprehensive and factual writings about the concept of race. I truly feel I learned a lot from this book. It was very eye-opening. A must read! I read this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 5, 2022
Excellent discussions about race/racism issues that I encounter frequently . Much of this book is a technical discussion of scientific studies and requires a higher scientific literacy than I have, but I learned much from the material.
April 9, 2022
Wow! what an eye opener! I appreciated how the authors wove anecdotal evidence with scientific stories, showing how racism isn't biological, but instutional. Not only do they explore this, but they then offer ways to help combat racism. Ever wondered what you could do about it? Read this book.
April 14, 2022
This book is of public utility, it's very well detailed and very well written.
My only criticism is that he can be a bit too technical sometimes but can see why it was needed to go into the details !
My only criticism is that he can be a bit too technical sometimes but can see why it was needed to go into the details !
February 7, 2022
This was more technical than I was expecting.
February 20, 2022
Learned so much information about racism - historical and scientific. Highly recommend.
July 25, 2022
Dry, but excellent answers to questions we should all be asking.
March 22, 2022
Gives a great starting point for how to respond to many common questions about race and racism. I like the authors' explanatory style, but this book is likely not accessible to most readers, as it gets into some pretty technical scientific discussion. Not really for someone who just wants an overview of how to respond to some of these questions.
October 1, 2023
This is a great resource and a helpful guide if people have questions they want to ask about racism. This is not a great audio only book, nor is it easy to read straight through. The basis of this book is that there are no different biological races in humans. There are social races, but we, as humans, do not differ biologically based on skin color.
The chapters present themselves in question and answer format which is nice if you want to pick up to read a question or two and see how these scientists answer. If you're reading it straight through, it gets a bit much. I feel like this book is more geared to the scientific community than the general populace as it is heavy on the research and the language surrounding research.
I did learn a lot, particularly how different countries define race and that that race isn't biological. It's odd when you hear social groups who are more likely to have a disease and it's based on race, but there's more to it than. It changed how I look at medicine information and how it's dispersed.
The chapters present themselves in question and answer format which is nice if you want to pick up to read a question or two and see how these scientists answer. If you're reading it straight through, it gets a bit much. I feel like this book is more geared to the scientific community than the general populace as it is heavy on the research and the language surrounding research.
I did learn a lot, particularly how different countries define race and that that race isn't biological. It's odd when you hear social groups who are more likely to have a disease and it's based on race, but there's more to it than. It changed how I look at medicine information and how it's dispersed.
April 10, 2023
Very enjoyable if brief and somewhat familiar (to me) content wise. Runs through the various myths and misconceptions associated with and borne of biological theories of race. The positions on such issues are not wholly predictable they do insert caveats having to do with the degree of human variation and how it’s not necessarily as small as a pure ideologue would assume (an interesting one about FSTs and specific traits like Crohn’s disease). Nevertheless the book takes pains to effectively demonstrate that variation is continuous not discrete and does not explain a good deal of the social outcomes that interest us.
October 5, 2023
I really appreciate the question/answer format and hope that this books gets more into the public eye. It’s a very great starting point when learning about the biology (or lack thereof) of race.
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